We had a great time while we were there. We jumped off some cliffs, slid down some natural slides and swam all afternoon. Our director and his family and some friends came the same day and we hung out with each other. We started to hear some thunder so we immediately packed up and left trying to beat the rain.
As soon as we started driving after about 3 minutes a huge rain storm began. It was raining very heavily. Instantly the rain made the roads slick. Grant was driving fast trying to beat the rain and once it began raining we started fish-tailing. We had only driven barely 10 minutes when we rounded a bend slowly yet recklessly and we saw two vehicles stopped ahead of us. The furthest one was sideways in the road--he had slid sideways and got stuck in the mud.
There was no getting him out from our perspective so Gary jumped out of the car and directed us to turn inch by inch around so that we could go back and get help from Ron our director. As soon as we got our Land Cruiser turned around without it falling down into the deep drop off two more vehicles came behind us and blocked our path. The road was impassable in the conditions because the mud was really soft and if you got too close to the edge you would sink and get stuck.
At this point we were thinking we were pretty much stranded and our cell phone didn't have any reception in the jungle. After about a half hour of trying to get the first vehicle out and moving again Ron drove up. I had to go down and tell him why all the vehicles were stopped and I couldn't make it to him. I was barefoot and soaked and sliding all the way down the hill to his car. I finally yelled at him and told him what happened and then returned to our car.
The first vehicle finally got out of the mud with a whole lot of help. So we were all off again driving slowly carefully trying to stay on the road. That lasted about 5 minutes tops. Another car completely slid off the road and landed in the ditch. This time it was the one behind us so after realizing they could not push it out we backed up and pulled it out with our vehicle.
THIS CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT FIVE HOURS! Keep in mind this dirt road normally takes 1 hour. We would drive an average of 100 yards and someone else would be stuck. The amazing thing to me was that no one left anyone behind. There were a couple vehicles that got stuck or went in the ditch considerable more times than others. But the stronger vehicles stayed with the group and 6 vehicles made the trip together.
We never got stuck too badly ourselves. We had to drive in the ruts that were made by a bigger truck that had gone through. Grant didn't have to steer much. You just stayed in the ruts and bounced off the sides like bumper cars. We had to really push our engine to make it up some hills and we had to back down an embankment once because we could not make it up it was so steep. Our director Ron was not so lucky. Going down a steep hill with tall embankment to one side he slid into the side of the road with a huge crash and was stuck. It took his wench to get his vehicle out and it did some damage. He lost his power steering and his steering was messed up after that.
Thinking that this was the worst of it we cheered when we reached the big river because that meant we were close to the highway. That was not the case. It was dark. Normally people don't try to cross in the dark, it's hard to find a good spot for crossing. All six vehicles lined up on the shore and had their lights shining across the river. We picked a spot and the first strongest vehicle made it's attempt. It made it with not too much problem. The second went across and made it OK. The third was a smaller vehicle and the current actually picked it up and took it down the river but it was able to get it's tires on the ground again and made it through.
The last vehicle before Ron's and ours gunned it and started into the river. All of a sudden it's lights were under water and it stopped. He threw it into reverse and then forward again but to no avail. He was sinking fast. He jumped out of the car and starting making his way to us to get help. Immediately they pulled the wench out and Gary and Ron walked to the truck as fast as they could. There were kids in the car and they started to come out the windows and adults from our side of the shore went to carry them in. The Mitsubishi was sinking into the sandy bottom and tipping to one side. They got it pulled out but too late. The engine was flooded and the interior had gotten soaked. We left the vehicle sitting in the middle of the river, on a sand bar.
Now it was our turn.....who wants to cross a river after seeing that happen. We decided it would help to make the vehicle as light as possible so anyone who could walked across the river. I didn't think that would be too bad but in the middle it was very strong and the sandy bottom wasn't stable to walk on but fortunately we were holding hands and pulling each other through.
Ron was the first to go. He gunned it and as soon as he hit the deep spot his lights went under water and he slowed down but he made it. Then it was Grant's turn. He went the same route that Ron went but not as easily. He slowed down and we thought he was stuck and not moving but he kept it going and made it across.
Overall it was quite a day. What should have taken an hour maybe a little more took us 6 hours. We did some damage, got really dirty and wet, lost one vehicle to the river but everyone was safe and unharmed. It was a crazy day but one I will never forget.
This is the last and tallest falls of Los Espejillos and some crazy brave souls jumped from the top. 
I didn't jump off the high cliff but I found a littler version that was just as fun to me without the risk of breaking one's neck :)
Before the craziest adventure started this is the reason we brave the bad roads--gorgeous falls and cold cold water.
Even 4x4s could hardly manage to get up some of the steep banks we had to cross and it was difficult just to stay on the road it was so slippery our tail end was sliding most of the time.
Here is a picture of the mud and the ruts. Someone was stuck again so we were all stopping and getting out to push, pull, wench or pray.
Unfortunately this was the vehicle that did not make it across the river. Before we got to it it's taillights were under water! It's not a good picture but we were stuck in our vehicle waiting to cross the river ourselves. If Ron hadn't had a wench and immediately ran to the vehicle and started to pull it back in it would have tipped and floated down river.
This is one group of us that had to cross the river on foot to make the vehicles lighter. We held hands all the way through to help prevent losing someone. This was at about 9:30 at night. 
