Tag Archives: Puerto Rico

Hacienda Marak in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

Aeden checking out the donkey Sancho at Hacienda Marak

We recently had the opportunity to visit Hacienda Marak in Mayaguez. I was very impressed with this farm as it has nearly everything I would love to do with our place only on a much larger scale. Markitto Tremblay is the owner of the property. He is the former owner of the unique boutique hotel in Rincon, the Blue Boy Inn, but has since retired to his 65 acre slice of paradise on the mountainside of Mayaguez. I have been following him on Facebook and just knew I had to meet him and check out what he has been up to. He has some exotic plants that you just don’t find in the nurseries here, a beautifully remodeled home (a former coffee plantation and hacienda), various fun animals and even the pond I have been wanting! The icing on the cake is that he is a native French speaker and I am currently taking a French class, so that was extra fun.

Some very cool plants including even apples!

Gorgeous orchids

I loved his eye for style

And landscape design

The columns and terrace area got me thinking of some fun ideas!

The pond was one of my favorite parts of the tour! Something I have been talking about with our property for a long time to put under the bridge

The animals were so cool! Chickens, goats, sheep, parrots, a dog (that looked remarkably like Schnoodle), donkeys, koi, and we gave him some of our turkey babies too to add to his menagerie!

Sancho the donkey was super friendly and fun

I have always wanted a tortoise too. I think this one is an African Spurred Tortoise

She may live to be 100 years old!

Thank you Markitto for opening your home to us! It is lovely and an inspiration to us to keep going on our tropical property!

Here’s a video of our time with Markitto. Aeden was kind of squirmy and whiny so it is somewhat choppy, but I hope it shows a little what a magical, magnifique place Hacienda Marak is!

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Maricao Coffee Festival

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We took a last minute trip up the mountains to the Maricao Coffee Festival (Fiesta del Acabe de Cafe). Along the way we stopped for the beautiful vistas and some wild plants. We had gone up in years past and things seemed to have been revived since Maria. It’s about an hour drive from Rincon along very curvy roads. We took longer because we made several stops.

Me and Aeden at the Festival

Mountain views along the way

Lots of people

Some info on coffee types and growth

Along the way we met this friendly man who wanted to meet Aeden

He had on a shirt from the coffee festival 30 years ago!

People selling bags of local oranges

Kids playing the traditional game of “gallitos” or little roosters with the seeds of the Algarrobos tree. They hit the seeds at each other until one of them breaks. Sort of a pre-cock fight game for children in the countryside

Family fun!

Vendors selling traditional art

Bomba music and dancing

Beautiful flowers

It’s always a nice change of pace to go up into the mountains of Puerto Rico!

We stopped and briefly checked out Hacienda Juanita, an old restored hacienda turned resort

Overall it was a fun little day trip and we recommend you check out the local festivals if you come to Puerto Rico!

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A Day in Aguada

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Britton and Aeden in the plaza of Aguada

The other day we went to Aguada for a doctor’s appointment for Aeden. We were surprised to be in and out quickly, so we decided to wander around the town a little. Although it is right next to it, Aguada is very different from Rincon in so many ways. Whereas Rincon makes me think of Hawaii, Aguada reminds me of Mexico, with lots of little boutique clothing stores, a large plaza, street vendors and a buzz of work. Rincon feels much more like a vacation destination where the beach and hanging out are the central points and swimsuits are often spotted. Aguada feels more like daily life and pants and shoes are common (as are the shops that sell them!). Aguada is also quite a bit bigger with about 50,000 people compared with little Rincon’s 15,000. Because of its size and the tiny roads, the traffic is often a mess, so walking around the downtown makes more sense than driving.

Vendors selling fireworks to celebrate the holidays (yes, it is a loud time of year!)

Bright, colorful buildings

Lots of clothing stores around every corner!

I like to stop in and check stuff out sometimes!

More street vendors and clothing stores

Sometimes feels like you’re walking into the 70s or 80s!

Family photo in the Aguada Plaza

Two soft drinks you don’t see in the states often- Coco Rico and Malta (normally in a glass bottle)

Aguada is known for its horses and horse events too

Aguada, like Rincon, has awesome sunsets

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Yauchromatic: Colorful Yauco, Puerto Rico

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Yauco and its vibrancy!

We have had many missions related to creating this baby and one of our most recent ones took us to Hospital San Lucas in Ponce. From the highway whenever we drive to Ponce I have always been curious about the colorful little town of Yauco with its various shades of houses almost glowing in the distance, but I had recently seen that they have invested in even more paint! It is now Yauchromatic!

Welcome to Toon Town with a little toon cat!

We went with our friend who graciously drove us for a loong day and then checked out Yauco’s murals as well as the strange little hilly/stair access-only painted area. I have always said Puerto Rico is like going into Toon Town in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit because it is so vibrant and with such strange characters, but the little coffee town of Yauco took it to a whole new level.

Yauchromatic