Detaching from reality

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.puertoricodaytrips.com/top-10-natural-wonders/

http://www.naturalwonderspr.com

http://www.seepuertorico.com/en/experiences/nature/

http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/top5attractions/tp/7wondersofpuertorico.htm

http://www.puertorico.com/reserves/

Remember to Enjoy the View

By Kali Carter

On the first day of fall classes, one of my professor's told my magazine class about the trip to Puerto Rico. I took the class with one of my sorority sisters, who I didn't know much about at the time. Immediately, Lauren and I told ourselves we would go on the trip together, and have the winter break of a lifetime. To be honest, I don't think either of us really thought we would follow through, but planning the trip and talking about our adventure brought us closer.

Since I was five years old, I have always been that girl who holds back if I know one other person in a group. For some reason, I always tend to let loose or act on my own when I don't know anyone around. Overall, I am a very outgoing person. I say what I think and I think that quality is often appreciated by others. On one hand, though, I am reserved. On the other, I am wild and free. Around certain groups of people, I'm quiet; Around others, I'm not. I couldn't tell you why I am different around people, because no matter how I act, I stay true to myself and I act the way I feel in each moment. Before studying abroad in South America last summer, I didn't know anyone. From the moment I arrived, I was exactly the person I wanted to be. I talked, I laughed, I made jokes, and most importantly, I didn't hold anything back. My close friends from the trip are still my good friends to this day. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I thought nothing would ever come close to topping it... Until now that is.

The Puerto Rico experience is a different story. This time, I had a friend. I expected a two week vacation filled with laying on the beach and finding the hippest nightspots. I thought having Lauren around might keep me from branching out, and it some ways, that was true. Overall, though, having her around pushed me to try new things and get out of my comfort zone in ways I might not have done otherwise.

From the first time we met at our pre-departure class back in Norman, it was clear every person in the group was unique and different. We were all different ages, we all had different interests, but we had one thing in common: we were branching out. One thing I know for certain is no matter what your age and no matter your background, trying new things and leaving your comfort zone is always a challenge. At first glance, an outsider would never think this group could become a family. I guess it's a good thing we weren't outsiders.

A few days into our trip, we went to the Puerto Rican rainforest, El Yunque. After hiking a distance, we approached a magnificent waterfall. Most of the girls were brave enough to swim under the waterfall, which is definitely one of my life's greatest moments thus far. In a weird way, that experience brought us together. That afternoon, we went to our graduate assistant's apartment in Luquillo Beach. We grilled food on her rooftop, and swam in the water at one of Puerto Rico's most beautiful beaches. Overall, it was one of those absolutely perfect days. Those days only children dream about, before they grow up and realize what a complicated world this is. It was one of those days written about in fairy tales, filled with innocence and magic. Everyone was happy. By this point, we barely knew each other, but there was no one else in the world we would have rather been with in those moments.

Although I can easily recite 50 facts about Puerto Rico thanks to Dr. Subervi's oral exam, I'm not sure how long I'll retain that information. I could easily sit here and tell everyone reading this blog that El Yunque gets roughly 200 inches of rain per year. I could tell everyone that four million people live in Puerto Rico, and that over two million of those people live in the San Juan metropolitan area. I could tell everyone that Ponce is known as the city of lions, but it wouldn't matter to them. Most people who read this do not care about the facts, because that's something they will forget. I, too, will eventually forget the facts, but I will always have my memories.

My memories include New Years Eve, which was by far everyone in the group's best New Year's Eve to date. My memories include El Yunque, and kayaking through the bioluminescent bay. My memories include Luquillo Beach, and the three kings day parade in Juana Diaz. My memories include our last night in Puerto Rico, and everyone coming out with me at midnight to celebrate my 21st birthday.

Although the schoolwork took its toll, I definitely came away with a better knowledge of a culture, both similar and different than my own. My friendship with Lauren became stronger, and I formed bonds with everyone else in the group. I am so grateful for all of my experiences over the past two weeks, and the trip turned out better than I ever could have imagined. I enjoyed all the people I was lucky enough to meet, because they truly are what made the experience worthwhile. After all, the journey means nothing if you have no one to share it with.



I have traveled all my life, and as an aspiring travel writer, I can say for certain this trip will not be my last. Each experience is its own, and not at all comparable to any journey that occurs either before or after. I will always have fond memories of my time in Puerto Rico, and I feel so privileged to know everyone who was a part of it. I know we will all go our separate ways from here, but for two weeks, we were a family, and no one can ever take that away from us. I will always care deeply for everyone on the trip, and I look forward being a part of everyone's lives as we look forward to the many adventures that await us.

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.

I took the road less traveled by

By Kali Carter

Coquis and waterfalls and slipping, oh my! El Yunque was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I liked the rivers; I liked the trees; I liked virtually everything about its calm, serene atmosphere. The tropical rainforest, located in the eastern part of Puerto Rico, is home to nearly 250 different species, and has an average rainfall of 200 inches per year. Some people consider its beauty so majestic it deserves to be called one of the new seven wonders of the world.

In a completely different atmosphere, nearly two hours away, lies another forest. This forest has no waterfalls, no rivers, and no slippery rocks. Instead, this forest has cacti, sunlight, and an average rainfall of 15 inches per year. This tropical dry forest is known as Guanica.

After getting the chance to experience El Yunque, it was only a matter of time before our group saw Guanica as well. On January 3, we made the journey from San Juan to Ponce. Our group met up with two new tour guides, Francisco and Juan, who would end up taking us around the city and its surrounding areas over the next few days. The next day, Francisco and Juan took us to the Guanica dry forest for a morning hike. Since I'm not in my best shape, I enjoyed knowing the hike would not take as long as the one in the rainforest. Even though the trails were rocky, the rays of the sun were blazing, which made the walk even more exhausting.

Francisco led the tour, showing us different types of trees, plants, cacti, and reptiles. On our hike, we saw a mahogany forest, and cacti with edible melons. To be quite honest, I was actually surprised how much life was visible in such an arid place. If I had been walking the trails by myself, I would have thought I was in the woods in Texas; however, Francisco knew exactly which trees were which, and he pointed out parts of nature we might have overlooked on our own.

Even though I knew the forest was dry, I expected it to be desolate. In fact, though, the forest is 10,000 acres inhabited by over 600 types of plants and animals. The trees were green and the plants were plush, which added much color and beauty to the landscape.

Thanks to a cool breeze off the coast of Guanica Bay, we eventually made our way through the hike and even learned something along the way. Certain places, such as El Yunque, will always stand out as naturally beautiful. Other places, such as Guanica, are beautiful below the surface. Finding the beauty is all about taking the time to search out the unknown and appreciate all of the splendor, obvious or not, nature has to offer.