Costa Rica!

Costa Rica was our last big stop on the cruise. This stop was an adventure for us. We were going zip lining! We had booked another excursion in Costa Rica and we met up with the group that morning after we docked. Our first stop was a fruit stand on the side of the road. All of the fresh, naturally grown fruits were delicious. We had bananas, pineapple, and papaya and those were just some of the selections. It was a tasty breakfast!

After the fruit stand, we headed up the mountain. It was time to zip line! The butterflies in my stomach awakened as we started up the hill. It probably didn't help that the road up this mountain was all of 10 feet wide and our bus was probably 8. We crossed over the river and got to the beginning point where we geared up for the trip.

So after gearing up we took the tractor further up the mountain. Also scary. By that time, I am petrified. Let me clarify: this is not just one quick slide down the mountain; no, it's a series of 9 lines that wind down this mountain. The longest being over 1600 feet across and the tallest being over 300 feet high. The first line, I truly thought someone was going to have to push me off the platform. Justin might have enjoyed that job! It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. I'm glad I got to experience this, and the views were amazing. We zipped down the mountain, over the river, and through the trees. I was never so glad to have my feet on steady ground again!

Next, it was on to the Dole banana plantation. We got a chance to see how the bananas are grown and cleaned. The amount of bananas that go through this place was amazing. It was really interesting to see how everything worked and where those bananas we buy here come from.

The next stop was just a quick 5 minute photo-op on the side of the road. There were about three boys that were holding a sloth. Now, we had been seeing these creatures hanging out in the trees for days and it was exciting to be able to touch and hold one. I think he's cute!

After that we headed out to the Tortuguero Canal for a trip into the rain forest. We saw a few monkeys, a couple more sloths, a lizard, an iguana, and a ton of birds. It was a really interesting eco-tour and I'm glad Costa Rica has made an effort to preserve the natural habitat for these animals. When done with the tour of the canal, we headed to a local restaurant on the beach for a traditional Costa Rica lunch. We had a stewed chicken dish, with rice and black beans, and some sauteed plantains. Delicious! Finally, it was almost time to head back to the ship, but we had one last stop to make. Our guide took us to the highest point in the city where we had a great view of the city and the ship in the background. Costa Rica was a great stop! We had a thrilling, educational, and cultural peek into this beautiful country!