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.