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Puerto Rico-
land rich in history, culture and natural wonders
Story and photos by BEATA DZIEDZIC
At 23 I was convinced I would never again be subjected to the
experience of vacationing with my whole family. The last time
the four of us went on a retreat together I was wearing a frilly
pink bikini and giddy at the idea of building sandcastles. Oh
wait, I still get excited about that…bad example. The
point is: it was long time ago.
Imagine my surprise, therefore, when my Dad suddenly announced
we all should take a vacation, and suggested Puerto Rico as
a potential location for the rekindling of our family ties.
Two weeks later, we were on the plane, about to experience one
of the best getaways of our lives, as cliché-ish as that
sounds. Here are some of the highlights.
El Yunque
I’m one of those people who consider themselves spontaneous,
but still research everything to death before any trip. Thanks
to the magic of the internet, I had an extensive list of must-sees
ready to go long before our plane reservations were finalized.
Number one on that list was The El Younge Rain Forest. Located
near the east cost of the island El Yunque, it is the only tropical
forest in the US National Forest System and one of the oldest
protected areas in the world.
El Younge offers dozens of hiking trails for those who like
a challenge, and a car-accessible road for those with an instant
gratification approach to life. The trails are not the easiest,
and you’re guaranteed to sweat your butt off due to high
humidity—no matter what shape you’re in. But you
get to experience the rainforest up close and personal, admire
50 types of orchids, and perhaps discover a hidden botanist
in you while doing so.
Whichever way you choose, the view from the top is one to behold.
A far stretch of rich vegetation bathed in fog, perpetual rainbows
and beaches in the distance make for truly breathtaking scenery.
If you know where to look, you might see a faint outline of
the Virgin Islands, surrounded by glistening waters of the Atlantic
Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
El Yunque is also home to several cascading waterfalls and pools,
including the largest and most popular one—La Mina Falls.
During our visit, La Mina Falls turned out to be crowded with
exhausted, out-of-breath hikers, relieved to have reached their
destination, and thus not as idyllic as I’d anticipated.
Only a few people actually stripped down to their swimwear in
order to take a dip, while the majority posed and took countless
photos. Because of that, the overall feeling was more that of
an artificial waterfall gracing the entrance to a Las Vegas
hotel than a natural wonder, hidden within the lush depths of
a Caribbean rainforest.
Don’t expect to see Tarzan swinging toward you on a vine
or hissing snakes crossing your path, but if you’re lucky
you might see a Puerto Rican parrot or a tiny coqui frog, native
to the Carribean region, parachuting down the tree with its
webbed feet. Who knows, you might even see ‘le chupacabra’—a
mysterious, alienist creature believed to be residing in the
Puerto Rican forests and currently getting much attention in
the media.
Culebra
Located about 17 miles away from the east cost of Puerto Rico
is Culebra Island, also known as the “Last Virgin of the
Caribbean.” The easiest and cheapest way to get to this
tiny island is to take a ferry ride from the town of Fajardo.
The ride lasts about 2 hours and offers a great opportunity
to chat up some locals who live on Culebra, but commute daily
to Puerto Rico for work.
My Dad has the rather disconcerting tendency of spotting guys
less than half his age with radar precision, and befriending
them with such an alarming speed that my sister and I cannot
help but wonder if perhaps he is secretly bribing them with
money. He then brings them over to us the way a predator bird
would bring his pray to his offspring, and quickly vanishes,
leaving us in the awkward situation of having to talk to strangers
whether we feel like it or not.
Same thing happened here, of course. About five minutes into
the ferry ride our Dad emerged from the bottom level of the
ship with two guys close to our ages and proceeded to introduce
us. Usually, such scenario results in the death stare directed
towards my Dad and a quick excuse that gets us out of the uncomfortable
situation, but this time the idea of talking did not seem so
bad. Edwin and Miguel—Culebrians by birth—turned
out to be excellent tour guides and sources of endless information
about the island we were about to see. They provided us with
more info than we asked for, including historical facts, statistical
data and even local gossip. We found out that Culebra used to
be an old pirate hideout and is supposedly loaded with treasure
till this day. It was also visited by Christopher Columbus upon
his second voyage to the Caribbean.
