2. Suspendedhighabovethethick,richtangleof
vines, trees, ferns and foliage that erupt from
Costa Rica’s incredibly diverse interior, breathing
in a heady tonic of honey-sweet flowers and
pungent wet earth, those words of Robert Frost’s
began to resonate within me. The road less
travelled. While I know that there are many ways
to interpret those cryptic lines that have eluded
students and academics for decades, for me,
taking the road less travelled means exploring
new worlds; discovering sides of my planet, and
myself, that I didn’t know existed.
My first experience with
eco-travel happened quite by
accident. I was watching a
show on the Discovery
Network and became drawn
to Costa Rica for its extreme
beauty. While I was never a
bird watcher or a plant
enthusiast, I was fascinated to
discover that such a small
region could be so blessed
with natural beauty. To
consider that in an area
15,000 square miles smaller
than the state of Florida you
can find 9,000 plant species,
more than 800 bird varieties
and every habitat imaginable from mangrove to
tropical forests, sandy beaches to coral reefs, rain
forests to cloud forests. It was as though the
gods tried to outdo each other by lavishing more
and more beauty on this one, tiny country.
I booked a charter package and flew into
Liberia, the “White City,” which was an eye-
opener in itself. Many of the homes are built
from the white volcanic soil of Rincon de la Vieja,
where you’ll find one of those perfectly conical-
shaped volcanoes that glows angrily at night and
frequentlyamazesonlookersbybelchingoutafiery
streamofglowinglavaandtea-colouredsmoke.It’s
been almost 20 years since it last erupted, but it
maintains a constant brooding presence.
As a first-time eco-traveller, I decided to break
myself in gradually. My first day in Costa Rica
wasspentatresort.Ialternatedmytimebetween
the beach and an enormous freeform swimming
pool that seemed to go on forever, sipping
cocktails out of hollowed out coconuts and
sampling the local cerveza. I was rewarding myself
in advance for the adventure that was to follow.
Day two found me deep in the middle of one
of the crown jewels of this country: Monteverde
Biological Cloud Forest. Less than 50 km from
the resort through some winding and steep dirt
roads, it was as though I’d
been delivered to another
world and another time.
Gone was the brilliant sun
that only an hour earlier
had reminded me to fetch
my hat and sunglasses
from my room; in its place,
a veil of misty clouds
formed overhead,
dropping the temperature
by several degrees. This
forest has well marked
trails, allowing explorers to
discover its treasures in a
group, with a guide, or on
your own.
Monteverde means “green mountain,” and
green it is. Clouds and mist form naturally from
the warm, moist air that rolls across the pacific
and cools as it pushes up the steep
mountainside. This creates a microclimate ideal
forcountlessspeciesofbirds,reptiles,insectsand
plant life. It’s a primeval zone where trees and
vines give life to more trees and vines; orchids
burst from tears in tree trunks and moss grows
like a persistent mold throughout.
Everything is ripe. You at once recognize the
interdependency of life and how it is at once
delicate and enduring.
At one point along
the trail I stopped and stood
It is incredible to feel
yourself soaring through
the forest with nothing
between you and the
jungle floor but some
cables and pulleys; this
is a feeling of freedom,
euphoria and adrenaline
that defies description.
“Two roads diverged in a
wood, and I – I took the one
less traveled by, and that has
made all the difference.”
Robert Frost
road less travelled
lift off magazine 7
3. 8 lift off magazine
stock still, and waited, listening. Gradually the woods came to life. I heard
the whoop of a monkey and the shrill shriek of a bird. The branches
whispered and rustled and I could hear the dull, constant roar of a distant
waterfall. A howler monkey crashed through the branches overhead and
a hummingbird, looking like it just finished drinking a case of Red Bull,
darted back and forth in front of me before disappearing into the brush.
High above me, wrapped snuggly around the branch of a tree, I spied a
sloth,sleeping,hisheadlookinglikeashavedcoconutwithaleatherynose
and deep, inky eyelashes painted on with a black magic marker.
After a morning of exploring the rainforest on foot, I decided to take a
different vantage point for the afternoon and opted for the Sky Trek,
which is a two mile network of zip lines and cables strung over the forest
canopy. It is incredible to feel yourself soaring through the forest with
nothing between you and jungle floor but some cables and pulleys; this is
a feeling of freedom, euphoria and adrenaline that defies description. For
thelessadventurous,butanequallyincredibleview,sixpersonaerialtramsalso
maketheirwaythroughthelushgrowth.
Before I left Costa Rica for the first time, I visited Arenal Volcano
National Park. Because Arenal is an active volcano, it is neither advisable
nor permitted to ascend its slopes, but there are a number of safe
locations that afford excellent vistas of the smoldering peak and the thick
mossy green carpet that surrounds it. Despite partial cloud cover, not
uncommon at Arenal’s peak, I was treated to an impressive display of light
and shadow that will be treasured in my life’s memory. There were many
firsts on that trip: I soaked in a soothing hot spring, experienced a mud
bath, and really discovered for the first time the majesty of life.
That trip to Costa Rica opened a door for me, and I have never looked
back. Since then I have felt the white-knuckle thrill of barreling down the
churning rapids of Rio Cangrejal near La Ceiba in Honduras; I’ve gone
diving off the coast of Roatan and discovered an underwater world every
bit as magical as the one I discovered above ground in Costa Rica; I’ve
explored the Maya Ruins of Copan and swam with dolphins. I’ve
discovered a life 180° from the one I live at home. I’ve taken the road less
travelled and, to me, it’s made all the difference.
Conquest Vacations offers 7 & 14 night packages from Toronto to
Costa Rica including a 7 day escorted ecological Tour. Westject connectors
makes our vacation packages available to you from across Canada.
Conquest Vacations offers weekly seasonal flights from Toronto
≈eco
tourism
Taking the road less travelled
