Sorry, TLC, I Will Go Chasing Waterfalls

By Karen Hudson

For someone who once lived in Hawaii, I have a very sad number of memories of that gorgeous landscape. The only thing I remember about spending my toddler years in Hawaii is having nightmares about The Incredible Hulk.

I’m so excited to be here in Puerto Rico so I can have real, long-lasting memories of time in an exotic land. Thanks to our wonderful tour guides in El Yunque, Papo, and Jose, I finally have those memories that will last a lifetime.

When we arrived at El Yunque, we were excited to see Papo again. He has to be one of the best tour guides in Puerto Rico; I’m convinced that there is nothing he doesn’t know about his native land. When we entered El Yunque, he showed us how to make cheap postcards from the leaves of a cupey tree. He pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote a short note. “Just put a stamp on it and put it in the mail,” he said with his signature grin.

Jose led us on the trail and we hiked for about half an hour until we reached a waterfall with a swimming area. I was hot and tired; a dip in the water sounded like the perfect remedy. Always a gentleman, Jose helped all of us navigate the slippery rocks. He laughed as we shrieked in reaction to the temperature of the water. He put a thermometer in the water and told us, “It’s 78 degrees! That’s not cold!”

I finally worked up the nerve to get into the water with Marisa. We held hands and shrieked just like the girls before us. Emily encouraged us to dunk ourselves. “You’ll feel better once you get in, I promise!” she said. I wasn’t sure if that was possible but I took her advice anyway. She was right. I found a place to sit in a large rock and enjoyed the sounds of the waterfall and laughter. I tried to swim to the waterfall with my roommate, Zaina, but the force of the water knocked me off my feet. Emily helped me return to my seat on the rock, where I rested until it was time to leave.




As I crawled over the rocks to the edge of the water, I saw two women holding hands and shivering. “Just get in!” I yelled. “It’ll get better, I promise.” They smiled and said, “You’re crazy! It’s so cold!” We laughed and they helped me out of the water. When we returned to the trail, I looked back at the waterfall. The women were splashing around and encouraging their friends to get in. “It gets better, you just have to get in!” they yelled. I smiled and continued on with our hike, wondering if the same was true for my time in Puerto Rico. I don’t know how if could get any better, but I’m ready to find out.