So here we are in the very wet town of Santa Elena (Monteverde) in Northern Costa Rica. About 1400m above sea level.

It has rained non-stop since we have been here, the locals tell us that is have been constantly raining for over a week, and that is normal for October. Well timed visit from us!

However it is also nice to get out of the intense heat we have been experiencing on our travels, and travelling in the wet season of Costa Rica is very beautiful with the landscape is very lush and vibrant, and the whole place in enveloped in cloud which is rather spooky.

So on day one we did some nature stuff and visited the Serpentarium. This place contains over 40 of Costa Ricas native snakes and other nasty critters. Within here we met the scary Bushmaster and Fur-De-Lance (two of the most viscious and dangerous snakes in the world) the mighty Boa-Constrictor and we saw the snake Dave almost stood on in Nicaragua, the highly venomous Coral Snake (One bite and its game over in a matter of hours)

As we were looking around a snake expert who works there came over to chat and then showed us where he got bitten on the finger by one of the poisonous Vipors. He was given anti-venom immediatly but still had to be rushed to hospital, his hand blew up like a balloon and his whole body blistered. The photos he showed us where rather shocking. He was on a drip and in hospital for a while and escaped without losing his arm, however he lost a chunk of his finger. He only got away with it due to having antivenom close to hand (no pun intended) These snakes are serious monsters!! Must watch our step.

So after that, we wandered off to the Butterfly museum for some nicer animals to enjoy. After the tour (which was amazing) they showed us some tarantulas and alot of bugs. One bug in particular was the 'Asthma bug' which the locals mash up, mix with milk and drink to cure Asthma, Dave has yet to try this one out!

Next day we headed off to do a canopy tour in the cloud forest.

Now this may not be what you think, it was not a pleasant walk around the forest but a series of 15 very high zip-lines (200ft+) that you clip yourself to and throw youself off a 200ft high platform into the unknown mist at great speed.

Rather scary but super exciting flying through the air, trees, clouds and seeing amazing forest below, including prehistoric ferns. Also we had to climb up inside a Strangler Fig tree (this is a tree that attacked an existing tree from the top down, strangling it until it dies and decomposes, allow people like us to have fun climbing up!) so up we went and then climb outside and then up a dodgy ladder to continue zip lining some more. Oh and a 'Tarzan swing' which involved leaping off a high platform into the forest. Emilys screams scared off all the animals.

(There should be a video on this blog showing our instructors eye view of a zip line we just completed)

So another exciting adventure that the mums might not approve of!

We are both extremely wet now, all our clothes are soaked and not drying as its so cold and wet here (this is the first time in ages that we have had to wear 2 t-shirts, 2 jumpers and raincoats. And still be cold!

After three days we are now heading down the mountain to hopefully find a less soggy environment......