The Caves

This morning I headed off to Parque de las Cavernas del Rio Camuy. When I arrived the park was pretty empty. I was surprised because it is a popular tourist destination, but then I found out why. This part of the island has received so much rain over the week that the main cavern, and really the main attraction, was closed. If I still wanted to enter I could and they would show me the sinkholes, but for safety reasons we could not tour the cavern.

I drove over an hour to get there so I stayed and boy am I glad I did. We watched a short safety video and then headed to the trolley area. The super intendant came out and said he had just been down at the cavern. They were trying to see if we could still go, but due to the rain and the amount of rocks and sediment that have fallen from the ceiling, the trolleys could not enter and it really would be unsafe.

We went to the first sinkhole called Tres Pueblos. Three towns have their borders all meet in the middle of this sinkhole. It was an amazing view and hard to imagine the size. Our guide told us that you could fit the El Morro Fort into the sinkhole, that is how large it was. We walked around the perimeter as he pointed out different plants and even some very large spiders before we arrived at a second platform where you could see further into the sinkhole and actually view part of the underground river. At this spot you could see where it left one side and then flowed north towards the Atlantic Ocean into the other side of a cavern. I thought it was impressive.

From there we journeyed to our second destination. The Spiral Sinkhole. To get there you walk down 205 steps to a platform that over looks what seems to be the mouth of a cave. We had water falling on us from the ceiling above. It was hard to see into this one. Our guide said it was about 300 - 400 feet deep. This sinkhole made the trip worth it. The view was just amazing and at one point our guide started making a screeching noise and we could see the bats wake up and start to fly around inside. The trek down was not so bad but 205 steps up with some serious humidity was not as fun.

Overall I thought the tour was cool even if I was not able to see the cave. From there I headed further west. I wanted to see the Indian face carved into the rock near Isabela. Monumento al Indio is a monument in the honor of Cacique Mabodoma. I would say that this is probably something that you could forgo if you were coming to Puerto Rico. It was neat to see but there wasn't really a spot to pull off and then after I saw it there wasn't much else except to turn around and head back.

It was another fun adventure for a Saturday in Puerto Rico.

The Storms

I am two weeks into my journey and it feels like it has been longer. This definitely will be a trip I will not forget.

My favorite part so far has been the storms. For the last two weeks I have seen the coolest lightening storms I've ever seen. My favorite so far was last week. I ventured to Condado for the first time for dinner. On my way back I stopped and grabbed a cup of ice cream, sat on a bench overlooking the ocean, and watched a beautiful dance of lights in the clouds off shore. It was amazing to see how high the clouds were and how the lights flashed so many different colors in bolts and sheets. I was mesmerized. Since that first show of lights I have been blessed daily with some sort of encore. Even now as I update my blog there is a light show off shore headed over the hotel. I can see flashes of light periodically fill the sky from my balcony.

Whats on my agenda this weekend? I am off for another "must see" adventure. I am heading to the Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy. This is one of the largest cave systems in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It is also home to an underground river. There will be lots of tourists and tour guides. Surely I will not get lost and be safe!

Ponce "The Pearl of the South"

I took my first road trip today and headed to Ponce, the seconded largest city in Puerto Rico. They have a bit of a rivalry with San Juan. In Ponce they say "Ponce es Ponce" meaning Ponce is Ponce the rest of Puerto Rico could be a parking lot for all they care.

The drive was beautiful. I took the main interstate through the central region of the island. The foliage and terrain throughout the drive was amazing to see. Sugar cane fields and bright green rolling hills all meeting at the Caribbean Sea.

I wound my way through the hills of Ponce to arrive first at La Cruceta del Vigia. This is a huge cross that overlooks the town and the sea. Originally a hut was built here and then a cross tree where watch guards would raise flags to send alerts if ships were entering into the proximity of their port. In the 1980s the cross was resurrected and made into an observatory. The views were great however I think I got a little sick from the heights. I didn't stay at the observatory very long before descending down to solid ground.

