We rolled into Costa Rica after, yet another, long and painful border crossing of running back and fourth getting papers copied and “finding” the right person to help. Not sure how anything makes it across these inefficient borders. Anyhow, after a long day of driving, we closed in on Monteverde and the famed clouded forest. A spur of the moment decision, by me, to take a “shorter” route and ignore google maps preferred route, lead to one of the bumpiest drives of my life as we drove a narrow dirt road through the stunning mountains. The road was like driving over an old washboard for 20- miles while dodging baseball sized rocks and kitchen sink sized holes. It was an adventure that was rewarded with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Rick and I spent the first day ziplining through the rainforest on lines up-to 1,000 feet long. It was breath taking and adrenaline filled. I chickened out on the Tarzan swing that was optional while Rick hit it with full force. I watched in amazement as my senior travel buddy put me to shame. It was a great time and well worth the time. Later, we retreated to a car to watch the NCAA games, as we would do the next night also. One problem, the “sports bar” was more than met the eye. It also showed non-stop earth machine moving tapes on big screen; laser light shows; DJ on a stage; Latin dancing; and subtitled detective movies. It was a weird place, but we braved the loud blaring music with lasers shooting everywhere to see our teams play. The next day, we went on a long hike in a national park with swinging bridges and old growth forest. It was really great to be out in the clean air and we even saw a monkey or two. I really liked the vegetation and overlooks. Because it is always under the clouds, there is always a weird mist of tiny drops of water floating in the air. This leads to a comfortable temp for hiking and the ability to always spot a rainbow. The area is an adventure and nature lovers paradise with countless activities. Rick and I just took our time and hit a few activities per day. I am winding down my trip after nearly 5-weeks of constant travel. It was really nice to take three days to just enjoy the beauty of nature at a slower pace. Tomorrow, we are leaving for the big city of San Jose and our whitewater rafting trip. Each country in Central America has something different to offer. Costa Rica is all about nature and enjoying the great outdoors.
From Arizona to Panama Canal 