Puerto Rico Part 1

So, here I go trying to put an amazing trip into words. I don’t know how to go about it the best way, so I have decided to give a travel log of what we did each day. I can keep my thoughts organized and not have this post be all over the place, Annie style.

Tuesday right after work I headed toward St. George. We flew out of Vegas because it was cheaper, and the other two girls lived in St. George. It wasn’t too bad of a drive. I talked to my mom for a while, and I cranked up my music so I wouldn’t fall asleep. Once I got down there, I met Kylee and we dropped off my car at her grandparents’ house in Hurricane. Then we headed toward Chili’s for some food. By the time we got to Kylee’s house I was very tired, and we had a long day ahead of us. Our flight left at 8:00 am and we had to drive 1 ½ to 2 hours to get to Vegas. We went to bed around midnight.

Wednesday morning we woke up bright and early. Shelbee was picking us up at 5:00 am. I had taken a shower the night before, so all I had to do was put my clothes on. I don’t really dress up when I travel. I like to be very comfortable, so I didn’t look very cute for our travels on Wednesday. The drive went smooth. I had never met Shelbee before, so she was asking me questions, trying to figure out my personality. I slept a little on the way down too. We parked in the underground parking for Excalibur and took a taxi to the airport. It was very stress free, which was good for me. For those who have traveled with me before you know how much of a stress case I can be. I tried to calm myself so Kylee and Shelbee didn’t think I was too much of a weirdo on the first day of our trip. I also do not eat when I fly because I never know how my stomach is going to react, and I refuse to use the airplane bathrooms. So, this is me and Shelbee waiting at our gate in Vegas. I look like I just woke up (I did).



We had a 3-hour layover in Houston, and then we were on our way to San Juan, Puerto Rico. You need to understand that I have had a fear of flying over the ocean for most of my adult life. Even though the impact of the crash would kill me before I drowned, still… So, I decided I would pull up the window shade from Houston to PR. I had really nice people sitting next to me too. They were a couple from San Francisco going to PR because they found a good deal on flights. They were staying for a week too. They were fun, and I chatted with them off and on during the flight.

Finally we landed in Puerto Rico. It was about 9:00 pm. I had made our appt. with the rental car place for 9:30, so it was perfect. We got our bags and headed outside to wait for a shuttle to the car rental place. What a stark contrast in weather. It was very humid when I walked outside, and I could already feel my hair frizzing out a little. But, honestly, I didn’t care. The anticipation of the next week and seeing my friend for the first time in 4 months overpowered my thinking about my hair. Kylee found the courtesy shuttle for U-SAVE car rentals and we were on our way. We had called Devin when we were waiting for our luggage, and we were going to eat when we got to his house. I decided long before that I would not drive. The people in PR are crazy drivers, and I did want to have to deal with that, So, Kylee said she would drive. I am so glad she did. I’ll tell you that every time we got in that car during that week, I was a ball of stress. I got carsick every time, and just had to keep telling myself not to worry. After a few times around the block we found a place to park on the narrow streets of Old San Juan. I couldn’t believe I was there. Was this for real? I am not sure if this happens to any of you, but when I haven’t seen someone in a long time, I get kind of nervous seeing them for the first time. I am not sure why, but it is a weird feeling. I was starting to get that feeling as we were waiting for Devin to come meet us. We waited on the steps of an old building in town. Here is the second picture we took in PR. Shelbee is the girl with the shorter brown hair, and Kylee has long brown curly hair.



Devin came and got us and took us back to his place to put our luggage away. Then we were off to find a place to eat. As we were walking the streets of Old San Juan, Devin was telling us things about what we were seeing. I am having a hard time remembering what he said, but I was just soaking in the fact that I was really there, and that I wasn’t dreaming. Hard Rock Café let us in, so we ate there. I had gone to Hard Rock when I was in San Diego, so I got a specialty drink/glass in PR so I could start a tradition. The food was all the same as in the states. The only thing was that I felt like a minority. I don’t know Spanish, and even though the people spoke English too, I still felt out of my element. Here is Shelbee and Kylee outside Hard Rock. This is on Monday though, 5 days into our trip.



Once we got back to Devin’s we just talked and chilled until we went to bed. I ended up sleeping on one of the futons in the living room, which was awesome.

Thursday’s plan was to hike the national rainforest. We first went to this restaurant that served these, sorry, I don't remember the name, but it was a sweet role with ham and cheese grilled on like a sanwich maker thing and then topped with powered sugar. It was totally good!



We went to the Super Max store and bought sandwich stuff, and snacks for our hike. We came back to the house and made our lunches. We packed up our things and headed out. It took us awhile to find our way there. We finally stopped a girl and child on the street and asked her for directions. We stopped at the National Park sign and took pictures.




We then headed up the canyon towards the trail. We also stopped at this point that had a lookout tower. We climbed up the steps of the tower, which seemed to be never ending. I really did get my exercise on this trip. Too bad I didn’t lose any weight though. The view at the top was amazing. The green trees, the water, it was so beautiful. It was breathtaking. I think I was quiet during a lot of this trip because I was just taking in the whole experience. I was trying to burn what I was seeing into my long-term memory forever.



