Costa Rica - Day 4

We are at the top of the canopy, touching the rain before it touches the ground. The wildlife has created a cacophony for all to hear for miles. Insects give off a loud high-voltage noise, monkeys chatter, the howler monkeys have kind of a growling-hooping call, and the birds screech and whistle over each other. Most of the forest is shrouded with mysterious mist, keeping it sacred secrets. I am snapped out of my daze when I hear the tell tale clip-snap of a carabiner, and then the guide says “ok go!”. Oh dear god what have I done? I know I’m not one to pray, but maybe this is good time to start. All the sounds of the jungle are replaced by a wizzzzizzizizizizizizizzizzzzzzz and all I see is a cable going into the mist. So if there is a God, now would be the time to forgive me for whatever I might have done, PLEASE! No reply, just more wizzzizzzz. My feet are 60 meters from the ground and my end destination is concealed by this damn mist. And oh the rain… it’s just greasing this one centimeter life line that hangs from the sky. Oh God, why did I agree to this, what have I done? The tops of the canopy have released me into the sky and over a gorge, and now the 60 meters have turned uncountable. To afraid to scream, I took my chances with praying again. PLEASE, please, someone just get me off this thing, ALIVE... There is nothing, no booming voice of God, no monkey chatter, no birds, just more wizzzizizizzz- when finally I can see our guide give me the brake signal. Rob and Danny, the two that went before me are laughing with adrenaline. Well if they did ok, then maybe I just might make it, maybe my prayers were heard after all. With my feet back on the platform, I become overwhelmed with trembles. There’s only one way out of this, and that is to ride these cables all the way down to the rainforest floor. Before I can get my wits back, Alex is arriving on the platform. I have never been so happy to see someone. Just eight more lines to go and then we repel 100 feet into a waterfall ravine. Oh boy, it’s gonna be a long hour.



Horses met us in the ravine and lazily trotted up back up to the top of the canopy. Alexander and Kevin lead us to a typical Tico home where the horses are bound and given water. It is only mid-morning, but I don’t think I have an ounce of adrenaline left for more adventures. My belly is aching for food and my mind is raw from descending the canopy with less than an inch of wire and a small metal clip for a lifeline.

We are meeting our friends in town for lunch-to live like locals and relax for a while. After planning such a fabulous trip with my best friend and her boyfriend, I haven‘t really spent much time with them. We have both been going our own ways. And using up my adventure card earlier, I really think it’s something we all need.