vistas extraordinarias

Yesterday, I spent the day doing “Puerto Rico” things.  These, of course, are not the things that most Puerto Ricans do, but rather they are things that are markedly Puerto Rican to me. 

In the morning, Jen and I went to our favorite bakery in the town plaza for our regular breakfast:  un sándwich de jamón, queso, y huevo en pan sobao con mantequilla y un café.  I think we can safely call this our regular because this was the fourth Saturday in a row we have eaten it.  (In fact, we are waiting to see how long it will take before the people who work there know our names.)

Then we decided to climb to the top of El Yunque (the rain forest).  This is something that we’ve been wanting to do since we returned from summer break.  For a while I was not feeling up to it, and then we were waiting until the top of the mountain was not covered in clouds (this rarely happens—hence the title rain forest).  But, as we were standing in the Luquillo Plaza with our stomachs full of Puerto Rican goodness, we could clearly see the top of the mountain.  We raced home, got changed, got Jen’s dog Delaney and hit the road. 

After the first few steps up the mountain path, we were both pretty sure we were not going to make it much further (maybe we’re a little out of shape—but we’re working on that).  However Delaney was so excited, she practically pulled us to the summit—it only took an hour and a half!  It was well worth it.  At the lookout tower most of the way up, we had clear views of the ocean and surrounding cities.  At the very top, we were in the clouds—which is every child’s dream the first time they go in an airplane.  The wind and mist were so cool and refreshing…it almost felt like fall.  Then God gave us a break in the clouds for a brief moment, so we were able to see the spectacular view.  I won’t attempt to describe the beauty…that’s why we have cameras!  See for yourself.

After we hiked down (we made much better time this way) we went to the beach.  The water was so clear and the waves were small—perfect conditions for floating and relaxing after a long climb.  It was exactly what our tired bodies needed. 

Then we went home and watched a movie and ate a delicious dinner on the porch.

This was exactly the kind of day that I needed.  I’ve been feeling pretty homesick lately, but this day helped me to appreciate the beauty of this island.  Perhaps it was just the right thing to get me through the two months I have before I get to see family, friends, and home again.