Musings on the Flight Home

As we coast 39,000 feet somewhere over Virginia, I feel it already; I miss Puerto Rico. I've been fortunate enough to see many different countries. Each time I depart I know the experience will affect me in all my future endeavors. Usually though, I do not anticipate returning. I'm not a big repeater. When I finish with a good book, I languish in it for a while and then think about who I want to give it away to.  I know I will not read it again. I rarely watch movies twice, and with so many paces to see and cultures to know, I hardly ever travel to distant locations a second time.

I say all this with the obvious buildup that this time is different. I realized this a few days ago hiking in El Yunque, a protected rainforest. "I gotta come back here with Dan," I kept thinking. I made elaborate plans of which trails to hike and where we would camp. I had similar trains of thought for different activities with different people in my life.

Why was this place different? I can think of a number of reasons, and for the sheer enjoyment of doing it, I am going to make a bucket list of what made this trip and place (the two can't be separated) amazing.

1) The Natural Beauty - aside from the built-up cities, the vast  (mostly) untouched plants and wildlife carpeting the island allows one to feel it as it has been for thousands of years.

2) My travel companions - I was going to make this number one, but I did not want to confuse the fact that Puerto Rico is special and this fact is not circumstantial. That being said, this trip was made great by my three fellow grantees: Jada Brown, Jeanne Rachko and Jenerra Williams. It was the consistent laughter and enjoyment, the drive to learn as much as possible about the culture, the people and the history and the genuine kindness and caring that was demonstrated throughout that transformed my colleagues into my friends. 

3) The People - exceptional kindness and welcoming was the norm. Some say that is part of the  living pulse of the Taíno of old. The height of this feeling of being bienvenido (welcome) was participating in a religious ceremony with Taínos in Juyuya. As I contemplated Mother Nature and Father Sun while leaving the sacred circle defined by jagged upright rocks, I knew what it meant to make a foreigner feel like nothing more or less than a fellow human.

4) The Language - this one is simple. I love Spanish. I delight in hearing it, reading it, speaking it and even writing it. The opportunity to continue to hone my language skills for two more weeks is rejuvenating and I am thankful for it.

5) The Artwork - Puerto Rico has their own twist on everything, and the artwork is no exception. The foundation of the Taíno petroglyphs (whose foundation was on nature) would have been enough, but each culture that dipped its straw into Puerto Rico seemed to leave just as much as it took. The Spanish influence is evident. The African roots are clear. The Middle Eastern and Asian influences  are observable. The American influence easily detectable. However, the hybrid of all of these mixed with the ingenuity of the islanders make for a unique combination that is worth the visit alone. 

6) Space and Time to delve deeply into something for my and my school-community's  benefit - I've never traveled with such intention. I knew the whole time why I was in Puerto Rico. I was there to learn so I could, in turn, teach; to collect information and items that would help this mission; to collaborate with colleagues and to enjoy. Having this intention gave every day important meaning.

7) Two weeks traveling on someone else's dime - didn't want to say it, but it's true - amazing! Thank you Fund for Teachers!! 

Maybe I'm a slow writer because we are descending over Boston.  Soon I will be asked to turn off the electronic device I am using to write this post. Soon I will be back in Boston. As our trip comes to an end I smile as I think about being able to share this experience with all who care to look and listen while allowing the experience to continue to grow through conversations,  and, maybe one day, a return visit.

El Yunque – The Anvil

 

The light of the sun shone brightly through my window and greeted me to another beautiful morning at the edge of the rainforest in Farjardo. Coqui (the infamous tiny Puerto Rico frog) sang in the background and birds of all kinds joined in. As I woke I began to remember the sounds of the huge rain that happened a few hours earlier. Now the leaves and flowers glistened and moved lazily in the soft breeze that caressed them. As I have in previous mornings, I am in awe and marvel at the fact that I am yet again waking up in such a beautiful place. I pull myself away from the beautiful scene and head downstairs for breakfast prepared by our proprietor. Max, the German shepherd that roams freely around the property, greets me in the lobby. We have all become good friends with Max. After a breakfast and two cups of great Puerto Rico coffee, get dressed and head out to our destination for the day – El Yunque National Forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A quick 30 minute drive from our hotel, we reach the forest in great time and begin in the beautiful Visitor’s Center. Tables full of local artisan’s work, large walls of information and the building’s beautiful structure draw us in.

 

Quick stops for maps, information and resources from the gift shop are followed by a lovely drive through the forest. Our first stop – Cascada La Coca (La Coco Falls). We heard the falls before we saw it and as we rounded the bend we couldn’t hold our excitement. “Whoa!” “Wow!” “Oh my goodness! How beautiful!” We began to take pictures and before we knew it Joel was already climbing the falls. Jada and I quickly followed suit. To stand in front of the beautiful cascade of water was amazing. The sounds, the feel of the mist, the cool breeze from the water – beautiful. After pictures and quick climb down we were off to our intended destination – Big Tree Trailhead and La Mina Falls. 

When we reached the trail we began a 40 minute hike through the beautiful El Yunque rainforest that led us to another breathtaking waterfall – La Mina. There were lots of people there as this is the most popular trail in the forest. The people were of no consequence. Before we knew it, we were climbing down into the cool waters of the fall!  Though the bottom was rocky and current strong, we waded and walked around, finding a nice place to sit and be anointed by the waters of the fall. Joel was determined to get under it and his determination paid off. Standing directly under the falls, he reveled in the powerful flow of the cascading water.

