I didn’t know what to expect when we walked from my truck to the front ticket office of Rainforest Adventures’ Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios.  Actually, I thought I knew what to expect – we could settle ourselves and then decide who, out of the the six of us, would do what and when we should do it.  I felt peaceful, taking in the tropical flora that enveloped us and noticing the lapping of the water in the river.  This was going to be a low-key, relaxing day.  Of course I was aware of there being a bobsled ride and zip line, but that was only two activities, so I would be able to chill by the pool with my touring partner, while the kids went on the waterslide, for most of the day.

Was I ever wrong about the ‘boring’ day I had planned in my head!  Ushered towards a chairlift, exactly like one you’d find in a ski resort, my first impression was how cool! With my kids sitting with me and Trish together with her two, I took out my iPad to make a video.  As we proceeded up the mountain, the chairlift took us exponentially further from the ground below.  I have never been afraid of heights, but that might have changed now.  When did this happen?  I skydived 22 years ago!  Not that I would do that again, btw!  But, I learned how to drive an ATV and Segway earlier this week.  Mind you, those were ON THE GROUND.

To say that I was freaking out, as my children’s feet dangled in mid-air, is an understatement.  I sat there conjuring up a contingency plan for the worst possible scenario.  My shoulders were stiff, my legs were like led and my feet were tense – you know, like when the gym instructor tells you to flex your feet!  I looked to my right – the 4 year old was having a whale of a time.  I turned to my left – the 8 year old was equally excited to be floating in the air in a chair, overlooking quite an awesome coastline.  I wasn’t sure if the wind was knocked out of me because of my utter fear or if it was due to the seriously breathtaking view.  Not to mention the fact that we were hovering over the lush tropical rainforest.

Landing safely at the top of the mountain, I realized why you couldn’t see Mystic Mountain from anywhere down below on the road.  The effort to construct this adventure park this high up could not have been a small feat.  It became even more apparent as we whizzed (okay, I didn’t exactly whiz, but everyone else did!) through the trees on the bobsled, which is essentially a personal rollercoaster as you get to control its speed.  I bet you’ve never been on a rollercoaster that takes you through beautiful rainforest.

Speaking of stunning forests, the infinity pool, where Trish and I did get to sit for a couple hours in the afternoon, while the kids glided joyfully down the slide, seemed to fall into the cascading mountain of foliage and straight into the Caribbean Sea.  In the background, we could hear the upbeat rhythms of the drummers coming from the front courtyard, where guests gathered to watch them and the dancers perform all day.

A major highlight at Mystic Mountain is the zip line.  Certainly, it seems a bit scary to be traversing on a cable through trees, but the safety harnesses and guides will absolutely alleviate any trepidation you might have.  The only suggestion I would make to those of you who wish to play Tarzan and Jane, which you should do by the way, is save the zip line to the very end of your day as it takes you halfway down the mountain.  In order to return to the top, where the waterslide, bobsled, restaurant, bar and gift shop are, you must take the chairlift all the way to the bottom and then back up the same way you came at the start of the day.  Of course, for those of you who do wish to take chairlift numerous times, this advice is not applicable to you.  Neither was it applicable to me!

This brings me to a small confession.  I did not do the zip line.  This was not because I was afraid for myself, though I was petrified at the thought of traveling on the chairlift more than was necessary, but it was because of my little one, the 4 year old.  When I heard the cry of complete fright for his life, as he hung from the cable for the first time, my instinct to keep my kids away from danger kicked in, even though neither of them were even close to being in harm’s way at any part of the day. #MysticMountain #RainforestAdventures #TREMbleinFlipFlops