Category Archives: Fun

Day Trip to Arecibo: Lighthouse, Cueva del Indio and Christopher Columbus Statue

This weekend we met up with a friend and decided to take an excursion up to Arecibo. We’ve been to the Observatory and Camuy Caves, though they probably merit another trip since it’s been more than 10 years. This trip, however, the main goal was to see the Cueva del Indio (Taino Indian Cave). From what I’ve read this cave was a sacred place for the Taino Indians and unlike many other caves in Puerto Rico, it is located right on the seashore. We met up in San Sebastian and headed up through the island with a few stops along the way.

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One stop was a photo opportunity at Salto Collazo which was flowing with much more water

Along the way we got stuck in a couple of political caravanas, but it wasn’t too bad. For the next three weeks or so I have a feeling it’s going to get more and more intense around here. People line the roads and hang out their cars waving flags and playing music in support of their party or politician of choice.

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Parades of noisy cars with their team -er- political colors and symbols

When we arrived in Arecibo we stopped at the Lighthouse aka Faro Los Morrillos.

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Lighthouse Park

We came around to where there is a Lighthouse Park. It looked like a kids’ amusement park without any real rides or anything. Parking was $3 and the entrance fee is $12! Pretty high. For $39 there are many other things I would rather do. Many people, including us, went up to the gate and then turned around. I mainly just wanted to see the lighthouse.

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Beach side of the Lighthouse Park

We drove around to the other side of the Faro (which the clerk didn’t tell us we could do) and saw a better view of the lighthouse and also an awesome beach that had waves crashing and slamming into plumes of salt foam. This beach is called Pozo del Obispo.

cassie-and-lighthouseOn the playa side of the faro

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Splash! At Playa Pozo del Opispo, Arecibo. The rock outcropping provides protection and creates a gentle swimming cove

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View looking down at the beach area

And from there we could see one of our next stops! The huge and controversial Christopher Columbus statue that was dismissed from many other potential homes before arriving in Puerto Rico. You can see it a little in the above picture, but zoomed in you can definitely make it out. This statue is controversial because though Columbus is an important historical figure, he was also kind of a crappy human being who inflicted a lot of pain on people. Especially indigenous peoples like the Taino Indians who lived on the island before it was “discovered” by the Europeans.

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Christopher Columbus Statue in the distance

Daylight was precious so we headed over to the caves. It gets dark around 6:30pm so we wanted to make sure to see the caves. When we arrived to the “official” entrance the clerk said we had missed it by 15 minutes! They close parking at 5pm!

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“Official” looking entrance

We were super bummed to be turned away, especially missing it by only 15 minutes. But onward and upward. We headed down the road about 2 blocks and found the huge Christopher Columbus statue. I found it especially ironic or at least coincidental that this huge statue of the mass murderer of many indigenous people would be literally walking distance down the road from the sacred caves of the Indians.

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Up close and personal with Columbus

We paid $2 to sit in the parking lot under the statue and make ourselves a drink. We were lamenting not seeing the caves when a man we had seen at the lighthouse asked us if we had seen them yet. We said no, that we just missed it. He said that all we needed to do was find a different entrance and we could go in and that the coast, where the caves are, is free and public. He said that he and his friend found a little snipped part in the fence and they just snuck right in and nobody said anything. Hey, we’re all for adventure! So we were off to see the caves after all! He said that they were charging $5 per person to enter through the official way, but that if you go yourself it’s free! Even better!

Just down from the official entrance we had seen earlier there were some houses on the road and so we parked just outside of there. We found the little hole in the fence and snuck right through. We climbed the sharp rocky rough ground for about 3 minutes and arrived to a beautiful sea scene with boulder arches and active waters.

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Rock arches

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Sort of horse-skull looking formation

We wandered about the rocky coast for a while and then saw a few people descending. This must be where the cave of the Indian is, we thought. There were rocky steps that seemed to be perfectly cut just for that reason. It almost felt like a den room.

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Descending into the cave

Then we came upon the ladder that would take us deep into the heart of the cave where the cave touches the sea. The sacred room of the Tainos.

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It’s just an old wood ladder, but appeared to be strong and sturdy

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Cool old ladder has groove marks in the wood where many hands and feet pass

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Cool ceiling complete with bats! Looks like a space craft!

It was really cool seeing all the Taino petroglyphs. I have read that this cave has more petroglyphs than any other site in Puerto Rico! I don’t know what they symbolized but it reminded me that this island has so many layers of history to it. Long before Columbus landed, the island was thriving.

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Taino Petroglyph

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Whole rock walls covered in petroglyphs

For being so open to the elements and visitors I thought it was remarkably well-maintained. I always find it so interesting that in Puerto Rico for the most part things are just left to the people to explore. A very populist notion of live and let live that I find really appealing, especially to my sense of adventure and freedom.

Since we were the last ones there we had a few minutes before dark to take a few fun shots. It would be an awesome place to do a proper photoshoot.

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Then we were off! We snuck out through the same gate that we entered.

