Guess Where? Photo Contest

Can you guess WHERE this photo was taken?

How well do you remember the incredible vistas from your last outdoor adventure? Those memories could come in very handy with our new Guess Where? photo contest series.

 

Congratulations to our October winner - Jennie Steele

Photographer's location answer: Monteverde, Costa Rica
Date: November 2007

A few years ago we found ourselves in the cloud forest town of Monteverde, Costa Rica on Thanksgiving.

We already had our meal planned - a delicious T-day burrito feast was most certainly in order - but first we needed some activity to work up our appetites. So Max, his friend Darcey, and I headed down to the hostel's front desk to ask for suggestions. We weren't interested in the expensive zip-line tours that were so popular with our fellow travelers - when you're traveling for 2 months you better be on a budget! The hostel owner, a friendly Ex-Pat Texan, smiled as he drew us a rough map to "The Tree."  And when I say rough, I mean really rough - I kept it - it's a few squiggly lines to indicate roads and an arrow!

Lesser travelers might have been deterred, but never the type to turn down a good adventure, we three set out on foot following our fuzzy treasure map. We quickly found ourselves heading in the opposite direction of all the other tourists- just the way we like it.  We followed the "map" as best we could, turning off the dirt road, and onto a trail through the jungle. Soon we arrived at the clearing with one big tree in the middle, just as our host said we would. But this was no ordinary tree. It was a strangler fig, a plant which grows up and around a host tree, and over time, totally encompasses it, killing the tree underneath. That original tree eventually rots away, leaving only its circular skeleton behind with the viney strangler fig lacing its way around the trunk, all the way up to the top.

While it was a site onto itself, the best part was we didn't have to settle for just looking at the tree. It was 40 or 50 feet tall, and we were able to crawl in and climb up the interior hallow, using the branches like rungs of a ladder, all the way to the top! From there, we had a great birds eye view of the forest below. Absolutely beautiful.

Just as we were leaving, we heard some rustling above us. Some capuchin monkeys had come over to the tree. Maybe they wanted to get a closer look at us, or maybe they wanted to let us know this was their place for climbing, we'll certainly never know, but we enjoyed their visit just the same. Soon we headed back, leaving the tree for them to play in, thankful for another great adventure, and ready to enjoy our holiday feast appropriately!