Celebrity for a day

Apparently being friends with the owner of the local Expatriates bar has its many benefits. The other evening as the all the volunteers and students gathered for our ritual Wednesday night out, the hump day of the week out at the local bar I had the opprotunity to have a good catch up session with the friendly, and very generous owner Joe. As I spoke with him about my plans to go to Pico Bonito mountain for the Canopy tour as opposed to the the more raved about (but also much more expensive) Sambo Creek canopy tour he informed me that the the it was worth much more to hit up the Sambo Creek tour, and that my friends and I need not to worry about anything because he had coupons and connections and it would all be taken care of. Well, that certainly sounded good to me. After speaking on the phone with the owner of Sambo Creek Canopy Tours the following day setting up a time and date of arrival for Saturday morning I quickly discovered things certainly were taken care of as we were getting the whole shabam for free.

Upon arriving to Sambo Creek Canopy Tours early Saturday morning(a little too early if you ask me) I found my 3 friends stretched out in hammocks swinging below a palapa (palm thatched roof) and surrounded by natural spring pools. Soon enough I was face to face with Gabriel, the owner himself where he began to relay the gorgeous details of what we were all about to be treated to, to 4 drop mouthed girls.

With absolutely perfect weather, and Swiss family Robinson style surroundings we started out with a refreshing dip in a natural warm hot spring pool where we then continued on up into the jungle mountains to soak in outstanding hot springs that became hotter the higher you climbed up. Reaching the top hot spring that was divided between hot and cold water we continued to walk up the twisting path to reach a sprouting gieser! Once returning to the spring below we were given volcanic mud to slather all over our bodies for a natural exfoliating experience. Of course, after taking multiple animalistic pictures of ourselves covered head to toe in mud we trekked back down to rinse off and soak. Climbing up a thermal waterfall we reached a beautiful sun hit pool with another towering waterfall where Gabriel took pictures of us from above floating in complete bliss.

Before we even began to register that we were hungry Gabriel was already telling of us of our lunch options. Opting for the beach across the way we were soon whisked off to the Hotel Canadien, a gorgeous hotel on turquois blue-green waters where we continued to recieve the ideal and unexpected VIP treatment. Anything we wanted was on the house, and apparently the owners wanted to meet us...really?
We were catered to hand and foot with beers and sodas in hand and shortly after a bottle of wine to follow, could we have asked for more? Apparently. Shrimp hors
d' oeuvres were next and anything we wanted on the menu as well...all on the house. After delighting in conversation round the table and a belly full of steak and everything and more that came with it we were free to hit the beach and pool as Gabriel smoothly took off to talk with the owners. P.S I'm pretty sure I saw the reincarnation of Mogli there, no word of a lie.

Approximately an hour later Gabriel returned with his friend Renee (the son of the owners of Hotel Canadien)a small, buff, hairy French Canadien that looked like Ben Stiller and had the funniest high voice accompanied by a lisp introduced himself and his kite surf board. One of the very rare kite surfers down here in Central America he impressed us by taking off into the sea doing jumps over the tossing waves.
Just as we thought, how could this day get any better?! we remembered we still had an hour of Canopy touring through the jungle to take care of! Once back at the tour site we were then buckled up like horses with Canopy gear and driven up to the most amazingly beautiful look off point in the middle of the moutains. A short walk up the path into the depths of the jungle we were given quick instructions of how to ride the canopy lines and quickly rid ourselves of any nervousness we were feeling after our first exhilirating line. Free like a bird we glided through the jungle over lush tropical plants and trees, just skimming dangling Tarzan vines with smoking hot springs below and the mezmorizing turquois sea in the distance.

After about riding about 20 lines that zig zagged us through the forest we were driven down the mountain to cool off in the pools below. Just as we were discussing how Gabriel was like a God he came up to us and asked us if we'd like to end the night swimming here or at the Palma Real (the nicest resort just outside of La Ceiba where Gabriel himself lives). So before we knew it there we were in the Pleasantville which is Palma Real, in a Playboy Mansion classified pool as the night cooled off.

After having one of the most amazing days ever with complete VIP treatment, unfortunatley I became sick. However as I was dropped off at my apartment for an early nights sleep the other girls were impressed to discover there was still more to come...dinner and drinks on Gabriel and then off to catch the end of the futbol game. With contact information in hand we still plan to keep in touch with our new friend, or should I say...God, and outstanding connection. To extend his generosity even further we have all been offered a welcome anytime at the Canopy Tour as well as the Palma Real to use his hotsprings and service on his local Charter flight.

So all in all to sum that day up one might use one or all of the following words:

Incredible
Outstanding
Ridiculous
Amazing
Breathtaking