Rio Camuy Cave Park

Today’s adventure was to a Cave Park.  As soon as you arrive you board a Tram that takes you to the entrance of the cave.  You walk through the cave and see sinkholes, stalagmites, stalactites, etc…the usual cave stuff.

Puerto Rico #2

From the hotel we drove through the most crazy winding roads to the Toro Verde Adventure Park where John “HAD” to ride THE BEAST.  The Beast is #3 in length and height of Zip-Lines around the world.

 

After his safe return (Thank Goodness) we left for the Arecibo Observatory.  We spent a few more hours in search of the place than we anticipated but it was well worth the drive.  Arecibo Observatory is home of the World’s largest single-dish Radio Telescope built by William Gordon, a professor at Cornell University in 1963.  This telescope was part of the film “Contact” (with Jodie Foster) and also “Golden Eye” (a James Bond movie). 

Once you arrive there is a film.  We learned it was originally built to address issues about the Ionisphere that the US Gov’t had.  They were having problems with long range communication.  Today it has been passed down to the National Science Foundation who uses it to research many things.  The dish is 1000 feet in diameter and the telescope is held up by 3 concrete towers.  Pictures just don’t do it justice.  It is HUGE!  When they have to clear the dish of branches or other things that get blown into it they have to wear special shoes that displaces their weight evenly on the dish.  There is a catwalk used to get from the telescope to the research/electronics building.

Puerto Rico Land Tour Day #1

Today we hopped in our rental car and headed Northwest to El Yunque National Forest.  There is only one tropical rainforest in the USA National Forest System and this is it.  We started at El Portal Visitors Center and watched a video about the Forest.  Then we drove to Coca Falls, an 85 ft. waterfall right off the road. 

Next point was to Yokahu Observation Tower.  It is named after a God of the Taino Indians.  You are at 1575 feet once you climb the 69 feet to the top.  What views of the NE side of the Island!

Our last stop here was the Big Tree Trail that leads you to La Mina Falls.  On the way we could feel the humidity soaking into our skin and we could hear the two-tone chirping of the Coqui tree frogs that, when full grown, are the size of a quarter.  Once at the Falls, they were a bit disappointing after such an intense hike to them (about 45 minutes each way).  So many people were there swimming that there was no place to rest.  Still a beautiful sight to see.

Next stop, Old San Juan.  Traffic getting here was horrendous.  We made it into town about an hour before the San Felipe Del Morro Castle closed which was why we went in the first place.  Once you find parking you walk along the edge of a park to the entrance.  It was a holiday so the entrance fee was waived…yippee! 

Columbus discovered Puerto Rico in 1493 on his 2nd voyage.  In 1539 the Spanish castle construction began.  It was one of 3 fortifications built to fortify the deep harbor from attack as this was one of the first harbors the trade winds would direct a sailing ship to when crossing the Atlantic from Europe or Africa.  Spain was intent on keeping their level of World Power during these 300 years.  The Castle took 250 years to complete…over 10 generations.  It is MASSIVE!  Note the shell still in the wall in the photo.

A fishing record

Just for the record, on our way from Vieques in the Spanish Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Jonathon and the crew of Jay Sea Dee caught FIVE fish.  Four of them were barracuda…getting bigger and bigger in size and TEETH.  Of course all of these were catch and release but the last catch was to become our dinner…the SNAPPER!

Vieques

We almost by-passed this Island as we were all feeling a need for culture and human contact…that is the beauty of the Spanish Virgin Islands.  But on second thought we decided to come because we would probably never be this way again.  Although we weren’t in very deep water Jonathon decided to put out a fishing line and he caught a Barracuda…released it of course.  The seas and wind were coming from the South making the usual anchorages untenable.  We headed to the North side of the Island which was a bombing practice site for the USA from the 1940’s until 1998 when it was reported they dropped over 23,000 bombs which caused the locals out in their small fishing boats to protest.  The US Navy finally pulled out in 2003 but are still cleaning up the site.  There are many warning signs lining the beaches forbidding even stepping on the beach let alone going inland.  Still, we hopped in our dinghy and did the tour near shore.  I found it to be conch shell and star fish heaven reminding me of the Bahamas.  We found a small Island nearby with no signs so we dared to explore.  We are here all alone except for a few truck loads of men dressed in bio-hazmat suits on the beach staring us down (just kidding about the hazmat suits).  We came in dodging many reefs, some as deep as 40 feet but we could view the rocks and coral at the bottom…just amazing.

Culebrita

Today we left the anchorage of Ensenada Honda…destined for Culebrita.  This is a small Island off of Culebra.  I could see a lighthouse on top of the hill that was just asking to be explored.  John and I hiked up to it.  All the way up we heard much rustling of the dried underbrush.  I believe it was a lot of lizards.  The lighthouse was built in 1886.  About 50 feet away from the lighthouse, we found the Copper top which was blown off in a 1932 hurricane.  The views of the reef surrounding this Island were astounding.  I really wanted to climb to the top of the lighthouse but in its present condition I just didn’t think it was “safe”.  Some of the cacti we saw on the trail were new breeds I had not seen before.

Bienvenidos Culebra

Yes, we left the USA again…kind of.  We had a short sail over to Culebra, an island off of Puerto Rico.  Our guide book instructed us that the Customs office was a “Short Walk” from the town dock.  So we dinghied into the town dock walked around and asked a few people where Customs was but nobody had a clue.  So I waved down a Police vehicle and asked him.  They told us the only Customs office was at the airport but they would give us a ride so we hopped in the back of the police car and got a free ride to Customs.  Afterwards we had quite the walk back into town and to our dinghy but the exercise is good for us.  This is a VERY quiet place with not much activity.  A real “Chillin’ Out” kind of place so that’s what we are doing.  We took the dinghy under the no-longer-functioning lift bridge to the other side of the island but it was just as quiet.  Then we went through the Mangrove swamp and heard the “Oyster Catchers” (the bird in the photo) eating their oysters.  That night all around the boat we watched a new phenomenon.  Staring into the dark water we saw what I can only describe as “firefly” lights flashing on and off…what a sight.

St. Thomas

We won’t be staying here long as this is a busy cruise ship port and we don’t like crowds but we are here to drop off Russell as he heads back to Colorado and we head towards the Spanish Virgin Islands.

As I said before, John and I went up the mountain via the gondola to Paradise Point.  The views are amazing from there.  We could almost see Puerto Rico.  Included in the $21 ticket price is a ride on the ferris wheel.  Yes, I hated EVERY moment of it (the acrophobia kicks in big time) but survived and even peeked through my closed eyelids at the magnificent view.

We walked through many “souvenir” shops but one stood out for us.  This one had many coins from sunken ships that the owner had found himself and told us lots about them.  Plus the front door was well guarded….arrrrr!

Where is Jay Sea Dee

Okay, I am making this a game:  We are docked at Yacht Haven Grande in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.  John and I went up the Mountain Top on the gondola.  Here is the view from the top so CAN YOU FIND JAY SEA DEE???

Here is a hint:

See the small sailboat to the right of the round building…Jay Sea Dee (we are by far the smallest yacht here).