Puerto Viejo

Trip Start Nov 30, 2003

Trip End Jan 10, 2004

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Flag of Costa Rica Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Monday, December 22, 2003

It is gorgeous here on the coast. Jungle scenery everywhere and the ocean view is spectacular. I spent an additional two days in San Jose before the long bus ride here to the town of Puerto Viejo. It was an eventful ride as two separate accidents and a mudslide delayed our journey. The way most people drive in Central America I am surprised there weren't more accidents to delay us. The rain storm was the first precipitation I have seen since leaving The States. Puerto Viejo is a Caribbean town with a lot to offer the adventurous traveler. Jungle treks, surfing, and my favorite, the canopy tour. I did my canopy tour on Xmas eve. We took a Range Rover about 10 miles into the jungle where we then hiked about 2 more miles to the first platform. After being fitted into a body harness and given pointers on how the zip line works, the guide asked who wanted to go first. I jumped up and took the challenge. The first slide was short and not very high, allowing us all to get used to the feel and the equipment

01 Beach

. There were several people from my campsite and a few were a bit nervous. We wore leather gloves to use as a brake on the line. The gloved hand also acted as a stabilizer to keep your body from turning on the line . The second platform was about 100 feet up a tree. The tree was on a slope so we only had to climb up a short staircase to get to the platform. It connected to another platform so far away that I could not see the next platform hidden in the trees and jungle growth. I was up first again and this slide lasted at least 45 seconds and it was just a bit scary. At one point I must have been 250 feet off the jungle floor! I did look down, but just for a second or so. After a few more slides I developed a trust of the equipment and started to enjoy the views and the thrill of the ride. We all saw several types of animals on the tour, including many types of birds, and a few sloths, snakes and monkeys. We were always hooked to the main line or to a safety line on the platforms. After the first few slides everyone settled in and had fun, even though we were on platforms more than 100 feet high. There were bullet ants on some of the trees and we were warned not to lean against the bark, as these stings are extremely painful and last for hours. The tour lasted 4 hours and we had watermelon as a snack on one of the higher platforms halfway through the tour. I recommend this to anyone, as it ranks right up there with whitewater rafting the Zambezi, and the Bunji jump at Plettenburg Bay, S.A. If you can deal with heights at all, this is for you

! Christmas eve was a real party back at the campsite. J the owner
www.rockingjs.com made a jungle juice that was extremely potent. At one point I stumbled and was going to blame the juice, but it turned out to be a small earthquake! Several people looked around, and then went back to the juice like nothing had happened. The rest of the night was spent sharing travel stories and lounging around a fire on the beach. It is very relaxing here. I plan on hitting the beach and soaking up some sun. I may refrain from further adult beverages today, at least until I find out what was in that punch so I can avoid it in the future. The beach is close enough to hear the waves crashing into shore from my bunkhouse. Great for sleeping. I could get used to this.