Category Archives: Tropical Plants and Food

Anniversary Trip to Guanica: Lighthouse Ruins and Copamarina Resort

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Copamarina Resort

We have been trying to check out new places that we haven’t seen in our time in Puerto Rico. We tend to stay close to the west coast because we can make it a day trip and get home before it is too dark so as to put Aeden to sleep. Since it was our anniversary we decided to head a little further south to Guanica thanks to a suggestion from some readers! (PS if you ever have a place you’d like us to check out, or a topic you’d like us to discuss, send us a message and we’ll do our best to make it happen.)


First stop: Guanica Lighthouse Ruins

We stopped at the Guanica Lighthouse Ruins on our way to the Copamarina because it was literally just on the side of the road we were driving. It reminded me of the Aguadilla Ruins except that it isn’t directly on the ocean. The view was beautiful and if we hadn’t been a little dressed up I might have scrambled around the area a bit more. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.


Fun in Guanica

Hey!


Family pic


Smile!

Next we were off to the resort. It was only about 5-10 minutes down from the lighthouse and super easy to find. A lush oasis in the desert. The most striking thing about the Guanica area in general is how very, very dry it is. For people who are looking to live in an arid environment, this southwestern region of Puerto Rico is where it’s at. For me, while I loved the way the resort maintained a tropical and lush environment with what must be a LOT of watering, I prefer it to be that way a little more naturally. The resort itself had all the classic feel with loungers, pools, hammocks and even a pier that they use to take people on sunset boat rides and you can rent kayaks to go to nearby Gilligan’s Island which I still very much want to see.


Beautiful setting


A little bit expensive ($30 for a tiny pizza and 2 beers) and they didn’t let us use their pool, but we enjoyed the ocean instead and they at least let us use the outdoor showers

I enjoyed their landscaping/gardening a lot and it gave me ideas for our gardens


We drove home and caught the tail end of a beautiful sunset in Mayaguez. It was a wonderful day!

Here’s a short video of our time there.

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Earthship PR on Earth Day

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Earthship PR in Aguada, Puerto Rico

I have heard about the Earthship in Aguada for some time, but haven’t had the chance to check it out until now. It has been a working apiary (TainaSoy/Chaparro Apiaro) but recently has transformed into something magical. The Earthship PR has a lot of potential as it is still in its infancy, but it was great to see the results in the making. Based on the biotechture Earthships of Taos New Mexico, the goal is for it to be a sustainably built (using tires, cans, bottles and other “trash”) community center that is completely off grid -water, electricity and food. At this point it has a basic working rainwater system, and a very minimal solar set up (one panel) and a small garden.


Derek and Matt led the discussion

But the coolest thing to me was the structure style and re-use of the colored glass bottles to make a stain-glass effect in the dome-like huts. It felt like we were in a movie/art set. The soft edges made it seem like we were in a fairy tale setting dancing under mushroom caps. From the vision of Eco-sustainability to the community engagement (it was built nearly all from volunteer labor) and just the sheer “cool factor” this place was a true inspiration of what can be possible with a little dream and a lot of elbow grease! Check out the video below for a full tour. The Earth Day event was also a lot of fun with bomba music, local artisans and food, and just a really chill, good vibe to help us appreciate how awesome it is to live on planet Earth!


Inside the first hut


Beautiful art work


Down by the river area people were set up hanging out, playing music

Aeden checking out the glass cut outs


Me, Derek and Matt on the tour

My friend Missy with her homemade soap using goat milk and beeswax from there


They are small Dome-like structures (maybe 10×10). I enjoyed the art on the walls


Lovely heliconias in bloom


And a lot of pineapples everywhere we looked!


From the backside -a work in progress!


How the dome structures are built- tires and a rebar cage dome filled with refuse and concrete


Goat on a rope


Open every Saturday -bring food, bring support, volunteer in whatever manner you can!


People on the tour during Earth Day


Me and Aeden down by the river/quebrada area


A special thanks to David White for filming this interview

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April Update -Finca, Flowers, Friends, Fruit and Fun

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Hanging with my little guy in Rincon

If it weren’t for me being a chronic photo-taker, I don’t know if I would ever blog anymore. The pictures help me to remember what we have been up to which has been a lot of fun! We have been busy with visiting friends, the flower business continues to grow (literally haha), the cabana has been booked regularly and we have seen some cool sights as well. Aeden is growing up fast and at 7 months can now sit up on his own and eats sooo much regular food! Here are quite a few pictures that tell so much more than my hands can type.


Babies grow so fast! I had no idea. Compare 1 month to 6 months


Britton and Aeden at Rompeolas in Aguadilla


We have a bunch of new varieties of flowers coming in right now


Family fun at the farm


Why is Britton usually carrying Aeden? Because he is huge in comparison to me! These pictures were taken at the same moment in time 🙂


And work -clearing out more underbrush and dead trees to plant fruit trees and flowers


One of Kitty’s last pictures 🙁


We buried him near the bridge so we can think of him every day. We miss you, Kitty. You were a good cat


I am also so saddened by the death of our former bandmate, drummer, artist, jokester and friend, Rob


We finished the concrete staircase that enters the jungle and added solar lights


Fun in Aguada


With the babe


At the pool of Casa Islena -Aeden loves kicking water


At the pool of Villa Montana too!


With his sweet little friend and our new friends


At the pool of Rincon of the Seas

 
With friends Tracy and Fernando


We’ve had some large orders of flowers lately!


And more and more keep growing like these gardenias


Peek-a-boo!


New variety of starfruit started growing on a tree we planted!


And our first ever Siam Rose flower bloomed! We weren’t sure about this one since it usually takes a lot more rain than Rincon gets

Grosella tree is going off!


So I brought a bag of them to Roots Bar to see what magic Sashary can make with them!


These gals are so fun!


So sad to see our good friends the Kersches move away (at Ode in Aguada)


Chicken in the bushes


We spend a lot of time outside on the farm with the munchkin


Manzano guineos as they ripen – apple flavored bananas! Not your typical store banana!

 
It’s a colorful time of year! Ornamental Turmeric Flower and caladium from our farm and a Reina de las flores in the market

Our little boy is growing up too fast!


Go where love grows! My two cowboys!


Yeehaw at Cowboys in Rincon


Palm Sunday procession in Rincon


Gecko visiting an ornamental banana flower


“Bienvenidos” is too cool! And a great part of Rincon


Stopped in at the Ag Fest in Mayaguez


And the ArtWalk -we don’t go out at night much anymore with the little guy


Britton, bananas and baby!


Fun seeing our friends Matt and Jamie again


Hanging at the beach


And my friend from high school/Colorado, Sarah and her family at Villa Cofresi


Pineapples are growing good!


And more bananas! These are the “Cuban reds”


More flowers! Double hibiscus and orchid


We also ate our first jaboticaba after about 4 years of waiting!


The gardens are really coming in beautifully!


Driving along in Mayaguez, this horse was standing there like “Am I not Magestic? You should take my picture!” So I did


Plantain delivery in action!


Saw these ornate Don Quixote (I assume) carved figurines in a garden store!

Check out this stinky star flower I saw walking around too!


Cool mural in Aguada


Selfie time!


Papaya grows wild here! We didn’t plant this, but we sure did eat it! Tasted like cantaloupe


Well, that’s all folks! Until the next time!

Oh and here is Aeden’s 7 month update video! Enjoy!

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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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