The Swinging Adventure

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We got up at our leisure again and went in to the lodge for another fantastic breakfast. Day four in a row of having the best scrambled eggs! Oh, and coffee!!! This morning, I had another special encounter. The monkeys were back and it was pretty quite in the room. I walked over to the big windows to get a little closer to our morning friends. One of the younger ones jumped onto the roof and then onto the ledge next to the window. I put my hand flat on the window and he reached out and touched the window too...right where my hand was! It was pretty cool!

Mom went back to the room to get ready for the day's adventure. I stayed in the main building to send some emails and then when I was on my way back to our room, I saw the monkey's again outside. That's when I snapped all the photos. I had to hussle back to the room to change and get ready to go. Unlike me, the van arrived to pick us up and I went hussling out the door, got all the way to the van and realized I hadn't changed my shoes. So I hopped back out, ran to the room grabbed my shoes and then sprinted back. So sorry to those waiting in the van!

We picked up several more people and before you knew it, our van was jam packed. As always, there are several languages being spoken, stories being shared...I'm just trying to keep breakfast in my stomach. I LOVE the Santa Elena area, but the roads are killing me! After about a 15 min drive, we arrived at Selvatura Park. This is a nature center of sorts with several different things to do. Thus far, this is the most tourist type place mom and I have been. But, we were here for our adreline rush...we signed up to do the Canopy Tour and the Treetop Walkways. I was so very excited for this part. Mom, well she was excited, but I think a bit nervous too. She wasn't sure about how she was going to brake and having enough strength, but then we found out she could go tandem...there was no turning back! So we checked in, hit the ladies room and got in line to get suited up! Mom is cracking me up...at every point, she's asking about going tandem. She tells the lady we checked in with, I was told I can go tandem. Tandem is not a word that translates from English to Spanish. Then, checking in for our gear and handing in our tickets she asks the kid, I need to go with a guy tandem...who do I tell. More blank looks of not understanding tandem. I'm telling her, mom calm down we'll make sure you get to go with someone. Now we're getting suited up. They fit you in a harness, around the legs/waist kind of thing with extension ropes and clasps to connect you to the lines. They also give you a helmet and a pair of gloves that will put your best pair of garden gloves to shame! As mom is getting suited up, she's talking to the guy that's helping her. I'm sure you can guess what the conversation was about - I need to go tandem. I interrup, she needs to go with a guide. The guy shakes his head and says sure, no problem, you can go with a guide. Now, with renewed excitement, mom pushes forward...will you be my guide? I want to go with you. Will you go with me? I'm now laughing. This poor guy is very relaxed and like sure, yes, we'll take care of it. Mom on the other hand, is fixated on her new best friend for the day. We start talking to another couple who are retired and spending a month in Costa Rica. The woman was excited to hear about the tandem deal is began thinking this was something she should do as well. Soon we are all ushered out of this staging room and over to a van. Dear lord, not another van ride! As we're loading in the truck, mom is looking for her guide. And as she's looking, she talking out loud. Courtney, where did he go? Oh, there he is. Wait, he's getting in the other van. Why is he getting in that van. AS they close the door to our van she continues...uh-oh, he's not going with us. Now who am going to ride with. Literally, it was non-stop. And mind you, there were 15 people in this van and all of them are hearing this. Mom's in the seat behind me. I turn around and say, mom, chill, it will be ok and it will all work out. For about 2 1/2 minutes she was silent.

Thank goodness the van ride was short. We pull up to a little clearing and at this point are in the woods. As we're getting out of the van, mom starts up again. Do you think he's going to be here...ect? I was like, mom if he's not here, someone else will go with you. She's like, but I want him to go with me. Seriously...this was hilarious! She never had a chance to get nervous about the zip lines because she's far too worried about the missing guide. I was dying laughing. The first part of the tour is safety training. I'm trying to listen to Cham who is doing a demo on how to side in the harness, how to brake and the hand signals to watch so that you don't go crashing into a tree...you know important things. Mom is not paying attention. She's still looking around for her guide and saying the same thing, where do you think he went...who's going to go with me. I'm like will you relax, I kinda have to listen to the instructions here. Cham started to talk about the option to go tandem. Instead of tandem, they call it taxi. He can barely ask if anyone in the group is interested in going with a taxi and mom's got her hand in the air saying, yes, I need to go with a taxi. Really, I could nothing but laugh. At this point, I don't need to do the zip line. I've had all the entertainment I need just listening to mom! About 6 other women in the group ask for taxis and Cham starts to pair people off. Mom is one of the last ones so of course, the chatter begins again...now she's got Cham's ear. After a second, Cham says, you can ride with me, ok? Mom's like, well ok, but that other guy said he would go with me. Really, how can you not love her! We start walking towards the first platform and she's still chattering away. We climb up the stairs and we're about 2 stories off the ground. At the platform, she sees the guy that originally told her he'd go with her. Literally, here's the scene:

Mom - Ah! There you are! I was wondering where you went. I want to go with you. I want to go with him.

