Category Archives: Tropical Plants and Food

A Few Months of Life in One Post! Fall in Puerto Rico

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Excursion to Wilderness/Pena Blanca in Aguadilla

We continue to update our life mostly on Youtube and Instagram now, but I figured I would put together a long post of the last 3 or 4 months or so. I have peppered in some of the videos here, but check out the channel for lots more! Life has been a little more stable lately than it was in the spring and summer and we, like most people, are pandemic fatigued. But we’ve been staying busy and healthy going on outdoor explorations and working on the farm. Thankfully daycare has been open since the summer so that really took a lot of pressure off. Maybe because of all the talk of dying, we have felt the YOLO sentiment even more and have seen more of this island in this last year than ever before. Every time I think we have “seen it all” there is something new! This island truly is the “Island of Enchantment!”



Fun in Aguada




Lots of fun in the gardens and even got to play with butterflies!




Incredible Sunsets!

We tore down the old shed, built a new shed/wash room and are starting to build a new tiki hut/gazebo in the old space! It has taken a lot of work and time, but poco a poco we’re almost finished!


Swimming with a sea turtle and lots of fish at Pena Blanca

You have to check out the sea turtle underwater footage in this video! Start at 8:30 if you don’t want to watch the whole video but want to see the turtle! Super magical moment!

Abandoned Youth Detention Facility in Cabo Rojo

Fun random moments, flowers, bananas, friends, abandoned buildings, tarantulas

Ermita San Antonio

 
Fun excursions around Isabela including Royal Isabela and the Guajataca Tunnel

Fun with family who were visiting


Visit to a waterfall and molino in Maricao

Playa Buye is so buyetiful haha

Playa Buye in Cabo Rojo

Good times in Aguadilla: Crashboat, Cerro Cabrera and More even though we had to deal with a traffic ticket (dark tint)


Fun on Halloween

 


Cool new waterfall: Charca el Zumbo in San Sebastian!


Stopping by downtown Cabo Rojo after a Dr Appt


Cool Bridge in Morovis called “Puente Mata de Platano”

 

A Super Unique Experience to see an Abandoned Castle in Morovis


More good times that I don’t take for granted anymore: Thanksgiving, haircuts, flower deliveries

 
Awesome cave to explore: Cueva del Viento in the Bosque Estatal de Guajataca!

 
Photoshoots to keep up the creativity


Visit to a Gothic Cemetery (San Rafael)


Checking out a cool Hacienda (Casona Amador) including an interview with the owner!


And Barrio Charcas of Quebradillas with its Parque Jibaro


And the Portal de Los Reyes and the Cantina Custer also in Quebradillas


More flowers, gardens and out and about in RIncon


And that just about catches us up!


We wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a much better 2021!

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Quebradillas Adventure to La Ventana, Puente Blanco, El Merendero

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Quebradillas: Behind-the-scenes making of the video

A while back before the lockdown began we had the opportunity to meet Heidi Aviles at an open house for her butterfly collection.

Since then we have stayed in contact and found that she is also an avid explorer of Puerto Rico and we made plans to meet up when things settled down a bit. Last week was our opportunity. We have done a little exploring of Quebradillas, but Heidi said there are even more treasures in this Pirate town!


These are a few videos from previous adventures to Quebradillas!


Cute little gazebos they call bohios, each with the name of a famous Cacique or Taino Indian Chief


Look at this cool “Octopus Tree” – it really does look like an octopus! Even has “eyes”

Our first stop was Parque el Merendero just beneath the Mirador that overlooks Quebradillas on the highway. I was impressed with how nice the trails and views were. I would definitely go there to stop for a picnic again as the name implies (Merendero means a place to snack/eat). The trails even led all the way down to the beach!

Next up, we went down the road where Heidi had found a “window” hole that looked through on both sides to the sea! It reminded me a little of Cueva de la Ventana except instead of a river/valley view it was the ocean! A really cool little hike through the quebradas and then up the cliff side to a spectacular vista!


Just spectacular!

Something I love about Puerto Rico is that these special gems are just hidden in plain sight. In other places of the world they would be turned into tourist attractions -and some are, like Cueva Ventana in Arecibo, but most are still raw and just there for everyone to find and enjoy!

