Cloud Forests and Zip Lines

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Next we headed to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. From the bottom you cant see the top of these green mountains (monte verde) for the clouds. We drove up and up this very steep mountain until we were at the level of the clouds. The drive was pretty daunting as the roads were narrow, unpaved and on cliff edge the whole way. It is mistaken for a rainforest as it is so wet but we were informed this is actually condensation from the clouds. The views from the top were both overwhelming and spectacular.

We went on a trek through the cloud forest where we spotted spider monkeys, plenty of insects and learned about many of the flora and fauna living there.

By far the best part of this place and possibly the entire country was the zip lining through the cloud forest. And this wasnt no flying fox I tell you. We were provided with a harness and a glove which we were later informed would be our one and only method of braking, hmmm. There are lots of different lengths and heights of zips through the forest, some with overwhelming drops below us, some that pass by waterfalls, and of course they had a repel and tarzan swing (which Colin later referred to as the ball crusher). The final zip was 1km long and the fastest of them all. We went together as a tandem on this one and it was amazing, plenty of time to take in the scenery as it flashed by.

There was plenty to do here otherwise if zip lining wasnt your thing with butterly farms, snake and insect exhibitions, cheese and coffee plantations along with many awesome restaurants and bars. Colin had his very first horse riding experience through the coffee planatations and around the mountains.

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