By: Pam Ortega
I
sat down on the shoreline, warm water rushed and hit my thighs, my hands played
with the sand, and I looked out, not thinking about what awaited back home. It’s
no surprise that Puerto Rico is called the island of enchantment. From their
high mountains, to their colorful bio bays to their clean beaches, Puerto Rico
has something to offer everyone.
Nature
is an essential part of Puerto Rican culture. The island is in a tropical
state, thus vegetation and fishing is key. Puerto Ricans have always closely
identified themselves with nature, especially at night when the coqui sing a
lullaby.
Among
one of the wonders of Puerto Rico is El Yunque. (http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque) The forest is the only tropical
rainforest in the US Forestry Service and one of the most diverse sub- tropical
mountainous forests in the Caribbean. It’s no surprise visitors are amazed by
it. Aziz and Sarah Alamajil , a newlywed couple visiting from Saudi Arabia (http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/Saudi%20Arabia.html) ,
were amazed by the size of the trees, waterfalls and snails. El Yunque served
as an escape for them from “ 122 to 130 degree weather.”
Puerto
Rico (http://www.puertorico.com) allowed me to detach myself from the world and enjoy the wonders it has to
offer. In Oklahoma, we can not walk to the store or run by the beach. I had the
opportunity to engage with nature, in a way I had never done before. I trekked
up the El Yunque trail, which other than giving me a good workout gave me a learning
experience. For a person who easily freaks out over ants, I did not mind being
around green-eared snails (http://lntreasures.com/pr.html) and coquis.(http://www.elboricua.com/coqui.html) I gracefully ran by the ocean shoreline, continually
thinking about life. I was able to sit down, by the ocean, and just stare out.
Puerto Rico gave me a break from reality, from running errands, to meetings and
assignments. It gave me the opportunity to finally live.
http://www.puertorico.com/reserves/
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