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Well, we've been back in the midwest for a couple of days now. We returned to find that it became spring while we were gone, but it still does not compare to the 85 degree, mostly sunny days we enjoyed last week!

On our last evening in Puerto Rico, I was very impressed with the little closing program the teachers had put together for the students. Everyone received a small, thoughtful award, such as most ambitious photographer, most dedicated journal keeper or best salsa dancer. They also asked everyone to say what their favorite part(s) about the trip were and I think I heard at least 6 different responses. I know I would have a hard time picking a favorite activity. I also learned a lot from the local guides that accompanied us throughout the trip. I hope everyone has as much fun as I did and that the students will take away some new knowledge and very special experiences. Gracias a todos por el buen viaje!

El Yunque

Flowers at the organic market

After our late night return from Fajardo, we had a relaxed start to our day on Saturday. We got a glimpse of how the locals spend their weekends while wandering around Old San Juan during the late morning. We visited two different markets: a farmer's market specializing in organic food, and another market used by locals to do their weekly shopping. Strolling through the plaza, we saw residents taking weekend classes and were even able to listen in on a group cuatro rehearsal. The cuatro is an instrument made here on the island that resembles a small guitar but has 10 strings. It is the national instrument of Puerto Rico.


In the afternoon, we headed into the rain forested slopes of the Luquillo Mountains. El Yunque National Forest is one of the smallest national forests managed by the US Forest Service, yet it contains more species of trees than all of the other national forests combined. The only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest system, it rains every day here, often receiving over 200 inches of rainfall annually. Eight of the island's rivers begin here.

We began at El Portal Rain Forest Center with an educational video on the area before taking a driving tour with a naturalist guide. We then did a short hike to La Mina Falls, where the kids were able to wade or swim in the pool at the base of the waterfall. The trail provided stunning views of the island and a chance to listen to the coquis and the birds in their natural habitat. Everywhere we could look, there were unique  trees, flowers, vines, mosses and other plants covering the landscape. This was a truly remarkable place.

Relaxing at La Mina Falls

Beach & Bio Bay

Friday we had a valuable lesson on being flexible while traveling. Our plan was to spend most of the day at the beach. Our coach was to take us to the city of Fajardo on the eastern side of the island, where we would catch a ferry to the tiny island of Culebra. We left the hotel early in the morning to get a good spot in the ferry ticket line. It so happened that they've been having trouble recently with the ferry boats not being in optimal condition. The operation is run by the Puerto Rican government and according to our guide, the process of securing repairs is often a lengthy one. Word was that on the previous day, one of them had hit a rock or something, causing damage that rendered an additional boat out of service. When our guide went to purchase ferry tickets to Culebra, there were none to be had. As an alternative, we considered taking the ferry to the island of Vieques, but the afternoon ferry schedule would not have allowed us to return in time for an evening activity we had scheduled.

Moving on to plan C, we spent the day at Luquillo Beach, a Blue Flag beach on the main island of Puerto Rico. The 'Blue Flag' is a certification by the FEE (Federation for Environmental Education) that a beach meets its highest standards. Indeed the place was beautiful and clean. I think 10 minutes after we arrived everyone was having so much fun in the water that we forgot that it wasn't our intended plan for the day. For several of our students, this trip is the first time they have visited the ocean. Hours were spent relaxing in the sand or the water, playing ball, shopping and snacking, alternating between the sun and the shade of the palm trees as needed.

In the late-afternoon we reunited with our bus, making stops for some shopping and dinner. as well as a visit to a local supermarket so the kids could compare it to those back home. Some of their grocery observations:

• so many beans!
• expensive produce
• they sell chicken feed?
• a gallon of milk is $6!
• many US brands
• my favorite cereal is half price here!

At dusk we geared up for a kayaking tour of one of Puerto Rico's bioluminescent bays. There are five constant bioluminescent bays known to exist in the world. Three of these are in Puerto Rico. First, our experienced and professional guides assured those who had not kayaked before that they would be alright. They were also eager to entertain us with many jokes. They instructed us on the basics of paddling and maneuvering a kayak and helped us into life jackets. In two-person kayaks, we paddled our way through a mangrove before reaching a lagoon. Here our guides explained how the lagoon, its surrounding ecosystem and the climate of Puerto Rico provide all the elements necessary for the dinoflagellates to thrive. Dinoflagellates are the microorganisms that cause the glowing effect when the water is agitated. Steering our kayaks together in one long line, the guides provided the cover of a large tarp, under which we were able to better view the effect of the sparkling water.

On the return, the paddling was a little harder due to the fact that we were going against a light current. After a snack, the students boarded the bus to head back to San Juan soaked and smiling.

Caves & Cosmos

Thursday morning we took a scenic drive westward along the northern coast of Puerto Rico to visit the Cavernas del Rio Camuy, the largest cave system in the western hemisphere. This vast series of limestone caverns was formed over time by the Camuy River, the third largest underground river in the world. There are over 10 miles of caves in the system and sixteen known entrances. It is believed that the system extends even further and that more remains to be discovered.

Near the end of the tour, we entered a new room in the cave that was slightly warmer than the areas we'd just visited. Was it warmer because of lack of air circulating? Or maybe geothermal heating? Nope. Our guide informed us that this room was warmer because of the thousands and thousands of bats that made their home here. All of their little mammalian bodies together are enough to noticeably raise the room temperature. Eeek. That 's enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Fortunately for us, most of them were asleep; we saw only a few flying around.