The Guide (his name is Eddie) - Vamos! (and motions with his hand)

Sure engouh, mom is still talking to the guides while they are latching her on to the line and trying to tell her what to do and all that. I'm pretty sure she never had a chance to realize she was about to go zipping down a thin wire but it only took a few moments and she was off! And you could hear her scream the whole way! Something to note...one of the reasons we picked Costa Rica for our trip was because Mom wanted to specifically do a zip line. I went shortly after her...I of course loving thrill rides, was super pysched! The first line was fast and a bit short, but still very fun! When I got to the next platform, mom was there smiling from ear to ear! She's all like, this is so great! That was so much fun! I was cracking up. Really, this was an outing of a lifetime! Eddie was transitioning everyone when they came into the platform here so I quickly went on to platform 3. Mom stayed tethered to the tree at platform 2 waiting for Eddie. Throughout the day, this is how it worked. You would land on a platform, they would disconnect you from the zip line and connect you to the tree or platform in some way. It was pretty entertaining. We were in a group of about 15 people and a few of the women were pretty terrified. I decided after mom did the second line and I watched her come in, that unlike many of the other taxi riders, she was not scared at all! Some of the women were clinging to trees and even shaking. I think it was extremely difficult for most of them to complete the entire tour. I am all about this activity. We started just a couple of stories high and already, we are higher. There were 13 zip lines in total. At certain points, we were really high. Mom and I got separated after the third line and I didn't catch up with her for quite a while. So inbetween, I was really trying to enjoy the surroundings. Here you are, high up in the trees...really many times at the tops of the trees and you're able to take in so many beautiful sights. This was a rare day in the area because it was perfectly clear, sunny and warm. It made for great views, but on the flip side slower zip lines. Oh well, I wasn't complaining. I was taking in the lush deep forest. This is the only zip line that runs through the cloud forest area and for more that just this reason, I'm glad we chose it. Against the hures of green leaves, mose and ferns while zipping along a really long line, I passed two bright and huge yellow butterflies! It was quite cool. By now, we are well into the course and the ground...well, its really far away and the forest below is so thick, you can't even see the bottom. I love it! As I got onto one of lines, the guide said, be careful and watch for the braking signal at the other end...this line is very fast. My response, Awesome! As I'm soring into the end, I'm being mindful to watch for the signal. I'm known to be looking around too much and so in particular, I'm trying to be good on this trip...I'm traveling with my mom after all. No trips to the hospital please. I spot the guide and it's Eddie and just on the other side of him standing by the enormous tree is mom. Eddie waves off the braking and lets me come soaring into the finish. He has a line braking system and it grabs me just enough not to crash into the tree, but let's me hit it with my feet. Yes! Thank you Eddie! I'm squealing with excitment and say to Eddie, I love it! I love going fast! He laughs and says, Me too! Mom is laughing and saying how fast I was going and whatnot. Ah, and we're reunited. At this point, we're back on ground and have to hike a ways to the next platform. Um, no one told us there were work hard work on this trip. We are both breathing hard and talking about how much fun we're having. The walk was beautiful, but there were stairs involved. This was tiring. We made it up to the next platform and mom is back to checking for Eddie again. Since he was stopping and helping all of the group, he was bringing up the tail. Mom and I are talking when he arrives...she was like, there he is! He laughed and said Vamos momma. This became mom's call sign for the day. All the guides were calling her momma. It was very cute. For one of the runs it was Eddie in the front, then mom and then one of the girls from Canada. This was a really long line and it was also one of the slowest lines. I went after and when I got to the other end, I died out and stopped before getting to the platform. Eddie was on this way out to get me, but instead, like I learned in saftey class at the beginning, I turned myself around and hand over hand, I pulled myself in. Now, I have had all the work out I need!

