Trip to Puerto Rico
July 16, 2016
In March of 2003, as a birthday present for myself, I went on a trip to Puerto Rico. I had never been to the Caribbean before, never been south of Tampa, Florida, in fact. Originally, I was going to be traveling with a friend, and it had been her idea to head south to one of the islands. She ended up not being able to go after all, but I stuck with the idea, chose Puerto Rico, and headed out on my own. I was lucky and was able to get a direct flight from Boston to San Juan. Unfortunately, my seat was in the middle section, so it was impossible to see anything other than bright light. Obviously, there was no chance for any photos as we came in over the island. Upon arriving, I picked up my rental car and drove straight out of the city, heading east along the coast. My plan was to spend a couple of days camping in the El Yunque National Forest before moving on and checking out the rest of the island. I had done a little bit of research before leaving home. El Yunque is approximately 29,000 acres, making it one of the smallest in the US National Forest system. It is the only tropical rainforest we have, and is one of the most diverse, biologically speaking, with hundreds of plant and animal species. There are numerous hiking trails of varying length and difficulty and interesting sights, ranging from waterfalls to watchtowers. I was really looking forward to my time there.
My first photo of the rainforest. I was amazed by the splash of color amidst all the greenery. El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico Upon entering the National Forest, I stopped at both the El Portal Tropical Forest Center and, further on, the Palo Colorado Information Center to get the information I’d need for my visit. I took quite a few photos along the way, documenting everything I saw. Having never been to a place like this before, I was quite impressed and wanted to share it all with my family and friends back home. I spent the rest of the afternoon hiking to see La Mina Falls. Unlike the few other hikes I’d done in the past, the hike started off downhill to reach the waterfall, then back up the mountainside to return to the car. It was a relatively short hike but still took me several hours roundtrip. Unfortunately, I’d left my water bottle in the car, thinking I wouldn't need it for such a short hike. Big mistake! Luckily, it turned out alright in the end. I was only at the waterfall a very short time and didn’t take many photos. The pool and rocks below the falls were full of people lounging around, swimming and relaxing in the cool waters and cooler air temperature produced by the spray. It was quite crowded, which always makes me feel a little uncomfortable, so I simply snapped a few pics for myself and everyone back home, then started the return climb. La Mina was really very pretty, but to be honest, I have no idea if it was running at full potential or not. Back home in the spring, water levels are quite high due to snowmelt. Here in the tropical rainforest, I don’t know how it works. Would the waterfall look the same no matter what the time of year? If I had visited at another time, would it have been even more spectacular or less so? I simply don't know. Looking back, I wish I could have stayed until everyone left and done some long exposure shots on my tripod. However, that never would have happened at that point in my photographic journey. One, I didn’t have a tripod with me, almost never wanting that extra baggage when traveling. Two, I didn’t have any neutral density filters to help get longer exposures, and I can’t remember if I even had my polarizing filter with me. Three, I hadn’t done much with long exposure before, other than a few star trail experiments, and wouldn’t have even thought to spend the time there to experiment when I was limited on my film for the trip. Experience and the benefits of digital really have changed the way I photograph today. By the time I made it back to my car, everything was closed up for the day. El Yunque is only open from 7:30am to 6:00pm, unless you have a camping permit to sleep within its bounds. I had found out earlier that there were no campgrounds inside the Forest, so to camp, you had to find a suitable flat bit of land at least 30 feet into the woods off the Trade Winds Trail. I headed to that area but ditched that idea before too long. I neither had the appropriate gear nor the experience for that kind of camping and felt it was better to forego than risk becoming lost or hurt. So, I spent that night and the next sleeping in my car at one of the turnouts within the Forest with my camping permit prominently displayed. I had no troubles the first night, verified it was ok with the rangers the next day, and was fine the second night when a cop stopped to check out the car.
View of the rainforest near Yokahu Tower. El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico The following day was my only full day in El Yunque. I spent the whole day driving around to different hiking trails to see and photograph as much as possible. I got some photos of La Coca Falls before moving on to the Yokahu Tower. I had to wait for them to open before I could go up for some nice views of the rainforest. After that, I hiked parts of the Caimitillo, Bano de Oro, and El Yunque Trails. Then, it was on to the end of the road to hike the short distance up to the Mt Britton Lookout Tower. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Sierra Palm, Juan Diego, and La Coca before heading back to Yokahu Tower.
It was a really great day with only a few issues. It had been a blue-sky day with a nice breeze, absolutely gorgeous, but it meant there wasn’t much for a sunrise or sunset. And, because it was so wonderful, I spent way too much time up on the towers enjoying the breeze and the views and got the worse sunburn I’ve ever had. Lesson learned - always bring or acquire sunscreen and aloe, and if that’s not possible, make sure to wear lightweight loose long-sleeved shirts and a broad-brimmed hat.
