Isabella and I’s day began by getting breakfast at Waffler Avenue. I ordered the Skinny Morning (egg whites, spinach, Swiss cheese, mayo, cilantro) for $9.89. It was good and it gave me the fuel I needed to start my day off right. Isabella and I ordered our food to go and ate back at our Airbnb. After we finished eating, we packed our bags and headed out to our designated pickup location for our excursions. We were going to be hiking El Yunque as well as kayaking in the Bioluminescent Bay. I am not sure how Isabella and I convinced ourselves that we would be able to do back-to-back excursions, but we signed up for it, so we leaned into it. El Yunque es donde nació nuestra abuela (El Yunque is where our grandmother was born). El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. When we arrived at El Yunque we got geared up with helmets and life vests. As we began our trek, our guides repeatedly told us to embrace the mud. We quickly learned how true this statement was. By the end of the hike, I was covered in mud. The hike was moderate; parts were narrow, rocky, slippery, and steep. Somehow our entire group made it to our destination which was a large watering pool. It was stunning. We were shaded by large leafy trees, with water flowing around us. At this point, the guides gave us the option of staying put or continuing on a challenging rock-climbing adventure. Normally, I would not have done this additional portion but something in me pushed me to be brave and open to the full experience. I am so proud of myself for facing multiple fears, trusting myself, and getting extremely uncomfortable. I free climbed up large rocks, went down a natural waterslide, cliff jumped, and swung from a rope into the water. The natural waterslide looked short but there was a hidden drop that launched you many feet in the air and then you plummeted into the water without warning. The cliff jump was the easiest way to get down the mountain instead of climbing over more rocks, so I took the 20-foot drop, belly first. That was super unfortunate and painful, but I laughed it off. You would think that would have been enough for me, but I went back up and swung myself into the water from the rope. After all the different water adventures I took a break and just floated in the pool of water. Our tour guides cut up fresh fruit on a rock and invited everyone to partake in the bounty. I had the most amazing avocado, mango, and papaya in the middle of El Yunque standing in clear water surrounded by all the greenery. I will never forget how beautiful and pure that moment was. After our playtime was over, we trekked back to our bus. We got power washed off to remove most of the mud and then we traveled to a well-deserved dinner.
We ate at Rincon del Faro. Isabella and I sat at a large table with some of our newfound friends and shared travel stories with each other as we ate. I had Chillo or Red Snapper for $22. It was one of the most delicious meals I ate during this trip. The service here was slow but we did come as a large group. Isabella and I also treated ourselves to post hike/pre kayak mojitos. I enjoyed this break, but I knew that we still had a whole other adventure to conquer.
We went to Laguna Grande Bioluminescent Bay for our nighttime kayak tour. We started our journey off with daylight still apparent. The paddle out to the Bay was not bad. Once the group was all together, our guides from Kayaking Puerto Rico, hooked us together so no one would drift. We waited together as the sky slowly began to darken. Our guides gave us a short educational lesson about the ecosystem around us. I was in awe at the beauty that surrounded me. However, my mind kept wandering back to the fact that there were barracudas in the waters below which absolutely terrified me. Once it was dark enough, the sky was filled with endless stars. Our guides pointed out some of the constellations and then unhooked us and let us play freely in the Bay as the bioluminescence was now visible. Being able to witness the glow of these microorganisms with a light touch of a finger is an incredible experience. There are only five bioluminescent bays in the world and Puerto Rico is home to three of them. I would highly recommend visiting one of the five bays to everyone at least once in their lifetime. It is an unforgettable experience. I am fortunate enough that this was my second time experiencing this glowing magic. Unfortunately, all good things must end, and our playtime ended sooner than I would have hoped. We had a long and treacherous journey back; the currents were now against us. We were warned in the days prior to our trip that we would experience stronger than usual currents, but I was not prepared for the reality of how strong these currents would be. It was quite literally a fight for our lives. Okay… maybe not that dramatic. It felt like it though. It took us double the amount of time to leave the bay as it did to come into the bay. We would paddle forward 10 feet and get sent back 20 feet. It truly did feel hopeless at some points as all the kayaks were hitting into each other and then holding onto each other while the front kayaks held onto the Mangrove Forest. At one point, one of our guides was in the water physically assisting the kayaks. At another point, Isabella asked one of the guides how much longer and he said twenty minutes. We nearly jumped into the bay and let the barracudas take us. We had been paddling aggressively for at least 20 minutes already and to think that we were only halfway through was a hard pill to swallow.
We made it. Isabella and I are survivors. Truly. After this trip I can confidently state that.
While we may have survived hiking and kayaking, a cockroach nearly took us out on the bus ride home. No one on our tour group was prepared to survive through a cockroach. As exhausted as Isabella and I were, we cracked up laughing at our lack of luck and deliriously sang La Cucaracha to ourselves.
As the bus pulled into our drop off location, we said our goodbyes and started to walk towards our Airbnb. We got distracted as every bar and restaurant were livestreaming the Bad Bunny concert on big screens. We decided to stop at one of the outdoor restaurants and watch the livestream. We stayed for a few songs before deciding to call it quits on the day.
I collapsed into bed as soon as we got back to the Airbnb. My body was too exhausted to take a shower (gross, I know). Isabella had enough strength left to shower (kudos).
Overall, I loved our day. I will always cherish the memories made throughout this day.
Would I recommend doing both of these activities on the same day? No.
Did it save money? Yes.
Would I do it again? Probably not.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
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