There was only one thing standing, or should I say swaggering, between me and my monkeys…a 237 foot long semi-stable, suspension bridge.
No bridge, no monkeys…no way!
We were at the Gumbalimba Park in Roatan, Honduras and I wanted to hold a monkey…bad. The tour guide led us around the lush grounds, diverting our attention with colorful foliage and statuesque iguanas. We were then stopped just before the suspension bridge. Yes, crossing over a suspension bridge is on My Bucket List and I do love the spontaneity of a goal, but I was just not mentally prepared. I had monkeys on the mind.
How many feet was this bridge? How far above the lake below? How deep was the water and what sort of critters were lurking around in it? Has this bridge ever collapsed leading folks to plummet down in the depths of the sea? Okay, that last one may have been a little dramatic. I peeked down below and saw a large turtle swimming about. At least if I plunged into the water I would have an opportunity to cross off the "swim with turtles" goal.
As I stepped on the platform, I looked to my left and that's when I noticed the "Chicken Walk" sign out of the corner of my eye. There was a way out. A pleasant, trail walk for the scaredy-cats amongst us. I decided that I ain't no chicken (maybe there was just a slight cluck, cluck in me). There were only five people allowed to cross at a time and I patiently waited…at the back of the line. Stepping onto the bridge I was surprised by its prominent sway and grasped for the rail. I had thought I would be able to quickly sprint across, but turns out these things are shaky, hence the name "suspension bridge". 382 steps later, I was on safe land again.
These monkeys better be worth it…
