Today would be our most adventurous and busiest day in Puerto Rico, and today we would glimpse a few of those pieces of heaven on earth. They are found in nature of course, God’s own handiwork.
After our scrumptious continental breakfast and coffee made by our wonderful hostess Ana, we found a cab to take us to the airport to pick up our rental car. You never know what you’re going to get with cab rides. This time our driver seemed to be taking on the role of Puerto Rican thug. He sat so low in his seat that from directly behind him, I had an unobstructed view out the front windshield (which was not necessarily a good thing). He was on his cell phone the entire trip, speaking in rapid fire Spanish. That lasted until we approached the airport, he then said (in clear English), “let me call you back- I’m lost.” What?! How does a cab driver get lost at the airport? And why did he choose to say only that in English? He explained that they have moved the car rental agencies recently, so he was confused. Right. But he finally deposited us in the right spot. We went inside and claimed the Jeep Wrangler we had reserved.
Fortunately, since Puerto Rico is a US territory, we could use our cell phones without extra change which meant we could use our maps app to guide us to the rain forest. Unfortunately, we would soon find out that our map did not seem to know where the visitors center was. Once out of San Juan we were quickly passing through towns nestled between heavily forested mountains. We took an exit when the map suggested and took what turned out to be a scenic 45 minute detour through winding mountain roads. We saw some great scenery, but when we finally found someone to ask, he told us we were in the wrong area of the national forest. We then actually starting using directions from an article I had printed out and brought with us. We haven’t used written directions in a while, but they were infinitely more helpful in this situation.
El Yunque (pronounced ell June-kaye) is a nationally protected rain forest, actually the only one on US soil. It is also on the list of the world’s 7 wonders of nature. We stopped first in the visitors center, which was itself a beautiful building with exhibits designed to teach about the rainforest ecosystem. We also grabbed a sandwich at the snack bar. Our next stop was the information desk for maps to the park and hiking trails. We set off in our jeep to see the beauty we were promised at the visitors center.
Our first stop as we ascended the mountain was La Coca falls. It was a high cliff face right beside the road. We were able to pick our way through boulders to get a closer view of the beautiful falls. Although very tall, there were only small streams of water flowing over the fall thanks to recent drought like conditions in Puerto Rico. The thick canopy of trees only added to the beauty and I quickly fell in love with El Yunque. We seemed to be in an enchanted forest where we heard calls of birds and water rushing over rocks and gazed at trees and flowers as far as the eye could see. Our next stop was an old observation tower. We climbed the 8-story tall structure and were rewarded with an absolutely breathtaking view. Not only could we see rain forest covered mountains, we also had a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. We could even makes out tiny white caps just past the tall buildings visible along the coastline. The blue of the sky almost blended with the color of the ocean, the blue being only a few shades lighter as the eye traveled upward. I could have stayed and enjoyed that view for the rest of the day, but we had more to explore. Our next stop would take us to a hiking trail to the La Mina falls. We parked above the falls and hiked about 40 minutes down the side of the mountain to reach the falls. The trail primarily consisted of steps made into the side of the mountain broken up by a thin trail made of stone and concrete. The infrastructure of this rain forest was already a far cry from the one we visited in Belize. The hike toward the falls took us along the creek which would feed the fall. The creek flowing sharply downhill over large boulders was beautiful in its own right, and we stopped several times for pictures and to climb out onto the rocks. We knew we were approaching the falls as the sound of rushing water increased and as we stepped from behind a stand of trees we saw the clearing where the waterfall fell majestically into the pool below. We were not the only hikers here today, and the pool below the fall was full of people enjoying the spectacular view and the chilly water. We stayed only for a few minutes to take in the view. A 40 minute hike down the mountain meant a “slightly” more challenging trip going back up. Might as well get started. We mostly kept up a good pace on what felt like 6,000 steps we had to climb. The sections that were merely sharp inclines became a welcome relief between steps, and the rocks alongside the narrow path became a place to rest as we let hikers descending have the right of way (it was less about being kind as it was about catching our breath). We finally made it back to the parking area in a little less time than it took to get down. We were tired but the glow from the experience of the rain forest made it all worthwhile. We drove the remaining few kilometers to the end of the road, from here you could hike a couple of hours to the summit, a feat which we (thankfully) did not have time for. We made our way slowly back down the mountain and back onto the small highway along the eastern coast. We had a little time before we were scheduled to be in Los Croabas, which was less than 15 miles away, so we decided to ride along the coast and see another town. We rode to Punta Santiago and wove our way through the small roads of a town that did not seem have been touched by tourism. We stopped at the beach area which was only occupied by a few families. A thin line of sea grass formed a wavy line along the palm tree lined beach. The water, while indeed blue, was a deep color and not the turquoise associated with the Caribbean. This eastern side of the island is technically on the Atlantic, but we were getting closer to the Carribean as we headed southeast. After a few pictures, we headed back to Fajardo to find something to eat. After grabbing a quick bite we were off to Los Croabas and the bioluminescence lagoon.
