Thursday's Child: Zip Lining for the Terrified

I don’t like heights.

I don’t like speed.

So what was I doing zip lining in Costa Rica?

From the time we booked our trip, my husband talked about how important it was that we go zip lining.  I was surprised, because he doesn’t like heights or speed either.  But I thought if Andrew could overcome his fears, so could I.

En route to the expedition, he overheard our daughters chatting about what an adventure it was going to be.  He frowned.  “Do these things go really fast?” he asked.

“I think that’s why they call it a zip line.”

And a few minutes later, upon seeing our destination, “We don’t actually go all the way to the top, do we?”

Oops.

Many of our fears were allayed when we arrived at the zip line centre.  A full set of safety instructions was followed by a lovely gondola ride to the top of the canopy.  A local naturalist guide explained everything we were seeing, and kept us relaxed with his friendly banter.

And then we got to the top.  It was really, really high.  Our path back down would be via ten zip lines.  The first run was short and shallow, perfectly designed to boost a zipper’s confidence.  But they grew longer and deeper, and by the time we reached the fourth run, I looked into a chasm that was seemingly as deep and as wide as the Grand Canyon.  (With a few more trees to break a fall, if necessary.)

I took a breath, turtled into position, and stepped off the platform.

Probably the most relaxing part of zip lining is the zipping itself.  Flying through the air is a pleasant, breezy sensation.  And for anyone who has the nerve to look into the chasm below while in mid-air, I’m sure it’s a lovely view.

On our tenth and final run, a photographer stood at the opposite end taking photos.  My youngest daughter was sufficiently poised to spot the photographer and make faces for the camera.  My oldest daughter floated down as gracefully as a ballerina in mid-pirouette.  My photo shows me grimly clutching the lines as if I was defeating gravity single-handedly.

You've probably noticed that there are no pictures of zip-lining here.  That's because Andrew and I were too nervous to do anything but hold on for our lives.  These photos are of the beautiful Alma del Pacifico where we had a very relaxing vacation when we weren't scaring ourselves to death zip-lining.

Thursday's Child: Destination San Jose, Costa Rica

Destination: San Jose, Costa Rica

When we visited:  March 2011

Why to go:

Although we didn’t stay in the city of San Jose itself, we spent part of our holidays in the hills just north of the city.  We were thrilled that we did, because the beautiful hills and cooler days provided a wonderful counterpart to the warmer weather by the ocean.

What to see:

We hired a guide for a day, and Leo took us to the Poas volcano in the morning.  Although it was cloud-covered while we were there, we could just see the rim of this still-active volcano.  At an altitude of nearly 9000 feet, we enjoyed the short walk to the edge, seeing the hardy plants that live there (including Poor Man’s Umbrella and Monkey’s Tail fern).

In the afternoon, we shopped in the town of Sarchi, known for its crafts, particularly the hand-painted oxcarts typical of the region.  While we were in one shop, we watched an artisan painting a side of a cart with finesse.

If we’d stayed longer, we would have loved some of the other excursions.    Finca Rosa Blanca is a working coffee plantation, and they offer a tour of their farm.  I still regret that we didn’t have the chance to visit a school in the local community, too.

Where to stay:

The hotel itself was the reason we spent several days near San Jose, and it’s a decision we didn’t regret.  It really is one of the loveliest properties we’ve ever stayed at, set in the quiet countryside less than half an hour from the city airport.  But it seemed miles from anywhere.  Each evening we sat out on our terrace, watching the twinkling lights of San Jose in the valley below, before walking down the leafy path to the hotel restaurant.

The pool was just two minutes from our room, but completely hidden behind the foliage.  With a built-in waterfall and a hot tub on the upper deck, it was a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the sun.

We loved the philosophy of Finca Rosa Blanca as much as anything.  They are devoted to sustainable tourism, unlike many properties that pay it lip service for marketing purposes.  Glenn and Teri buy most of their supplies from local merchants and support several schools and environmental causes.  They also have a number of initiatives in place to protect the water supply and to leave as small a trace on the environment as possible.

Where to eat:

Although we had a delightful lunch out in the village of Sarchi, the food at Finca Rosa Blanca was incomparable.  We ate all of our breakfasts on the restaurant’s beautiful, leafy terrace.  One of my daughters swore by the French toast, but I loved the Costa Rican breakfast with rice and beans.  And all three dinners we ate there were terrific.  The fish specials every night were great, but the steak and pork on the menu were equally good.  And the chef very graciously prepared a plain pasta for my daughter with less-adventurous taste buds.

P.S. If you read my guest post on the i-escape blog, the photos that accompanied it were supplied by them (except for the one of me).  But the photos on this post were all taken by Andrew!

Guest blog

We just got back from holidays in Costa Rica and, although you’ll be reading about it here sometime, I’d love it if you read my guest post on the i-escape blog.  i-escape features some of the most dreamworthy properties around the world that I’ve seen, and whenever we go on holidays, I check their website to see if they recommend any hotels in the area.  That's what we did last summer when we stayed at Clos de Bellefontaine and Villa Fol Avril in Normandy, France.  We loved both of them. 

Sometimes I check out their website only to daydream.  I may never get to Tunisia or Bali.  But that doesn’t keep me from imagining what it would be like to stay at the Hotel Dar Said or Bambu Indah.

When I won a blogging contest at i-escape a few weeks ago, they offered me the chance to guest-write on their blog, as well as a reduced rate on my stay at one of their properties.  Needless to say, my comments are entirely my own opinions and aren’t influenced by either of their generous offers.

Take a look at my first of two blog posts on i-escape and see what we did in Costa Rica!