Culebra!

~ Next stop CULEBRA……we picked Hunter up a day early from the Academy so he could come with us on our last outing together before Naomi and Nanny returned home. We saved the best for last to show Uncle Chuck, and it was a first for us as well. We’ve been to the island of Vieques, which is also part of PR, but not yet to Culebra, voted the #2 most exotic beach in the world (Google for pics, but I have good ones too). Why we haven’t gone to this other little piece of paradise at least once a month while we are here, I don’t know….it’s only a $2.25 ferry ride! That’s right, we took the ferry to paradise for a mere two bucks! The thing is, you have to wake at 5 a.m. in order to arrive at the ticket line at least 2 hours early because the tickets sell out fast. Locals and tourist alike are making the trip, as well as residents who live on the island itself. There are about 1500 residents of Culebra. The ticket line is an adventure in and of itself, like all of the simplest things in PR. That’s because what we call “simple” back home is never a simple feat over here. Dealing with people on “island time” can really test your patience especially when times and procedures are posted, yet the local employees just don’t seem to care. And if you’re not careful, the locals who are there for the same reason as you, step right over your territory with little concern. It’s in these situations that we team up with the tourists who are just as frustrated as we are. We exchange stories of where we're from and what brought us to the island. They love hearing our story of Hunter and his baseball; the mom, kids, and grandmother that came along for the ride, and the dad that’s back home making it all happen. Equally so, we love to meet fellow American’s and learn where they are from and what they think of PR, as well as people vacationing from all over the world. I can usually give them advice at this point of sure things to do and places to go. It’s in the midst of these conversations that we forget our frustrations with what’s going on around us and pass the time chatting with our new acquaintances. The last time we tried a wait for Culebra the tickets did sell out before we got to the window and we had to settle for the other piece of paradise, Vieques. (Both Culebra and Vieques are what they call the “outer Virgin Islands”, so either one is something to behold. But only Culebra is voted one of the Top Ten beaches in the world by the Travel Channel, and holds the distinction of the Discovery Channels #2 exotic beach destination). This time we made Culebra! I said the trip to John’s mountain home, some 3,000 feet up to the charming little cottage, was my most wonderful adventure but this was to be Hunter’s, and I think Wyatt and Naomi’s as well! The ferry ride is a beautiful trip in itself as you sit in an enclosed air conditioned cabin and look out at the small islands that dot Puerto Rico’s east side. There’s Palamonito Island where a scene from the last Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. Once you see the little island, if you’ve seen the movie, you know right away which scene it was! There’s also “monkey island”. Not many people know about it because it’s a protected island where the University of PR, with funding from Harvard, does research on over a thousand wild and aggressive monkey’s that were brought there from India in the 1930’s; only a few were brought…they’ve multiplied! They say there is a kayak excursion that will take you within picture taking distance from the water and it’s amazing! …..Back to the ferry, destination Culebra….First stop was to rent a Jeep for the day to get the  Travel Channel experience. Uncle Chuck let Hunter drive and we explored every inch of this exotic island, bouncing up and down dirt roads to the top of vistas where we saw across to the Virgin Islands in the distance and looked down on island villas dotting absolutely the most gorgeous ocean water you have ever seen! Flamenco Beach is the world renowned destination for all who exit the ferry, and we went there first to see what all the fuss was about. Pretty awesome! This is where mom got in the water with us for the first time since coming to PR. The kids were thrilled! Then, back to the jeep, and with our trusty little map in hand, we visited all the other beaches along the islands shoreline laughing, holding on tight around corners, over bumps, and dodging holes with a huge sigh, or “look at that!” every few hundred yards. The ocean scenes were amazing! Zoni Beach was my favorite, not many people, and waves that seemed to have a pearl-like glow as they broke on the translucent water. The snorkeling at Tamarind Beach was the best the kids have seen since our stay in PR. Those little Wal-Mart snorkels we bought have served us well and on this trip they saw sea turtles, sting-rays, the deepest reefs and the most colorful fish of yet!  It was a day to remember all days….our last day all together in PR (my mother and Naomi were to leave the next day) and what a blessing to close it out like this…………..Have you ever been so caught up in God’s wonder, His beauty, His provision, and in the moment of all these things at once, that it’s almost too much to comprehend? For me it’s the fact that I’m sharing it with my children and my mother, and all of it together is an individual experience that defies description.

This is Flamenco, or you can try another beach where few tourist go and have it all to yourself

Nanny and the kids....their last day together on this wonderful adventure!



Me and my brother with  mom

 Making memories........





Our ride for the day...too much fun!!



One of two tanks left on the island from WWII





Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. 1 Chronicles 16:8