El Yunque National Forest

Many of the cruises we have taken have started and ended in San Juan.  Puerto Rico is a beautiful island, but we've rarely bee there long enough before or after a cruise to enjoy it fully.  After a recent cruise, we found ourselves with about 12 hours before our flight home, and no shore tour available from the cruise line.  We were able to make a deal for the day with one of the local drivers, and we wanted to see the rain forest, El Yunque.  Leaving the San Juan area, we passed through the local countryside and headed toward the mountains.

Our first stop was at the park's education center where we saw a movie about the rainforest and its importance to the earth, the air we breathe and the water we drink.  It emphasized the need for conserving the rain forests throughout the world.  There were trails we could walk from there, but we wanted something more authentic, deeper in the rainforest and wilder!

We drove up the mountain and our driver pointed out many important areas that we might want to stop at on the way down.  But, he was headed for a ranger station where we could hike a short distance down a mostly flat trail to a waterfall.  We were assured that the trek would take no more than an hour, and was an easy walk.  He would leave us and drive down to the next ranger station to meet us.

Our first glimpse of the stone and cement  trail showed that it was narrow, and went downhill, and we set out, not even thinking about the old adage that if you go down, you must go up to get back to where you started.  On a man-made path with handrails, that was travelled by humans, we shouldn't have expected to see exotic birds and animals, but we looked for them anyhow.






We arrived at the falls ninety minutes later.  The trail was not flat.  It wound through the forest in a mostly downhill fashion, but there were as many treks uphill as there were down.  This trail is not for the weak of heart or the weak of knees.  And by weak of knees, I mean that if there is even the slightest bit of anything at all wrong with your knees, do not attempt this trail.  And never attempt it without sneakers.  Flip-flops or heals would be suicide.

When we reached the falls we realized that we were not prepared with appropriate swimsuits, and short of stripping down to nothing and jumping into the water, we were not going to be able to refresh ourselves.  Clearly there were too many people who were prepared, and would faint dead away at the sight of our naked bodies for us to choose that option.  We had to remain in the same clothing for the rest of the day and couldn't shower before our flight, and so we bravely continued on past the lucky swimmers and headed toward the exit.  Unbeknownst to us at that point, the exit was twice as far as we had already come, and was mostly an uphill climb.  OK, we were rookies.

I think it was a conspiracy on the part of the people we passed who were coming in they way we were gong out.  Everyone said that it was only 20 minutes to the exit.  Liars, all of them!  Of course, since we were in the rain forest, Mother Nature wanted us to have the full experience, and it started to rain.  I have to admit that the sound and feel of the rain pattering on us and the forest around us was beautiful and calming.  I just wish we had the benefit of a well equipped hut, and could sit, all dry and clean and protected and sip some tea or coffee as we watched the rain.  But, we continued all wet and dirty and hot, back up the hill through the forest to our driver, whose life was ultimately safe because we needed him to drive us back down the mountain to the airport.

After the three hour hike we at lunch at a local restaurant and had some authentic empanadas and rice and beans.  Aside from the fact that we (I) felt that the hike was a bit more ambitious than expected or would have attempted, it was an enjoyable experience that everyone should try.  Just know:  it is not a light walk in the part.  Plan for plenty of time to stop and rest, and dress appropriately so that you can take advantage of the beautiful refreshing falls.