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Puerto Rico
By Jackie Schlitzer
recently returned from a short, but wonderful trip to Puerto Rico.
Seeking relief from the winter blues, my husband and I sought out
a place of warmth and adventure to satisfy our need for el sol. Our
goal: to find accommodations that would give us access to the only
rainforest on U.S. soil and an opportunity to experience a quieter,
more intimate interaction with Puerto Rico’s national treasure,
El Yunque National Rainforest.
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internet query responded with a rustic cabin on an organic fruit farm
located a couple miles outside the southern boundary of El Yunque.
This would be the answer to our desire to flee the monotony of the
daily grind and an opportunity to explore a new environment.
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191 once bisected this national forest but a landslide washed out
the road in 1979 and the roadway was never repaired. Fortunately for
the forest, because the scars man left behind have been allowed to
heal and a virgin stretch of woods is protected from the onslaught
of tourists.
[
Puerto Rico Photo Gallery 1 ]
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southern side of the mountain is different. More trees dot the landscape
and it’s cooler. Small, more traditional style homes are built
into the mountainside. There are no signs of tourism here. No hotels.
No roadside stands hawking trinkets. We discovered another way of
living in this small barrio outside of Naguabo.
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stayed with the Phillips family; (Robin, Sita, Daniel-12 and Jim-3)
owners of the organic fruit farm and enjoyed learning about the history
of their land. Robin grows over 150 exotic fruits on his mountainside
property and we were welcome to try anything we found. Each morning
we indulged ourselves on grapefruits, palmellos, guanabanas, bananas,
malay apples and more.
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night we fell sleep to the sounds of the forest. We heard rain falling,
wind blowing through the canopy, and the Coqui (an indigenous tree
frog) serenading us with its’ song. We woke to warm sunrises,
birds singing, and the sound of a thousand roosters crowing (or so
it seems) from a mountain ridge overlooking the valley, ocean and
the island of Vieques.
[
Puerto Rico Photo Gallery 2 ]
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morning we joined Robin and Jim for a breakfast of fruit while we
exchanged life stories and the day’s adventure. Robin tells
us about a great hike through El Yunque that will take us to a Prieto
Falls. He is sure no one else will share nature’s wonder with
us.
 kipping
the beautiful pool at the falls was a tough decision but rain clouds
moved in and Robin strongly warned us to use caution when climbing
these boulders because they are treacherous when wet. We found comfort
in knowing this would not be the only place to take a dip under the
canopy of the rainforest. The pool at the top of a small rock dam
was the answer and we enjoyed a chilly swim as the afternoon rain
fell on us.
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hikes were filled with flowers, rocks, lizards, water, mud, plants
(leaves the size of our bodies), sun, fruit, rain, and friendly locals
waving to us as we traveled the mountain road.
[
Puerto Rico Photo Gallery 3 ]
trip to Puerto Rico would not be complete without visiting one of
its’ beaches so we spent a day on the island of Culebra. We
skipped the taxi ride and made the three-mile walk in the scorching
midday heat. The mildly cool water provided much needed relief from
the sun but we felt our pale winter skin burn instantly as we stretched
out on the gorgeous horseshoe-shaped white beach.
houghts
of the rainforest filled my mind and I knew that our last day would
be spent hiking around the mountain again. We visited a local’s
swimming hole where trees kept us cool and we enjoyed watching lizards
dart around us on the sunny boulders.
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made the perfect choice for us but I miss the sounds of the forest.
Each night I fall asleep to silence. Never realizing how quiet my
home is at night and wishing for the sounds of the forest that awakened
my senses and sent my spirit soaring.
[
Puerto Rico Photo Gallery 4 ]
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