The Rainforest

​El Junque Rain Forest

 

   It was a perfect day today to visit El Yunque again. The day was warm with what felt like 99% humidity.  The sky was sunny so we took a quarter mile stroll down a graveled trail into the thick vegetation. Bananas hung from large leafed banana trees. 

   The rainforest offers many varieties of plants   They grow fast and thrive in this ideal climate. There was little wildlife to see; a few small birds and a snail near the trail.

   We grabbed our favorite cab and grandma driver. Her name is Luc, pronounced, “Loose”. She has taken us several places, saying, “I give you good deal”.  Perhaps she does but she makes a lot of money off of us!  We use her quite often in place of UBER.  But it’s still cheaper and less stressful than renting a car and driving in this traffic..   Luc took us to El  Yunque, which means, “the anvil”. I’m not sure why it means that. I guess I always thought it should have meant “the Rainforest “. I guess not. 

   It’s interesting that the first time we visited the Park, my National Park pass got us in for no fee at all. Today, they charged us $4 each WITH my pass to enter. I asked the Ranger lady at the information counter inside the visitor’s center why we were charged a fee. She said it helps pay for the amenities inside the Park. I asked what amenities. She said the use of the restaurant, the facility and the informational video that describes the rainforest. I said, “So we are required to use these amenities.”  She said, “No” but they are here to use if we want.”  I told her that all other National Parks do not charge me an entrance fee with my Pass. She says they, “can charge for amenities…it says so in the small print”.   I said, “Sneaky”. She shook her head. 

   El Junqye does have a very nice visitor Center. It’s well done and well taken care of. There is much to do inside the Park. There are numerous waterfalls, an observation tower and many hiking trails. There is camping, backpacking, swimming and hiking. There are no dangerous animals to worry about. If one can contend with the frequent rainfalls, mosquitoes, heat and humidity, you can have many great  adventures.  

   We stayed a couple of hours. At 11:30 our taxi driver, Luc, returned to pick us up at the entrance gate, as that is as far as she is allowed to drive. We walked up the hill the short distance and met her. As we drove out, Luc said, “I want show you somting if is okay”.  I said it was. Down the road a short distance she pulled into a small opening in a fence and onto a Plantain farm that friends of hers own. There were 5 or 6 men gathered around as we got out of the car and approached. The old timer of the group was the owner who had been there for 47 years. The others were workers and family   members. This, after all, was a family business. Walking ahead, we passed by pieces of cultivated parcels of land where Plantain plants of various plantings were growing. Some of the plants were barely 18” high While others were more than 7 feet or higher. I asked one man about the age of the tall ones. He said about 7 months. We were very surprised they were that young!  It’s amazing how fast these plants grow. Those about 2 feet tall were only 2 months old!  

   They make a living selling both baby plants and the Plantain Bananas to grocery stores and restaurants “for a good price”. 

   I asked if the smaller Plantain Bananas were as good to eat as regular bananas. He told me that after they turn yellow they are extremely good and very tasty. That’s also when the restaurants mash them up and fry them with various meets and served at all 3 meals. 

   While we were standing there, a tropical rain came down hard and heavy. Probably typical of rainforest rain. It was heavy and we ducked into a tin roofed shelter. Next to us was a very large Guava tree they say is 100 years old. There was also a Passion fruit tree which we sampled. It was tart but delicious. 

   Stopping here and learning a little about banana farming was a serendipity. 

   On down the road, in Rio Grande, we stopped off at a bakery to bring home some tasty sweets and our lunch of pork and rice.

   This evening we paid a next door neighbor lady to prepare dinner for us. It was very good. It was rice and beans with a shredded chicken salad.   Muy buena !!

Plantain

​Bocara’s Smokehouse. 

 

   There are always good places to eat in Puerto Rico. As we traveled to the northern coast to check out Arecibo, we stopped at Bocata’s Smokehouse Restaurant for lunch. The location was great; right on the beach after the highway. There wasn’t much sandy beach but it was beautiful. 

Most everything on the menu was smoked. I was tempted to order the usual smokehouse treats like, brisket, pork, chicken, ribs and the like. Instead, I opted for something more Puerto Rican, like shrimp Plantain. 

