Strapped into a harness, I soared 200 feet above the jungle treetops from one precarious platform to another. My feet had but a moment to pause on the 4 x 4 foot platform before I was clipped onto the 2nd cable and sent whizzing along an even longer ride.
Canopy zip line adventures are a well known tourist attraction to all who have visited Costa Rica. There seem to be two extreme reactions: terror and exhilaration. Signing the release form requesting blood type definitely could have ignited feelings of terror. One fellow traveler made it past that hurdle, but after climbing to the top of the first ladder and glimpsing the first platform without any railings, safety nets or steel reinforcements in sight, she had her fill of terror for her for one day and climbed back down.
However, if you get past those two small obstacles, you are likely to experience a wonderful sense of exhilaration. Much of this is not only due to soaring over the green expanse of jungle below, but also, I believe, a direct result of having few, if any, redundant systems in place. The adventure brought to mind the metal jungle gyms and wooden seesaws built on hard top of my childhood. As children we would play king of the jungle gym, daring one another to stand on top of the jungle gym. Common sense then, as now on the canopy zip line, was paramount. We felt powerful as kids. Even if we didn’t formally calculate the risk of slipping on the metal bars and cracking our skulls, we had an innate understanding that our actions were directly determining whether we crossed the line from play to the emergency room. I feel exhilarated in a new environment, knowing I am responsible for keeping myself safe by using my common sense—no leaning over the edge of the platform, no unhooking from the safety rope, no monkeying around.
And speaking of monkeying around… as 10 or so of us patiently waited on one platform for the guides to get in place, we noticed 4 monkeys in a tree next to us pause as they swung through the trees and give us a most curious glance. I can just imagine what they were thinking as they saw humans like fish out of water huddled on a tiny platform at their eye level. I am certain we provided them with good stories to share over dinner.
Canopy zip line adventures are a well known tourist attraction to all who have visited Costa Rica. There seem to be two extreme reactions: terror and exhilaration. Signing the release form requesting blood type definitely could have ignited feelings of terror. One fellow traveler made it past that hurdle, but after climbing to the top of the first ladder and glimpsing the first platform without any railings, safety nets or steel reinforcements in sight, she had her fill of terror for her for one day and climbed back down.
However, if you get past those two small obstacles, you are likely to experience a wonderful sense of exhilaration. Much of this is not only due to soaring over the green expanse of jungle below, but also, I believe, a direct result of having few, if any, redundant systems in place. The adventure brought to mind the metal jungle gyms and wooden seesaws built on hard top of my childhood. As children we would play king of the jungle gym, daring one another to stand on top of the jungle gym. Common sense then, as now on the canopy zip line, was paramount. We felt powerful as kids. Even if we didn’t formally calculate the risk of slipping on the metal bars and cracking our skulls, we had an innate understanding that our actions were directly determining whether we crossed the line from play to the emergency room. I feel exhilarated in a new environment, knowing I am responsible for keeping myself safe by using my common sense—no leaning over the edge of the platform, no unhooking from the safety rope, no monkeying around.
And speaking of monkeying around… as 10 or so of us patiently waited on one platform for the guides to get in place, we noticed 4 monkeys in a tree next to us pause as they swung through the trees and give us a most curious glance. I can just imagine what they were thinking as they saw humans like fish out of water huddled on a tiny platform at their eye level. I am certain we provided them with good stories to share over dinner.
1 comment :
wow! very nice beginning!! I rather had more the feeling of "a great view" rather than "Oh my, I'm scared out of my mind!" on the other hand I can see how you would have thought the latter.
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