Food and Animals

The Puerto Rican food was sure tasty! We had mofongo, which is smashed plantains and some sort of filling like fish, beef, or chicken.



We also had a yummy pina colada here at this outdoor restaurant.



This was a snail I saw in the rain forest.



This lizard was just sitting there staring at me so I had to take his picture! I saw a few lizards running around in Puerto Rico and they sure weren't little!

Snorkeling

Sadly, I don't have pictures of our snorkeling/kayaking trip. We used a waterproof camera and the pictures didn't really turn out that great. Maybe I will try to include some later. This was a fun day and we got to snorkel and see some pretty fish and different reefs. Matt was hoping to see turtles, but the water was really rough at the reef where we might have seen them so we missed out. We kayaked from one island to another and it was tough! The wind and water were so bad and I get really nervous about being in a tiny kayak and not knowing what is under us so I got a little tippy (is that a word?)and we tipped over...not what I wanted, but we got back in fairly quickly! Overall, it was fun and I am working on being in the water and surrounded by the unknowns of the ocean. That night we got back in a kayak and went to this Bio Bay where there are things that live in the water that glow when they are touched as a defense. So, at night when you are there and put anything in the water that is moving, it glows. You can see fish darting around in the water because of this and when you put your hand in the water and pull it out it looks glittery. It is really fascinating! We would have taken pictures, but it doesn't show up and I'm sure wouldn't do it justice.

El Yunque Rain Forest

We went hiking in the rain forest. What a beautiful place!



Matt checking out the foliage.



This was the waterfall that we hiked to. The water was a little bit chilly.



Another waterfall along the road.



I love all of the green plants and running water. It was quite humid, but I guess that is how it stays so green and beautiful.

Scuba Diving

Matt wanted to scuba dive while we were there so I came along for the ride. Plus, I wanted to make sure that he came back from the trip since I have seen "Open Water"...if you have seen it you know what I mean.



At the dock of the marina. This tree was giant!



This is the boat...ready to set off.



All suited up and waiting for his turn.



Getting ready for the water.



Matt saw lots of fish, pretty plants, coral, and even a Nerf shark. That is exactly why I don't go scuba diving, but Matt loves it and it was fun to see him get to do that. (I was rocking for the rest of the day after we got off that boat.)

Beaches

We saw some beautiful beaches! Our whole goal for the trip was to relax and what a place to do it!



We got to this beach on a ferry ride to another island called Culebra. This beach was what you would imagine a Caribbean beach to look like. The water was a turquoise color and the sand was white and so soft. We could have hung out here forever!



This beach was the one at our hotel. It had a sort of rock wall that acted as a breaker for the waves. It was a very calm beach.



Finally, this is a huge beach near our hotel. It was quite a popular place and I loved the scenery.

Dorado

We stayed at a great hotel in Dorado. It was a big suite with a living area, kitchen, bedroom and the best part was the huge jacuzzi tub! Oh, and the view was gorgeous! Just outside our balcony was the ocean.

On our way?

Last Friday morning we were on our way bright and early for our vacation. We should have gotten to Puerto Rico in the early afternoon, but because of weather and airport issues we didn't get there until that night. Our first stop was in Philadelphia, where they apparently have some major issues with delays and weather. We ended up missing our connecting flight to Puerto Rico by about 20 minutes. Ironically enough, we were just 2 out of about 30 people who should have been on that flight. Don't you think it would have been easier for the airline to hold a plane for 20 minutes when 30 passengers aren't on it? That is what we thought, but anyways, they got us on a flight to Miami that would put us in Puerto Rico at about midnight. Not great, but we didn't have a choice. So, once we were in Miami Matt asked them if we could get on an earlier flight so we didn't have to hang out in the airport all day. Luck was on our side because we got on a flight and finally arrived on our relaxing trip at about 6:30...just 5 hours after we should have been there. It all worked out, but was such a frustrating day!



Are we there yet?