8/19/2010 - Final Day

I'll admit I was just a wee bit nervous about the zip line canopy tour today. Let's just say that I get about enough of an adrenaline rush from pulling my car out of the suicide lane into traffic. I'm not exactly gutsy. THIS. WAS. FANTASTIC. The strapped us up (hello, wedgie!) and sent us up into the trees. I couldn't help but scream every time! J It wasn't scary - it was fun! On one of them, I went upside down. Yup. Who know how many feet in the air and I was upside down. Perfect! On the last one down to the ground, they pull on the rope to break you but they purposefully do it really hard and it makes you fly up and down. FUN! I laughed the whole way down and quite possibly sounded like a crazed monkey. Whatev.

Next was a reptile farm. It was ok - I was coming down from my zip line high and really just wanted to take a nap!

Last thing we did before heading to our final hotel was go to a local zoo where most of the animals have been rescued. We were allowed back into their rehabilitation area and a veterinarian from the zoo talked us through how they work them back into the wild. My ecology/biodiversity background kicked in and I found myself wishing I could speak Spanish so I could do an internship there.

Absolute highlight of the zoo was hanging out with a lion! I have always had a small infatuation with them. So, of course, when we arrived at their enclosure, I switched into 5 year old mode jumping up and down and adding the obligatory "oooh's" and "ahhh's." After a couple minutes, most of the group moved on and a couple of us stayed back. At the point, one of the females started acting like she wanted to play - and who am I to turn down a lion? She chased me up and down the outside of her enclosure, we pretended to pounce on eachother, and when I walked away, she jumped up on the bars, stuck her nose out as far as she could and watched me leave. I'm not sure I can really put into words how incredible it was. I played chase with a lion!!

I'll be home tomorrow!