Page 40 - issue
P. 40
Costa Rica
that dominated the area were arresting.
In the afternoon, we drove in the rented SUV to La
Fortuna, a town of just a few square blocks a few kilome-
ters from the hotel. Here’s where Spanish was essential,
and Eli, who spoke Spanish, was the right person at the
right time. I wanted to get a small, cheap toaster oven to
heat our meals. No one here spoke English. I needed my
companion as an interpreter just to find a store, let alone
explain to a salesman what I was looking for. We found an
appliance store and bought the item. Eli also bought a
local SIM card (not so simple in this tiny town), and I got a
pair of nail clippers.
The next morning, a van was waiting for us near the
hotel lobby with some other people in it. It took us to
another private park/company called EcoGlide. The attrac-
tion here is omega/zip lining. Platforms have been built
high in the trees, like little tree houses, with cables con-
necting the platforms. They hook you up to the cable and
you slide – high up in the air – from one station to the
next. I was nervous at first, but it’s really no big deal, even
though staring down can make you either wish to say
another tefilas haderech or asher yatzar – depending on
your age. Eli was so relaxed and thoroughly enjoying him-
self that he looked like he was hanging out on a carousel.
The experience and views of nature are extraordinary, and
I highly recommend it.
Safety helmets were offered at the entrance, with the
option of renting a GoPro camera attached to one of them
so that you could record the adventure without using your
hands. I think it is unnecessary, because the EcoGlide staff
took still and moving pictures of you doing your thrills,
then offered them to us as an option, for a fee, and they
take some good pictures. At one of the stations they had
what’s called the Tarzan Swing, where you jump from a
high platform with nothing but a rope attached to your
waist and swing between the trees. It’s a screamer and not
for the faint of heart. I declined. My companion said yes, he
screamed – but more like the scream of people on a roller-
coaster. He loved it.
The whole experience took three hours, and we were back
in the hotel by lunchtime. With nothing planned, I inquired
about walking trails in nature. She told us about a park
called Arenal 1968 (the year there was a lava flow in that area
of the park). The park was about 45 minutes away, but find-
ing it was not easy (for me, that is). We finally found the park-
ing lot, paid the entrance fee, got a map of the park’s trails
and started hiking. What we were doing, in effect, was walk-
ing up part of the volcano, then heading back down. As we
made our way up the mountain – I didn’t find it that strenu-
ous – we passed through clods of rich soil that were original-
ly lava, came across some luscious greenery, and then, a little
higher up, saw a magnificent lake below which reminded me
of the Kinneret. It was breathtaking. Towards the end, we
32 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
that dominated the area were arresting.
In the afternoon, we drove in the rented SUV to La
Fortuna, a town of just a few square blocks a few kilome-
ters from the hotel. Here’s where Spanish was essential,
and Eli, who spoke Spanish, was the right person at the
right time. I wanted to get a small, cheap toaster oven to
heat our meals. No one here spoke English. I needed my
companion as an interpreter just to find a store, let alone
explain to a salesman what I was looking for. We found an
appliance store and bought the item. Eli also bought a
local SIM card (not so simple in this tiny town), and I got a
pair of nail clippers.
The next morning, a van was waiting for us near the
hotel lobby with some other people in it. It took us to
another private park/company called EcoGlide. The attrac-
tion here is omega/zip lining. Platforms have been built
high in the trees, like little tree houses, with cables con-
necting the platforms. They hook you up to the cable and
you slide – high up in the air – from one station to the
next. I was nervous at first, but it’s really no big deal, even
though staring down can make you either wish to say
another tefilas haderech or asher yatzar – depending on
your age. Eli was so relaxed and thoroughly enjoying him-
self that he looked like he was hanging out on a carousel.
The experience and views of nature are extraordinary, and
I highly recommend it.
Safety helmets were offered at the entrance, with the
option of renting a GoPro camera attached to one of them
so that you could record the adventure without using your
hands. I think it is unnecessary, because the EcoGlide staff
took still and moving pictures of you doing your thrills,
then offered them to us as an option, for a fee, and they
take some good pictures. At one of the stations they had
what’s called the Tarzan Swing, where you jump from a
high platform with nothing but a rope attached to your
waist and swing between the trees. It’s a screamer and not
for the faint of heart. I declined. My companion said yes, he
screamed – but more like the scream of people on a roller-
coaster. He loved it.
The whole experience took three hours, and we were back
in the hotel by lunchtime. With nothing planned, I inquired
about walking trails in nature. She told us about a park
called Arenal 1968 (the year there was a lava flow in that area
of the park). The park was about 45 minutes away, but find-
ing it was not easy (for me, that is). We finally found the park-
ing lot, paid the entrance fee, got a map of the park’s trails
and started hiking. What we were doing, in effect, was walk-
ing up part of the volcano, then heading back down. As we
made our way up the mountain – I didn’t find it that strenu-
ous – we passed through clods of rich soil that were original-
ly lava, came across some luscious greenery, and then, a little
higher up, saw a magnificent lake below which reminded me
of the Kinneret. It was breathtaking. Towards the end, we
32 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
