YouthInkwell Publishing

 Matthew

     I woke up in the morning and was treated to a delicious breakfast almost immediately.  Plantains, potatoes, rice, and beans filled my empty stomach.  I also cut open a hard yellow fruit with a vile, green, slimy fruit inside.  I think it was an alien egg.  After Shaina was daring enough to slurp some of that up, we got in a bus and headed to the rainforest to go zip lining!  But first we just had to stop at the souvenir store.  I purchased a few things for family and friends and a shirt that had a dove and “
Costa Rica. Peace.  No army since 1948” on it.  Shaina, Cate, and I found Maurice or “Maureen” a nice dress that was a little too expensive and proceeded to look around only to find some nice wooden xylophones.  After we managed to scratch out a simple tune, we departed and arrived at our destination.   

     It was absolutely amazing!  Even though I have done it before in Puerto Vallarta, this time was actually better.  After getting a quick demonstration from the kind and friendly crew, we started trekking up the stairs to the first zip line.  They started out very short but got longer as we got farther.  Towards the middle of  the tour we got the chance to swing on a rope over the wildlife.  We got hooked up and they shoved each of us into the trees like Tarzan!  I guess I can cross “swinging through the rainforest” off my to-do-list.  I did earn my share of battle scars.  On the second line, I forgot to lift my legs at the end and hit my ankles on the ledge, earning me a small, bloody cut that has already dried up.  Lovely, huh?  Then towards the end, I was racing Noel so I got the camera and taped him going down the line; however, with only one hand on the pulley, I lost my balance and started to spin.  Then in the middle of the line, for what reason I do not know, started to break with my free, left hand.  But I put my hand a little to far back and accidentally put my wrist on the line which gave me a burn that hurt like the devil.  Thank God for band-aids.  The last line was absolutely unbelievable!  It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  Lush green hills covered with blankets of trees spanned the surrounding area.  Clouds lurked floating just above your heads and a dome shaped hill with one, bare, lone tree popped out in the middle.  I felt like I was in a dream. 

     We headed down the 750 meter zip line and went out for food.  There we met Carmela, the local dog who was absolutely adorable.  She guided us to the restaurant where I ordered a delicious salad followed by the cassada: beans, rice, cheese, eggs, vegetables, and tortillas.  We waved goodbye to Carmela and left as a canopy worker ran to the bus and handed one of the women a flower through the window.  Que romantico! 

     We took a three hour drive back to the hotel, during which Noel was tossed everywhere including on my shoulder where I made faces at him while he slept.  Cate took lots of flattering pictures of Jennifer and Ivy sleeping. 

     We ended the night with a wonderful dinner of lots of meat (great! I’m a vegetarian!) joined by a wonderful mariachi band.  After I defeated Shaina hands down in a dragon drawing competition and had an interest conversation with a Rotarian named Peter about great 80’s movies, we headed back to our hotel rooms where we discovered a trail of ants in Jennifer’s room. (thanks for the gumdrop war, Noel!) We got a worker to spray some Raid on them which scared Ivy and Shaina out of room out of fear of dying in their sleep of inhaling toxic fumes.  I headed to my ant-free, fresh-smelling, and gumdrop-less room to get a good night’s rest for the next day.