Costa Rica > Canopy between the treetops

I wake up to music. A marching band is passing by. I check my watch—it’s not even six o’clock. Today is Independence Day in Costa Rica, celebrating independence from Spain in 1821. I turn over and sleep a little longer. I’m supposed to meet Jan at eight in the center of Santa Elena, but he arrives a bit early and picks me up at the hotel during breakfast. We walk to the town center and just in time catch the start of the parade. The parade is organized by the various schools in the Monteverde region. They’ve been practicing for weeks to perfect the musical accompaniment. Each school tries to outdo the others. The many drummers beat their drums with full energy to make as much noise as possible. The procession slowly passes by with musical performances and occasional dances.

Costa Rica - The parade for Independence Day

After two hours, the entire parade has passed, and we walk back to the hotel. From the hotel, we drive in two minibuses to Selvature Park in Monteverde for a canopy tour—a zipline course with fourteen cables strung between the treetops of the cloud forest. After signing a waiver to release liability, I get fitted with a harness and a helmet. We’re given instructions on how to zipline, the proper posture, and when to brake and when not to. The first cable looks exciting, but when I glide down between the treetops, it turns out to be much less intimidating than expected. At the end, a guide is waiting to instruct me whether I need to brake or not. On the first platform, braking isn’t necessary. Immediately after arrival, a second guide helps me onto the next cable, and soon I’m zipping through the jungle again. Along the way, there are beautiful views, though there’s no time to inspect details or look for animals. The longest zipline is 600 meters and spans the valley—a wonderful feeling, flying solo between two hills with the rainforest beneath you. Midway through the course is a Tarzan swing. You leap from a platform and swing on a rope above the valley, and guides slow you down at the lowest point. This is even more thrilling than the zipline. When it’s my turn, I hesitate to jump—but there’s no choice. One guide notices I speak a few words of Spanish and asks my name. The other tightens the rope. When I ask what exactly I need to do, the answer is: “Nothing!” I feel a hand behind me, and moments later I’m flying down. The first meters feel scary until I realize I’m swinging above the valley.

Costa Rica - The longest suspension bridge in Selvatura Park is 160 meters long

From that height, I enjoy the view while swinging back and forth. The guides grab my legs to slow the swing, and one guide even grabs my leg and swings upward with me. After a few swings, I hang still, and the next person jumps. Once detached, Jan shows me a photo of me mid-jump—my expression says it all. After the zipline tour, we walk across hanging bridges through the cloud forest. Many climbing plants reach up trees to capture as much light and water as possible in the dense forest. From the bridges, you can see the rainforest canopy from above. At the start of the walk, we visit the hummingbird garden, where special feeders provide nectar for dozens of hummingbirds. It’s a perfect photo opportunity, though they move so fast it’s tricky. We continue along the hanging bridge trail. Jan explains the plants and trees along the way, making the route much more interesting. Some bridges are 150 meters long and more than 60 meters high. In total, there are seven bridges between the trees. The bridges are sturdy and barely sway. After about two hours, with the endpoint in sight, it starts to rain. We quickly finish the route and take shelter at the reception hut. The minibus drives us back to Santa Elena, where we’re dropped off in the town center. With Jan and Martijn, I walk through Santa Elena to the village of Cerro Plano, which borders Santa Elena and, together with Monteverde, makes up the Monteverde region. Jan shows us his school in Cerro Plano, and we have a drink at a small eatery. Back in Santa Elena, we have a beer at Morpho’s restaurant and decide to eat there as well. Outside, a heavy thunderstorm rolls through. In the evening, I say goodbye to Jan and walk back to the hotel.