I was honored to be awarded The Gift of Happiness, an initiative by the Costa Rican Tourism Board to spend one million dollars to send people to Costa Rica for a week (600 trips were awarded). It was inspired by the fact that the country is consistently near or at the top of lists of the happiest countries on earth. I was given a choice of several itineraries, and I chose the one that focused on eco-tourism. I went from May 10-17, 2012. Here is a post from my amazing trip! Be sure to check out my other posts about Manuel Antonio Park and visiting the Bribri.
On our second day, woke up in San Jose and took around a two-hour drive from the outskirts of San Jose to the Braulio Carrillo National Park. The drive was strikingly beautiful. The winding roads took us through soaring mountains covered in greenery with clouds hovering so close, it looked like we could touch them.
We stopped to ride the aerial tram at Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic, which takes just over an hour and sends you on a round-trip through the heart of the jungle. Upon arrival, I was shown a small poisonous viper and a large stinging fly that was so powerful, “it can make a cow jump,” the locals said. Yikes! Fortunately, we left without any bites or stings.
We boarded our open-air tram, which is much like a gondola. The tram holds about six people plus a guide, but it was a quiet day, so it was just the two of us and the guide. We loved having it all to ourselves. He was an older man with a long professional background in biology, and he was able to tell us about nearly every plant species and creature we encountered. He was incredibly friendly, and his passion for nature was inspiring. We found that nearly every local treasured their country’s rich environment.
The ride covers 2.6 kilometers of rainforest, but it only goes two kilometers an hour, so it’s a nice, slow ride. The first half of the ride is just below the canopy, and the return ride is at the treetops, giving you astounding views. The only sounds were the songs of birds and howler monkeys. While I’m a city girl, there was something so calming about this tranquil place. When I asked how they built this without harming nature, they said the poles and equipment was brought in my helicopter to cause as little damage as possible. Costa Rica is so diligent about protecting areas like this. We passed by some of the plants so closely that our guide was able to pluck a few leaves for us and teach us about their medicinal properties. Many of the plants were bizarre and unlike anything I had ever seen. There were vines long and strong enough that locals use them as ropes.
Following are some of my photos of the journey. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend taking the ride. It’s $55 for adults, and $27.50 for students and children. You can save 10% if you book online.
Ant colony carrying leaves
The ride was so beautiful and made me feel very connected with nature. Have you ever taken a trip like this before?
