Jim and I ended our time in Costa Rica in the cloud forests of the Monteverde area. At an elevation of 4,662 feet, it’s the perfect location at the Continental Divide where the moist, cool air of the Caribbean Sea meets the warm, dry air of the Pacific Ocean. The moisture condenses and blankets the forests in water creating 100% humidity. Even when it isn’t raining, the mountaintops are foggy and water drips from the trees.

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Parts of the Santa Elena Reserve have been logged as recently as 40 years ago. Despite this, conditions allow the plants to grow incredibly fast. Trees compete for light creating 3-year-old trees as tall as 60 feet. The forest is incredibly dense but the virgin parts of the reserve, those that have never been logged, feel primordial. It feels like every tree and plant in the forest is intertwined with everything else making the forest one large organism.

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Monteverde is also famous for zip lining. Of the 4 adventure parks there, we chose 100% Aventura which has the longest zip line in Costa Rica – almost one mile long! Jim even did the Mega Tarzan Swing. It swings to a height of 148 feet! Watch the video! That’s my Jim up there!

I may not be brave enough to jump off a platform, but I did the two Superman ziplines (face down, arms out). One was just under 2,000 feet long and the other was 4,921 feet long – just less than a mile!

Plus, I enjoyed a half day of horseback riding through the green mountains of Monteverde. As they say in Costa Rica, Pura Vida! Pure Life!

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