23rd July

After refreshments, it was direct to Montverde through some incredible terrain. Costa Rica is stunningly verdant and even at higher altitudes there are tall trees and lush grass, partly due to the high humidity, ensuring there is water for the plants to explode with growth. The town of Monteverde itself is quite small but well served by shops and restaurants aimed at tourists. It is commonly used as a base for exploring the area.

We ate, at least some of us, at Taco Taco, a recommended haunt of tourists and I had a fantastic chicken burrito and a local craft pale ale and bonded with two of the other travellers over our mutual love of a good beer.

We then explored a little and stopped in for some equally delicious coffee in a local coffee shop. It was a particular pleasure for me, as good coffee is somewhat rare in Gothenburg but it is something Costa Rica is famous for and something I would be making the most of for the rest of the trip.

Once done, we returned to the hotel to get changed and ready for our first excursion, the eight hanging bridges of Monteverde.

Cloud Forest

Walking across the eight bridges of the cloud forest was a bit of a disappointment from what we were initially expecting. Advertised as a solid two hour walk, we were done in 55 minutes; including time to take photos. To be fair to the guide and the experience, we were the ‘active adventure’ group and so would take a walk like this more briskly.

Distance aside, there are some fantastic views over the cloud forest, a place getting its name from the near 100% humidity that generates clouds and mist at tree level. We walked on eight separate bridges and stone pathways, surrounded by the lush vegetation. The hills around us formed bowls of foliage.

Regular rain kept me paying attention to my camera and keeping it as secure as possible from the water and being glad of my Gortex waterproofs keeping my dry.

Night Walk

After we’d finished the Cloud Forest and had a beer together we moved on to the night walk, a chance to see animals, insects and birds in their natural habitat. Starting few miles out of town a small hut marks the beginning of the walk. Assigned a guide, we follow a trail into the forest after a brief induction to what would occur.

When we started, it was still quite light, and we found some butterflies and a large spider.

We also came to a clearing with a fabulous view over the forest and the setting sun.

During our walk, we encountered many more insects and butterflies as well as a nesting bird. By this point, after the somewhat disappointing bridges earlier in the day, and now a night walk with some random bugs I was wondering if this was oversold as a trip.

Just then, over the radio the guides all carry, we heard that a sloth had been seen nearby at the top of a tree. We briskly walked over to a large clearing and high in the trees was the sloth. We even got to watch him slowly change position. The guides used their flashlights to illuminate the poor sloth, who was only trying to sleep. As they do almost all day and night.

From there, feeling much more positive about the whole experience, we headed to a known tarantula hole. We crept up, one by one, along the dirt floor to view him without causing a disturbance. Hidden back in the tree, only his legs could be seen.

We also saw three more colourful birds nesting. One of whom was woken up by us.

Suddenly, there was excitement. We heard over the radio that a wild cat had been seen nearby and we had to run for about ten minutes through the hot humid, dark forest. Avoiding bushes and mud, jumping branches it was shockingly dangerous when we look back on it. Arriving, out of breath, we joined a large crowd trying to spot the wild cat in the branches.

I spotted him by movement once or twice but didn’t get a clear view and through sheer luck caught him passing on camera with an instinctual shutter click. Do something enough, and it becomes a habit. Even knowing he is there, it can take a second to pick out his coat from the dappled surroundings.

When the night walk was done and after a very long wait for our bus due to a miscommunication, we headed to meet the rest of the group at a local BBQ place for some well-earned and excellent BBQ meats.

24th July

Although we were not being picked up until 10:30 for our next adventure, I was up early for a local breakfast of rice, beans, omelettes and fruit, it was growing on me.

After breakfast, my roommate and I explored the local area for a bit to get a feel for the town. Whilst not hugely exciting we did find a shop selling Go Pro adaptors and I was able, for a mere $26, to get the small bit of plastic to replace the one I had left at home allowing me to use my Go Pro.

100% Adventura

It was a short low ride to 100% adventure, home of Central America’s longest zip line, or at least so the tag line to the venue said.

It is a well organised business and the guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. We were kitted out for the zip-lining and had a thorough instruction. It is here I found that my go-pro had lost all charge. As such, there are no photos of mine from this activity but we did buy as a group, a CD of the various moments captured.

There are 8 zip-lines offered, with the idea being you do each in order. The first is very small and the last three very long and go over the valley in the cloud forest, dozens of meters above the ground. By the end you are soaring across a wide valley.

Generally, you sit in a harness as if on a tire swing but the last two can be done Superman style, facing down over the canopy far below, which is exhilarating and beautiful and something I very much recommend.

The final adventure is a Tarzan Swing.

45m from the ground, you are strapped into a harness, told to grab a rope and the supervisors are excellent at keeping up a steady stream of questions and patter so you don’t have time to think about what you are doing. You follow instructions and answer things like ‘where are you from’ before you know it you step out into empty air.

The feeling is like nothing I have ever experienced. Subjectively, you seem to fall for dozens of seconds, you have plenty of time to question, hard, the wisdom of doing something like this. Suddenly, the rope pulls you into a wide swinging arc and you yell with excitement and relief.

It is perhaps one of the most terrifying and wonderful experiences of my life.

After dropping our gear back, we had time for lunch and a nerve steadying beer before we did our next activity at 100% Adventure. Whilst doing that took the chance to charge the Go Pro for the next activity from my excellent battery pack.

A short trip to the practice area and we were on the ATV’s (or Quad-bikes for the non-Americans), My roommate and I original were sharing as they had limited bikes and most of the group wanted to take part but when we all climbed on, one was still available so we paid the extra to have a bike each. Which was well worth it.

We started on a very muddy, simple practice course, where one person tipped theirs over almost immediately, before moving to area two for a bit more freedom.

The second area was a set of well-worn trails through the forest. We all started reasonably but slowly built up our confidence until we were zipping along and going off piste into areas we had to be chased out of...

Area three wasn’t an area but an excursion along public road and long dirt track until we reached a peak overlooking Montverde on one side and the pacific on the other. It was breath-taking.

It was here my brief charge of my GOPRO ran out but emboldened by all I have learned and seen, I threw the vehicle around a lot on the way home, learning how to fishtail the rear...

We then returned to the hotel for some much needing washing. I set the GoPro to backup whilst also charge and went for a cheeky beer at the Treehouse restaurant nearby. A wonderful place built over a large tree, which is encircled by a spiral staircase (many a drunk will have nocked their heads on the low branches).

That evening, we headed to the outskirts of Monteverde, past the Treehouse for dinner and drinks at a nearby restaurant where the food was great and the TV was tuned, all evening to a strange travel TV channel, like you would find in a hotel.

Later that evening, a few of us went back to the Treehouse for a nightcap.

25th July

I had a simple breakfast of rice and beans at the hotel, and the rain kept me from heading across to the great coffee place as it was coming down like only somewhere with 100% humidity can manage.