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!