on your MARK, get set, go!: Contemplating Catching The Next Flight To The Netherlands

Evening!

Early to rise again today. I rolled out of bed at 5AM. By 7AM I was catching a ride to do another Zipline/Tarzan Swing in the Monteverde rain forest.

The last remaining seat in my shuttle was next to a beautiful woman. I was all smiles. At that moment, I don't know which trip I took was worse. The one over my backpack while taking my seat OR the other, over my words, as I tried to say good morning.

Leonie was her name. She too left her job, as an attorney, and was doing some solo exploring around Costa Rica. We hit it off pretty well and ended up teaming up for the rest of the day ziplining and taking another crack at a Tarzan Swing.

After the ziplining, I was scheduled to do a tour of the Montaverde Rain Forest canopy via suspension bridges. HOWEVER, I was invited to take a tour of a butterfly farm and I couldn't turn that down. So, I skipped the suspension bridges and checked out some humming birds and butterflies!

At lunch time, I went back to the dude that gave me two lunches yesterday. No such like today. While eating, I saw a guy drive by on a dirt bike while balancing a mini keg on his head! For sanity sake, I'll assume this was the guy I saw the day before balancing the microwave.

After lunch I got a ride to Playa Samara in Guanacaste. This is a surfing hot spot on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica. During the 3 hour drive to the beach, I was on paved road for about 15 minutes. I am fairly certain I developed shaking baby syndrome as a result of this trip. It didn't phase the taxi driver one bit. I'd have confidently said it was the worst car ride I have ever been on, if it were not for the fact that a great portion of it took place on top/alongside the Great Divide! I thought I must have been hallucinating. I don't really know what an "out of body" experience is, but I'm guessing this was close.

Timeout! I just got a pizza and I am crying tears of joy! No arroz con pollo anoche!

When I arrived to Guanacaste, I found out that the stinkhole I am staying at is 100 yards from the ocean! Unfortunately, It was too late to surf as I couldn't find a shop still renting boards. So, I decided to watch the sunset while running the beach. My run was about half the length I imagined it would be and that's because I was distracted by the coconut trees lining the beach. Of course I tried to climb up the tree to grab one. I'll let you guess how that went. I have a lovely battle wound just above my left elbow which will serve as a reminder to just keep running next time.

Hitting the beach at 6am tomorrow for some surf lessons! I can't wait to get destroyed!

Oh, I'll let you guess who my butterfly guide was and whether or not she may be Dutch.

Mark/Chops

PS, I couldn't point out The Netherlands on a map if my life depended on it. :(

This is the Tarzan Swing I did yesterday! 148 feet above the ground. 6 of us out of 50 or so on the tour chose to do this. We celebrated at the bar together last night!

I Just purchased Rosetta Stone Dutch.

Stopped for a picture while crossing the Great Divide. I told the cabby I wanted to hike down and I'd pay him $20/hr to wait for me to get back. He said "You will die Marcos" I got back in the car.