"This time, do you want to go upside down or without hands?" Everyone yelled, "Both!" without hesitation. Then, Carlos flipped upside down, grabbed the rope between his feet, spread his arms out, and slid down, as the other guides yelled, "Willy Wonka!" I was shocked. My harness was already being clipped up and I asked, "Wait! Are we seriously doing this?" I thought they were being sarcastic at first, but I spun off the platform, flipped, and let go. As I looked up,I saw my classmates' worried eyes and trembling knees, but honestly when I got to the bottom, I couldn't stop smiling and wanting to go again. While I watched everyone else come down, I noticed that they were all just as excited.
The Alpha team has already experienced so many opportunities, but canyoning has been one of a kind. La Roca Canyon includes many waterfalls, bridges, zip lines, and of course a lot of water. We were so lucky to have been able to rappel down the rocks, swing on the Tarzan rope, walk across the slippery swing bridge, and zip line from one tree to another. So many of us pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones from a fear of heights to not even being able to swim. The way we worked together and supported each other was truly inspiring.
After our return back to our luxurious hotel in the cloud forest, we were given a presentation about volcanoes from a local. We learned about how they were created from the tectonic plates and the differences between abduction, subduction, and hotspots. It's interesting that seven out of the one hundred twelve volcanoes in Costa Rica alone, are considered active, meaning either fumes and gases are released or lava pours out.
We wrapped up our night with a Cafecito time during dinner, some giggles, and excitement for our new adventures of horseback riding and a hike tomorrow. We checked on our fallen soldiers to make sure they have everything they needed to get healthy for the day to come.
