Day 4: Zipping Through the Rainforest

We wish we could've stayed longer, but it was time to leave Drake Bay.

Yes, Hello Kitty made this trip with me. Luggage was limited to 27 pounds per person.

Some people hate small planes. I'm not one of those people.

To me, every seat on a small plane is a good seat.

We landed at yet another tiny airport in La Fortuna.

We drove through the town toward the village of El Castillo.

After some winding dirt roads, we arrived at the Hotel Linda Vista.

Our master suite had far more room than we needed, a computer with high-speed Internet access, and quite a good view of Volcán Arenal, the most active volcano in Costa Rica.

Rain fell throughout the day, but we went to Sky Trek anyway. We put on our gear, rode up the gondola, and...whee!

Look how happy Mr. Monkey was zip-lining!

I screamed. A lot.

Next: Volcanic activity, flora and fauna, and hanging bridges.

Day 3, Part 2: Costa Rican Creepy Crawlies

One of our favorite parts of our Costa Rican adventure was The Night Tour with none other than our lovely hosts, Tracie "The Bug Lady" Stice and her husband Gianfranco Gomez. Even if you don't stay at the Drake Bay Rainforest Chalet like we did, you should make sure to do The Night Tour. It will be the best $35 you spend in Costa Rica.

The first creature Gian showed us was this snake.

This video says it all, so no need for me to add more.

This red-eyed tree frog was my favorite. So cute!

Gian held him, so we could get a better look.

Tracie showed us this stunning owl butterfly.

How's that for mimicry?

We saw a number of common rain frogs.

Females are larger than males, just like I am larger than Mr. Monkey.

Tracie picked up this tailless whip scorpion and demonstrated its grip.

We both took turns holding it. I did not try to eat it.

We saw several trapdoor spiders. Incredible!

These spiders build "trapdoors," wait for prey to come close, and leap out to snatch their meals. Don't miss the action in the video above. You can see the spider shut the door after Tracie opens it!

I can't lie -- I was scared of this Brazilian wandering spider.

One of the most venomous spiders in the world, this aggressive arachnid is responsible for the most human deaths from spider evenomation. Glad I kept my distance.

This beetle looked kind of like a little ghost face.

Little ghost face beetle love.

Have you ever seen a hummingbird completely still?

We have now. This nesting hummingbird was sitting and protecting her eggs!

Lots and lots of spiders.

Tracie showed us so many different kinds of webs.

On our way back to the chalet, Gian spotted this fer-de-lance. Can you see it?

Good thing Gian saw it. This snake is a dangerous venomous pitviper species. Even with our headlamps, I'm not sure we would've caught a glimpse ourselves.

What an awesome way to end our time in Drake Bay! Thank you so much, Tracie and Gian, for your warmth and hospitality. We had so much fun on The Night Tour, and we felt like we were old family friends during our stay at your chalet.

Next: Journeying to an active volcano and zip-lining through the rainforest.