I'm in a really cool town called Monteverde, another cloud forest town but this time in the north of Costa Rica. It was founded by four Quakers who were jailed in 1948 for refusing to register for the draft during the Korean War and told if they didn't want to obey U.S. law, they should leave. Costa Rica had cheap arable land and had abolished its army that same year so it as chosen as the place to go. The first meeting house still stands, and most of the founders of the town can still be seen in the pews at Meeting for Worship every Sunday.
In the 80s, botanists and other scientists began using Monteverde as a base from which to study the rainforest. Word spread about the region's natural beauty and then the tourists came. It's still a sleepy mountain town but there are more and more vacationers every year. Tour companies have set up shop, buying up ziplines formerly used to study the ecology of the rainforest canopy but now serving as 50mph joyrides for adrenaline junkies, a common tour option throughout Costa Rica which is making bank on the ecotourism boom. I gave it a whirl but they made me cede the brakes to a staffer while taking video.
4 comments:
Oh man, I loved ziplining in monteverde. If you are around Arenal in Costa Rica, be sure to check out Tabacon. It has wonderful hot springs and even a water-slide into pool of naturally hot water. And if that is not your thing, there is a bar in the pool, and what could be better than drinking a cool cocktail in a hot pool?
that looks so fun, i want to do that.
Sadly, Tabacon is out of my price range, I'm trying to budget <$20 a day, but luckily there are free hot springs right outside. I am sad I missed out on the pool bar though.
Hey William, looks like you're having an amazing time down there. I second Andy's praise of Tabacón. It was by far the most expensive day I had in Costa Rica, though, so I understand why you didn't go. Keep up the good work, and continue to enjoy yourself.
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