You want to go ziplining in a forest? Wish granted. I wish I could say it was the only zipping I did around St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
You read about the island of disappointment and my missed para-sailing outing. And who wants to leave people with a downer? Not me.
I had three wishes for expeditions on the trip, and I got one out of three. I’m not complaining because I also came home with some awesome jewelry that wasn’t on my wish list. (More on that later.)
Sometimes my genie gets his own ideas for wish fulfillment.
Booking
We booked our shore excursions online, through the cruise line. On St. Thomas, we had a taxi driver inform us we could have paid one-third less on the Tree Liming experience if we had purchased it directly from the company.
Since it was my first cruise, I wasn’t sure if it would be safe to wait until we got somewhere to book our trips. What if they were full? What if we couldn’t get back to the ship on time?
The jury is still out whether the convenience is worth the cash.
Busing
We rode in an air-conditioned 15-passenger van. I squished in the middle of the back seat for the ride up the mountain.
And when I say mountain, I mean a sharply peaked hill. It might have been 1500 feet above sea level.
But when you’re careening around ninety-degree curves on a narrow road and there is nothing below you but a hillside of trees, that’s high enough.
Everyone’s car’s had dents. Jeff noticed this right away. I was too busy digging my fingernails into the seat cushion. Where’s a seat belt when you need one?
I chatted with a lady from Kentucky who had left a snowstorm behind for the cruise. Her husband was lucky enough to get appointed shotgun by the driver.
Of course, when we had to back into the narrow curvy road to navigate the steep turn into the ziplining place, there wasn’t a good seat to be had. And the bus driver asked people to get out and push.
He might not have been joking. The motor really strained to get us up that last hill.
Beaming
This isn’t my first experience flying along the cables. It probably won’t be my last.
I enjoyed the trip in Mexico. It was my first time so the recollection is slightly starry-eyed.
Here’s a quick comparison:
- Mexico’s lines were longer. These lines had a much better view.
- Mexico’s guides were entertainers. These guides were all about keeping us safe (and I’m good with that!)
- Mexico’s drive to the lines was longer, bus plusher. This drive was shorter.
- Weather was perfect in both places.
I learned more on this trip. For example, do you know how ziplining originated? Where it was first done?
I do.
See there? Vacation doesn’t have to be all about excess and weight gain. It can be enlightening, too.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. I plan to have a short video, clips that my husband took of me with his GoPro.
As you’ll notice, I’m beaming in every shot.
Ziplining is a blast. You should try it.