Monteverde

Although my intention had been to bus all over Costa Rica, I wasn’t eager to hop back on the bandwagon after my last experience. Not to mention there was a strike going on so public transport was taking two to three times as long.

Instead I paid twenty dollars for door to door service. It was kind of an adventure: I got to take a boat across Lago Arenal, and the windy dirt roads we took were devoid of traffic.

Upon arriving in Monteverde, I booked a night walking tour in the hopes of seeing some more wildlife. What I hadn’t realized was it took place in a wooded area behind some houses…I had expected driving out into the middle of nowhere. On the other hand, Monteverde is kind of already in the middle of nowhere.

We crept through the jungle, flashing our lights around in search of movement. All in all it wasn’t a bad haul: armadillo, tarantulas, a snake, stream frogs, an opossum. The highlight however, was a sloth hanging high in the canopy with her baby!

I didn’t waste any time jumping into more activities. The following morning I embarked on a zipline adventure. There are two main types of zipline tours in Costa Rica: wildlife and extreme. I didn’t know this when I booked the tour, but was absolutely alright with the fact that I had signed up for the epic adventure style. There were twelve cables in total, the longest was over a kilometer, a rappel line, and a Tarzan swing.

I had never been on a Zipline in my life, intending on saving it for someplace special. I was not disappointed! It was amazing!! I volunteered to go first and passed through the canopy with ease, enjoying the rush of air and adrenaline alike. The longest cables suspended me over farmland, and since the day was clear I could see all the way to the ocean.

My absolute favorite part however, was the Tarzan swing. I have a huge fear of falling, yet I love heights and extreme sports. So when the time came I committed fully to jumping off the platform. My stomach launched itself into my throat, cutting my scream short. By the time I was in full swing I was yelling and laughing with joy.

With half the day remaining, I ventured over to Monteverde Cloud Forest with one of the guys I had met on the zipline tour. It was quite pricey for what it was- simple maintained trails through the forests with little to no chance of spotting wildlife. Rather than dwell on the cost, Justin and I chatted amiably as we explored the different vistas and pathways.

I still marvel at how green everything was. No tree or plant was solitary; instead they were adorned by vines, moss, flowers, ivy, and other plants. I often wonder what it would be like to wake up and discover you were the only personleft on the planet. I imagine it’s something like walking through a cloud forest. The silence is encompassing, yet there is a endless amount of life thriving all around you.

Upon returning to my hostel I realized I had done everything I needed and wanted in Monteverde. The buses were still being blocked, but I was fortunate enough to secure a ride with Nora, a German traveler who happened to be going the same direction as me. I informed the hostel I would be departing a day early and called my other reservations to see if I could move them up a day.

For dinner that night I went to the market with two new friends from Belgium. As it was the day before Independence Day, it appeared the locals were setting up for some type of festival. We were only in the store for fifteen minutes, yet in that time the car-park filled with over a hundred people. We were entirely blocked in.

This is not one of my proudest moments…we waited until the national anthem was over and then proceeded to drive through the close-knit crowd. Although no one yelled or slashed the tires, it was obvious that they did not appreciate the disruption. In our defense: there were no signs indicating the coming festivities and the parking attendant did not warn us not to park there. Two hours later we could still hear the party from our hostel across the valley. I can’t say I’m not glad we made a scene because I was starving, and I have no idea how long we would have had to wait to leave the square.