From there I headed off to Castillo Serralles. This "castle" was the home of Don Juan Serralles and his family. The Serralles family own the distillery that produces Don Q rum. They also helped revolutionize the sugar cane industry in Ponce. Many of their practices were adopted across the island and are still used today. The home was amazing. There were several rooms with original furniture and the views were awesome from the terraces. Unfortunately during the tour they would not allow us to take pictures until we got to the terrace were part of a Disney movie called "Princess Protection" was filmed. Apparently I'm hip for visiting this location and didn't even know it. Part of me wonders if I'm going to have to check out the movie now just to say "I've been there!"

After spending two and a half hours at Castillo Serralles I finally found Las Delicias Plaza (Plaza of Delights). I toured around the tree lined square and did some people watching. Unfortunately the main cathedral was under construction and I could not go in. It was one of my recommended places to see in Ponce. I did however get to see Parque de Bombas; although with this paint job it's hard to miss. This is one of the most photographed buildings in Puerto Rico aside from El Morro. You can now tour an old fire truck inside and see some of the history. I stopped briefly but the building was not air conditioned and it was 90 plus humidity so I snapped some photos and kept on walking.

Overall my adventure was great. I only ran into a few situations where speaking Spanish would have been essential. Usually the blank stare on my face tips them off that I don't speak Spanish and they will mutter in English back what I need which is typically how much I owe them for parking or a bottle of water. I do have to admit there have been times I have been intimidated that I don't speak the language and cannot read the street signs, but I am slowly catching on. At least I know salida means exit and pare means stop.

Castillo San Cristobal and El Morro

I spent my morning and afternoon exploring the forts in Old San Juan. Both are very rich in history and the architecture is amazing.

The bulk of my time and was spent at Castillo San Cristobal. The grounds are beautifully kept and there seemed to be more spaces to explore. Although I didn't have a flashlight, some of the barracks and the underground tunnel were lit. It was very impressive to see this huge fortress that was built in 1783. The dungeon walls had original drawings from the prisoners kept there. I couldn't imagine being held captive in such a space. Another highlight was seeing the close sleeping quarters of the soldiers stationed here. The beds were lined up literally touching each other. Original uniforms hung and it gave you a sense of what it would have been like to live there.

El Morro, seemed to be the more popular spot for tourists to visit. Construction began in 1539. They withstood many battles at that fort including a more famous one from Sir Francis Drake of England. This fort had many levels to it, but during my visit the lower levels were closed off for restoration so I was only able to explore a few of them. All pictures posted are from El Morro.

After trekking through both forts I did meander through Old San Juan. The streets are cobble stone and close together. In some ways it reminded me of being in Barcelona. Nothing is posted in English and after some guessing I was able to navigate around. I made it through the Old San Juan Cathedral before I discover a great little bar were I was finally able to try some authentic Puerto Rican food. I had Mofongo Relleno de Pollo. This dish is made similar to a chile relleno; mashed plantains stuffed with chicken. It was absolutely delicious and I'll be dragging anyone who visits me there to try it.

Greetings from Puerto Rico!

After 10 hours of travel, I have arrived to a very warm and humid San Juan. Since my arrival I have had more misadventure than I thought possible all courtesy of my hotel!

I'm staying at the Caribe Hilton, in their "villas." It's just a regular hotel room, nothing fancy. I am still trying to figure out what exactly makes it a villa, there are no cabana boys? The grounds at the hotel are beautiful. The pools and the beaches are very clean and inviting. This is my first experience with humidity at this level so jumping into the water has been extremely appealing. Overall I think it will be a nice place to live, however the staff is not as friendly or helpful as I thought they would be for a Hilton.

My misadventures started with a kitchenless room. Not a huge deal however I would like to be able to bring lunch and prepare healthier foods. Let's face it, I am here for the long haul. After attempting to secure a new room I was shot down and told to try again in the morning. Upon waking I found that the door to my room had been pushed open and only the metal bar across the top had prevented entry. YIKES is right my friends! No explanation from my hotel, no apologies. They shrugged it off. When I arrived home from my first day of class I found that my room was left unlocked and open. YIKES AGAIN! No apologies, but I did get an offer to have hotel security come up and survey my room to see if anything was missing. Needless to say tomorrow I will have a new room and if all else fails I will abort ship and find a new hotel. They do have 56 more nights to redeem themselves. Where are Paris and Nicky when you need them?