Category Archives: Adventures

Hacienda Marak in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

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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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Around the Finca, Moca, Festival de Chinas, Isabela and More

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Aeden is too cool for photos

Whew. Lots to update. We have been doing a variety of projects around the farm including finding new plants and building a new staircase into the jungle. When we’re not working on the farm or cleaning or repairing the cabana or cabin, we go out into the world and try to find new adventures. We like to stay around the west side because we can make a day trip out of it and still get back by dark to keep to Aeden’s sleep schedule. Here are a few moments caught on camera recently.


Another beachy day in Rincon – Playa Lala is now a favorite here


Fun at Villa Cofresi with the babe

From eggs we came to eggs we sit


Isabela, PR with the moon and all


We filled one of our largest single orders of flowers!


I love making the bouquets

Aeden has many adoptive aunts and uncles like Carlos and Maribel from the market


Photo bombed by a cow and a bird 🙂


Cool church in Moca


Just chillin’, kickin’ back on Mom’s lap


Aeden’s making his mark! In the new cement stairs!


Lots of hard work!


Silly boys at the beach


First time in a swing! He’s getting so big!


He has even gone swimming, underwater!

And had his first real bath -in the kitchen sink!


Cool leaves on a plant. I think this is a rattlesnake flower


Our monstera plant fruited!


Immature and mature monstera fruit! Tasted like pineapple and banana with a slight bite. You have to be careful not to eat them immature or it will burn your mouth.

 


Our prettiest ginger yet!

 
The Festival de la China was a bit of a bust! Super rainy!


I thought it was funny they were selling oranges in onion bags though!


And I was amazed at the variety of oranges (and bananas) one can grow


Aloha! A fun day in Isabela


Britton and Aeden in Isabela


Family fun


Two cuties


“Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate”


This little guy melts my heart!


We walked this LOOONG boardwalk in Isabela -windy, hot and dry but very beautiful. Would be a great bike ride


Fun with friends from Colo. It’s weird to “remember when.” It seems so long ago now


This just happened. I always call him my little monster and then I saw this onesie at the flea market and I was wearing basically the same thing and then we ate at an El Meson that had this colored wall. Serendipity-do-dah!

Latest update from the farm about baby Aeden (on the new stairs!)

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Explorations near Joyuda: Modern Ruins and Hidden Coves

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With the baby, we have found that we need to get out of the house and property more than ever. We have a sort of routine where we stay in one day and go for a drive the next. Sometimes it’s every two days or so, but we like to get out so we don’t feel like all we do is work around the property and take care of the little guy. This last week we did some explorations around the Joyuda area. Joyuda is between Mayaguez and Cabo Rojo. We take the cool backroad of 102 to have an ocean drive. We made it back to one of our favorite spots: Punta Ostiones also know as La Playita.


Area of Punta Ostiones


Trails


Secluded Coves


Postcard beach scenes


Me and Aeden in one of the coves -he loves to kick the water!


Noni fruit growing wild -edible and medicinal but very yucky tasting!


Hermit crab on shucked coconuts


Exploring through the Ostiones trails of coconuts and mangroves

We also briefly checked out a cool abandoned juvenile detention center that is now a mountain bike riding course. It was cool in a spooky way.  Then we went back another day with friends and explored more.


When we stumbled upon an old abandoned church that is being reclaimed by the jungle!


Creepy hallways of the old buildings -now used to play “Gotcha” or paintball


In the doorway to the church


Me and Aeden on the altar


Down the stairs


We’re off again! Grab the kid! Firewoman carry! 🙂


With friend Laura exploring the southern part of the trails


Aeden can keep his head up now which makes walking with him easier


A group of us exploring the ruins


Creepy hallways! “We’re watching!”


Britton and Aeden near the church


I did another photoshoot with Laura there. I can’t wait to see her results!


Later we stopped by the Gato Negro right on the water in Joyuda and watched the birds and tarpon fighting over fish scraps

 

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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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