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.