You mean we are going to get wet?
10.29- So Hayley and I awake at about 6:30am. I brave the cold shower first, and after the night before its honestly the last night that I want. I dont mind a cold shower if its hot out, but I believe that I am basically cold blooded so if its not hot out (and I mean HOT not just warm) then its very difficult for me to shower properly in a cold shower. I would prefer to remain sucia until a hot shower is available. Call me a priss, but thats just how I am. SO as Im about to brave the cold shower, I decided to make sure that the hot water is really on the left, and not the right (in the states this is a rather common feature) Oh I was elated to discover that the hot was on the right, so now I know the secret, when in doubt, check the fixtures, they could just be on wrong. :)
So after my delightful hot shower, I had sometime to kill so I head out to the car to make sure everything is in order, and what do I see not far from the path outside our room. A dead little white bunny. SO little and soo dead. I even bend over really close to make sure he isnt just sleeping like a little angel. Nope dead. I show Hayley onces she ready and we both agree lil bunny is too cute to be dead. I wonder how it happened? and NO Im not a creep, this info. is needed for a little later).
Okay, now we were told to be ready at 720 for the shuttle to the PureTrekking launch site. Its 745 and still no shuttle. Im beginning to worry that I was too confident with my spanish, when actually they may have said 620! So I use the hotel phone and call. When I question the time, they just reacted like it was no biggy and the shuttle was on its way. OKAY so Im still not used to TICO TIME. But I think I will be soon enough, I just hope it doesnt get me into trouble when I get back to the *real world*
ANYWAY, the bus shows up, its not filled but were are the last ones to get in. I see some ladies, a couple, and a family... The first thing Hayley says is, *This must be the party bus* I couldnt stop laughing but in the back of my mind I was thinking *oh this better not be super lame.... That would be embrassing* I mean there was a family, two parents and two kids, probably 8 and 10yrs... what if this whole *adventure rappeling* thing was like skipping down the river, sorry 8yr but Id like to think I have a little more guts then you!... But I was just being a judgemental biatch, and this adventure was far from skipping down the river.
We get to the beginning of the road to the waterfall, and we switch vechiles, from a 20+ passenger van to what our guide called a *Costa Rican Hummer*, basically a big truck with a two benchs in the bed. Then we head up the mountain. Its me, Hayley, this couple from Maimi, and two ladies, one from Colorado and one from Chicago. The one from Chicago sees that I have Chaco (great adventure sandals), and she comments that see bought some too, but didnt bring them on the trip. Then she sees that the guide as chacos! She is really freaking now *Ugh! Everyone has Chacos, I should have brought mine!* A little late for that lady....
We make it to the top of the mountain, and get fitted with our harnesses (Hayley says *oh no, I forgot about the banana hamocks* and I cant help but giggle like a middleschool girl, but come on guys, she is soo right). So we get harnesses and helmets, and Im feeling pretty safe. SO we head down the trail towards the first rappel site. Im the first in line, great. This site also happens to be the Highest ONE! Oh day.. They give us the low down speach. Its a pretty fool proof system, even if we let go of the rope, the guide at the bottom and the top would be able to stop us from falling to certain death. Oh did I say it was 50mts high (150ft) along side of a waterfall. Excellent. All I have to do is step off the edge. But these guides are not at their first Rodeo, and then have me back up to the ledge. This is good because then you dont get chickened out by looking down to much and not wanting to go- MIND OVER MATTER. SO I just get to the edge. Lower my butt like Im sitting with my legs straight out in front of me and I begin my descent. Awesome. The way you get down is by bringing your body close to the rock by bending your knees, then pushing off (jumping horizontally) and letting go of the rope (the hardest part), and letting grafity take you lower. All good in theory.. but lets just say the good thing about being first is no one but the guide is below to see me fly one way and then the other, slip into rocks and such. But actually, I would like to think that for being a beginner I did good, althought the little 8yr girl really kicked ass. I even think she made her brother a little jealous. Oh and the Chicago women did not want to get wet. She signed up to rappel next to and in Waterfalls and then asks the guides, *How do I do this and not get wet?*, and one of the guide responds *You cant*... ha! I mean really lady, really?! Maybe if she had her adventure sandals this wouldnt have been an issue...
So we do a couple more rappeling, some go right down the middle of the falls, some close and one wet right through the fall and the fall didnt go straight down so wettness was unavoidable.. Lets just say Waterfall 1 - Johannah 0. I got into the fall, and these babies are flowing, so once your in, your under its spell, getting out isnt as easy, if you let go you drop a little so your hands are basically useless and if your legs arent straight out infront and on the rocks, your sunk. Well once to the bottom I was not dry. Not dry at all. This is when they do a photo op. No thanks, Im not paying $40 to look like a wet kitten.
