Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Fajardo

     Our trip was full of many adventures, beautiful scenery, and special experiences.  One of our favorite was a kayaking trip.  My wonderful husband, who knows my love for kayaking, decided we shouldn’t miss the chance to experience the bioluminescent bays of Puerto Rico.  They say there are only five consistent bays with this phenomenon world-wide and three of those are in Puerto Rico.  
     This adventure took us to the coastal town of Fajardo.  Not only did we kayak, but this trip was in the darkest pitch of the evening, the darker the better.  By the time we drove to Fajardo, suited up in life vests, and set up in our kayaks, the sun had set.  There was very little moon, which we were told helped create the perfect opportunity for such a trip.  
     First, across the bay. Then, down a narrow canal lined with mangrove trees.  Lastly, our goal the Bioluminescent Bay.  Actually, about half way down the canal we started to see the glowing water.  Each time a paddle hit the water or a fish jumped it created a blue glowing effect.  For all those who know of Brady’s love of everything glow in the dark, this tour was the perfect choice for us. 
     Unfortunately, we did not have a camera with us.  They recommend not bringing one in case it gets wet.  We actually stayed much dryer than we did in the rainforest.  I did find a couple of pictures online from the same bay and thought I would share those to give a glimpse of the experience.

      The green light is a glow stick on the front of the kayak.  The blue bioluminescence is caused by tiny micro-organisms.  When they are excited by movement, they light up.  We heard many descriptions of this including: pixie or fairy dust or as if stars sparkle from the water.  They were all very poetic but the experience went beyond the descriptions.  We felt humbled and awed to view God’s glory and mystery in such a unique way.

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Old San Juan

     Have you ever visited a place that feels steeped in history?  That was how I felt as we walked the streets of Old San Juan. It was as if each building, each brick had a story to tell if you had time to stop and listen. Parts of Old San Juan did not seem quite as ancient, as the term refers to an area of a thriving city. However, the Spanish built up the original structures in the 1500s.  There were beautiful remnants of two massive, old forts and an ancient crumbling city wall.  Even though we spent two of our days there, it felt like we barely scratched the surface of this beautiful area.
     The forts that stood guard over Old San Juan were large beyond description.  If you look really closely I am standing at the base of the wall. This is on the 3rd level, I think, looking back up at two of the upper levels.

     Old San Juan had a very distinct look. Every house front was a different color and all of the cobblestone was this bright blue. It was as if an artist had walked through the area and said, “Ahhhh, this color here, this color there, and Voila!”

Old San Juan

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: El Yunque

     El Yunque National Rainforest, area of land and mountains standing guard over Puerto Rico.  The day we visited the rainforest was our one day of rain in a long stretch of sunshine.  That being said, the rain made the day a fun adventure full of laughs and smiles.  
     Low clouds covered the tops of the green mountains.  This blocked our view a bit but made us very aware of the fact that we were in a rainforest.  We drove up the mountain with a light sprinkling rain enjoying the lush foliage and exotic flowers.  When we got to the top, we were let out of the van to take a look around and enjoy a hiking trail into the forest.  As we started exploring, the light sprinkle soon turned to a steady downpour.  We persevered through sites of giant bamboo and giant slugs eventually making it to a beautiful waterfall tucked up in the mountainside.  This was our destination!  By the time we got there we were so incredibly soaked that it looked like we had been in the waterfall.

      The steady downpour continued on our hike back to our van, but we had a nice group of friendly people in our group to share our wet adventure with.  They were from all parts of the world, including New York, Georgia, Denmark, and, of course, Alaska.  Our tour ended with a relaxing visit to a roadside, outdoor cafe with warm and filling food!

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: The Beach

      Where to start and what to say?  This was my first time to a beach and it could not have been more perfect.  The weather was perfect with an average temperature in the 80s while we were there.  We were a short block from Condado Beach and spent time lounging in the sun, surf, and lots of sand everday

      We quickly learned that the best time of day to be on the beach was around sunset.  The air had cooled slightly, but the water was still deliciously warm.  Most days felt as if we had the beach to ourselves.  
     We learned two very important lessons on the beach, though.  One, everything will and does get filled with sand.  Two, be very careful or you might lose something in the ocean, such as your room key. I guess you could also say that I learned I really like the beach!

