April 2022 was another busy month of exploring. We saw many cool things throughout the island and were especially impressed by Canon Blanco (White Canyon) in Utuado. During that visit we also explored more of Jayuya and its rivers. In April we also went to a kite festival and biked throughout Isabela to Poza Teodoro. Stay tuned for Part 2 of April 2022.
Thankfully 2020 is behind us and the future is looking brighter than before.
These first few months of the year have been productive and interesting as we explore more of the island. Some of the places we’ve gone are new and others are revisits. All along the way I have learned more and more. I have been enjoying making the videos for Youtube and learning new editing techniques and we’ve been practicing more with a drone (eventually we hope to get one of our own). The direct sales flower business is fairly steady even if the farmer’s market is still not open in the plaza (there is a small market at a storage facility in Rincon). We’ve also kept super full in the cabana (you would not think there was any slow down at all in travel if our cabana was any indication!) and so we also keep up with maintenance and cleaning. Additionally, we have finally fully torn down the old shed out front and are nearly complete with the tiki-hut/gazebo that is in its place. Overall things are definitely looking much better than they did, say, 11 months ago!
Christmas Day at the farm
A visit to Cayey the Pork Highway and the Bosque Carite’s Abandoned Jail!
Nice kick-off to 2021 watching fireworks and then checking out the photogenic tunnels of Rincon
Daytrip to Cabo Rojo -Lighthouse and Poblado de Boqueron with our friend Heidi
Fun new waterhole in Aguada/Rincon!
Around the farm and Rincon- Tiki Hut construction
Day trip to Isabela -Pozo de Jacinto and Playa El Pastillo
An Awesome Project in the high hills of Atalaya Rincon/Aguada -Salto de la Loca!
New Explorations in San Sebastian -Cueva de Lagrimas!
Fun out and about
Hope all is well in your world as well!
Excursion to Wilderness/Pena Blanca in Aguadilla
We continue to update our life mostly on Youtube and Instagram now, but I figured I would put together a long post of the last 3 or 4 months or so. I have peppered in some of the videos here, but check out the channel for lots more! Life has been a little more stable lately than it was in the spring and summer and we, like most people, are pandemic fatigued. But we’ve been staying busy and healthy going on outdoor explorations and working on the farm. Thankfully daycare has been open since the summer so that really took a lot of pressure off. Maybe because of all the talk of dying, we have felt the YOLO sentiment even more and have seen more of this island in this last year than ever before. Every time I think we have “seen it all” there is something new! This island truly is the “Island of Enchantment!”
Fun in Aguada
Lots of fun in the gardens and even got to play with butterflies!
Incredible Sunsets!
We tore down the old shed, built a new shed/wash room and are starting to build a new tiki hut/gazebo in the old space! It has taken a lot of work and time, but poco a poco we’re almost finished!
Swimming with a sea turtle and lots of fish at Pena Blanca
You have to check out the sea turtle underwater footage in this video! Start at 8:30 if you don’t want to watch the whole video but want to see the turtle! Super magical moment!
Abandoned Youth Detention Facility in Cabo Rojo
Fun random moments, flowers, bananas, friends, abandoned buildings, tarantulas
Ermita San Antonio
Fun excursions around Isabela including Royal Isabela and the Guajataca Tunnel
Fun with family who were visiting
Visit to a waterfall and molino in Maricao
Playa Buye is so buyetiful haha
Playa Buye in Cabo Rojo
Good times in Aguadilla: Crashboat, Cerro Cabrera and More even though we had to deal with a traffic ticket (dark tint)
Fun on Halloween
Cool new waterfall: Charca el Zumbo in San Sebastian!
Stopping by downtown Cabo Rojo after a Dr Appt
Cool Bridge in Morovis called “Puente Mata de Platano”
A Super Unique Experience to see an Abandoned Castle in Morovis
More good times that I don’t take for granted anymore: Thanksgiving, haircuts, flower deliveries
Awesome cave to explore: Cueva del Viento in the Bosque Estatal de Guajataca!
Photoshoots to keep up the creativity
Visit to a Gothic Cemetery (San Rafael)
Checking out a cool Hacienda (Casona Amador) including an interview with the owner!
And Barrio Charcas of Quebradillas with its Parque Jibaro
And the Portal de Los Reyes and the Cantina Custer also in Quebradillas
More flowers, gardens and out and about in RIncon
And that just about catches us up!
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a much better 2021!
Uncertainty has “certainly” been the name of this year. And while things aren’t back to “normal” and the arbitrary and confusing rules change practically every other week, things are at least a little more calm around here. And meanwhile in the midst of the chaos that 2020 is shaping out to be, another year of life has gone by and so we did our best to celebrate my making it another trip around the sun.
I have always wanted to go on a horseback tour here in Puerto Rico, so we thought if it was available we’d try to book a tour.
There’s a great company in Rincon called “Pintos R Us” but I know the trail and area they take so well that I wanted to go on a tour of an area that I’ve never seen. We decided to go with Tropical Trail Rides in Isabela. It was a great experience. After dropping Aeden off at daycare, we drove up to Isabela and met up with new friends Kristie and Hernan there. We checked in, paid (discount is given if paying cash), got weighed and a horse assigned to us. We wore face coverings to check in, but they weren’t required during the actual ride which is literally always a horse-length away from anyone haha. The views were wonderful and it was a different perspective to see everything a little higher. Such a connection with the animal when you are on her back too, almost like being one creature.
We rode through the back side of Villa Montana Resort and then onto Shacks Beach and finally all the way to Survival Beach in Aguadilla and back. We mostly walked and trotted on the horse.
Afterward we met up with a few more friends for a nice meal and drink at Villa Montana. It was a great, chill way to celebrate my birthday.
On the day of my actual birthday we just went out alone to explore the black sand beaches of Mayaguez on the litoral. This beach is often ignored because the dark sands are considered dirty by the local people there even though they are just the mineral colors of the sand and I found it to be incredible! We walked up and down the beautiful coast and took pictures before having a nice simple meal at Carbon de Palo, a sweet little seaside restaurant.
There’s a lot that is out of our hands right now, but our own happiness always is. And that’s what I’m focusing on right now. To another solar cycle! Hope everyone is staying safe and happy as well!
We also recently went through a pretty major Tropical Storm (Isaias) and thankfully we didn’t suffer any damage though some of our friends did have landslides and flooding unfortunately. You can watch the video of our experience here: