Costa Rica - Monteverde Cloud Forest Day 4

 After breakfast, guided excursion in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Founded in 1972, the Reserve extends down both slopes of the Tilarán Mountains (elevation 2,300 to 5,600 ft.), encompassing six different ecological life zones and protecting more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds and 1,500 species of plants. From January to July, depending upon your luck and patience, you may observe in its natural habitat the Resplendent Quetzal (occasionally a dozen or more individuals at once). Other species include the Three-wattled Bellbird, the Emerald Toucanet and White-faced and Howler Monkeys.

Here is Chip striking the vacation pose.

Trees in a cloud forest have not changed much from prehistoric times.  

This is why Costa Rica has been the location for many movie shoots.

This is the tree from Avatar.

The treetops are covered in TONS of other plant materials.

The moss grows on branches, seeds plant, roots grow, animals decompose.

All of which creates a treetop ecosystem.

It's amazing that a tree can hold that much weight.

This tree is a ficus.

Yes, like the ficus trees we buy for our houses.

Little did you know, they are killers.

A ficus plants itself on a tree-top. The roots grow down that tree.

And then those roots smother the "host" tree. The primary tree dies.

The ficus is left with a big hole.  

Which brings us to the part of the tour, where our guide tried to convince me I would fit in the tree

I was very scared of getting stuck.

Good thing, my chest got in the way.

Sharing that fact with tourist strangers (and the Internet) probably not necessary

Some other lady however took the tree plunge.

And nicely snapped some photos.

Shortly after the photo was snapped, we turned back and saw commotion at this tree.

UMM.. hello. Right where we put our hands to climb in the tree.

Snake. Eyelash Viper. Deadly!

It was probably sitting there during our tree antics.

Dodged a snake bite.

Aren't you glad we didn't buy matching raincoats...

Speaking of rain, it's not really raining in the rain forest/cloud forest.

More of a constant mist with a few drops.

On the tour we saw an older British couple. Fast forward about 30 years.... They looked exactly like Chip and I. It was CREEPY. So to make us into more creepy people, we paparazzi stalked them. We didn't get a great photo. That may be my one regret of the vacation.

Next up... Zip-lining. 

Our travel company did not recommend zip lining due to safety concerns and lack of government regulation. But we did it anyway. 

Sky Trek is a system of zip lines ranging from mountain to mountain, which together have a distance of 2.5 miles of linear cable. The tour gives you the opportunity to fly through a cable and have a unique experience of adventure and adrenaline at speeds up to 40 miles per hour with distances ranging up to 2500 feet and heights of 524 feet. In addition the tour offers 5 observation towers that exceed the cloud forest treetops providing a panoramic view. All with total security and in an innovative braking system. The tour starts with the Sky Tram that will lead you up to the Continental Divide.

Don't let my smile fool you. I was afraid.

Chip was not afraid. He did get a faulty pulley.

This caused him to get stuck on the zip line two times.

He had to pull himself across.

I had the pleasure of being with him one of those times.

I told Chip if he ever wanted to bring our future kids zip lining.

That was fine, but I would not go with them.

I was afraid for myself, there is no way I could watch my kids do this.

Again. A little bit of a fake smile. Still scared.

It was beautiful zipping through the air. And exhilirating.

Scary. Fun, yes. May do it again. Not sure.  

Chip loved every minute of it. And that is the reason, I agreed to go.

And.... then we took a nap. Went to the restaurant and... The rest of the story is on another post.