The island turned out to be more of a sleepy fisherman village
than a tourist mecca, and definitely not a potential setting
for Girls Gone Wild. With no nightlife to speak of, no lavish
resorts and no swarms of tourists on every corner, Culebra retains
the secluded feeling that is so difficult to find in most of
today’s exotic locales.
The island is perhaps best known for its spectacular beaches—Flamenco
Beach being the number one pick. Ranked as one of the best beaches
in the world, year after year, Flamenco went far beyond my expectations,
and on to becoming my personal favorite. With its pristine turquoise
water, and soft white sand, it not only rivals the best Hawaiian
beaches but, in my opinion, wins the contest hands down. The
horseshoe shape of the bay protects the beach from strong currents,
which results in the water being unusually warm and clear.
Now, I don’t know if we were there out of season, or there
was an expected shark raid of which we were not aware, but we
were the only ones on the entire beach. Not that I complained,
as this gave me the perfect opportunity to live out my “I’m
so filthy rich that I have my own island” fantasy, albeit
only for about two hours. San Juan
San Juan (Puerto Rico’s capital) is a place where narrow
cobblestone streets framed with picturesque colonial buildings
are juxtaposed against modern high-rises clad in concrete, white
stucco and glass. Old San Juan reminded me of most European
cities with its nostalgic feel and well-preserved historic sites.
The city boasts four century-old fortresses that protected the
island from pirates and rival imperialist powers during the
time of Spanish dominance, but now serve merely as reminders
of that period, adding a historic flair to this otherwise modern
metropolis.
The El Morro fortress, which we managed to see despite our relatively
short stay in the city, is a multi-tiered castle, with a labyrinth
of corridors, ramps and gun-ports. The fortress includes a majestic
lighthouse and overlooks the rugged coastline of the Atlantic
Ocean. One could easily spend the whole day admiring this remarkable
structure if it wasn’t for dozens of other attractions
that the city has to offer.
There are plenty of outdoor cafes and galleries in San Juan
where tourists mix with the locals and numerous languages can
be overheard. The trendy beachfront district known as Isla Verde
features posh hotels, casinos and high-end shopping boutiques
At night, the city’s nightclubs pulsate with Latin rhythms,
neon lights illuminate palm-lined promenades and San Juan turns
into Miami’s replica, 1000 miles away from Florida’s
border. I regret the fact that our stay in San Juan was limited
to just two days, as I was positively surprised by the number
of things one could see and do in this multifaceted capital.
Ultimately, what I found most interesting about Puerto Rico
is that one minute it fools you into thinking you somehow managed
to entirely escape the quintessential USA by offering exotic
locales and Spanish-infused culture, and the next minute another
Wal-mart appears on the horizon to remind you that you’re
still very much in the claws of American commercialism.
Admittedly, I’m one of those foolishly idealistic people
who still foster hope that there are places right out of the
‘Blue Lagoon’ movie—where people drink out
of coconut shells and lead hunter-gatherer kind of lifestyles.
Even though my naiveté is deliberate, I find myself disappointed
realizing that such places don’t exist. I hate the fact
that McDonalds is spreading like wildfire and it’s only
a matter of time before the golden arches make their way to
the Moon. Western civilization and its products might be blessings
to some, but they are still the last thing I want to see when
I go on exotic vacation.
In the end, you are guaranteed to experience years of history
in Puerto Rico and see scenic settings, from beautiful beaches
to charming little towns. You will be captivated by palm-covered
hills, turquoise lagoons and rustic village squares with majestic
churches. Sometimes you’ll just have to look past a giant
Home Depot obstructing your view, desperately trying to take
center stage.
For information, visit www.welcome.topuertorico.org |
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