Puerto Rico Snippets

 A year ago, when Sanchit Ram announced he was moving to Puerto Rico for a new job, I had to look at the atlas to find out where this place was. I discovered it was an island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the North and the Caribbean sea on the South. Despite my feeble protests to reconsider his decision, my son landed in Puerto Rico.

This year March, we visited Puerto Rico. Sanchitram would send us pics from his trips to various parts of the island, but we still need to prepare for the beauty and charm of Puerto Rico. We spent 5 days, and each day was unique with a beautiful experience.

Exploring the Old Town of San Juan was a delight. The colorful houses on either side of the cobbled stone paths were enchanting. Getting lost happily in the maze of small quaint streets was easy. Although it was a significant tourist attraction, the place was squeaky clean. The sky here always looks a sparkling blue dotted with pristine white clouds. The old town has buildings that are restored. The original buildings date back to the 16th century, which was Spanish colonial style. 

We sauntered into the cigar lounge at the start of exploring the old city.   I sampled a beer while arvind tried smoking a Nicaraguan cigar-chomping and puffing and trying to speak out of the side of his mouth. Sanchit offered him expert advice on what to avoid while smoking a cigar. The decor was tasteful, elegant, and smacked of wealth and comfort.

We explored the old town walking, climbing up steep, narrow roads, and spotted the turquoise Atlantic Ocean between the rows of houses. There are four town squares in Old Town. We walked up to each of the four town squares, pausing now and then to take stunning pictures.

A typical street with musicians... Beetles impromptu

By this time, the sun was shining fiercely, and our throats were screaming for ice cream. We stopped by Anita's Gelato corner for our first round of Gelatos. The flavors and taste were unique and delicious. A corner non-descriptive restaurant Spiga was recommended for lunch. We reached there 10 minutes before the closing time. Their daily house-made pasta and the chocolate walnut brownie accompanied by Mimosa were perfect for our afternoon.

One of the prettiest streets in Old San Juan is Fortaleza street. The art overhead will always catch your eye. We saw pink and white paper butterflies floating in the sky. The Umbrella Sky Project's art installation was intended to bring color back into people's lives after the hurricane.

San Juan delights

Watching the Sunset at the El Morro fort was suggested by SanchitRam. This fort was constructed to protect the city from sea invaders. Sitting on the cool grass, resting our tired feet, we watched the setting sun go below the horizon. The sun's slanting rays gave a warm orange glow to the sky.

The next day, Sanchit Ram planned to take us on a trek to El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the USA. It is located to the North East of Puerto Rico. The drive was about 50 minutes, and we saw the landscape change from the city roads to the verdant green mountains. Hiking on the Mount Britton trail and tower was on our agenda for the day. 

Rain forest landscape

Here we come .. Mt. Britton

The route map of our hike.

The hike uphill was about 45 minutes. The pathway was paved through the sierra palm trees. The trail was narrow, and one needed help maintaining guard on a rainy day. The path was slippery and steep in parts. We had not anticipated the rain; it was a novel experience to take shade under the leaves of the palm trees during sudden bursts of intense rainfall. Despite the thick growth and complete absence of other humans, we were comforted that this was an island and we couldn't encounter any wild animals. 

man-made rain shelters

natural rain shelters.

Along the trail, look for El Yunque's abundant orchid and fern species which share their habitat with millions of tiny tree frogs, or coquí (pronounced "ko-kee "). Sanchit and Arvind tried to imitate the cry by whistling, and although it was only two syllables, the second syllable was at a different frequency, and only air came through the whistle! One can view the Atlantic Ocean from the top on a clear day. However, we were enveloped in the cloud when we reached the top of the tower. 

The ferns and orchids

The base of the tower and the top of the tower.

We finished the trail in an hour and 45 minutes. Returning to our hotel for the night, I felt happy at SanchitRam's decision to move to a new place and explore. I admired his sense of adventure and ability to quickly adapt to new surroundings. As I grow older, I have learned to appreciate the need to be with nature, enjoy the wonders of life and be grateful to the universe.