© 2018 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Have you ever had the desire to experience life as a hamster?
Run around in tubes, eat seeds, exercise in a wheel, roll around in a ball?
Well, you can do one of those “hamstery” things while in Costa Rica. Zorbing is an amazing experience in which you roll down a hill inside a large ball sphere made of plastic!
My son discovered this crazy attraction and decided that he absolutely had to do it!
The adrenaline-fueled sport originated in New Zealand in the 1990’s and became known as Zorbing as the sphere invented for the sport had the trademarked name, “ZORB”. The spheres used have another inner sphere, connected by hundreds of small ropes with an air gap between which provides cushion for the occupants. After climbing into the inner sphere through an opening, the rider will slide around freely, with the help of water, as the ball rolls down the course.
After booking his Zorbing adventure at Mistico Hanging Bridges Park, my son and I were driven over to the Zorbing course, a winding, zigzagging ditch carved into a 190-meter hill. At the top of the hill, my son stripped down to his bathing suit and crawled into the hole in the ball, sloshing around and waiting to be upended.
A big push sent the ball rolling down the course, back and forth, until it reached the bottom…and the funny thing was…you could hear my son screaming and laughing, while he was slipping and sliding inside, all the way down!
After the first venture, he was driven back up to the top and climbed in to do it all again. Before his second journey, however, the driver got me down to the bottom so that I could photograph his big finale. I have to say, it was quite weird watching him slide out of the ball in a big gush!
This thrilling experience is like no other and one of the many things to do in the Arenal area. Daredevils can reserve their ride on the Mistico website, however, if you find yourself outside of Costa Rica, never fear! Zorbing is offered in ten other action-loving countries!
Check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe for more pictures.
Arenal Zorbing at Mistico Park
- https://www.misticopark.com/tmp/arenal-zorbing/
- Address: 1.5 miles over the cobblestone road next to Lake Arenal Dam in La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica.
- Hours: 0800-1530, daily. Reservation required.
- Admission: $35 for two rides for single participant (per ticket). Riders must be at least 47 inches tall. Rides last approximately 25 minutes.
- Other Zorbing locations: Guam (ZORB Guam-Yona), India (Ski Himalayas-Burwa, Himachal Pradesh), Japan (Ikawa X Park-Miyoshi-shi, Tokushima Prefecture), New Zealand (ZORB Rotorua-Rotorua, Bay of Plenty), Philippines (Ride the Zorb!-Boracay Island, Aklan), Slovenia (Zorb Slovenija-Bohinjska Bela, Bled and Zorb Ekopool Celje-Runtole, Celje), Sweden (ZORB Sweden), Thailand (Rollerball Phuket-Patong, Phuket), United Kingdom (Orbzorbing-Manningtree, Essex, Madtrax Mayhem-Glasgow, Scotland and Go Zorbing London-Whyteleafe, Surrey), United States (Amesbury Sports Park-Ambesbury, Massachusetts, Eagle Falls Ranch-Eminence, Missouri, ZibZorb-New Florence, Missouri, Ski Roundtop-Lewisberry, Pennsylvania and ZORB Smokey Mountain-Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Even though I had done a short rafting trip (5 km) in Thailand in the Phang Nga province a few years ago, I felt a different dynamic here and was a bit nervous, especially when we were instructed on what to do within the raft…besides paddle. There was so much to remember, depending on what the conditions were in the river. If there were many rocks…“Get Down”…and we had to slide down to the floor of the raft and hold our paddles upright. “Paddle Forward” and “Paddle Back” were the easiest. Then, the scariest of the instructions…What To Do If You Fall Out of the Raft! Surely that wasn’t going to happen?
A beautiful day in the city, it was a nice walk to the Pacaembu Stadium where I found the grounds filled with young kids practicing to the sounds of Brazilian music. Paying my admission, I first entered the stadium, gazing up at the stands and down at the rich, green turf that has withstood the trampling of the Big 4 football clubs of the State of São Paulo…Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo and Santos.
Before making your way through the museum, be aware of one thing…everything is written in Portuguese. There is, however, a helpful app which guides you through each of the areas of the museum.
Many areas of the museum contain interactive exhibits that you can access and participate in. After encountering the most famous football players in history, you will be able to listen to the Radio broadcasts by Ary Barroso from the 1940’s and Osmar Santos, four decades later. Here, you can choose your favorite announcer by name or by year when the goal took place. You can also choose your favorite historic goal and later on, practice your own goal kicks.
There are countless photographs, team flags and old uniform pieces…even old cleats. You can even challenge your friends to a game…of foosball,…the tabletop version of the game.
My favorite part of the museum, however, was the Room of Celebration. Dedicated to the fans of the sport, it reminds us how the sport unites. Sound bytes of cheering fans echo under the stadium and videos are broadcast on the supporting pillars…those firmly planted in the ground when the stadium was built and those that support the bleachers on which the fans congregate. It is very loud in this area…however, I am sure it is nothing compared to what is the reality during an exciting game!
The Futbol Museum is very interesting for all visitors, especially younger ones who may not understand what part Brazil played in escalating the sport. For the older visitors, it is a walk through the past. And for the price (less than $4), it is something truly worth experiencing in São Paulo!
