July 11th - Zipline Day

So I woke up at 5am as usual and about 5:45 Gabi knocked on my door and said something. I was so groggy I couldn't tell if she had told me she was going back to bed or if she was trying to wake me up...lol Anyways, I got up and she got out of bed a bit later, so I'm assuming she said she was going back to bed, but I never knew she had gotten up in the first place. I had left a note on her door asking if I could have an egg for breakfast, and I received eggs and gallo pinto. Very nice! Gabi and I pretty much had a conversation this morning. Or the closest thing to a conversation that I can hold. lol At one point she mentioned something about "sucio" I didn't know that word at all and she only knew the word "clothes" in English. So I went and looked it up and told her it means "dirty" We both learned a new word today. lol 

Got ready and got to the bus stop at about 7am fully expecting to have to wait 30 minutes for a bus (they only run a few buses on Saturdays and last Saturday it took 30 minutes to get one). But the bus was there when I got to the bus stop. So I got to the Polchows an hour early! I sat around while they finished getting ready and then we got picked up by a van who then picked up 2 more people) There were also 2 guys on the van that have been backpacking through Central America the past two weeks. Benjamin sat inbetween me and one of the guys, Kyle?. Anyways, Kyle entertained him with a rubik's cube the whole way there. One time when he "solved" it he gave Kyle a hi-five strongly and Kyle said something about how strong he was. Then Benjamin matter-of-factly replied, "I drank 2 glasses of orange juice this morning." hahaha 

Anyways, we got there and then had an issue with us not having paid! Apparently when they did the carbon thing that was only for the reservation...we had to pay at another time...uh...Anyways, after we got that straigthened out we were put into the back of a Jeep type car and took a crazy offroading ride part way up the mountain. It was crazier than the one we took in Sedona last year! 

Then we were dropped off in front of a staircase, reminescent of the Stairs of Cirith Ungol from Lord of the Rings lol They were steep and slick. Had to stop and catch my breath a few times. Our guide was in AMAZING shape. He was running of the stairs ahead of us! We finally got to the top, to the first platform. There the guides strapped us into our harnesses and explained what we needed to know, like how to brake which was a lesson I still don't think I learned. lol 

They hooked me up to the first short line (for practice) and my right hand (the one with the brake aka a thick leather pad) bounced right off the wire and I couldn't get it back on. So I let out an "Aye!" and commenced to crash into the guy trying to catch me and then bumped into the tree. Right after that they photographer told me to smile for the camera. hahaha

The next line didn't require the use of the handbrake which was fine with me! But then the guide pushed me off the platform which caused me to spin and bounce on the line all the way to the next platform!!! (which was quite a bit further away) No all out screaming but I did use my lungs a bit.

The next line I managed to keep the handbrake on almost all the way, so I didn't go totally flying into the next platform. From this line you could get a good (and quick) view of the Cities below (Cartago and San Jose). After we got unhooked we had to take another hike (this time downhill) through a lot of slippery mud. Then we went down an even longer line and took another hike. It was then that the guides gave us a choice. Take a small hike or rappel 30 meters down. I opted for the hike, and kinda glad I did after watching the braver ones get dropped that far! By the way, Benjamin has NO fear. He didn't even let out a squeak after dropping that far and was bubbling with excitement lol Anyways, not for me. 

Then we hiked over to the last line which was the longest and fastest one they had. Without a handbrake on this one it could mean some serious whiplash. We were required to braked twice at certain points going down the line. Most fortunately, I was able to hold on and brake this time! Some people after me came in a bit fast and you heard them crash into the mechanism on this cable that helps you stop. Right after I got unhooked they sent me over to be rappelled! It was only about a 1-2 story drop, but it still wasn't the the most pleseant experience being dropped down like that. (With the teenager type people the guides liked to have fun by making us fall faster.)

Then we walked a ways back to the building and were served a very good lunch of rice, beans, and chicken lol Then I split the cost of a CD of photos with the Polchows and we took a crazy ride home in a suburban. This was the 2nd time I had been in a car-type vehicle in Costa Rica rather than a big ol' bus. We drove on the sidewalk, ran stop signs, jerked here and there, etc. (This Suburban was broken earlier today, they "fixed it" by pulling it to the top of a hill with a chain and then letting it go down this steep hill until they got it to start)

But I am still in one piece and am going to be SO sore tomorrow!

:-) Rek