    With all the bananas growing in the Caribbean, they decided to mash them, fry them and fold them over with anything you can think of stuffed inside. I had shrimp inside mine. Debby had smoked beef. 

   After trying them, I still prefer my bananas raw. 

Cueva del Indio

Cueva del Indio

 

Not too far into the Arecibo area is a mature preserve they call, Cueva del Indio, which translate to Indian cave. This protected area is a natural landscape of an ancient lava flow. The natural steam vents  and molten lava tub, after cooling many years later, left behind a cave where indigenous people made their home about 1200 years ago. This cave was only discovered in the early 1980’s. This cave used to be accessible via a wooden ladder but it has since been removed for public safety. However, one can still look down into the cave from above and see petroglyphs etched in the lava walls. 

   Me and Toronto walked around on top looking down into the churning Atlantic surf. The rock was rough and uneven but we managed to not stumble and fall into the angry water. 

   The entrance fee was $10 each but our taxi driver talked them down to a flat $20 for the 4 of us. I think it would have been worth $10 apiece if we could have explored it 3 or 4 hours. After getting back to our apartment, I watched a couple of videos on YouTube and saw some beautiful photos. It’s worth looking at. Just open YouTube and search Cueva del Indio. 

 

 

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

​Birth of the New World

 

A monument designed by a Russian artist honoring Christopher Columbus finally found a home in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.  This huge bronze sculpture stands in a field that anticipates to someday become a major tourist attraction for this Northern Puerto Rican  landscape. 

   The Christopher Columbus Monument was designed and constructed in 1991 to commemorate the 500^th year of his big discovery. This huge statue has 2750 parts of bronze and steel, measures 360 feet in height and weighs more than 650 tons. It is the tallest statue in North America and the fourth tallest in the world. 

   Since it’s construction in 1991 it has faced many obstacles to find a home. It was first offered to be erected in New York City but was rejected by the City Commissioners and the mayor as it would detract from the much shorter Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline. 

   Next it was offered to Miami but they didn’t want because activists got their way, citing Columbus was a rapist and murderer. The Indians boycotted it, too. Then there was Fort Lauderdale, Columbus, Ohio and a few other places. Finally it was completed in Arecibo, Puerto Rico because the mayor thought it would be good for their economy. In September, the year after it was erected, Hurricane Maria came calling with a class 5 devastation and delayed the plans for surrounding development. The statue was unmoved by Maria. Not so lucky for everything else around it. 

   It appears to simply sit out there in the countryside attracting tourists and the curious. We stopped along the road and took pictures through the chained gate. Its an amazing sight to see. 

 

Luquillo Beach

​Luquillo Beach, Puerto Rico 

 

   We have rented a two bedroom condo, a beach house known as Bello Mar on Calle 1, Luquillo Beach. We are 24 miles east of San Juan. We are north of the main highway right on the Atlantic Ocean. We have no sandy beachfront, except during a minus tide. Those seem to occur after midnight. Otherwise the surf  is constantly pounding against the concrete wall protecting the grassy backyard. The crashing waves seem to be constant. I have dubbed this part of Luquillo. Angry Surf Beach because of the unending loud noise of the crashing waves. 

   The locals say that Luquillo Beach is among the prettiest. On the contrary, I have seen several beaches that are more appealing. For one thing, this beach is always littered with some kind of shredded sea weed that washes up at high tide. It has the appearance of crumbling fishing net. Very strange. 

   To our east, next door, a beach house still sits abandoned since Hurricane Maria took it out in 2017. The foundation washed out on the ocean side causing the whole house to appear as if sliding down an incline. The concrete house is rather small, with a concrete slab floor holding the house at an angle resembling a teeter totter on a playground. 

   This whole area from the highway to the beachfront is residential. It resembles a second world Barrio, with lots of chickens, crowing roosters and numerous barking dogs, about half roaming freely on the 3^rd world street. It’s always a chore walking the street with my Guide Dog, Toronto, just to cut across a basketball  area to get to 

a sandy beach. It’s like running a dog gauntlet. 

   Once on the sand the dogs are gone for the most part. A few yards down is a snack shop with chairs and benches.  This open air shop is a pleasant place to order food and drinks.  The menu is limited but what they do have is very tasty. 

