Day 11:
zip lining
kelsey's birthday
shopping
don juans
Happy birthday Kelsey!!
Our alarms went off bright and early this morning since we had to be at breakfast at 6:30 A.M. We all gathered our things, ate a delicious buffet breakfast at our new beautiful resort, and were off on what would be one of our most exciting adventures yet; zip lining through the rainforest. Our drive was quick and on the way Adrian gathered up our money. One we got there we signed our lives away. After signing we all slipped into our zip lining gear: harnesses, helmets, one normal glove, and a special brake glove (we all decided it was a money paw and had way to much fun with it). Many of us had butterflies flittering in our tummies (they felt like either blue morphos or monarchs). None of us (except Adrian) had done anything like this before so we had no idea what to expect. Adrian also made us promise that everyone would participate in the "tartan swing" that he refused to describe, which didn't ease our fears. We had six different tour guides along for the ride. At first this seemed like an overkill of leadership but soon we realized that they moved from post to post, making it faster for us to switch lines. this definitely came in handy since we were a bigger group. Once everyone was suited up we took some goofy pictures then headed towards a practice zip line. Here Manuel (our lead guide) explained the hand gestures to us including "stop" and "speed up". He also showed us how to get on and off the harness, how to use our break glove, and where to hold on. With all the instructions clear we climbed up the short steps to the practice line so that everyone could get a feel for what was to come. Though the break glove felt like it did little to slow us down and several of us bonked into the guide, we all passed the test with flying colors and it was time for the real deal.
We pilled into a rickety old truck that drove us to the first zip line of the day. We were excited that the truck took us up so far but we still had to climb up a few flights of stairs before reaching the start. This Ecoglide adventure consisted of thirteen zip lines of all different lengths, with the optional "tartan" surprise after the eighth. Our stomachs were still rumbling as we saw our guides go flying down this long stretch of wire through the trees. Knees shaking we one by one got helped lift ourselves up, attached on, and zipped away.
The views were amazing! Some were set directly in the center of the forest surrounded by trees and animals. Others were set where the trees open up and you could see giant field openings where farmers and townsfolk lived. As we zipped through the trees, at what felt like 40mph, you felt completely free. With the warm wind blowing in your hair and all you could hear was the sound of the zip line everything felt at peace…Until you quickly approached the end of the line and your break glove, again, didn't seem to slow you down you instantly felt a sense of fear as the only thing you would see was the giant tree in front of you. As the George of the Jungle song, "watch out for that tree" played in our heads we soon realized that the guides had ropes set up to break us so that no one splatted into the trees. As happy as we were to see that, it would have been nice to know before we through we were about to become bugs on a windshield. However, even after knowing we all still screamed when approaching the end of the line. Oh well.
After finishing the eighth zip line it quickly became apparent why the "tarzan swing" was optional. There, hanging up in the canopy level of the rainforest was a rope. As Arian got clipped into the harness we watched as they opened the gate and our beloved guide jumped, quickly followed by all of our screams in terror. Within seconds he appeared to us again, only this time on the opposite side swinging almost directly vertically in the air. As he swayed back for forth several times before slowing down we all stood there reconsidering our primes to participate. With a few brave souls volunteering to go first, the rest of us slowing began to reconsider passing this up. Though some nervous screams were belted out, fears of wetting our pants lingered, and tears were shed we all eventually strapped up and took the plunge (and yes we have videos of for you all of you to watch).
Back on our feet we felt this overwhelming sense of accomplishment. For most of us, this was something we never thought we would ever be willing to do, so the joy of conquering a fear was clear by the smiles on our faces. Back on the zip lines we continued our descent through the forest. The next few were longer than the ones before, giving some of us a chance to even attempt taking pictures midair.
As we reached the bottom we posed for several more pictures and embrued in hugs of joy. Zip lining through the rainforest was such a magical, once in a lifetime experience I know we will all carry with us and treasure for the rest of our lives.
If you can believe it, this adventure began and ended all before 10:00 A.M. With our adrenaline still rushing through us, we climbed back on the bus and headed to the hotel. We were planning to go out to lunch and shopping in the La Fortuna town around noon, so we had some relaxing time before the rest our of day began. A handful of us sat poolside, soaked in the rays, and sipped on deliciously sweet pineapple drinks. The rest of the girls used their free time to relax, catch up on journaling, and just enjoy the free time. As noon approached though we all headed to our rooms to get ready for the day. We knew that we would be going to the organic farm differently after shopping so we needed to dress accordingly.
Once in town the group divided into serval smaller groups as we parted for lunch. Some went for some American comfort food, others stuck with our new Costa Rican carvings, and the rest dabbled in a mixture of other things. While some groups decided to save their money for less touristy prices elsewhere, others went to town swiping cards and counting out cash. Once everyone was done with what they were doing we returned to the bus and drove to Don Juan's organic farm.
At Don Juan's they pride themselves on organic, sustainable farming. Once there, we were greeted by our guide Christian. Even though he spoke limited English (requiring Patty, Dory, and Adrian to translate) his over the top animated personality had all of us interested and entertained. He took us on tour of the farm showing us different local fruits, explaining how they plants their crops in shapers as opposed to rows (triangles or circles), and introducing us to their chickens, cows, and pigs. Everyone had different opportunities to get hands on with all the stations we visited whether it be by tasting the fruits cut straight from the trees, pulling roots, or plucking veggies for dinner.
As it stated to rain we dipped into the shed where we got a chance to grind sugar cane into a sugar-water drink. Cranking wheels and pulling the stalk through the grinder had everyone laughing and anxious to try the tasty beverage. After pouring our drinks into shots glasses to rose to our feet, cheered to life, love, and the beautiful Costa Rica and took it down. We also got to experience sugar cane sticks (chewed like a candy, but not swallowed) as we experienced with other drink concoctions.
Feeling hungry after the long afternoon on the farm we went into the main house to help prepare dinner. There we broke into two groups: those that helped chop veggies for salad and side dishes, and those that helped create tortillas. As the meals cooked we blasted some traditional Costa Rican music and danced. The rain was now pouring down harder than we had ever seen causing everyone to get wet yet no one cared. In that moment, dancing around the kitchen together to the sound of the rain we were a family, and everything felt right.
To no one's surprise, all the excitement worked up quite the appetite and we some moved over to the table for a feast. After eating we all shared in the responsibility of clearing the table and cleaning the dishes. Due to the rain we had to leave a little early (we needed to cross the river and with all the rain we needed to make sure we got there while it was still safe). It was sad to leave the people at Don Juan's but it was time for us to go. Once back at the hotel everyone returned to their hotel rooms to try to relax after such an eventful day.
It sometimes amazes us how much we get to experience in one day. We are so lucky to have people like Adrian and Mo in our lives to make days like this possible for us.
Love from all in Costa Rica,
Pura Vida!
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