After the 5 rappels we walk up the mountain side for about 20 mins to the top where we drop off our equipment and head back into the Costa Rican Hummer and head off to lunch. Lunch is well deserved, there is nothing like an adrenalin rush to turn up the hunger. After the tyipcal arroz con pollo and some jugo de maracuya (Costa Rican for passion fruit) we get a hot cup of joe and return to the hotel.
Hayley and I both questioned what the status of our little dead bunny would be, and when we rounded the corner bunny is gone. I did know where Kenneth was either, he kinda has the tendency to just wander away, and when he appeared out of thin air I asked about the bunny. All he says is *follow me*, and we follow his to a little dirt spot in the garden... And first Im thinking.. *what does this have to do with the bunny* Then it hits me!!! He buried the bunny! He buried the little guy and marked it was a little cross of rocks! I couldnt even believe he touched the thing! Then he said he was battling with a little boy all morning because the kid wanted to play with the dead bunny, and Kenneth put an end to that and buried him. But the sad thing was that I think little bunny left a friend because the rest of our time there we just say another little scruffy black bunny hopping around, lonely. He was our first casuality. R.I.P Bunny
So our next stop it Monteverde, but first, lets find some hot springs. There are two resorts out side of La Fortuna that host natural hotsprings. They take the naturally hot water and let it flow into their man made pools and swim up bars. All very nice, but this comes at a price. There were several places in town that posted signs that said *20$ to Baldi Hot Springs* or *$25$ to hotsprings*, and I figured the tickets would be cheapest at the location itself. WRONG! $27 at the springs. SO we head back into town. Heres the deal, we could by a ticket to the springs, at best $20 a pop, but then we would only have a couple of hours to enjoy the heat and the location before we have to continue on the road to Monteverde, and this is not a freeway so we have to consider the sunset and the shitty roads yet ahead of us. But there is another option, a cheaper option...
Kenneth, being a Tico, as been to theses parts before and the told us that there is a place near Tabacon Hot Springs, just off the road where the river flows hot. But exactly, where were not sure, but were saving $60 so we decided to find this free hot river... Sure enough we cruise past it in Hanzel. Good Costa Rican roads are tricky. So narrow, people slow down when they should speed up and speed up when they slow down.. Ill never understand it.- anyway, Hayley does a U-y and we find the path down to the river. This is AWESOME! Some local farmers, smoking cigars, are down there too, just at the beginning, taking in the wonders of nature. Its perfect, you can also see the reminates from night prior because there are many melted candles on several of the rocks on the sides of the river. Quite the romantic scene you can imagine.. Hot water flowing in a river thats about 1mt deep.. Enough that you can stand up and not get knocked over, yet deep enough to lower yourself into and not get into deep where you lose control. We let the river take us down a little bit, stopping at rocks where the water flows faster creating an almost whirlpool-hot tube effect. Excellent. Just what Hayley and I needed after our rappeling adventure!
But the adventures arent over. Now Kenneth is a great person, but a day isnt complete until he does something without thinking... SO Hayley an I have gotten our fill off the hot river and were out of the water checking out the jungle, but Kenneth is crazy for water things so he, like normal, is being kinda pooky. He even takes off his trunks and sets them on a rock. After a few minutes Hayley and I are ready to head back to the car, change and head on our way... so Kenneth asks that I throw him his shorts. Meanwhile he gets really close to a some rocks in the river that creates a baby waterfall. He puts hes hand in the air and signals like he wants me to throw him the shorts. I yell to make sure thats what he wants, his head is basically underwater due to the fall, but he keeps his one hand up in the air waving it... so I toss the shorts. Okay this prolly wasnt a good idea on my part either, because as soon as I let go, they land just infront of Kenneth, but he cant grab them fast enough and the three of us watch them RUSH down the river. We are all stunned. Did I really just do that! HA! OMG the shorts! They are sooo gone! Whats K gonna do!? Really he cant do much, he could prolly wade up the river, but the car is parked on the main road... Hayley and I are hysterical! I decide to be a friend and go back and get some new shorts, but K as already gone Tarzan and fashioned a leaf covering his lower half. But not 1 minute after this he is screaming and running to the river *Me PICA, ME PICA* ! The leaves he choose must have had a natural defence chemical in it, because K was getting burned! He might be a Tico, but he is no Biologist. I am besides myself with laughter, and I actually feel like we distrubed the locals relaxation time, but enough of that, we have a naked compadre that needs some help, so Hayley and I head to the car get our things and something for K to wear. The damage from the leaf is something he is going to have to figure out on his own. What a laugh! It cracks me up just thinking about it. Never a dull moment.
