Day 9: Canopy Lines, Tarzan Swings, and Waterfalls!

Hey there! It's Phin. To my mom and dad specifically: I am, in fact, alive and well. I miss you. Okay, enough of the mushy-mushy stuff. Let's get into the action, shall we?

Today started off great -- a bumpy ride in the back of a pickup truck -- and only got better. First, we got harnessed up to go canopying (imagine a zipline. Now imagine that you are below the tops of the trees.) As always, the wait was the worst part. Once we got going, though? Incredible. It was really a fantastic feeling to zoom through the trees, and the views were beautiful. At one point, there was a canopy line which went over the river; I think it was my favorite one.

No phones on the lines, so enjoy this very safe chaperone selfie :)

After that, we had lunch and a short break to collect ourselves before the next activity: a tarzan swing. "What is a tarzan swing?" I hear you ask. Never fear, for I am here to answer your questions! A tarzan swing is a long bungee cord which you hook a harness up to and which then pulls you off a platform, at which point you do the eponymous swing-ing. It sounds (and looks) absolutely terrifying. And it is! For the first threeish seconds, after which (at least for me) it was exhilarating. There were some truly magnificent screams as people fell, though. I'm not ashamed to admit that I yelled a few choice expletives myself.

Ella mid-swing!

To round out the day after our swinging experience (which honestly seemed unbeatable) we first... planted trees! Exiting, right? But it felt really nice (adrenaline aside) to make a difference -- even a little one. It felt less nice to have my hands covered in dirt (got some under my nails, too) but that was bearable, even if I didn't enjoy it. Following that -- which made for a nice lull in an otherwise action-packed day -- we hiked up to a swimming hole under a waterfall. Jumps were made, king-of-the-hill was played, and a good time was (hopefully) had by all. And to tie up that wonderful day in a neat little bow, we returned to the lodge for a delicious meal -- cooked by our amazing, multitalented guides -- and did the washing-up.

And so goes another day in Costa Rica. It's a little hard to believe that this trip is almost over, but I think we'll all be glad to see our families and pets and beds and friends again. This is Phin, signing off.