 
Condado Beach

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Wind Chimes Inn

      Our days truly felt idyllic.  The Inn where we stayed felt like a haven.  We never really felt as if we were in the middle of a crowded, bustling city full of tall buildings, because we could sit in the pool or the beautiful courtyard full of lush green palm trees and colorful bougainvillea.  With its white stucco and blue awnings the inn brought to mind pictures I have seen of the Mediterranean. This was truly a relaxing getaway.
       We had daily adventures.  I guess one of our favorite adventures had to be eating.  Where to eat, what eat, and so on and so forth.  We certainly tried a bit of everything.  The inn had a boat-shaped bar in the courtyard where you could order a variety of tasty snacks.  Or one block down the road was a street filled with restaurants of a plethora of ethnicities; Italian, Greek, Mexican, Dominican, French, Cuban, and a few we weren’t able to make it to.  On top of that, we ate at roadside cafes, and one night we even had dessert on the beach.  Of course, we had to try a local favorite called mofongo (fried green plantains).

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Miami

     Flight schedules can be a funny thing, but sometimes make for an extra adventure.  The way our flights worked out we spent a night in Miami flying to and from Puerto Rico.  We were able to find hotels a block from the beach with free airport shuttles.  So, it worked out wonderfully, and gave us the opportunity to explore the beach front of Miami. 
     We stayed at two very unique, fun hotels that we found on Hotwire.  It was so much fun and such an adventure.  The beach there was very nice, but more crowded than in San Juan.  Here are a few pictures of The Metropole, with black and white decor, and The Catalina, with red and white decor, where we stayed.  I couldn’t resist throwing a few of Miami Beach in there as well.

Puerto Rico: Oct 2009: Traveling

      All right, I am going to try to blog a bit about our trip to Puerto Rico to share with our family and friends. I don’t know much about blogging, so any feedback is welcome.
     We were blessed this October. Brady’s job needed him to take some of his vacation time and with the help of some loving family we planned a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico. We wanted to find a warm beach and Puerto Rico was less expensive than Hawaii. So, on Tuesday, September 29, we found out about Brady’s vacation. He asked me on Wednesday if I would like to take a trip, and by Saturday we bought tickets.  It was quite the whirlwind.
     We flew out the next Tuesday, October 6, at 5:00 a.m.  We had a lovely sunrise to start our beautiful trip, and when we landed in Miami, FL we were greeted with gorgeous lightning and a carpet of lights as far as we could see.  I thought Brady did a wonderful of capturing it.

Wedding Pictures

     We finally received most of our wedding pictures back. So, if you are interested in seeing them here is a link: Enjoy!

Link to Wedding Pictures

Holidays 2008

  We had a busy holiday season, but it was lots of fun.  Mom and Dad Kuenning went to Ohio for a couple of weeks, so we had our Christmas morning with them the Saturday before Christmas.  
     My sister,Carita, and her husband, Michael, were able to come visit from California.  However, their flight was late due to all the bad weather and flight cancellations in Seattle.  They did make it for a late Christmas morning, though, and we had my whole family together during the holidays for the first time in several years.  Michael, is being shipped out for eight months next week, and that  made the gathering all that more poignant and special.

Where Are We?

      For those of you who don’t know, we are living in Alaska. We are renting a nice little two bedroom apartment. Brady is working in Anchorage for a company called CTG (Computer Task Group). They lease their employees out to other companies all over the world. So, his job can and does change.  He started working with Chevron and now works on a contract with GCI, a local phone company.  It is going really well, and he loves the challenge of helping people with new problems everyday.
     My health has been up and down. I changed doctors this last year and am on some new medicines.  I pray we might have some positive results.

Brady and Aspen Kuenning

  Hi, This is something new we are trying to stay connected with loved ones far and wide. Since I am so new to this, I’m sure it will take me awhile to get into any sort of schedule for it or to figure out what to say.  Please bear with me and any feedback is greatly appreciated!