After everyone is fully dressed we head on the road that leads around Lago Arenal and heads to Monteverde. Destination, Monteverde by sunset.... to be continued.
So after my delightful hot shower, I had sometime to kill so I head out to the car to make sure everything is in order, and what do I see not far from the path outside our room. A dead little white bunny. SO little and soo dead. I even bend over really close to make sure he isnt just sleeping like a little angel. Nope dead. I show Hayley onces she ready and we both agree lil bunny is too cute to be dead. I wonder how it happened? and NO Im not a creep, this info. is needed for a little later).
Okay, now we were told to be ready at 720 for the shuttle to the PureTrekking launch site. Its 745 and still no shuttle. Im beginning to worry that I was too confident with my spanish, when actually they may have said 620! So I use the hotel phone and call. When I question the time, they just reacted like it was no biggy and the shuttle was on its way. OKAY so Im still not used to TICO TIME. But I think I will be soon enough, I just hope it doesnt get me into trouble when I get back to the *real world*
ANYWAY, the bus shows up, its not filled but were are the last ones to get in. I see some ladies, a couple, and a family... The first thing Hayley says is, *This must be the party bus* I couldnt stop laughing but in the back of my mind I was thinking *oh this better not be super lame.... That would be embrassing* I mean there was a family, two parents and two kids, probably 8 and 10yrs... what if this whole *adventure rappeling* thing was like skipping down the river, sorry 8yr but Id like to think I have a little more guts then you!... But I was just being a judgemental biatch, and this adventure was far from skipping down the river.
We get to the beginning of the road to the waterfall, and we switch vechiles, from a 20+ passenger van to what our guide called a *Costa Rican Hummer*, basically a big truck with a two benchs in the bed. Then we head up the mountain. Its me, Hayley, this couple from Maimi, and two ladies, one from Colorado and one from Chicago. The one from Chicago sees that I have Chaco (great adventure sandals), and she comments that see bought some too, but didnt bring them on the trip. Then she sees that the guide as chacos! She is really freaking now *Ugh! Everyone has Chacos, I should have brought mine!* A little late for that lady....
We make it to the top of the mountain, and get fitted with our harnesses (Hayley says *oh no, I forgot about the banana hamocks* and I cant help but giggle like a middleschool girl, but come on guys, she is soo right). So we get harnesses and helmets, and Im feeling pretty safe. SO we head down the trail towards the first rappel site. Im the first in line, great. This site also happens to be the Highest ONE! Oh day.. They give us the low down speach. Its a pretty fool proof system, even if we let go of the rope, the guide at the bottom and the top would be able to stop us from falling to certain death. Oh did I say it was 50mts high (150ft) along side of a waterfall. Excellent. All I have to do is step off the edge. But these guides are not at their first Rodeo, and then have me back up to the ledge. This is good because then you dont get chickened out by looking down to much and not wanting to go- MIND OVER MATTER. SO I just get to the edge. Lower my butt like Im sitting with my legs straight out in front of me and I begin my descent. Awesome. The way you get down is by bringing your body close to the rock by bending your knees, then pushing off (jumping horizontally) and letting go of the rope (the hardest part), and letting grafity take you lower. All good in theory.. but lets just say the good thing about being first is no one but the guide is below to see me fly one way and then the other, slip into rocks and such. But actually, I would like to think that for being a beginner I did good, althought the little 8yr girl really kicked ass. I even think she made her brother a little jealous. Oh and the Chicago women did not want to get wet. She signed up to rappel next to and in Waterfalls and then asks the guides, *How do I do this and not get wet?*, and one of the guide responds *You cant*... ha! I mean really lady, really?! Maybe if she had her adventure sandals this wouldnt have been an issue...
So we do a couple more rappeling, some go right down the middle of the falls, some close and one wet right through the fall and the fall didnt go straight down so wettness was unavoidable.. Lets just say Waterfall 1 - Johannah 0. I got into the fall, and these babies are flowing, so once your in, your under its spell, getting out isnt as easy, if you let go you drop a little so your hands are basically useless and if your legs arent straight out infront and on the rocks, your sunk. Well once to the bottom I was not dry. Not dry at all. This is when they do a photo op. No thanks, Im not paying $40 to look like a wet kitten.
