≈ecomy introduction to...

e Taking the road less travelled

tourism

costa rica.

6 lift off magazine

By Cort Egan

Suspended high above the thick, rich tangle ofvines, trees, ferns and foliage that erupt fromCosta Rica’s incredibly diverse interior, breathingin a heady tonic of honey-sweet flowers andpungent wet earth, those words of Robert Frost’sbegan to resonate within me. The road lesstravelled. While I know that there are many waysto interpret those cryptic lines that have eludedstudents and academics for decades, for me,taking the road less travelled means exploringnew worlds; discovering sides of my planet, andmyself, that I didn’t know existed.

My first experience witheco-travel happened quite byaccident. I was watching ashow on the DiscoveryNetwork and became drawnto Costa Rica for its extremebeauty. While I was never abird watcher or a plantenthusiast, I was fascinated todiscover that such a smallregion could be so blessedwith natural beauty. Toconsider that in an area15,000 square miles smallerthan the state of Florida youcan find 9,000 plant species,more than 800 bird varietiesand every habitat imaginable from mangrove totropical forests, sandy beaches to coral reefs, rainforests to cloud forests. It was as though thegods tried to outdo each other by lavishing moreand more beauty on this one, tiny country.

I booked a charter package and flew intoLiberia, the “White City,” which was an eye-opener in itself. Many of the homes are builtfrom 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 andfrequently amazes onlookers by belching out a fierystream of glowing lava and tea-coloured smoke. It’sbeen almost 20 years since it last erupted, but itmaintains a constant brooding presence.

As a first-time eco-traveller, I decided to breakmyself in gradually. My first day in Costa Ricawas spent at resort. I alternated my time betweenthe beach and an enormous freeform swimmingpool that seemed to go on forever, sippingcocktails out of hollowed out coconuts andsampling the local cerveza. I was rewarding myselfin advance for the adventure that was to follow.

Day two found me deep in the middle of oneof the crown jewels of this country: MonteverdeBiological Cloud Forest. Less than 50 km fromthe resort through some winding and steep dirt

roads, it was as though I’dbeen delivered to anotherworld and another time.Gone was the brilliant sunthat only an hour earlierhad reminded me to fetchmy hat and sunglassesfrom my room; in its place,a veil of misty cloudsformed overhead,dropping the temperatureby several degrees. Thisforest has well markedtrails, allowing explorers todiscover its treasures in agroup, with a guide, or onyour own.

Monteverde means “green mountain,” andgreen it is. Clouds and mist form naturally fromthe warm, moist air that rolls across the pacificand cools as it pushes up the steepmountainside. This creates a microclimate idealfor countless species of birds, reptiles, insects andplant life. It’s a primeval zone where trees andvines give life to more trees and vines; orchidsburst from tears in tree trunks and moss growslike a persistent mold throughout.Everything is ripe. You at once recognize theinterdependency of life and how it is at oncedelicate and enduring.

At one point alongthe trail I stopped and stood

It is incredible to feelyourself soaring throughthe forest with nothingbetween you and thejungle floor but some

cables and pulleys; thisis a feeling of freedom,euphoria and adrenalinethat defies description.

“Two roads diverged in awood, and I – I took the oneless traveled by, and that has

made all the difference.”

Robert Frost

e road less travelled

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8 lift off magazine

stock still, and waited, listening. Gradually the woods came to life. I heardthe whoop of a monkey and the shrill shriek of a bird. The brancheswhispered and rustled and I could hear the dull, constant roar of a distantwaterfall. A howler monkey crashed through the branches overhead anda 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 asloth, sleeping, his head looking like a shaved coconut with a leathery noseand deep, inky eyelashes painted on with a black magic marker.

After a morning of exploring the rainforest on foot, I decided to take adifferent 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 forestcanopy. It is incredible to feel yourself soaring through the forest withnothing between you and jungle floor but some cables and pulleys; this isa feeling of freedom, euphoria and adrenaline that defies description. Forthe less adventurous, but an equally incredible view, six person aerial trams alsomake their way through the lush growth.

Before I left Costa Rica for the first time, I visited Arenal VolcanoNational Park. Because Arenal is an active volcano, it is neither advisablenor permitted to ascend its slopes, but there are a number of safelocations that afford excellent vistas of the smoldering peak and the thickmossy green carpet that surrounds it. Despite partial cloud cover, notuncommon at Arenal’s peak, I was treated to an impressive display of lightand shadow that will be treasured in my life’s memory. There were manyfirsts on that trip: I soaked in a soothing hot spring, experienced a mudbath, 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 lookedback. Since then I have felt the white-knuckle thrill of barreling down thechurning rapids of Rio Cangrejal near La Ceiba in Honduras; I’ve gonediving off the coast of Roatan and discovered an underwater world everybit as magical as the one I discovered above ground in Costa Rica; I’veexplored the Maya Ruins of Copan and swam with dolphins. I’vediscovered a life 180° from the one I live at home. I’ve taken the road lesstravelled and, to me, it’s made all the difference.

Conquest Vacations offers 7 & 14 night packages from Toronto toCosta Rica including a 7 day escorted ecological Tour. Westject connectorsmakes our vacation packages available to you from across Canada.

Conquest Vacations offers weekly seasonal flights from Toronto≈ecotourism

Taking the road less travelled