We got to the trailhead and started on our journey. I really liked it. The trail was paved, so I had extra security for my unbalanced body. There was a waterfall that everyone hiked to for swimming. That was our destination. I absolutely loved it. It was so peaceful and so beautiful. I have really come to love hiking in the mountains in Utah, and this had the same feeling for me. I was surrounded by so much green that it reminded me of Michigan as well. When we got to the waterfall, I got a little nervous. Because of my unbalanced self, I really freak out when I have to do a lot of hiking up and over big rocks, especially if they might be slippery. So I stayed near the bridge. Well, then the girls wanted to go over to the other side and eat our sandwiches. So, with great care I made myself over to the other side. Devin helped me with the difficult parts. We ate our lunches on the rocks, and I just observed everyone around me. Devin, Kylee and Shelbee wanted to get in the water, but climbing down a lot of rocks was involved so I stayed on the rocks while they made their way into the water. I just sat there by myself thinking about different things and enjoying the peaceful feeling. I did take a few self-portraits of myself☺ After they were done playing in the water; we hiked up the trail further. We saw several lizards, and more beautiful scenes to log into my memory.





On our way home from the rainforest we stopped at a beach and sat on the shore for several minutes. The water was beautiful and the sound of the ocean was melodic to my ears. I guess I would have to say everywhere I went I felt peace. That night we rented Sydney White and ordered pizza. We had an early morning ahead of us.

On Friday we were on our way to the island Culebra. We woke up at 6:30 am to get ready and head our way to the ferry. We stopped at Wal-Mart on the way to pick up another tent. We ended up having two, two-man tents. We weren’t sure if we were going to make the ferry. After we parked Devin hurried and got in line to get our tickets. The ferry left at 9:00 am, and there was still a long line. A few minutes before 9:00 Devin came with out tickets to Culebra. We got on the ferry, and had a 1 hour and 15 minute ride. It wasn’t too bad. We were able to get two full rows so we could spread out and relax. I slept most of the way. Here is Devin and Kylee on the ferry.



They had some ghetto version of the Golden Compass playing, but we were too far away to hear anything. My I-pod came in handy many times on this trip. Once we got to Culebra, we had to go to the store and pick up some water and fruit. Devin and I walked to the store while Shelbee and Kylee watched our stuff. We had only brought the essentials, but it seemed like a lot. It is cool that most everything is in walking distance. We had to take a bus from town to the beach where we were staying. It was awesome. I felt like I was on a safari—a small bus with a lot of people, and loud music playing. This lady in front of Kylee and me was totally jamming out to the music. It was cool. So, not Utah!!



Once we got to the beach, paid for our campsite, and set up camp, we changed into our swimsuits and headed for the beach!! We were on the beach for the rest of the day. I didn’t get in the water at first. I had a hard time getting in the water cuz my idea of “playing” in the water is different from most others. So, I lay out for a while. Then I took a walk on the beach. I went to this area that had a lot of rocks, and I just sat on a rock and let the water wash up on me. I was there for about 15 to 20 minutes. Again, it was just so peaceful to be by myself and enjoy all the beauty around me. I walked to the other side of the beach to take some pictures. I of course took some more self-portraits. I cannot remember if I got in the water at all on Friday. I don’t think I did. Devin took us to other side where most people go to snorkel. That was awesome as well. The beaches are just so amazing. I have never seen sand that white and water so blue in my life.









We would come back to this side the next day for snorkeling. We went into town that night for dinner. We went to Dinky Docks to eat. It didn’t open till 6:30, so Devin, Kylee, and me walked around for a little bit. We were walking down this street and saw this crab in a yard. The lady whose house it was was outside as well. Devin started talking to her about the crab in her yard, and Devin and Kylee ended up talking to her in Spanish for a while. I just stood there, cuz I had no clue what was being said, but at the same time it was so neat. She was old, and must have lived there for several years. Even though I could not understand anything being said, I could feel the wisdom from this lady. I could feel that she lived a rich life, not necessarily an easy life, but a life rich of experience. We headed back to Dinghy Docks, and I was ready to eat. It was cool because the place was right by the water. There were these big fishes that would swim right near the dock. The owner would feed the fish pieces of meat. The food was pretty good. I ordered bbq chicken and fried plantains (smashed green bananas-fried). I also got a pina colada. I just loved it. I loved sitting by the water. I felt so foreign.






On our way back to the beach Devin called his friend that has given him rides multiple times when Devin is there. Actually, he drove past us, and Devin ran after him, but he didn’t see Devin. So, Devin called him, and he went around the block and picked us up. He played his music really loud too. Loved it! When we got back to our tents, Devin said that he was going to go sit out on the beach for a while. That sounded cool to me, so I told him I wanted to go with him. All of us ended up going and sitting on the beach at night. That was so peaceful too. I couldn’t see the water or the waves, but I could hear them. And we looked up at the stars. It was a clear night.



After we were there for awhile we went back to our tents, and I tried to go to sleep, but it was so hot, and cramped in the two-man tent, that I didn’t get that great of sleep. I shared a tent with Shelbee.