After the 5 rappels we walk up the mountain side for about 20 mins to the top where we drop off our equipment and head back into the Costa Rican Hummer and head off to lunch. Lunch is well deserved, there is nothing like an adrenalin rush to turn up the hunger. After the tyipcal arroz con pollo and some jugo de maracuya (Costa Rican for passion fruit) we get a hot cup of joe and return to the hotel.
Hayley and I both questioned what the status of our little dead bunny would be, and when we rounded the corner bunny is gone. I did know where Kenneth was either, he kinda has the tendency to just wander away, and when he appeared out of thin air I asked about the bunny. All he says is *follow me*, and we follow his to a little dirt spot in the garden... And first Im thinking.. *what does this have to do with the bunny* Then it hits me!!! He buried the bunny! He buried the little guy and marked it was a little cross of rocks! I couldnt even believe he touched the thing! Then he said he was battling with a little boy all morning because the kid wanted to play with the dead bunny, and Kenneth put an end to that and buried him. But the sad thing was that I think little bunny left a friend because the rest of our time there we just say another little scruffy black bunny hopping around, lonely. He was our first casuality. R.I.P Bunny
So our next stop it Monteverde, but first, lets find some hot springs. There are two resorts out side of La Fortuna that host natural hotsprings. They take the naturally hot water and let it flow into their man made pools and swim up bars. All very nice, but this comes at a price. There were several places in town that posted signs that said *20$ to Baldi Hot Springs* or *$25$ to hotsprings*, and I figured the tickets would be cheapest at the location itself. WRONG! $27 at the springs. SO we head back into town. Heres the deal, we could by a ticket to the springs, at best $20 a pop, but then we would only have a couple of hours to enjoy the heat and the location before we have to continue on the road to Monteverde, and this is not a freeway so we have to consider the sunset and the shitty roads yet ahead of us. But there is another option, a cheaper option...
Kenneth, being a Tico, as been to theses parts before and the told us that there is a place near Tabacon Hot Springs, just off the road where the river flows hot. But exactly, where were not sure, but were saving $60 so we decided to find this free hot river... Sure enough we cruise past it in Hanzel. Good Costa Rican roads are tricky. So narrow, people slow down when they should speed up and speed up when they slow down.. Ill never understand it.- anyway, Hayley does a U-y and we find the path down to the river. This is AWESOME! Some local farmers, smoking cigars, are down there too, just at the beginning, taking in the wonders of nature. Its perfect, you can also see the reminates from night prior because there are many melted candles on several of the rocks on the sides of the river. Quite the romantic scene you can imagine.. Hot water flowing in a river thats about 1mt deep.. Enough that you can stand up and not get knocked over, yet deep enough to lower yourself into and not get into deep where you lose control. We let the river take us down a little bit, stopping at rocks where the water flows faster creating an almost whirlpool-hot tube effect. Excellent. Just what Hayley and I needed after our rappeling adventure!
But the adventures arent over. Now Kenneth is a great person, but a day isnt complete until he does something without thinking... SO Hayley an I have gotten our fill off the hot river and were out of the water checking out the jungle, but Kenneth is crazy for water things so he, like normal, is being kinda pooky. He even takes off his trunks and sets them on a rock. After a few minutes Hayley and I are ready to head back to the car, change and head on our way... so Kenneth asks that I throw him his shorts. Meanwhile he gets really close to a some rocks in the river that creates a baby waterfall. He puts hes hand in the air and signals like he wants me to throw him the shorts. I yell to make sure thats what he wants, his head is basically underwater due to the fall, but he keeps his one hand up in the air waving it... so I toss the shorts. Okay this prolly wasnt a good idea on my part either, because as soon as I let go, they land just infront of Kenneth, but he cant grab them fast enough and the three of us watch them RUSH down the river. We are all stunned. Did I really just do that! HA! OMG the shorts! They are sooo gone! Whats K gonna do!? Really he cant do much, he could prolly wade up the river, but the car is parked on the main road... Hayley and I are hysterical! I decide to be a friend and go back and get some new shorts, but K as already gone Tarzan and fashioned a leaf covering his lower half. But not 1 minute after this he is screaming and running to the river *Me PICA, ME PICA* ! The leaves he choose must have had a natural defence chemical in it, because K was getting burned! He might be a Tico, but he is no Biologist. I am besides myself with laughter, and I actually feel like we distrubed the locals relaxation time, but enough of that, we have a naked compadre that needs some help, so Hayley and I head to the car get our things and something for K to wear. The damage from the leaf is something he is going to have to figure out on his own. What a laugh! It cracks me up just thinking about it. Never a dull moment.
After everyone is fully dressed we head on the road that leads around Lago Arenal and heads to Monteverde. Destination, Monteverde by sunset.... to be continued.
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