Costa Rica > Swinging among the treetops

After all the rain yesterday, I cautiously peek through the curtains. I see the sun shining. When I step outside, there’s a toucan sitting in the tree in front of the hotel. I try to capture the little bird between the branches. What a lovely surprise. After breakfast, I am picked up for a canopy tour through the Monteverde cloud forest. Together with other tourists, I drive about fifteen minutes to the canopy.

Costa Rica - By cable car through the cloud forest of Monteverde

I am fitted with a harness with a pulley, and I put on a helmet and gloves. Unfortunately, the gloves are still wet from the previous use. With about twelve participants, I get into a van. The van drives up the mountain path to the first cable. The canopy tour consists of 14 short and long zip lines through the forest. At the start, Leo explains how to zip. His colleague George demonstrates how to hang and how to brake. Then it’s time for the first descent. I swoosh through the air to the next platform—a wonderful feeling. At each platform, an employee signals whether I need to brake more or not. This way, I arrive safely at each platform. I am immediately assisted onto the next cable. Sometimes a long zip line stretches high over a valley, giving me a view of the surrounding area. It’s a bit misty, which adds a beautiful effect.

Costa Rica - From the suspension bridges in Monteverde you can also view the rainforest from above

Just before the last and longest zip line, there’s the Tarzan swing. From a platform, you jump down and swing back and forth. This is not my favorite part. I find jumping off the platform scary. As a precaution, I tell Leo to just push me off if I can’t do it myself. A hesitant jump, helped by a nudge from Leo, lets me swing back and forth. Despite my fear in the first few meters, the swing is amazing afterward. I barely notice two staff members trying to slow me down by my legs—I nearly touch them. After a few swings, they manage to brake me safely. Then it’s time for the final zip line. We do this one tandem-style, two at a time. I hang behind, Imke in front. The cable is a kilometer long. We zip along at about 70 kilometers per hour. Upon arrival, the person in front signals if we need to brake. I brake hard with both hands to slow our tandem. I brake a little too much, and we come to a stop just before the platform. A staff member quickly reaches the cable to pull us onto the platform. I am safely back at the start. What a fun experience! After a drink, I continue with a walk through the cloud forest. The trail passes over eight suspension bridges through the rainforest.

Costa Rica - A tarantula spider keeping watch from its little burrow

From the bridges, I can view the forest both from above and below. Walking across the bridges, I see the variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. Every plant tries to capture its share of light and water—the moss on the trees, the bromeliads on the branches, and leaves sometimes up to two meters long. It’s wonderful to walk here. After about an hour and a half, I return to the starting point. The van takes me back to Santa Elena. I get out in the center, stroll through the small town, check out some souvenir shops, and order a beer at a café on the way back to the hotel. To my surprise, it’s still dry today, which gives me the chance to do the evening walk. Roy picks me up at the hotel at 5:30 p.m. It’s still dry, though thick misty clouds hang above. I decide to go on the evening walk. In about ten minutes, we reach the starting point. Here I receive a flashlight and follow Roy into the forest. Immediately, Roy spots various animals left and right—a tiny frog, a beetle, and some insects. A tarantula has retreated into a tube. In the flashlight’s beam, I see the hairy creature. Roy shows several spiders, a few snakes, and various grasshoppers. It’s amusing to see how full of life the forest is. Birds sleep on branches, and a toucan sleeps above the path. At the end of the walk, Roy spots a kinkajou. While I watch, a second kinkajou climbs up. With loud screeches, the intruder is driven away. I see several treetops swaying back and forth. After two hours, I return. I thank Roy and end the evening with dinner in the village.