I have been wanting to check out Survival Beach for some time. It is supposed to have some pretty picturesque sea rocks and caves and a really fun hike. One day we were out driving around and we thought we would run some errands in Aguadilla. I remembered that Survival Beach is accessed by foot with a 30-40 minute hike that starts at Surfer’s Beach. “Hey, let’s check it out!” I’m sure if we were surfers we would already know about it, but it was another first for us.
This sign cracked me up!
To get to Surfer’s Beach you must go through a gated area that looks to be owned by the Electric or Water Company. I assume it is always open, but it was strange that it was gated. Once in, the road is very beautiful lined with palm trees and flamboyans with a rock curb. Upon arrival there is a small skate park and a little coconut drink place that was closed when we arrived. It looked like maybe someone had parked their van to stay/live there with a grill, tarp, clothes hanging out, etc.
Little Coconut Kiosk
Pile of Coconuts (used for said kiosk I presume)
Small skate park and picnic tables
Nice (very tall) bench to watch the waves
Fun at Surfer’s Beach
De Camino a Survival Beach
We found the sign that pointed the way to the start of the hike, but weren’t prepared with the right shoes, food, water, etc. So we walked a few yards down the path that was strewn with fallen trees to one of the beach outcroppings, and said we would save that hike for another day. I am not sure what the story is about why it’s called Survival (or sometimes Survivor Beach), but it did look rough and that you would need to use your survival skills if you washed ashore out there with no road, but a hike of a trail to it.
Going under some fallen trees on the early part of Survival Beach trail
Looks like another adventure is in the queue! But until then we enjoyed our short time at Surfer’s Beach.
Waterfall chasing has become one of our new favorite hobbies. Especially on hot, humid summer days, the clean river water is so much more refreshing than salty sea water, hot sand and blaring sun on the beach. I still love the beach, but the best beach days are in the winter when it is less crowded and slightly cooler water. We had heard of a new waterfall to check out called “El Saltillo” in San Sebastian and attempted to find it the other day.
Britton and Aeden in the river
Since we go to the San Sebastian pulguero almost every Friday now, we decided that would be the best day to go on the hunt. Our car broke down as we were eating lunch afterwards at El Meson, but thankfully El Meson in San Sebastian is right next to Pep Boys and Britton managed to put on new wheel bearings even as it began to rain. Then we were off. We weren’t sure how much exploring we would do given that it was raining, but we thought we could at least scope out the area.
Turn at this corner near “El Castillo” Hotel
We found the little road that would lead us closest to the river access point. We gathered a few supplies from a local watering hole and parked at a pull-off next to a strange little dump/hang out site (an overturned washing machine and a makeshift bamboo hut).
Where we parked. Was this a hangout spot??
From there on, what little we found about the waterfall said we would have to walk through the river to find it. That isn’t new to us, and is a common way of approaching falls. It’s easier to go barefoot so we parked and changed into our swimsuits and kicked off our shoes. While we were changing we saw an older man in the river. He was changing his clothes too, so we gave him a moment. Then he emerged and began talking to Britton in a mix of Spanish and English. He told Britton that he knew the area well and that the “Big One” (El Saltillo) was much further down, but that if walk a little further down the road we would find another beautiful waterfall. It was like the part in the video game where the character gives you just enough clues to help you find the treasure.
Britton talking with the man as steam rose from the asphalt and clouds settled into the jungle
So we all headed in the direction he recommended. We figured at this late point in the afternoon we wouldn’t be up for a huge hike to find El Saltillo anyway, so we were blown away when we saw this secondary waterfall with no name.
Absolutely incredible! Like a movie set!
What a gorgeous fall! Soft and mossy steps and so much plant life!
I don’t even think this other one has an official name, but it was just so perfect!
Aeden’s point of view (our little cyclone head haha)
Fun at the falls
The only drawback to this fall, was that there wasn’t much of a pond for swimming and we heard that El Saltillo has a nice pool beneath the cascading water. So if this little beauty was the warm-up, I can’t wait to see the “Big One.” The hunt is on! Stay tuned to see if we find it in the weeks to come.
Ever since Hurricane Maria, hurricane season has become something different in our minds. We came to Puerto Rico very naive about hurricanes, and we lived here for 4 years with basically nothing ever happening. We had an occasional tropical storm, but we’ve had stronger aguaceros (downpours) come out of the blue. But Maria changed all of that optimism and surety. We have a deep underlying trauma associated with hurricanes now. On the surface, our logical brain tells us that if we can survive 2 + months of living like primitive people we can survive anything! But underneath, our subconscious says “Ah, hell no. I don’t want to do that again!” So we have our conscious and subconscious minds competing against each other.
This time last year I was 8 months pregnant going through hurricane season!
I was particularly nervous last year for a few reasons, most notably that I was pregnant with a due date right around the climatic probability of storms. After the birth my medical care turned out to be VERY lacking as it was without a storm, so I can only imagine how bad it would have had there been no electricity, water or medical supplies. I am SO grateful everything turned out ok. It was iffy there for a bit. My medical care nightmare is probably for another day, but suffice it to say, I don’t ever want to be in another major medical emergency in Puerto Rico with or without a hurricane looming.
Last year in our tropical gardens
One of our neighbors is currently about as pregnant as I was, so we thought it would be fun to do a photoshoot in our gardens that we have finally named. Since Puerto Rico is La Isla del Encanto (The Isle of Enchantment), we named our farm/gardens The Garden of Enchantment. You can check out our new Facebook page and give it a like if you want. Julie is about as nervous as I was having her first baby in an unfamiliar land and so we thought it would be a nice de-stressor to take a little of that anxiety away and focus on the beauty that she is emanating! I gathered materials from all over the gardens and made her a flower crown to make her a jungle queen.
