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Weekend in Monteverde
I wasn’t sure if anything in Costa Rica could top the feeling of floating peacefully down the Rio Pacuare. But then I found myself flying through a rainforest in Monteverde on a zipline, coasting over the trees at a level where I could see the mountains peaking through the clouds. At that point, I realized that the experiences on this trip will constantly out-do themselves in ways that are nothing short of incredible.
View from the zipline. (note the wire in the upper left corner, from which I was dangling!).
It is so thrilling to be flying over the trees like a bird, with nothing but a thin wire above you and nothing but lush rainforest below. It’s a view of nature that you can’t quite appreciate just by looking down from an airplane window. The expansive beauty of the trees was a bittersweet reminder of how incredible the world is when it remains untouched by man. I found myself wishing the whole world was like this.
The beautiful trees of Monteverde.
Another highlight of the trip was the night hike. At dusk we went on a guided 2-hour tour through the rainforest, where we saw sloths, porcupines, crazy insects, and of course countless types of trees. One of the best parts was getting the chance to eat a banana fresh from the tree. I never knew that grocery store bananas tasted so different from the original taste of a banana, but the bananas were so much sweeter and rich in flavor than anything I’ve had before. It was so delicious! We also got to sample a piece from a sugarcane. Yum.
Most of the photos didn’t turn out well due to the rain, but here’s an example of one of the amazing insects we got to see.
The day hike was also fun, although we were disappointed to find that the entire path was laid out with a concrete sidewalk. It was a bit too touristy for us, so we quickly veered off the main path to explore the middle of the rainforest. That was much more fun, and if I ever go back I’ll be sure to find a reserve without sidewalks. I think the events of this weekend might turn out to be my favorite memories from traveling throughout Costa Rica. But then again, I have no idea what’s in store for me next weekend!
Extremely content in the middle of the rainforest.
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