Adventure!

I am posting this post from an internet cafe in Costa Rica on Friday, Nov 6 because the hotel we are at now, Arenal Observatory Lodge, has no television, no internet, no phones, no radios, no alarm clocks. Only an active volcano a little over a mile from our room and howler monkeys outside our room to wake us up.

Let me tell you about yesterday. We were picked up at the Costa Rica Mariott at 705 am and we drove over three hours, mostly on paved roads, but a few miles on gravel roads to our hotel The Arenal Observatory Lodge. We arrived before check'in time and were greeted by an outgoing Costa Rican who signed us up immediately for some tours. He said How about you go now to Sky Trek and take a cable car up the mountains deep into the rainforest and this zipline through the longest and highest zip lines in Costa Rica. He says Why Not? So we signed up. Then he said ¨Why not go to thermal springs tonight and sit in hot mineral waters and then have a nice dinner¨. So we signed up for that too. (By the way...if my typing is funky, it´s because the keyboards in Costa Rica are different than USA and not all keys work the same)

We had a couple hours before our ziplining adventure, so we took off on a hike on the property down, down, down to a waterfall. It was beautiful. I have photos to show you. Then we hiked up, up, up back through the rainforest towards hotel. Note to myself, MUST GET IN SHAPE.

Time came for us to go to the zipline and it was crazy adventure. Can´t believe that I actually did this. It was so beautiful there and we were extremely high (Tommy has the stats on how high and how long these zip lines were, one was a half mile long) The first two ziplines were called ¨practice¨ zip lines because if we were too scared we could actually take the chiken walk and leave. However, if we chose to go on number 3, then that was the point of no return and it was incredibe. When I shot out over that canyon high over the rainforest I shouted out a word I dont know if I have ever used before Äwesomness!! That really described the experience. There were 8 long ziplines and we have video and photos to prove our bravery. It started pouring down rain on us on the last zipline and it felt like bullets hitting out face as we zipped across.

After Sky Trek, we went to Baldi Springs and soaked in the hot thermal waters outdoors while it rained down on us. The water felt good. There was a nice buffet there that came with our entrance fee, so we had a good dinner. We then took a taxi back around the Volcano and through the several miles of unpaved roads to our hotel. Our luggage had been placed in our room and we found no tv or any of the above luxuries that I mentioned above. Our wall was solid glass doors with the Arenal Volcano looking right at us. We went to bed early and were awakened at 530 the next morning with sunlight shining in and howler monkeys outside. I ran outside on the patio and took some photos of the monkeys. So neat. We then went to breakfast and went on hike through the trails on the property and over a hanging bridge taking photos of all the beautiful flowers, birds and monkeys. We were then picked up to go on our next adventure. An ATV tour of Costa Rica. Well let me say, I thought this experience would be 4wheeling along and stopping to look at wildlife and take a few photos of the volcano. wrong!!! This was once again an adventure taking us through many cow pastures, down steep hills, through mud holes and actually going down a river. Not across the river, I said ¨down¨the river! I was covered with mud. However we had alot of fun, but I was scared a few times, as I have never done that on a 4wheeler before. Once again, we have photo to show just how muddy we were. When we got back from the ATV tour we sprayed ourselves off with a waterhose, then changed clothes. One of our tour guides drove us to town to this internet cafe where I sit not completely clean.

You are now up to date. Tommy and Britt are walking the streets waiting for me so we can have lunch and then shop a little. I´m not checking this post for spelling, so that´s the way it is. Love you all, wish you were all here on this adventure.