The swaying bridges
A day to please ourselves and we opted for a trip to the hanging bridges of Mistico. I am not sure why this sounded like a good idea. I am petrified of heights (yeah, I know…this only adds to the list of things that I fear…I am probably afraid of my own shadow….). But it was a very worthwhile trip in the end.
It bought home to me today how easy it would be to get bitten by a snake – the guide showed us a couple curled up all cosy on the big leaves at the edge of the path. Both venomous and yet so small. It is easy to feel invincible when there is a guide there to ‘hold your hand’. The rainforest trail is 3.2 km long but it didn’t seem to be giving up much today. A couple of barely distinguishable mot mots (that’s a type of bird), a young tarantula tucked in a hole (I have got over my fear of them after seeing them in Cambodia), two snakes. Not enough to distract me from what, for me, was the terrifying sway of the hanging bridges. One of my group even commented on how relieved I looked every time I finished walking a bridge.
Howling onto the bridge
Nearing the end of the trail though, I suddenly forgot all my phobias as a group of howler monkeys put on their treetop display and one even came down to the bridge, walking on the handrails and swung away onto the tree beneath. He (yes, I was close enough to see it was definitely a he), looked so soft to touch with his thick coat of chocolate fur. What height phobia? I even managed to take my own photos.
A sickness bug has already struck down some of the group and this included my partner who had been up half the night. Although he was out today, he is not himself. But I admit to feeling torn. I want to join in what is going on but feel a little guilty going out.
Down to the waterfall
This afternoon we took a trip to the La Fortuna waterfall. A visit costs $12 (approx 6500 colones) There were 500 steps down to the pools below the waterfall but they were worth it. The path cut through the rainforest emerges at the pool where the water thunders down. The water is refreshingly clean and cool, almost cold and the currents are strong enough in places to clutch at your body and spin you to the edge. It is possible to swim near to where the water enters the pool but almost impossible to swim through the white water although many tried today.
talestrailsandtravels 