   Farther down the beach is the Rio Grande river that dumps into the Atlantic.  At times it is not too deep.  Toronto and I crossed it twice already.  On the opposite side the forest canopy is thick and grown over.  There are many coconut trees around here.  One must be careful to not sit under a tree full of them!  You might end up with a smashing headache!  

   Farther down the beach, about a quarter mile is the huge Wyndham resort. We considered staying there for our month-long vacation, but decided it was too rich for our budget. At $400 a night plus amenities and $50 to $75 per couple for meals, one can see a huge invoice here!  We are frugal spenders, staying in more affordable places while still demanding clean, comfortable and spacious rooms.  So places like the Wyndham are nice but and necessary. Debby has always been our trip planner and does a great job for us. We enjoy traveling with Ron and Nancy Pinkerton, our traveling buddies. We do well together and enjoy visiting new places. Together we have traveled to more than 35 countries.

   Luquillo Beach is known for its60 kiosks right out  here on the highway. Driving by, they appear to be shacks but once inside, they are clean and well done. Many of them were for eating various food creations, while some are shops. As we returned home Sunday afternoon from Vieques, we were in awe at the number of cars parked at the kiosks. They are very popular and many people recommend their food. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at one of the kiosks a few days ago. If we had our own car, we would probably eat there more often.  

   To get to the sandy beach to the west requires much more walking. It’s probably about 2 miles to the first kiosk. The beach along the west is very nice. it is more popular with people than the beach to the east. There are also more stores and places to eat towards the west.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

The Black Pearl

              ​Vieques   

 

   An hour’s ferry boat ride off the Southeastern coast of the Puerto Rico mainland is the island of Vieques. Somehow Debby found an apartment near the beach through a friend from our church. One of those daughter of a friend of a friend things. This little community is called Esperanza. We are not far from a beach that’s called Black Sand.  We found it’s location and parked our unique little rental car and walked the six minutes it took to reach Black Sand Beach. We were warned to not let our cell phones come into contact with the black sand. It is rich in iron and the charging port of a cell phone is magnetic. You can imagine the problems that might cause!  

   We joked a lot about our rental car. We got it not from a rental agency, but through a private person… You know, a friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing? The car was a little red Ford Bronco and had a few problems. The door hinges needed a soaking in WD-40. The brake pedal squeaked every time it was released. The car needed to have a new muffler. It sounded like a Harley Davidson going down the road. But the air conditioner worked, the car antenna wasn’t bent much and it never broke down. We felt good about that. 

   The 4.5 x 20 mile island is home to more than 2,000 free range Paso Fino horses. You could see them grazing along the streets and highways, in fields and on beaches checking out the surf. Three of them came to our hotel every morning to drink. The owner always had a bucket of water ready for them. The mare was pregnant and usually kept the two boys back away until she was ready to share her water. We could also pet them so that was fun. 

   Mosquito Bay is well known for its bioluminescent water. Our night-time boat ride on the bay was interesting. Each time the water is stirred, with a stick, a kayak paddle or a boat propeller, the water would glow. I don’t fully understand the scientific properties that create this phenomenon, like the calm conditions, salinity, temperature, vitamin B-12 and such, but it’s apparently a rare condition. There are only 5 places in the world with bioluminescent water and two of them are here in Puerto Rico. 

   Mosquito Bay was not named because of mosquitoes. Apparently, back in the 1800’s, a pirate with a small ship hid out in these waters. When a British or French vessel showed up, the pirate would sail out into the deeper water to be seen by them and then turn and lure them into the shallow bay. The larger ship would take chase and run aground in  the muddy bottom. The little pirate ship would ram the larger ship into its side with its sharp stern  causing it to take on water. The crews would panic and thinking they were sinking, bail  out to swim for shore. He then could plunder and steal all he wanted. His pirate ship was called the Mosquito. Thus the name, Mosquito Bay. So apparently, Hollywood took this story, place and time, embellished it somewhat  and created the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean. 

   We drove all around the island, visiting beaches, taking pictures and soaking in the warm sunshine. The Vieques port town was the largest settlement.  It is patrolled nightly by fancy cars and bikes booming loud music and roaring engines.  Loud horns seemed to Blair for no apparent reason, scaring the codgers walking along the sidewalk.  There were numerous food carts, trailers and grilles set up along the streets and parking lots of popular areas, selling tasty treats to tourists and locals.  Here, one could rent cars, bikes, golf carts and kayaks.  