Our final stop on our tour with Heidi was to the Puente Blanco. This bridge at one point in time was used for passenger and sugarcane transport train travel. From the top it looks like nothing special (besides the view), but beneath it you can see the wonder of architecture that it once was!


At El Puente Blanco in Quebradillas


View from the top of the bridge with our friend and guide, Heidi

We are already planning more explorations of the island with our adventurous new friend! Please subscribe to our channel on YouTube to see the latest adventures and updates to the farm. I’m also trying to use Instagram a little more if you’d like to follow along and see some fun pictures.

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Cueva Ventana and Much More in Utuado and Arecibo

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At the famous spot! Cueva Ventana

It’s hard to believe that we had never been to Cueva Ventana! It is one of the most famous landmarks in all of Puerto Rico and the famous window scene is used in many tourism campaigns and even things like bank website pan screens. But, I suppose there is a first time for everything. Apparently since 2013 it has become a truly “tourist” destination that is only accessible with a paid tour. This isn’t usually our style of adventure, but since it was the only way to see it and we really DID want to see it, we didn’t hesitate when a friend mentioned they were heading up and if we would like to join. We had to make sure it would work out with Aeden’s daycare, but once that was settled, we made arrangements with our friends who are visiting, Petra and Brian to take the trek up there and meet the larger group.

 
Ancient Taino petroglyphs in the cave are said to protect the entrances


Fun in the cave. It was light enough throughout most of it to take pretty good photos without flash


We had to wear safety helmets and the group was huge! Things we’re not used to!

The tour was fun and the caves were super neat, but I yearned for the days before the paid tour. It didn’t cost too much ($11 for PR residents with ID, $22 for non-residents), but it was just so slow and lumbering and very basic. The guide was pointing out things like snails on the trees and tarantula holes in the ground. Things that might be interesting to a visitor, but are daily sightings for us jungle dwellers. So we tried to make the most of the slow moving train taking pictures and looking for cool plants along the way. We found mamey, corazon, seeds that are often used in jewelry and other neat plants.


Lago Dos Bocas

I had researched the area before and found that Lago Dos Bocas is just a hop skip and a jump away. I wasn’t sure how it would be since it had been over a decade since we’d been there! When we arrived, it was obvious that it had not been fully repaired since Hurricane Maria and the ferry boats weren’t running. Apparently on the weekends there are private boats that will take you to a couple of restaurants on the lake, but they weren’t going. It was intermittently rainy, so we just enjoyed the lakeview for a bit and then headed down the road.


Pretty spot, the Lake of Two Mouths


Wouldn’t you stop if you saw this??!

While were were driving along, I spotted a mural that said “La Hamaca”. I had heard of La Hamaca Bridge in Adjuntas, but I didn’t think we were quite that far inland. Still, I encouraged us all to stop and check it out. Sure enough, it was another Hammock or suspension bridge crossing a river in Utuado!


Suspension Bridge La Hamaca Salto Abajo, Utuado


A fun little stop!


Shortly after this picture was taken my hat took sail and Britton had to wade out to get it haha

We had a nice meal of comida criolla by the river and then checked out downtown Utuado. It was an old colonial plaza with some cool architectureand a quiet vibe. There were still some areas cordoned off because of earthquake damage which surprised me this deep in the island’s interior.


Colorful Utuado

Finally as we were driving back down the curving back roads we passed the Caguana Ceremonial Park and stopped. My vague memory of this on our honeymoon is so different than what it looks like now. They didn’t even have the little grass replica huts, but they did have the large ceremonial roads and fields and some very impressive huge ceiba trees as well as achiote/annato trees which was used, among other things, as a skin paint for the Tainos. It was beautiful and vast, but the museum was closed, so there wasn’t much else to see. But for $3 it was worth a stop to support them in hopefully fully opening up again.  .


We made it back just in the nick of time to pick up Aeden. It was a wonderful day trip exploration of the interior of the island.

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Growth and Markets: Our Weekly Routine in Puerto Rico

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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.

 

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