Tag Archives: San Sebastian

January 2022

We love Cabo Rojo and especially this area by the lighthouse. We spent a day at the pink salt flats and Playa Sucia dressed as Mama Shark and Baby Shark!

 

 

Later this month we took a trip to the deep mountains of Orocovis, one of the highest altitude cities in Puerto Rico. Here we stayed at a little house that had a waterfall in the backyard! We had a great time playing in the river even though it was super chilly water since it can get much colder high in the mountains especially in January. We also climbed a mountain called Cerro Mime which is named that because of all the gnat flies at the top. But what an incredible view!! We also took a looong hike in the rain through the Toro Negro forest to the tiny little tower at the top.

  

Closer to home we finished an adventure we had started back in August 2021. We returned to Charco Carmelas in San Sebastian with some friends to walk up the river and find the twin falls! This is quite an adventure as you have to swim through canyons and walk literally in the river to reach the end point where there are two waterfalls side by side. The river was a little dry compared to when we first found the river in August, but it was still super beautiful!

We spent some time at home at the farm planting and harvesting flowers and fruit, at the beach  with friends and other spots in our daily life routine. We also went to a funeral of a good friend and neighbor which was heartbreaking.

 

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Back to the Beach and other Adventures as Puerto Rico Reopens


Can you tell I’m happy to be back at the beach?!

After a very long lockdown, Puerto Rico is now officially back open for business. It is not quite “back to normal” but for all intents and purposes, we are finally coming out of lockdown. That is not the same as having a pandemic end, but at least the self-imposed torture of “quarantine” seems mostly over.


Masks are the newest fashion! haha Masks for Britton & my neighbor/friend Omayra

Poco a poco Puerto Rico has loosened the restrictions to the point that besides the masks and some rules in certain stores (checking temperatures, not allowing children inside) the happy island I know and love is pretty much back. We have been appreciating our newly returned freedoms by going to the beach, hiking, checking out new waterfalls and spending time with friends in small groups again. How much we have missed these simple pleasures of life. Where the hurricane days stripped away the physical comforts of electricity, communications, and even water service, during the lockdown we were fully connected to those things but lacked and very sorely missed our social and nature connections. The lockdown was like an inverse hurricane. I’m not sure which was worse, but I don’t wish either on anyone!



Beachside days


Fun in Rincon


Flamboyan season has been soo beautiful this year!


Aeden’s first school photo. Daycare will even be starting up again in July! yay!


Good times once again


Gozalandia falls and El Ultimo Brinco in Rincon


Fun trip to Adjuntas-even saw a blue flamboyan (jacaranda)!

We had a nice time in Adjuntas visitng Charco El Mango, a suspension bridge and some other sights until Britton suddenly felt ill and we had to return home. Turns out his car accident a month earlier and a genetic disposition for blood clots was not a good combination. He’s doing much better now thankfully!


Quick stop at Playa Tres Hermanos on Father’s Day


Our little boy is growing up so fast!


An easy waterfall that turned into an adventure: Salto Collazo


Just off the side of the road, but waaay down below we found the tallest waterfall we’ve ever seen. Salto Dona Carmen


Overall, we are very grateful for every day we get on this beautiful island and in this strange life of ours. Hope everyone else is doing as well.

 

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My Favorite Waterfall (so far): Las Golondrinas

Thanks to an anonymous reader of this blog who encouraged us to look for the waterfall of Hacienda El Jibarito we went on the hunt again. This waterfall is named Las Golondrinas (the Swallows) and it far exceeded our expectations. I thought it was perhaps a small stream fall without a pond, but it was amazing! The trail to the fall in a bosque ecologico was relatively well-kept by the Hacienda and there were signs and trashcans along the way. It was a bit of a hike (maybe 10 minutes with a baby in tow), but we didn’t have to cross any water to get there. And when we arrived it took my breath away!


Ahhh-mazing

The water was cool and refreshing and the waterfall had a drop of about 80 feet or more into a deep 20-30 foot pond. There was a shallow area for kids to play and enough rocks to scramble. What’s more, we were the ONLY people there. Unlike Gozalandia which is incredibly beautiful with two falls on the property, the secret has not gotten out about Las Golondrinas and I hope it stays that way (except all of you reading this haha).


Aeden enjoyed playing at the water’s edge

There are 2 other “charcas” or ponds on this property, and we walked to one of them, but there was no real waterfall. I still want to see the third, but I have a feeling it just won’t compare to the cathedral feeling that Las Golondrinas had. A truly spiritual connection to the natural world. What’s more is that I had a sense of connection to millions of years ago because there was a huge deposit of ocean fossils all around. We couldn’t walk 5 feet without finding stones with ancient imprints.


The hike there wasn’t too bad, even carrying a baby

The waterfall was so perfect I had to share the secret with some friends. A couple of weeks after we went the first time, we took a caravan up and spent a wonderful afternoon just lounging about in the cool shade of the blue lagoon.


Thanks to Daisy for this picture!


Fun with friends!


Can’t beat freshwater falls with friends!


Taking a dip!


Thanks to Jessika for this picture!

Sometimes I still am surprised myself that this is my life. Straight out of some tropical adventure movie, the scenes and settings often still seem unreal to my midwestern brain. But here I am, in my new transplanted home, the land my long-awaited son was conceived and born from, La Isla del Encanto. And how many enchantments it truly holds!

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Hacienda El Jibarito: San Sebastian, Puerto Rico

We are always on the lookout for new cool places to see. Hacienda El Jibarito was a great new find. We also like to scout out places to eat for lunch or brunch on the weekends and this place will meet the requirements for that as well. It’s a nice boutique resort with a “Jibaro” or old style Puerto Rican countryperson vibe. I loved the outdoor pool (and it even had an interesting indoor one!), the poolside bar/restaurant and the coffee shop and restaurant. There were even some small waterfalls/creeks flowing. San Sebastian locally called “Pepino” is quickly becoming my favorite little mountain town in Puerto Rico.


Front of Hacienda El Jibarito


Cool windy staircase


Hammock on one of their country style cabanas


Large, sprawling grounds


Cute little shed! Looks like our chicken coop!

Here’s a fun video of our time there.

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