MY VISIT TO PUERTO RICO (Part 2) - 14.11 to 01.12.2005

RAIN FOREST EXPERIENCE, EL YUNQUE - Puerto Rico was the longest visit I had, and due to that (but also because my body was screaming for it!) we did dome tourism the last weekend of november. One of the destinies was the Caribbean National Forest, known as El Yunque. Get its name from an Indian spirit Yuquiye, which means "Forest of Clouds", that gave the mountain that dominates the 28,000 acre of tropical forest. With over 240 species (26 species are found nowhere else) of trees and plants, give reason to the government of Puerto Rico to spend a great deal of moneymaking to preserve floral species and animals that are on the verge of extinction. The total area is 11,270 ha (75% of Puerto Rico virgin forest is here).

Thanks to Natalia (Broco!), MC member of Puerto Rico we went to el Yunque

El Yunque is the rainiest of all the National Forests with up to 240 inches per year. More than 100 billion gallons of rainwater fall on the Forest per year. The climate is frost-free and ranges in moisture from semi-desert to rain forest conditions within very short distances. There are strong easterly trade-winds and cool weather is normal at the higher elevations.

LOOKING FOR A BIT OF SUN - This same "tourism" weekend it was of course mandatory to go to the beach and get a bit of sun. On an island, it seems to be quite obvious that you could find sun everywhere, but specially this weekend the weather was terrible! Luckily on sunday we managed to go to a beach (actually a close one) where the weather was very good and enjoyed a couple of hours of sun.

Alcapurria filled with crab - typical to eat on the way to the beach


On the beach


This was too romandtic ... policemen on horses on the beach