Finished flower crown
Here’s a “How-to” Video on the making of the crown.
It turned out so nice.
What a gorgeous mama-to-be
Even Aeden got to check out his jungle friend in making
When we heard a storm called Dorian was forming and heading straight for us, our nerves started to fray a little. We turned on the hurricane brain and started prepping. Extra gas, water, food, batteries, clean out the cistern, shut the windows, check, check, check.
There are always runs on water. We just rinse out and refill our jugs
Day of Dorian right outside Econo…wouldn’t think anything was abnormal!
Dorian thankfully turned anticlimactic and didn’t even really have any rain. But it did bring back lots of memories. We ended up going to a pool party for a friend who is moving away. We had even partied at Yukayeke a lot after Maria, so the recollections are stacked. Strange how much that period of time is embedded in our psyches now.
Fun at Yukayeke
Yukayeke Resort in Anasco from the road
Living in the tropics of Puerto Rico is 90% awesome. We get to live like we’re on vacation! But interspersed are moments of sheer panic and annoyance. I guess there’s nowhere on Earth that is 100% paradise all the time. But to me, this sure comes close. Even in hurricane season. It gives us all a little something to get worked up about I guess. No one would read a story if it didn’t have some complications to resolve.
No, I am not talking about the stock market or the GDP, but rather the original meaning of those words. Literally growing things (including a baby) and going to markets. We have a bit of a schedule and routine now, moreso than ever with a baby. We used to go out a lot more at night with the band and just to hang out at chinchorros or downtown at the ArtWalk, but we now appreciate our quiet evenings with the kiddo sound asleep. So that means our days must be a little fuller. Fridays and Sundays mean market. Fridays we go to the San Sebastian Pulguero (Flea Market) where we do some bartering and buying. Mostly we are in the market for strange exotic plants. Actually we are ALWAYS in the market for those it seems. No matter how much plant life we throw at the property, it just eats it up.
With a new flower find at the San Sebastian Market
It’s pretty fun at the San Sebastian market because we are nearly always the only “gringos” there and so we sort of stick out like sore thumbs. But people are starting to get to know us, greet us and show us what all they have available before we even have to ask. It REALLY helps to know Spanish in these sorts of environments!
Aeden is a favorite with many people at the market including this sweet woman who even sang “Que Linda Manita” to him
Aeden and the birds back at the farm
Saturdays are usually spent back at the farm unless we have something fun planned. On Saturday afternoon we harvest the fruit and flowers for the Sunday Rincon Farmer’s Market.
Look who needs to start wearing shoes soon!
Aeden is now 11 months old! Check out his latest update video
New bromeliads in bloom at the farm
Our avocado that we accidentally cut down YEARS ago, has come back and is fruiting! I am so happy! Yay for guacamole! What’s strange about it, is only one trunk has fruit. So I think it must have been grafted long ago and we’ll probably have two types on one tree. We’ll see!
At the Farmer’s Market in Rincon. Dragonfruit! We have had our dragonfruit plant flower, but it never holds onto the fruit
The Farmer’s Market on Sunday mornings is fun. We don’t make much money, but it is worth it and it’s fairly stable for being summertime. We have made a lot of great friends there. And we use the money to go out and have brunch and drive around a bit afterward. If we make any more than that we put it into buying more plants from the nurseries or flea markets around.
Taking Aeden to Yogufruti after the Farmer’s Market one Sunday
I never knew what fashion tasted like before, but it’s pretty good! haha
During the week we mostly work on the farm: mowing, planting, improving trails. We also clean and do “turnovers” if we have guests staying in the cabana. We also like to pick a day or two to go shopping or an excursion of some sort. Sometimes we go hunting for plants on the side of the road or check out a beach. Lately it has been so hot, that we have been doing everything we can to stay cool. Since we don’t have A/C that means sitting in the baby pool, finding anywhere that has air conditioning and just milling around, eating watermelon and lots of fluids and trying to avoid the heat of the middle of the day (siesta anyone?). The beach is actually too hot for me on those sizzling days since the water and sand multiply the sun’s effect.
Staying cool in our baby pool in the shade like the hillbillies we are haha!
Fun shopping day out with friend Pauline
Stop in at an authentic chinchorro for una bien friiiia
Checking out a beach in Aguada (Tablerock) -great beach for bamboo driftwood hunters!
Fun on the farm! Dad and boy
Man and his horse swimming in Anasco
Not sure, but I believe this is a cupey flower blooming at our house
Britton had a red RX7 when he was a teenager so this made him gasp when we were driving along in Aguada one day! His 17 year-old self has multiplied! haha
He probably wasn’t listening to this type of song back then though (this is a top hit currently on the radio that we turn up when it comes on, and it’s great for Spanish vocabulary!)
Buying plants at Jardines Eneida! One of our favorite nurseries!
At Jardines Eneida. Check out the video:
I call Puerto Rico “Toon Town” and it’s not without reason…Check out this vibrant little house
And this one…who is very concerned with the modesty of its columns haha
Or this awesomely strange creation seemingly out of a sci-fi movie
Driving up the hills of Mayaguez we had a majestically different view of Rincon and Desecheo in the distance
That’s it for the update. Time flies. I can’t believe that a year ago I was hugely pregnant and just waiting for our little guy to arrive and now he’s almost walking. It’s crazy. Nothing like a kid to make time really feel warped.
Here’s a quick little video of some vignettes of our daily life in Puerto Rico. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and I am trying to do a little more with Instagram if you’d like to follow along.
