You Little O Wife: June 2009

Puerto Rico

Adam and I just returned to Michigan from a week in Puerto Rico. It was a wonderful vacation, as you will see below. I only included a few of my favorite pictures...but I took hundreds.

Sunday

Early morning. Arrive at Detroit airport at 5:30am and travel most of the day. Rent a car in Puerto Rico and drive to our hotel on the northeast corner of the island. It was a wonderful little local place with maybe 20 rooms. The staff gave us some great suggestions and every morning we had breakfast on the balcony terrace you can see below. This was the view from our room.

We also made our first trip to the beach across the street from our hotel.

Monday

We took it pretty easy on Monday. Relaxed, played at the beach, and had lunch at a kiosko just off the beach. Then we visited a bioluminescent lagoon that night. There are only five permanent locations of bioluminescent water in the world, and Puerto Rico is home to three of them. Basically, when the conditions are right, a dinoflagellate in the water has two enzymes that allow it to "glow" (like a firefly) when it is agitated. We kayaked through the water in a glass bottom boat, so it looked as if we were riding the tail of a comet. It was amazing. Definitely one of the coolest things in nature I have ever seen...no pictures though, as we were in the water. Sometimes the best moments just can't be captured.

Tuesday

Tuesday we visited Old San Juan. Remember elementary school history class? Ponce de Leon visited the island and his remains are still there. The 500-year-old city is also home to El Morro, which is a really old fort that was used to protect the Caribbean from invaders. I loved the architecture.

This is the view of Old San Juan from the top of El Morro. Beautiful, right?

Tuesday night we got up at about midnight to go to the beach across from our hotel. Much of the beach is a protected sea turtle nesting ground, and it happened to be nesting season. The tinglars, or leatherback turtles, are 4 to 7 feet long and can weigh up to 1300 pounds! We went out on Tuesday night and Friday night but unfortunately never saw a turtle. We did see fresh nests, however, which was pretty cool. The mound is the nest, which the turtle visits every three to eight days. You can see her flipper tracks around it where she circled.

Wednesday

We headed to the rainforest, El Yunque, which is the only tropical rain forest in the United States. This was perfect because this was the day it was pouring down rain...but we were in the rain forest anyway and had our rain gear.

Here we are at La Mina Falls.

And La Coca Falls.

[Don't you love the fact that at 28 and 26 years old, Adam and I are still wearing college t-shirts?? :) Cute advertisements, huh?]

Then we decided to hike up to the peak of the mountain...about 6 miles of hiking and a 1400 foot increase in elevation. I didn't realize we were up so high until I tried to take a picture and I realized you could see the cloud in which we were hiking.

Between the rain drops and the cloud, a sign emerged along the way.

Have you ever been in a cloud before? I have wanted to be in one ever since looking out an airplane window when I was young and realizing we were flying in a cloud. (What would it feel like? Is it soft? Etc.) Near the top of the peak, we saw a rocky trail leading up to some boulders. After climbing up, we saw the coolest thing...nothing. All around us, nothing. We were completely in a cloud. It was raining up, if you can believe that. And you couldn't see a thing. It was incredible....again, sometimes the coolest things just can't be captured on film. And the wind gusting! Now I know why airplanes hit turbulence in a cloud- because I have felt it on my skin.

Thursday

A day of resting on the beach for the most part. Adam tried surfing. Apparently it's much more difficult than it looks.

Friday

On our last full day in Puerto Rico, we decided to visit Culebra, a small 4 mile by 6 mile island off the NE coast. When we arrived at the ferry dock that morning, however, a worker strike was in progress. So instead of taking an $18 ferry ride....we flew. Yes, me being the...ahem, "flexible,"....person that I am, we made a change of plans. A $130 change in plans. But oh, was it worth it.

The puddle jumper plane held 10 people, including the pilot. The ninth passenger sat in the co-pilot seat. (Have I mentioned that I am a nervous flier??) But then I saw this below us. It is Flamenco beach. Apparently the Travel Channel rates it as #2 in the world. And had we taken the ferry, we would have missed this amazing view.

After we landed, we did some shopping and lunch before heading to the beach.

I am not in the market for a beach house, but if I was, Culebra is the place I'd start looking. It was beautiful.

And then the beach. All I can say is...wow.

The beach was not crowded at all. As you can see, I didn't have to share my waves with anyone.

Not all those who wander are lost.

To wander....not necessarily aimlessly, but unscheduled. It always amazes me that I have to pay $X000 to get away from the computer, my phone, work, even my blog, etc...to RELAX. I told people I was going to lay on the beach for a week and do absolutely nothing. In reality, that is unlike me. I tend to read books on a place (I bought 2 for PR alone!) and schedule so many things I want to do that it ends up being stressful trying to fit it all in even though it's supposed to be a vacation. So I didn't schedule a thing. I told myself I was going to lay on the beach...but what that meant was that I was going to be UNSCHEDULED.

And so...was it worth it? Was it worth $X000 to get away and spend a week just BEING with my husband and best friend? Yes. Absolutely. Would I do it again? Yes. In a heart beat. Doesn't matter the cost. The day on Culebra with Adam was one of the best days I have ever had.

On the 14 minute flight back to the main island, we saw sunset from the plane. Perfect end to a perfect day.