Sunrise view of the rainforest and coast near the Yokahu Tower. El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico The next morning it was time to leave the National Forest and check out the rest of the island. I drove north back to the main highway, then west along the coast (not that you could see it) past San Juan to Arecibo. From there, I headed south into Utuado, then west until arriving at the Caguana Indian Park near Angeles. I spent an hour there exploring the ruins and taking photos. Then, I moved on to the south end of the island to visit the Tibes Indian Park in Ponce. There, I watched a short documentary in the museum before joining a guided tour. Both parks were very interesting, though quite different, and I learned a lot about the pre-Columbian cultures of the island. After that, I drove north to the town of Adjuntas, where I stayed the night in a small motel.
Recreated pre-Columbian village - hut, firepit, and boat. Tibes Indian Park, Puerto Rico In the morning, I headed north and west until reaching the Rio Camuy Caves outside the town of Quebrada. I’ve always enjoyed caves and try to visit any in the area when I go on vacation. Each cave system is very unique, so there's always something new to learn and experience. The Rio Camuy Caves were no exception. They were great! At first, we went down inside one of the caves, Cueva Clara, and it was pretty familiar terrain. Then, the far end came into view, and it was a jagged cave mouth opening onto the jungle. We walked right to the entrance and looked up to the sky. It was the Sumidero de Empalme. After that, we visited Sumidero de Espiral and Sumidero Tres Pueblos.
The jagged mouth of Cueva Clara, looking into Sumidero de Empalme. Rio Camuy Caves, Puerto Rico
Gazing up at the opening to the Empalme Sinkhole from Clara Cave. Rio Camuy Caves, Puerto Rico Sinkholes were something I’d never seen before, and it was really amazing. I’ll be honest. It was a little scary too, not knowing if the ground was going to open up and create another sinkhole while you were standing there. Of course it didn’t happen, but I couldn’t help but think it just the same. The cave system is actually quite huge with only the tiniest fraction seen on the tour. According to Wikipedia, there are over 10 miles of caverns with 17 entrances and 200 individual caves mapped, but possibly another 800 caves exist as part of the system! The whole system was created by the 3rd largest underground river in the world.
Looking up the cliff face from inside Sumidero de Espiral (Spiral Sinkhole). Rio Camuy Caves, Puerto Rico That afternoon, I drove the short distance east to the Arecibo Observatory outside the town of Las Marias. This was not a photo destination but rather just a really cool place to visit. It’s an astronomy observatory but doesn’t use a visual telescope. Instead, it’s essentially a giant radio satellite dish. For anyone who has seen the movie Contact with Jodie Foster, you’ll recognize the location. I just had to get my geek on and visit one of the places from that fantastic movie. After that, I drove north and spent the night in a motel in the town of Arecibo.
Part of the radio telescope. It was so large, it sprawled across several hills and valleys, making it impossible to photograph in its entirety except from the air. Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico For my final full day in Puerto Rico, I drove east along the northern coast to San Juan. I wanted to spend the day exploring the old city and left the car in a parking garage nearby. I wandered around, sticking mostly to the water's edge along the old walls. I was particularly enamored with them, really loved the little towers jutting out that hung suspended above the ground. Most of the photos I took that day wound up with a tower somewhere in them, in fact.
A view of the walls, a gate into the city, and one of those cute little towers. San Juan, Puerto Rico I spent quite a bit of time exploring Castillo de San Felipe del Morro and Fuerte San Cristobal. El Morro was by far the more popular fortification. It sits on the promontory that separates San Juan Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The expansive grassy lawn between the fort and the city was full of people picnicking and flying kites. By contrast, San Cristobal at the eastern end of the old city was very nearly deserted. I felt like I had the place to myself. They were both fascinating and provided a lot of interesting photo opportunities, not only of the forts themselves but also of their surroundings.
The street leading from El Morro to San Cristobal, seen in the distance, lined with beautiful brightly painted buildings. San Juan, Puerto Rico I must say, I rather enjoyed Viejo San Juan. The brightly painted buildings were a novelty for me, and I was quite taken with the interesting form to the façade of a church I stumbled upon. I liked how clean the whole area was and how there were hardly any people about. It was very peaceful and relaxing, quite a different sensation for me with cities. However, as much as I was having a good time, by mid-afternoon, it was time to head out. I left San Juan behind, heading east towards El Yunque once more. This time I continued past the National Forest to the town of Fajardo, where I would be spending my last night on the island, camping on the beach. After setting up the tent, I took a handful of photos of the campground and beach. I did it quickly, more to document the trip than anything else, as the light wasn't that great at the moment. The storm clouds that had shown up while I was in San Juan were breaking up, so there might have been a good sunset a bit later on. I honestly don’t know, though; I was already ensconced in my tent by then, ready for bed. The following morning I returned to San Juan and flew home. Overall, the trip had been a great experience and a wonderful birthday present for myself. I really enjoyed my time there and learned a lot. It was a real eye-opener for me, even more so now that I look back on it. If I ever have a chance to go back or to go to another tropical island, I’ll have more insight on subject matter and techniques for better photographs. I look forward to the possibilities.
Early morning light at the campground. Fajardo, Puerto Rico ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Click here to see more photos from Puerto Rico. |
