Ballooning over rain forest and horse riding through the jungle

Phil's version: Day 92/16 May

Esteban's balloon safely on the ground

Another early start for ballooning across the rain-forest with Esteban and a friend. The clouds hang heavy low in the sky but we begin to realise that tropical ballooning is almost always in conditions like this. The cloud clears as we fly revealing a range of distant volcanic peaks but not Arenal itself which remains shrouded. The primary forest is patchy (which is why balloon flights can still be conducted safely) but we drift silently at a few metres above the canopy startling Howler monkeys and colourful parrots. 

beautiful pristine forest

There is no sound except for the constant buzz of insects and shriek of birds, and we are able to inspect orchids and jacaranda blossom at close quarters. There can be no better way to appreciate the dense variety of life such forest contains. Most of the flying is done by Allie who really is very accurate despite the long lapse since her last real ‘hands-on’ practice.

Joining a dozen inquisitive farm workers in a banana plantation on landing gives a very ‘local’ feel to the flight, emphasised by a typical Costa Rican breakfast of beans, rice and plantain washed down, of course, with coffee.

As there is also the opportunity to go horse-riding Allie can’t relax after the flight and is offered four different types of horse to try before setting out with Esteban’s wife Monica as a gathering thunderstorm rumbles overhead. She returns soaked but triumphant and I see in her eye more than a gleam of renewed interest in riding.

We have offered to take Esteban and Monica (and their two oldest children) to dinner and they suggest a ‘typical’ Costa Rican place some 10km away. This turns out to be a roadside karaoke bar and though the food is indeed very good the sound of a dozen inebriated locals singing 20-year-old Latin pop songs very out-of-tune drives us away after only an hour or so.

Allie's Version: Ballooning in the morning and horse back riding in the afternoon

Esteban's village from above

What an active day! We get up at 4.30 and drive to the launch site, not far away from the Ranch. Estefan has three good crew guys with him and so the balloon is rigged in no time. By 6.00 am we take off and drift towards the tropical rain forest. Phil does the first set of flying; I do the rest of the flight. The winds are very light and we gently cruise above the trees and bushes.

we are suddenly in cloud

Howler monkeys race along the trees “how’s got the coconut?” We fly at trees level and nature here is really at a fingers length. Absolutely stunning. After one hour and forty minutes I put the balloon down near a banana plantation. 

Allie lands the balloon

A few amazed farmers come to watch our action. What a great flight. Breakfast time.

Esteban invites us to a real traditional Costa Rican breakfast at a little restaurant. It’s delicious with black bean rice, cheese and scrambled eggs.

A bit trashed and sweating hot we return to the Ranch for a few hours crash out.

Later in the afternoon I am invited to try some of their many horses. So I hop on four horses and do a little trial ride around the barn. They are indeed all quite different.

trial of horse Nr 1

Finally I choose a small but energetic one to start with and there we go off into the countryside. Esteban’s wife and one of the crew men come with me.

As I get more used to riding I change to the bigger horse, a really beautiful white stallion. Our tour takes us past the fields and small villages. We are lucky (again) with the weather. There is no big storm like last night, but only a nice gentle drizzle to give us a bit cool. I must say, I enjoy horse back riding very much and I hope to do more in the future.

Loved this white beautiful stallion!!

For dinner we end up with the family in a small local restaurant. Somehow the Costa Ricans seem to be obsessed with Karaoke and noisy TV. And even though Esteban said “it’s just around the corner” we drove for f.. miles to get there. Nevertheless, the food was good and at least we felt we could contribute something to their expenses.