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From
85
feet
above
the
jungle
floor,
one
really
does
get
a
fabulous
view
of
the
tropical
rainforest.
Trees
loom
up
all
around;
the
vegetation
below
you
is
so
thick
in
parts
that
it
seems
impassable.
Butterflies
zigzag
their
way
from
vine
to
vine,
and
impossibly
long-beaked
toucans
glide
from
tree
to
tree
in
the
far
distance.
But
on
your
first
trip
"down
the
wire"
you
notice
none
of
this.
All
you
can
hear
is
the
screaming
of
the
pulley
as
it
races
along.
And
all
you
can
think
of
is
that
you're
being
held
away
from
death
by
only
one
plaited
strand
of
wire.
The
platform
you
are
heading
for
looms
up
on
the
next
tree,
and
you
realize
that
you
are
going
far
too
fast.
You
think
it's
time
to
brake.
And
that's
when
you
get
your
first
surprise.
My
heavily
gloved
hand
reached
up
to
the
wire
above
me
exactly
as
our
guide
had
shown
me.
But
I
grabbed
the
wire
too
forcibly!
The
leather
gripped,
momentarily
dragging
heavily
on
the
wire,
and
I
thought
my
arm
was
being
pulled
out
of
its
socket.
Instantly
I
let
go,
but
I
had
slowed
down
too
much.
Though
unhurt,
my
arm
felt
as
if
it
had
been
stretched
to
twice
its
length.
And
almost
at
the
same
time
I
had
reached
the
lowest
spot
in
the
slightly
sagging
wire
and
there
was
now
not
enough
momentum
to
carry
me
up
the
rest
of
the
way
to
the
platform
some
30
feet
away.
I
had
come
to
a
stop,
and
the
guide
on
the
platform
ahead
was
now
calling
out
instructions.
"Swing
yourself
around
so
that
you
are
head-first
toward
the
platform.
That's
good!
Now
pull
on
the
wire
hand
over
hand
and
drag
yourself
up
to
the
platform.
You
can
do
it!"
When,
at
last,
I
finally
clambered
on
to
the
platform,
I
felt
a
warm
feeling
of
achievement.
I'd
made
it!
It
had
been
a
great
experience.
Tarzan
had
nothing
on
me!
I
looked
for
the
ladder
to
take
me
from
the
high
platform
on
the
second
tree
down
to
the
jungle
floor.
But
there
wasn't
any!
Instead,
the
only
ladder
from
my
platform
went
up
to
a
second
ledge
30
feet
higher.
From
there,
another
fine
wire
ran
out
into
a
further
part
of
the
jungle.
I
asked
if
that
was
the
end
of
it.
"No
way!"
He
said.
"There
are
16
sections
along
the
wire.
You
will
get
some
wonderful
views
of
this
rainforest."
My
suntan
disappeared
instantly.
Another
15
sections?
How
would
I
be
able
to
cope
with
that?
Discretely
I
asked
if
there
was
another
ladder
down
from
one
of
the
other
trees.
The
reply
was
negative.
Everyone
would
have
to
do
the
whole
stretch
before
being
able
to
leave
the
rainforest
canopy.
But
the
next
section
was
not
nearly
as
daunting.
I
had
learned
from
experience,
and
this
time
when
my
glove
touched
the
wire
it
was
without
excessive
gripping.
That
slowed
me
down
perfectly
and
the
second
platform
was
reached
without
any
drama.
Now
I
had
some
confidence.
Even
at
speed,
the
fourth
stretch
seemed
easy.
By
the
fifth
I
was
able
to
look
around
and
admire
the
rainforest
as
I
sped
through
it.
Now
I
could
notice
the
birds
and
the
various
kinds
of
vegetation.
It
was
breathtakingly
beautiful
as
well
as
exciting.
I
was
now
relaxed,
and
proud
at
being
able
to
manage.
During
the
few
minutes
that
we
spent
on
each
ledge
we
were
able
to
chat
among
ourselves.
The
others
with
me
were
feeling
the
same
way.
The
younger
ones
had
taken
this
much
more
in
stride,
but
even
they
felt
much
better
as
one
platform
after
the
other
was
passed.
We
could
really
see
the
fabulous
jungle.
Orchids
that
had
made
a
home
for
themselves
in
the
forks
of
old
trees
were
blooming,
their
beautiful,
exotic
flowers
beckoning
to
the
insects.
Colorful
bromeliads
created
splashes
of
red
among
the
green.
Vines,
straight
out
of
‘Jack
and
the
Beanstalk’,
twisted
their
way
into
the
high
forest
canopy
from
the
jungle
floor.
Occasional
palm
trees
were
laden
with
the
small
berries
that
our
group
leader
said
were
the
favorite
food
for
the
toucans.
Each
platform
revealed
its
own
fascinating
secrets.
Too
soon
we
were
approaching
platform
16.
And
then
it
was
over!
Down
we
came
off
the
ladder;
back
we
walked
to
our
bus.
We
relaxed
over
a
Costa
Rican
barbecue-style
lunch,
downed
some
good
local
beer
and
then
it
was
time
to
return
to
the
ship.
There
were
to
be
many
other
excursions,
all
of
them
enjoyable.
But
the
one
that
took
me
high-wiring
over
the
canopy
of
the
Costa
Rican
jungle
will
always
be
one
of
life’s
highlights.
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