Zip Line Adventure

(photos and video courtesy of Esteban Coto)

This morning I got up super early to take advantage of the good early morning weather and try my hand at rainforest canopy zip lining at Arenal Mundo Aventura.

Of course there was an extensive waiver and much protective gear. Because of my height I required a second harness for my upper body.

The zip line itself is fairly easy to master. One hand to secure your harness, one hand a foot and a half behind you gripping a leather brake.

Ankles crossed knees up - you fly. Bring your brake hand down, even gently, and you begin to slow down. Don’t slow down until instructed by hand signal or you may not have enough momentum to clear the platform.

The first few lines were a cinch. My helmet brushed the line a few times to let me know why it was there.

I hit a snag on the first of two lines that passed over the La Fortuna waterfall. I was traveling fast on the second longest line. I was cautious not to brake. Maybe too cautious it turns out as my hand fell off the brake line altogether! I was losing control of the line and swinging around, but I managed to reach back and find the line again quickly.

I scraped my hand and wrist up on the fast moving steel cable. The guys expressed concern about my “injury” but it truly looked worse than it was. I licked mysel and hiked up to the next line.

On the way to this, the longest line, and the second to look over the Cataracas La Fortuna, I admit I was a little unnerved. We were to travel 80m over the forest floor. It was difficult to believe there were trees that scraped up this high.

The wildlife at this height of the rainforest was truly wild.

Army ants poured over the pavestones like rivulets of water. They had eaten a few steps clean away. Poison frogs with irridescent red and blue markings lay in wait in tree limbs and under leaves. Monkeys have used the zip lines for their own hand-over-hand transportation. Apparently, the electrical sound of pulleys moving across the lines encourages them to jump away and no collsions have been reported.

I made it across but just barely. I managed my brake well, but still couldn’t get enough zip to tag the platform without crawling the last 30 ft.

The rest of the ten lines went swimmingly. It seemed as though it was over quickly, but the tour took over three hours!

Costa Rican Gay Resort Adventure - Abercam, La Fortuna

(image courtesy Abercam, La Fortuna)

Abercam La Fortuna doesn't have an address. "Grande Tapio Blanca, Circa de Cataracas" or "The Big White Wall on the Road to the Waterfall" is how the locals know it.

As you might expect from a gay resort, it is a discrete location. What goes on in the pool or on the grounds is visible only to other guests: the property is bordered by vacant lots on all three sides.

But Abercam is not so remote as to be unreachable.

A 15 minute taxi ride from the La Fortuna bus station costs $5. Local restaurants deliver.

Though proprietors Tim Abernathy ( the Aber syllable) and Wayne Campbell (the Cam syllable) keep a post office box in town, a mailman occassionally travels the steep twisting grade to deliver a care package with hard-to-find items from the states.

Presently, a Halloween party, for which there are already 20 guests, including a posse of deaf gay men from Alajuela, is demonstrating this challenge of living in Costa Rica. Halloween is a favorite gay holiday around the world, but the Ticos have no tradition of masquerade. There are no costume shops or spooky decorations.

"If you want something special it would be best to have it shipped 3 to 4 weeks in advance," Campbell says.

Whether there is a bowl of bite-sized Snickers or not, partygoers and long-distance bookings are unlikely to complain. Abernathy and Campbell have pulled together a suptuous environment dedicated to pagan pleasures.

Every inch of the property, which rolls over two acres from the Tapio Blanca to a dry ravine, is landscaped and maintained with native cultivars by a full-time gardener. Brown, yellow, orange and blue, butterflies are lured by the hibicsus and plumeria. Hummingbirds sip from the purple buds of Jamacian snake grass.

Along the clean brick paths, orchids are hung over driftwood braces. The scents of cinnamon trees and frangipani close around the visitor. Noni, guava, grapefruit, orange, and a half dozen other fruits are available for visitors to pick and eat in season.

The guest villas, each with a private balcony, are positioned to face active volcano Arenal. The property is legally as close as any resort can get to the lava-loaded giant.

"The nature that surrounds Costa Rica is alluring and can stimulate the senses on many levels," Abernathy observes, "The mist we have here and the exotic flowers lead to a heightened sense of yourself and others."

Another perk of it's location: the Abercam property is the lowest property on the hill that recieves it's tap water from the resovoir that feeds La Fortuna's famous 70 m waterfall.

"Crystal clear, pure and sweet. It's like drinking nature itself," Campbell asserts.

Originally from Florida, the pair began looking for a place to start a bed and breakfast in their mid-thirties. They explored the north of Georgia, parts of Dominica, and Guadalajara, Mexico before settling on Costa Rica.

Once they had made their choice they rented a car and drove every road in the country searching for locations. After a stint in Capos, they spied their current property and set out to develop it, opening just one year ago.

"We have met some very special people and made some wonderful new friends," Abernathy noted, "that's the best part of the resort for us."

As a means of saying thanks to the gay community for their support, the pair often offers discounts and special incentives. Be sure to ask about their current and future specials when making your reservation.