I'm getting all nostalgic about our trip just looking at this view! And that say a lot because by day 10 of our 14 day trip I was beyond miserable with the worse case of food poisoning I've ever had in my entire life. But I digress. Let get back on the positive track by saying the first 9 days of our vacation were some of the best of my life!
For the first leg of our trip we stayed more in the northeast / eastern-ish part of the island. We visited San Juan for the day, took a few tours at the Parque Nacional Balneaorio Seven Seas - the bio bay (which was a bust since the water conditions have been bad for a few years now) & the lighthouse, swam every single day, re-learned how to play dominoes, ate our weight in fruit, avoided getting sunburned (whahooooooo), played with rescue dogs on the top of a mountain, visited the El Yunque Rainforest, hiked, waded in mountain pools, and so much more. Oh, and a pigeon sat on my head.
We watched sunsets every single night except the last 2 days when it rained. We really did have the most perfect weather ever for the majority of the trip - cool nights and breezy days. It was much hotter in Georgia than in Puerto Rico! Except for when were in San Juan where the building blocked the breeze and there were too many cars...
Speaking of San Juan...here are the only pictures taken that entire day. Right next to the Capilla de Cristo (Chapel of Christ The Savior) is Pigeon Park. Ahem. PIGEON FREAKING PARK! Y'all, I think this one was of my favorite things from the trip. At one point I had over 30 pigeons on my head, shoulders and arms. Some people were appalled when I told them that I did this because there is a sad misconception about how dirty/stupid/unnecessary pigeons are. Bullshit. Pigeons are one of my favorite birds (the pelican being #1) and they are incredibly smart, loving, clean (yes, they are!), loyal and serve a purpose on this planet. Go here to read more cool stuff about pigeons. *end rant*
In fact, the only unfortunate thing about this photo is my outfit. Yep, airline lost my first-ever-and-forever-only checked bag for over 2 days. I had to make due with one pair of shoes and 2 sets of clothes (really only one since the other was more beach day oriented) and it wasn't a fashionable experience in the city. But it was a heck of a lot of fun!
Oh, and look at their little pigeon cubbies. Pigeons are super social so 12 of them would cram in a single cubby then emerge one by one in a seemingly never ending stream. Kind of like that scene from Raiders Of The Lost Ark where the snakes just keeping coming out the wall? But a lot less slithery and more feathery and less poisonous-y...
This isn't the best picture because those birds move fast, fast, fast and I'm doing that scrunchy face thing I do but it is 100% proof that a pigeon was on my head...
Our second home-away-from-home located in Fajardo had the most excellent porches and an open air kitchen. And rescue dogs everywhere! It's the El Hotelito at The Rainforest Experience Farm and I highly recommend it if you want to a) want an more intimate setting b) meet people from around the world and eat/drink/hike with them c) are ok with some not your usual guest house experiences - solar power, rainwater showers, no air conditioning (didn't need it), dogs running around all the time (and sometimes barking a bit later/early than desired), no TV (games galore and a full bar are always available) d) views for days and e) a pretty intense drive up the mountain to get there. The memories I made there are numerous and all good...for reals. This is not a sponsored thing (I don't do sponsored posts anymore and haven't for a lonnnnnng time) just a personal sharing for those looking for unique lodging in Puerto Rico.
Also, that hat Brady is wearing is actually my hat that I bought off a guy at the local beach in Fajardo. But somehow it became the community hat and we (sometimes less-than-politely) took turns wearing it every single day despite the fact we each brought a few other hats. I've never been a hat person (my Mother's love-of-big-picture-hat genes skipped me I guess) but this one is the exception. I love hat!
For a girl who grew up swimming in the marshy Atlantic on the coastal plains of Georgia, this water is nothing short of unbelievable. Also, while I was taking these photos I was also drinking from a coconut some guy cut for me on the side of the road in an amazing display of machete skills. Coco frio (or coconut water) for me forever. For the rest of the trip I would shout 'coco frio' and Brady would know that he had to pull over STAT...
Out of almost 500 photos more than half were of the flowers and/or plants of the island. At our first guest house (not shown here because I only took picture with the waterproof film camera by the pool) they had over 10 acres of specialty gardens and I spent hours every day just ambling about and taking in all that beauty. I'll share some of those later maybe?
So, a long post to kick off the retelling of Puerto Rico adventures. I can't wait to share the west coast, some of my favorite architecture, flowers and more with you in future posts. Oh, and maybe more stories about the food poisoning adventure? I'm sure that's something you can't wait to hear, right?
Today I'm grateful for all the chances I have with which to do something new...
Lovely! Last year, from April until June I worked (and lived) in Mayaguez, PR (on the western side). Your gorgeous (as always) photos have me teary eyed thinking about it. I can't wait to hear more!
ReplyDeleteOh, how lovely! We stayed in Mayaguez for one night...right near the historic plaza. We got there on the later side (5ish) and left shortly after lunch but we got to walk around a bit and stopped by an excellent coffee house and an old-fashioned bakery/buffet for lunch. The voting for several political offices started gearing up and we got to experience the vehicles with the big speakers driving around all over the place. It was a fun visit but I'm sad we didn't get to explore the city a bit more!
DeleteWhat was your favorite experience there?
I had many and since I was working there (I'm a biologist and there had been an outbreak of an invasive insect and I was there to help set up a program for it), I was able to experience a very cultural part of PR. I met and worked with the locals who were very welcoming and took me into their homes and lives with open arms. I can't wait to go back! I worked in Mayaguez, but covered all of the NW to the SW coast. SOme of my favorite experiences: Visiting an old cemetery on Memorial Day (just me, the bodies and lizards); tasting fruit (mango, guayaba,tamarindo) fresh off the tree; hanging out in a local sangria bar in Boqueron to watch a fight (something new for me!); seeing a thousand starfish in a shallow area nearby; the iguanas; the urban horses even in downtown mayaguez; the coffee; and, of course, just hanging out in the wild places on the west coast. Oh, and the dogs you mentioned, they called them Satos and I saw this vry sweet girl give birth one day on the street! I wanted to take her home with me.
DeleteExcuse the typos!
Deletethat Hotel looks amazing and is going on my list!
ReplyDeleteYou can even eat a communal dinner (10 bucks per person) that's made right there by the owner from local goodies. And you can drive so many places within 30 minutes. Perfect out-of-the-way spot. And the architecture is just so coooool!
DeleteOh it looks a brilliant place and such beautiful photos (that beach looks incredible) :) And the airline losing your bags is my worst nightmare! Looking forward to seeing heaps more of your adventure.
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