We continued one and after a few more lines had to climb up a large platform that was several stories high...maybe 5 or 6. Due to the weather being warm, the guides were pairing people up for sending in groups of 3. Mom is next to me and is looking out for Eddie one last time (it never stopped being funny). He arrived on the stairs and you heard another Vamos momma! And off she went! I was paired up the the couple we had met earlier in the day. The husband and I were matched to go together because his wife was going last with the guide. He and I talked a bit and turns out he's 69 and his wife is 66 and here they are on a month long adventure in Costa Rica zip lining! You gotta love it! This is living life! Since the guides were worried about the speed, they told us not to brake. I was in front with Chuck wrapped around me behind. Off we went! I wanted to soak in all that the last line had to offer. It was extremely long. The longest one in the country and you come out of the trees into this wide over revene and you can almost see to the ocean. Are you kidding me!!!! We are carrying so much speed my eyes are staring to tear. As we come in to the end, the guide is motioning to break. I don't think Chuck could see him and he didn't brake. I finally put my hand up to try and slow us a bit, but it didn't help. We came roaring into the end. The guide pulled on the braking line to slow us down and we came to a jolting halt. Now that is a rush! Mom is laughing as I'm squeeling and laughing and talking about how fast we had gone and whatnot. Mom said that they could smell the line burning we were going so fast. I didn't smell anything, but we were definitely cookin'!

From here you had the option to go back to the main lodge/reception area or to do the tarzan swing. Um, like there's really a choice to make here. The cloud forest has all of these vines that hang from the tops of the trees and they beckon to be used. I'm thinking even if its not that cool, it will still be great. Turns out, it was. I was up on a plateform about 30 ft in the air. They use your harness and hook you onto the rope. Literally, a rope hanging from a wire hung between two trees. Of the group, there were 3 of us going, Chuck and another girl were with me. I was up first. Mom is at the bottom watching and has the camera. The guide was like, ready go. And I stepped off the platform. There was a few seconds of complete freefall and then the rope caught and I started to swing! It was an awesome sensation! They let me swing back and forth quite a while. I was screaming with joy...mom was screaming and laughing with fear and joy! It was so fun! The guides stop you buy using an intertube like catch that is connected to straps. They grabbed at my feet, threw this thing up in front of me and then with a huff I came to an abrupt hault. This was well worth it! Mom is still laughing and we stood to watch Chuck go next. At 69, he steps off with no hesitation and when soaring! I was cheering for him! Then the other girl went. We watched her too and when she was done, the 3 guides looked at mom. The one at the top of the platform screamed, Momma vamos! And motioned for her to come up. She started laughing and shouted, oh no, you boys are getting me to do this one! All 3 are laughing and enjoying every minute of it. I thought it was cute. I wonder if any of them have brought their mothers over to the park for a day of adventure...

Our entire walk back to the main building was great! We were both so energized and excited and all mom could say was how much fun she had and how much she liked the zip lines and how she didn't want it to end that she could have done a couple of more. I was so excited and full of adreline and to top it off, it was so awesome to see mom so excited! Its been quite a while since she has taken an adventure trip outside of the US and this was a real treat for her. Now, she is focused on the next task at hand. She has to get a photo with our guides from the day. I'm cracking up all over again! Back at the gear room we meet up with Eddie and Cham. They help us out of our gear and I ask them if they will pose for a quick photo. They were more than willing...We said thank about 24 times and headed into the main building to get our other items. We were thirsty and starved, so we got some water and pop and sat down to eat a few snacks. We had a selection of granola bars with us. Our chat continued and we were both beaming!

Up next was the TreeTop Walk. This was about a 1 1/2 walk through the cloud forest and across 8 suspension bridges. We are both stilll coming down from our zip line high and we start off the hike with quite a bit of energy. Instead of looking at the forest, we're doing a lot of talking. Shocking, I know. We come upon the first bridge rather quickly and mom stops talking and then says, hey what is that? About 30 yards in front of us is a Coati. It was lounging on the bridge, as if it was taking a nap. With this site, we've seen all the animals Costa Rica has to offer except the Toucan and the colorful frogs. This was pretty exciting stuff! We followed it along the entire length of the bridge and then it scurried off into the thick of the forest. I was chasing it like an 8 yr old. Ah, to be a kid again! The rest of our walk was pretty relaxing. The sights were actually incredible. Much like the Monteverde Cloud Forest, we were seeing huge trees and ferns and crazy little flowers mixed into it all. Some of the bridges were crazy high! In the one photo here, I'm standing next to the top of the tree. What!?!?!?! Under some of the bridges we could see/hear a small creek windying its way through the thick. About half way through we realize this is a longer walk than we wanted :-) We did see a few birds and remembered a few things that Adrian told us on our first walk. It was fun to point some things out on our own. But, with it being the afternoon, there was little hope to see any of the special birds and whatnot. At one point, mom was trying to point something out to me and I heard something in the woods behind me...I swear it sounded like purring. Now, maybe this was just residual from the puma paw print on our first walk, or something was really there...either way I said, mom, let's move. She's like, no look see it's over there (still pointing at the bird). I, a little more forcefully, said no mom, keep moving! She's still pointing and trying to get me to look. Finally I saw, mom I think I hear purring! That got her going! I swear to you there was an animal noise followed by a rustling, but we'll never know for sure...either way, we were two ladies moving very quickly and talking at a whisper.

