Day 3 marked my entry into extreme sports – Costa Rican style. I did the typical canopy tour thing – ziplining through the forest on a cable wire – and also this thing called a “Tarzan Swing.” Basically they harness you to a rope (not a bungee) and then you jump off this super high platform. After about what seems like 10 seconds of free falling, the rope snaps tight, and you swing into the forest, Tarzan-style. I was prepared for the zipline – wasn’t prepared so much for the Tarzan swing. I just knew, when the time came to purchase my tickets, that I wanted to do it. There are a million different canopy tours in Santa Elena – the so-called canopy wars. Each has a different gimmick to lure tourists in. Some allow you to ride tandom with some dude (no, thanks) while you take pictures. Some hook you up to a different sort of harness that allows you to do flips. And some are simple and basic, like mine, but allow you to coast over primary growth, as opposed to secondary growth. It was on this canopy tour thing that I met another solo traveler, Kristen, (we seem to be able to find each other like moths to a light) who I spent the rest of my time there with. It was also on this tour where I met a bunch of flirty Costa Rican boys. Continue Reading