   It was fun to explore this island and beautiful beaches.  Here, one s find white sand beaches, black sand beaches and brown sand beaches.  All of them were unique and beautiful.  The ocean was warm and inviting. It’s one of those places where  you could spend some time. 

Rainforest

​El Yunque National Forest

   The only tropical rainforest in a U.S. National Forest.   It is located outside of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, a U.S. Territory.  Today we went to the Visitor’s Center to get a glimpse of this pristine rainforest.   

   El Yunque is a 28,000 acre block of public land located in the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains in northeastern Puerto Rico.  This lush jungle rainforest gets more than 200 inches of rainfall annually. Entrance reservations are required as this area is very popular with locals and tourists. Entrance tickets are free with a National Park Pass.  There are miles of hiking trails, waterfalls teeming with plant life, high canopy, wild tropical fruits and flowers. 

   At one time, according to the park’s staff member, native parrots were near to extinction, down to only about 60 remaining. They were captured and placed in an Aviary to be cared for by the experts. Today there are more than 600 in number. Soon, the parrots will be released back into the wild.  We were able to observe two of them at the visitors center through a blue veiled screen. 

   Today was a cloudy, overcast day with misting rain. It was a good day to visit a rainforest.  Even though it was cloudy and a bit foggy, we enjoyed the awesome views from the top of the nearly 600 foot high Yokahu Observation Tower.

Puerto Rico

​Puerto Rico.  

   Once again the Thomas/Pinkerton foursome are heading out of country for a while to bask in the warm sunshine of Puerto Rico, an American Territory in the Caribbean.  We leave behind the chilly, icy miserable cold of Northwest Arkansas and rough it for a couple of months in the warm tropics  of the Caribbean.  Our first stop for about 4 weeks is a beachfront condo on Luquillo Beach, just east of San Juan.  

   Here we go, up before the chickens to get to the Bentonville airport by 0430 for a United flight to Houston and then San Juan.  We boarded our plane at XNA and was told that due to a ground cancellation, we had to get back off and wait for a couple of hours until the FAA restores air transportation.  Apparently, a computer glitch shut down FAA’s computer system and all domestic flights were canceled for about two hours.  At 9:00 AM eastern time, the FAA would hope to have the computer problem fixed and we could resume.  It wasn’t only us experiencing the problem.  All domestic flights across the United States have been grounded until cleared by the FAA.  We didn’t really know why, so a myriad of thoughts hit us like a ton of bricks.  Was there another 9/11. Did Korea fire off a Ballistic Missiles   to our shores?  Did China get upset over high tariffs or lack of sales?  We were not happy about this as we thought we might miss our 10:30 flight from Huston to San Juan.  Fortunately that flight was also delayed two hours so we made it on board.

   We ]finally landed in San Juan about 8;:30.  We grabbed our luggage and called for a ride.  Taxi service to Luquillo Beach would cost us $186 according to an airport staff member. I checked on UBER. A minivan for 6 was $65. That was more like it!  The ride took about 20 minutes. Soon we were at the gate trying to find our key fob to gain entrance. 

   After finally locating our keys in an unmarked box that should have been marked 306, we were inside checking which entrance door opened with our key, as nothing was marked again. Luckily there were only 4 outside doors. Our key fit the third one. 

   Once inside, with no elevator and assuming Unit 306 would be on the third floor, we began carrying our luggage up 6 short flights of stairs to the top.. At the third floor landing, our key needed to fit one of two unmarked doors. The second one opened and we went inside our condo. 

   After checking our home for the next 4 weeks we called it a night and headed for bed. Fortunately it’s a two bedroom unit. We soon fell asleep, lulled to sleep by the sound of crashing waves, barking dogs and a noisy refrigerator motor. 

   Morning came and we were awakened very early by the sound of crowing roosters, barking dogs and crashing waves. After coffee we got an Uber and went to McDonalds for breakfast. Can you believe it?  McDonalds in Puerto Rico?  

   The grocery store was next on our list as we needed to stock up. Prices are very reasonable here. We relaxed a lot today. Hoping for a good night’s sleep. The local roosters vbegan crowing at 1:30, every hour until sun-up. If this keeps up, we may be having rooster for Sunday dinner!