We were both very excited to hit the 8th and final bridge and arrive shortly after that at the main building. We cooled down, did a little shopping, collected our stuff and then waited for the van to take us back to the lodge. We got good seats toward the front of the van and the ride back was much more tolerable. We decided that a beer was needed to celebrate our big day of activity! But first, we needed showers. Mom went to reception and got us beers while I jumped in the shower. You have to love a lodge in the mountains with beer ready and waiting! We went to the last restaurant on our list and it was fabulous! We both got stuffed chicken and it was just so incredibly good. We also got another beer with our meal. We were in a celebritory mood! On our walk back to the lodge we were both feeling tired from the day. I haven't talk about it in my other blogs, but in order to get back up to our lodge, we had to conquer a very still hill. Each day were were there, we typically walked up it twice a day. Now, with a couple of beers in us and a full belly, we were both joking about how we only had to hike one more time...we made it almost the whole way up before taking a breather...it was pretty funny stuff. The other awesome thing was looking up at the stars...my take was we were 5000 ft closer to them so they looked bigger. This made mom laugh! I got one more beer from reception and we settled in for the night.

I slept like a rock. The wind was not quite so bad and this time, no monkeys running across the roof in the morning! We got up and packed and grabbed our last good breakfast and get ready for our ride down the mountain. We were picked up at 8 am and thankfully, the first ones in the van. This gave me the chance to sit in the front. However, this did nothing for the car sickness. I was bearly keeping it together about 30 mins into the trip and we definitely saw the Jackie Lean on this ride. There were also a couple of gasps! Ah, thanks for the humor mom! When we were finally back on the main highway, I started to feel a little better, but not completely. We arrived at our hotel near the airport right before lunch time. Our room was ready, so we were able to check in early. Our room was really nice...and it had a TV. We had not seen a TV all week. Mom was ready to take a nap having not slept so good the night before and I was still feeling extremely sick. So, we laid down for a bit and I found the 3 english speaking channels. A couple of hours later, we went to the front desk to set up our taxi for the morning and found out we could have dinner delivered. We really weren't in an area where you could walk to dinner, so we made plans to order dinner in, which was fabulous and we went to bed early.

At 5:30 am, we were picked up by the taxi and it took about 10 mins to get to the airport. It was a breeze making it through all the security and whatnot. We were happy to be coming home, but both of us kept talking about how much we loved our trip. Costa Rica is beautiful in scenary and beautiful in people. I suggest it for all!

Signing off till the next trip...CJ

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Photos

The Monkeys are Back
Stretching from the tree to the corner of the roof.

Trying to shake hands
This is one of the guys that works at the lodge and he's reaching up to shake hands with the little guy!

All dressed up and ready to go
Mom and I excited and loving the helmets - as if this is going to help if I fall from the tree tops :-)

Off, off and away!
Mom and her taxi for the day - Eddie

The Tarzan Swing
Now this was fun!

The Coati
This is another Costa Rican original. We saw all the major wildlife other than the Tucan. It was a great treat today!

On the swing bridge
I'm standing next to the top of a tree...and these trees are just a wee bit tall!

Comments

[Elise]

Feels like we're there with you!
You give such amazing details......I've always loved how you tell stories or recount memories because you make it so fun! This entry is no exception! I LOVE that you got to hang with more monkeys AND the zip lining recount in hilarious! I can picture all of it! So glad you and your Mom had such a great time!! can't wait to hear about your next adventures :)

[Jen]

wonderful adventures
It's so thoughtful of you to go into such detail so that I can imagine your experience. What a wonderful trip to share with your Mom!