Our hike back was quick and satisfying. We reached the beginning of the trail and that wonderful sense of accomplishment washed over us. As we left the park, tired and wet, our familiar car conversation began as we thought about how yet another amazing experience would be shared with our students and colleagues. As we do, there is a unanimous agreement that it will never be forgotten.

As we left our home of a week to visit one of Puerto Rico’s hidden treasures, El Cuevo del Indio, we laughed and reflected on previous days and slightly lamented on the reality that our stay in Isabella was coming to an end. 

In time, we pulled into a parking lot filled with palm trees whose roots were whitewashed. Painted on those roots were some of the familiar Taino petroglyphs we had seen in books, around the town, on T-shirts, bus stops and of course at the Cemi museum. We spoke to our would-be guide (Peter) as he quickly explained what we would see. 

While I knew that we would see real petroglyphs, nothing could prepare me for the shear rush of emotions I would have once we were there.  We climbed jagged rocks that led to cliffs displaying amazing sceneries and later learned many of them were used in well-known movies of both the past and present (Pirates of the Carribbean, The Goonies, etc.). It is impossible to explain the expanse of natural beauty of this important Taino site. After standing in awe of nature’s beauty and coming off the high of our recent engagement in a Taino ceremony celebrating life and the riches of the earth, it was hard not to feel completely connected in a different way.

Once we neared the entrance of the cave, some of us (me being the primary one) realized that to be a part of this experience, to truly see the wonder of this sight, we would have to let go of some fears and have faith that everything would be fine. While I contemplated sending my camera with the braver members, I decided to buck-up and make my way down the narrow path that led to a ladder extending 40 ft into the belly of the cave. With much encouragement from Team Taino and our guide, everyone climbed down safely and entered what can only be described as boundless magnificence. Petroglyphs were everywhere! 

 We listened to Peter’s vivid stories of Taino living and struggles to escape their enemies. I began to think back to the Taino ceremony when one of the members approached me and questioned if I knew I was a Taina. My heart raced a little as I imagined myself in the stories and as I looked closer, I realized how much Peter resembled my cousin in Jamaica and many of my other family members (descendants from Cuba and Jamaica). Almost instantly, my mind started making connections and I wondered about how similar Jamaica and Puerto Rico are in its natural resources, food, plants, roads and businesses.  I wondered about the indigenous Taino of the islands and their migration around the Caribbean. I even wondered if Peter and I might be related in some way and whether I really do have connections to the Taino who lived and navigated this and many other caves.

The sound of rushing water engulfed the cave and was joined by the sound of flying bats and bees collecting at their hives. Vibrant pinks were met with the cool blues of ocean water as it ritually moved in and out and collected on the cave’s floor. 

Stepping over rocks and perfecting our balancing skills was well worth it as we soon learned that the Taino were small people whose size (about 80 lbs.) helped them navigate the caves with great skill and agility.   Mainly vegetarian, the Taino could live comfortably in the cave for three years due to their familiarity with natural food and water sources, survival skills with which their enemies were unfamiliar.

Present day Tainos of this line continue to come and visit this, their sacred land, to remind them of their ancestors. While the outside world continues to want to photograph them, great measures are taken to preserve their privacy and right to worship and meditate in their cave that has been shared with us. While this is now a cave that is clearly sacred ground, people have defaced some areas with paint and a filmmaker thought it okay to carve into the rock to make a scene of his movie look more realistic. 

Peter then spoke of how the owners have been offered money for a casino to be built and this sacred place to become an attraction. On our ride home we wondered what it would look like if that happened. I questioned whether people would still be able to see the profile of the Indian in the side of the mountain or the massive turtle that seemed to be climbing a rock. Would they be able to feel the ocean breeze, smell the salt in the air or experience the sporadic showers of rain coming down from the heavens as we did that day? I hoped that they would not desecrate the land because after being in that place and experiencing the cave through the eyes of our passionate and knowledgeable guide, I will never be the same.

La Cueva del Indio:The Cave of the Indian...and Life Long Memories

 

Breath taking.

Awe inspiring.

Majestic.

Amazing.

Incredible.

These words don't begin to adequately describe La Cueva del Indio and the surrounding caves, arches and cliffs before us. Over and over again I am struck by the beauty and majesty around us. The lush greenery we passed on the way to the cave. The huge volcanic looking rocks and cliffs we climbed to get the cave. The beautiful blue waters that played a symphony of sounds as it crashed against the rocks. This was the background for our adventure. 

As we approached the top of the cave, our tour guide, Peter, showed us where we would enter. My excitement built as we descended onto a flat, rock platform and the entrance to the cave became visible.

Other visitors were descending the 40 foot ladder we had read about and seen on the internet. It would soon be our turn to go down. I was first to go down after the Peter. I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie! Lol!

After we all made it down our eyes immediately began to scan the walls of the cave. Not only did we see lots of Taino petroglyphs we even saw Mayan and Incan petroglyphs!

 

We climbed into and out of cave crevices, climbed over streams of water and stood atop large boulders all the while listening to the fascinating history being given to us by Peter. One of the high lights of the cave for me was seeing three natural...BEEHIVES!  They were an amazing sight to see! 

Once out of the cave, our guide took us to two other look out points - the Indian profile and the "arches".
Words can't describe the emotion that welled up inside me when we reached the peak of the cliff and saw the beautiful, natural arches and sea that surrounded them.
I was at the brink of tears as I took in the magnificence of it all. 

La Cueva del Indio was undoubtedly an important place not only for the Taino but for others that walked these sands throughout time. It is the same for me -
an indelible
memory that has forever changed me.