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Squeezing through the gate

Later that night we went out to have shrimp pizza in Hatillo under the light of a brilliant full moon.

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Another magical day in Borinken

Here’s a little video of our time at the caves and statue. Enjoy.

 

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Just a Tuesday: Hula Hooping, Pig Visit and Fiery Sky

Tuesday we had a pretty open day. We went and visited a friend and then headed down to the Rincón balneario where some other friends were playing with poi and hula hoops. I’ve always thought I was good at hula hooping, that is until I moved here and saw what real hooping can look like. I can do basic waist hooping, neck, legs, arms, but I have a hard time with any transitions between them.

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Larger hoops are good for basic moves. In the background you can see Frances playing with the staff

I practiced a few transitions and I think I got the move from waist up to arms and down back around the waist. It’s so fun! I need a hula hoop at home though so that I can practice more. My friend Frances is the guru of hooping around here. I also learned some basic poi moves. Poi is basically fire dancing and very hypnotizing if you see someone do it. Lauryn has done poi and fire dancing choreography professionally so it was really cool to hang out with them. For the poi play, we didn’t light them up yet, but rather just played with practice tools like sand socks and the staff. My arms are sore! I am not so much into “working out” but I love moving my body and dancing. This was perfect!

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Beachside Poi and hooping!

As we were going home, the sky lit up amazingly. Rincón is a special place because you are surrounded by water, almost like an island unto itself. Then add the special charms of beautiful sunsets, a rural small town feel and the hippie vibe (come on we were hula hooping and fire dancing on a Tuesday at 3pm with the friendly homeless people of the balneario) and you begin to see why people love it so.

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Silver lining clouds

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A nearly empty Steps Beach. I love September!

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The clouds and sky were just amazingly lit! I felt like we were in a movie set!

When we arrived home we were greeted by a huge sow and her eleven little piglets! It was so funny!

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Mama piggy and her babes



A perfect day in our special corner of the world!

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A Day at Borinquen and Wilderness

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Borinquen Beach, Aguadilla

The other day we helped a friend in Aguada/Aguadilla. When we were finished we decided to go to the beach. I am curious to find Survival Beach, but it was getting late in the afternoon so we headed to one of our favorite beaches: Borinquen! To access it, you must drive through the golf course. It has such a vintage feel to it. In my mind I imagine the glamour of the 50s and 60s. I think maybe it’s the planes flying overhead or the huge cliffs. So we swam for a while and then the lighting was just perfect so Britton took some shots of me as a beach bunny. So fun!

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I found this little bikini at Me Salvé for $1! I couldn’t believe it. It probably won’t last long, but for that price it doesn’t have to!

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Smiling as the sun set

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My favorite picture of the bunch!

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B and Me

I even practiced a little yoga on the beach!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAStretch!

We also watched the pelicans diving and then flying high up to their nests in the cliffs. Here’s one of the pelicans on high overlooking the sea.

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Pelican Perch

As often happens, we had the whole beach to ourselves! As the sun began to touch the water, we made a quick stop at the lighthouse ruins. Such a cool place!

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Ponderosa Lighthouse Ruins of Aguadilla/Wilderness

ruins-2Lighthouse Ruins at dusk

Here’s a fun video of our time. Enjoy.

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Random Puerto Rico Weirdness

Here are some random weird pictures that don’t really have a place, but I just have to share. Though we are adapting well to our environment sometimes there are still moments here where we both just look at each other and say “WTF?!”

Ford Trax on a pool table strange sightsA Quad on a pool table!?

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Some sort of wild cucumber…looks like a plant from another planet!

Bar BathroomApparently this bar bathroom was made for visiting mermaids too…check out the conch shell showerhead and coral rocks

Fake Pig RoastThey really like lechon here…even when it is made from old rubber tires!

David BowieEven our chickens are a little wacky!

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And you never know who or what may photo bomb you whilst hanging out in a wheelchair!

Big IguanaAnd I don’t think I will ever get used to living in Jurrasic Park with these huge lizards!

Pink bromeliadAnd the colors here feel like we live in a cartoon

Rob Towel PlayingAnd check out our drummer, Rob! lol

Britton and his coffeeWalking around half naked is still sort of weird, but I love it!

Island Time literally
I still just don’t understand why they put an old ceiling fan and a clock on a bamboo stick outside? So many questions!

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Like, What? A mushroom house?? This is such a cartoon!

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When the guys at the loza store give you guavas that look like avocados and laugh because your confusion is a sure way to tell a gringo from a Boricua

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And we continue to find new fruits we have never eaten before in our lives like this pitomba we have growing on the finca… it’s a little like an apricot

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And also finding a huge tarantula in your work boots!!

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So…that nicely tiled trough is the urinal….why???

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Apparently a lot of weirdness happens in bathrooms. When you live in a beach town…people like to wash their sandy feet in the sink

This place is so fun…and weird. But so fun. I love it. It’s like a dream: weird and wonderful.

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