Once we found our way to the lagoon it took a few minutes to find Bio Island- the company we were booked with. Mostly kayaks are allowed by 10 licensed kayak companies but 2 companies are licensed to take motorized boats. From what I understand they were the first 2 who found a way to make boats work in the water that can be as shallow as 18 inches and no more license were given after those 2. Having read horror stories about hundreds of inexperienced kayakers paddling through a narrow mangrove lined canal in the dark, I chose the boat. Our guide Mario was very knowledgeable and soon had us well informed about dinoflagellates. When we started our trip on the small flat bottom 6 passenger boat the sun was just beginning to set. We headed for a narrow canal in between thick mangroves. The shallow water, while not particularly blue, was crystal clear and we could see large tarpon swimming near the protection of the tangled mangrove roots. We entered what felt like a tunnel of trees, so close in some places that I wondered if our boat would be able to get through. Mario took the time to explain that the dinoflagellates were microscopic organisms that are photosynthetic and so in the shallow water here they absorb light all day. When they are disturbed they put off a glow as a defense mechanism. These organisms can be found in many places but typically the concentration of them is too low to detect the light with human eye. Here, however, it is because of the unique way the mangroves isolate the lagoon that the concentration has become very high (about 750,000 of them per gallon of water). After the sun sets the glow can be seen whenever the water is disturbed. It last only a few seconds so the water must be disturbed over and over to continue to see the glow. After Mario’s explanation we were even more excited to see them. The boat finally emerged into a lagoon roughly round in shape, measuring about half a mile in diameter. The groups of kayaks had all retreated to various spots near the entrance to the canal, but since we were in a motorized boat, we continued further into the lagoon. Thick mangroves surrounded us with taller Palm trees visible behind them. The sun had just set and the sky was still brilliant with oranges and pinks silhouetting the distant Palm trees. Very soon it was almost completely dark and long poles were passed out to us so we could disturb the water. We all began swirling our poles in the water and the excitement was palpable as we all “oohed” and “aahed” in amazement. My camera was able to capture a decent image and Mario explained that it is a hard thing for cameras to capture except on very particular settings. Everywhere we dipped our pole into the water an explosion of neon blue light suddenly surrounded it. The boat moved slowly through the lagoon as we took in the awesome sight. The captain invited us to lean down and try the same thing with our hands, and when I splashed in the water and quickly withdrew my hand, drops of glowing water that lasted only a second ran through my fingers. When it was finally time to head back toward the canal, Mario stemmed our disappointment at leaving with a promise of yet another perspective of the dinoflagellates in the canal. Once inside the mangrove lined canal where no moonlight could penetrate because of the trees, the glow became brighter and water splashed up in the air with a paddle would glow like a neon blue fountain. As I turned to look behind the boat there was a large glowing circle following us as the motor churned the water. Just when we thought we could not possibly be amazed any further, Mario pointed out small white dots of light in the mangrove trees themselves. What we were seeing were bugs called click beetles whose eyes actually glow! (I’ve since looked all this up, and it is indeed all true even though it sounds like fiction.) Christian spotted movement in the water and the captain followed the large stingray he had spotted with his flashlight as he glided beside the water right alongside our boat. Mario used his flashlight to show us several giant iguanas living in the mangrove trees. Emerging from the canal was like coming out of a dream. Did we really just see glowing water? This may be one of the most unbelievable things I’ve ever seen, really because it doesn’t fit in with what I thought I knew about water. Although I’ve heard of this place before, I had somehow imagined the glow would be faint or at least certainly not spectacular neon blue!
After getting off the boat, we made our way back to our jeep in the dark. We all agreed this had been the a great day, seeing all these amazing things in nature makes you think about the endless creativity of God and the magnificence of it all.
Tomorrow is the day everyone dreads, the end of vacation and a long day of travel. But somehow this trip has been so wonderful that even the arduous day of travel ahead can’t curb my excitement. This has been a week we won’t soon forget.
Puerto Rico has been a pleasant surprise to me. The rainforest, the bioluminescent lagoon, Old San Juan, the beaches, and the impressive fortress were all amazing. And according to locals, this is only the tip if the iceberg when it comes to what there is to do here. The sprawling city of San Juan surprised me with its metropolitan area population of 2 1/2 million. San Juan and the small towns outside of it remind me of Miami and the small towns leading to the keys. Both are very tropical while at the same time American but they also have a definite Hispanic flair. I leave being very glad I decided to keep up with my blog, there’s no way I’d be able to remember it all without having it written down. But now, I can relive it anytime I wish.
