Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Costa Rica - Day 5 at a Glance

Our 5th day started off by calling the Pygmy Owl with no luck, then went ziplining. We got completely strapped in, and trekked up a garganchuan hill to the start of the path to the first platform. Let me tell you, just the hike was enough to kill you. It was all uphill, and then... the jungle path was again uphill with dirt steps that only King Kong could stride comfortably. My legs were about to give out. Anyway...we made it to the 1st platform, got our instructions on safety, and were off...



Ziplining is a hell of a rush! We zipped from 11 different platforms, all in various heights, lengths & speeds. We were trained in how to brake, and how to cruise at full speed.



The instructors were absolutely great! Even with limited English, they were there to have a good time, and joked with us the entire time. They wanted to make our experience the best they could, so they took over our cameras, shot us in our action, and another guy even videoed the whole thing-with OUR videocamera. They even showed us how to zip upside down!



The whole experience was about an hour and a half long and was worth every penny. ($45) We would do that again any time!

We then went to breakfast (no Monkeys) and went looking for the Toucans. It has been a tough week trying to find these guys. We spied our usual areas, then came across an area we had yet to fully see. It was in a busy part where the food shops and pool meet, just off the beaten path. We usually stayed clear of this area, because of the chaos, but... We walked up and down and caught a glimpse of 5 of them flying in to the trees. Who'd of thunk it?



For most of the time, our necks were completely crained, looking up into these tall trees, with the sun backlighting the leaves. It was also tough trying to jockey around limbs and leaves for a good shot. We managed...



We shot plenty of photos and video as a few people notice us taking pictures of something...they joined in to our bounty...



We walked away with sore necks, but at last, we were successful in finding these elusive Toucans! This one has a broken beak...


The rest of the day was going to the beach, looking for Macaws, and calling Pygmies...none worth posting at this time...

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