Panama jungle zip wire 2013

12 cables between tree top platforms totaling 3.5 kilometers through jungle canopy.  Boquete, Panama. November 2013.
Video of one of the lines.....

Panama jungle zip wire 2013 from sprinch on Vimeo.

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youtube link also https://youtu.be/a9DObkTzx9Y

look down!

 http://www.boquetetreetrek.com/canopy03.php

Lookin for some hot springs baby this evening

BOQUETE 13.11.2013
So today we did a forest canopy zip wire and then visited volcanic hot springs.  Up and out at 7.30am with Bec and Jason full of excitement.  after all the safety instructions we signed disclaimers to take full personal responsibility for our own deaths and/or mutilation. We got up to the first platform.  The scenery of the cloud forest canopy is awesomely stunning but the drop down spins your head to look at. We have 12 zip lines to do and at the moment of waiting to do the first one I feel really eager anticipation to get on it whilst simaltaneously feeling oh shit why the fuck am I doing this??! At the same time as me thinking this Becci is getting really nervous about the height of it and being able to do it safely, once you've done the first line the only way back is to do the remaining eleven! So with this running around her head Bec decides to back out and wait for us back at the lodge. The moment I started hurtling down the first wire I realised I felt totally safe and natural, I had no sensation of vertigo whatsoever despite there being just a metal clip suspending me over the huge drop below. I only wished I could go back and tell Bec its absolutely fine, you'll love it, but not possible. At the end of each line is a platform up in a huge tree and before you know it you're whizzing down the next wire. The fastest line is 85kmph and the longest is 500 metres.
In the afternoon we hiked up to some volcanic hot springs, really great scenery and a great natural forest environment to enjoy the springs because the temptation to place roads, gift shops and a ticket office there has been completely resisted. When I say hot springs they really were steaming hot, and of course the water is full of minerals so we all left a couple of hours later with skin softer than a baby's botty..

Boquete

Yesterday we arrived in the sleepy hilltop town of Boquete.  Its quiet, small, surrounded by forest amongst the hills, 1000m above sea level.  we've got activities planned for the next day so I just wanted to chill out but Becci says "you can chill out when you're dead" so off we go to hire cycles out.   I was not keen at all seeing how steep the hills are but Bec is right I suppose.  It took about about an hour to cycle up, up, up higher into the hills in the pouring rain.  We stopped along the way to watch Phil, Jason and Maria who had gone climbing on a rock face, checked out some of the amazing scenery and then the most fun part....... The route that took an hour to ride up then took ten minutes to bomb down...... Woooooohoooooo!!!
In the evening we did some communal cooking in the hostel's kitchen.   We all cooked different food to share and eat together along with, well, plenty of alcohol.  I would say probably the best meal we had together so far..