Zip lining. For the girl who has a moderate fear of heights, this has always been a desire of mine. By moderate I mean any time we have been hiking & coming back down, I'm afraid to jump the two feet to the next rock or section. Maybe its more a fear of slipping & breaking something.
Assuming there are people reading that might be considering this aventura I'll break down the pros & cons. Giving the cons first only with the advance understanding that this was AMAZING & I will forever recommend it.
-CONS-
- There is quite a bit of hiking between the last zip line & the Superman; the Tarzan & the reception area at the end. Why I didn't think there would be any form of hiking as I zip lined through a forest, I don't know; but this round girl had a seriously difficult time. My calves were burning! I'm assuming it was two miles but in actuality it was probably less than half but up hill so it felt like more. Recommendation: if you are slow at walking/hiking or round like me, go first on the zip line before the Superman so you don't feel like a bum as everyone passes you or so they can't see your striped undies through your pants as you are hunched over trying to breath...but that last one could just be me :)
- Adding this one just so there are two cons. The harness is a little awkward. Especially on the Superman. Just remember no one looks sexy in the harness.
+PROS+
+ The views are amazing! As you come off the platform into the trees, it is breath taking.
+ Its great exercise! That should counter my con right? Seriously though, I was exhausted but energized afterword...if that makes sense.
+ It is an amazing experience to tell your friends, kids, grand kids, great grand kids, random people on the bus...you get the point. To be able to say that you zip lined 1590 meters! In Costa Rica!
+ You will feel amazing afterwords! Like you could conquer the world or bungee jump. Ok maybe not that. But we were so excited after doing the Tarzan Swing!
How it was:
Let me start off with I was trying to talk Aimee into bungee jumping. We also wanted to know if we could still zip line in the rain. I hit the internet to see what information I could find. Very, very bad idea. I found a blog by this guy who has an amazing talent for writing & story telling. His blog made zip lining sound so exciting that I was pumped! Then he did this to be continued thing for the Tarazan Swing & I HAD to click the next one to see what happened. It turned out he was like 2 feet from the ground when he jumped! Um...ok... I made the mistake of sharing this with Aimee.
A: Ya no I'm out.
D: ha ha ha. He is alive though
A: barely. Only by 2 feet
To say the least she was a tad nervous to do this. We went with an interesting group. A little family of four with two girls, two couples, & a dude. By the end we were all chatting.
They start you off with an instructional demonstration: how to get on the zip line, how to get off, how to sit, how to break. Breaking was a little scary, but don't over think it. Use two hands if you are going too fast. I forgot this.
The first couple of lines are short to build you up for the long ones. Then you repel down from one platform to go to other set. I was a little nervous on the repelling, mainly because the guy at the bottom was pretty skinny & I imagined him being lifted up when I came off the platform. Hee hee..
There is a really long one that you come out from between the trees into open air! I spun a little on this, by spun I mean I turned. I think my arm wasn't far enough out to keep me straight. This is the one I forgot to use to hands to break on & came into the platform fast.
The Superman: first statement, when they ask if you are doing it superman then say yes. You will regret not doing it. The harness set up is a little awkward & you feel a but strange as you are laying in the air. The guide tells you to lay down & I'm not kidding, I kinda forgot how! You do two, one with arms closed & one with them open.
Tarzan Swing: don't think twice about this, just do it! By the time I came off the superman Aimee had just gone off & I could hear everyone cheering & clapping for her. There was no time to back out. They hook you in & get you really close to the gate. This is when I panicked a little. Asking if the rope was short enough, where to put my hands, what if I let go of the rope. They tell you to bend your knees. Then they kinda give you a little nudge. And you are falling...and screaming...and still falling...and still screaming. Then the swing catches and you fly out & up. As you come back down you kinda fall again & keep screaming.
It was amazing! This company, 100% Aventura was really great. They pick you up at your hotel. Give great instructions. Have a little souvenir shop & cafeteria at their location. They also take pictures for you & sell them on a disc for $10. It has a little video of you coming in on Superman. The guides are so nice & helpful, even when you are obnoxious & scared. Then they provide transportation back to where you are staying. The guy also said that they are continuously replacing the lines to ensure they are safe. I highly recommend them.
Tip: if you want to take your own pictures, bring a camera with a strap. Don't expect to take pictures on the zip lines because you need your hands. Some people online have great pictures or videos of them on the zipline. I didn't want to risk dropping my phone. We bought the disc. Its cheaper if you split it.
Oh you should watch this video from someone else doing the swing.
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