After lunch we continued on to the Arecibo Observatory, a radio telescope that appeared in the James Bond movie, Goldeneye. The enormous dish is constructed inside a sinkhole depression. It is used by scientists worldwide to conduct research in the areas of planetary science, radio astronomy and atmospheric physics.

Later we were able to return to Old San Juan and the kids had some additional free time for shopping.

As you may have noticed, I am a couple of days behind on my blogging responsibilities! We have been so busy these last few days, I haven't had time to keep up with the writing. We are headed to the airport in a few short hours and I will finish the remaining entries in the next day or so.

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Location: Puerto Rico

School Visit & Old San Juan

Yesterday we had a unique opportunity to visit a local high school in the nearby town of Aguas Buenas. Some of their seniors gave us a tour of the facility and our group was able to practice their Spanish conversing with the local students. The teachers were very kind to welcome us into their classrooms and we even received a Smartboard demonstration. It was great to see the kids discussing the similarities and differences between their schools, playing some volleyball together and even exchanging contact information when it was time to leave. I think the experience of meeting Puerto Rican students their age will be something they will carry with them for awhile.

Returning to San Juan in the afternoon, we met up with a local guide for a walking tour of the Old San Juan area. We visited the National Historic Site at El Morro, enjoying brilliant ocean views while learning about the important role this fortress and San Juan Bay played in defending the island throughout history. Next we took in a variety of art exhibits at the Museo de las Americas. We had some free time to walk the unique, blue cobblestone streets while shopping for souvenirs and even got a wave from the governor of Puerto Rico as he rode by in an escorted vehicle!

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Location: Aguas Buenas, Old San Juan

Ponce es Ponce...

We started this beautiful day in southern Puerto Rico with a walking tour of the Ponce city center. The students got quite the history lesson today, as our sightseeing covered much of the history of the island all the way back to Pre-Columbian times.

We began at the Museo de la Historia de Ponce, where a local guide taught us about Ponce's history as the economic and political center of the island. The locals have a deep sense of pride for this role, which is why they will tell you of the island, "Ponce is Ponce, and the rest is just parking."

At the Plaza del Mercado, Angel introduced us to some of the fresh fruits that were not familiar to us. We saw cassava root, tamarind and soursop, to name just a few.














I believe the one he's holding in this photo is known here as pana (breadfruit).


Some of the students were quick to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the refreshing cocos frios for sale at the market here.

We visited the iconic Parque de las Bombas near the plaza. Originally constructed for a fair exhibition, the building now serves as a small museum honoring a group of local men who fought to save the town from a fire in 1899.











At the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center this afternoon, we saw bateyes, or ball court ruins. These archaeological sites are attributed to the native population inhabiting the island when Columbus arrived (named Tainos by the Europeans), and their ancestors, the Igneris. The Igneri are believed to have migrated from the Orinoco Region of present day Venezuela.

Next we visited Hacienda Buena Vista, a historic plantation that has grown fruit, corn, coffee and cacao over the years. We took a guided walk through the beautiful grounds, admiring the waterfalls and the lush forest vegetation. The cacao trees provide the shade necessary for the coffee plants. Here the process of husking and cleaning the coffee beans for roasting is largely powered by water that is temporarily diverted from the river through a series of canals. They also have some unique equipment used for grinding corn into feed and a finer flour.

Here students try to peel the roasted and dried cocoa beans, a process done entirely by hand.


We also experienced some of the local flora and fauna on our ventures today. Students had mixed feelings about the variety of small lizards we spotted throughout the day. We learned the names of many different kinds of native trees bearing vibrant flowers, gourds and achiote, a red seed used in cooking to color rice dishes. We were also able to hear the chirping of the legendary coquis, tiny frogs endemic to the island.

Another scenic drive through the mountainous terrain of central Puerto Rico brought us back to San Juan this afternoon, where we will be staying the next five nights.

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Location: Ponce, Puerto Rico

Salsa!

Well, we've arrived in Puerto Rico and hit the ground running...and dancing. With our late-afternoon flight arrival in San Juan, we decided to grab some quick sandwiches at El Meson, a Puerto Rican fast food chain, and be on our way. We've also met up with our tour guide, Angel. He taught us that here they refer to fast food as 'Come y vete' (literally 'eat and leave').

We began our drive across the island to the south-coast city of Ponce right around sunset. As we traveled through the mountains, Angel pointed out some of the peaks and told us about the general topography of the island. North to south the island measures about 35 miles. East to west is roughly 100 miles. The island is bordered to the south by the Caribbean Sea and to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, which is rougher because the winds tend to move in from this direction. Interestingly, the San Juan metropolitan area does not suffer from smog problems because these winds are constantly clearing the city's skies.

After reaching Ponce and checking in at our hotel, we took a walk across the plaza to attend a professional salsa dance lesson. Everyone worked up a sweat perfecting their dance moves under the careful instruction of Francisco. I can safely say that these kids are going to take prom by storm. Check out the video taken by their teacher.

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Location: Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico here we come!

Buenos Dias! Mel here. And I'm very excited to accompany one of our student groups on their trip to Puerto Rico this week. So far our travel day is running smoothly.

After a very early morning start at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, the first leg of our journey is behind us. Thankfully, I think everyone was able to catch at least a little bit of sleep on our first flight. Now we are having some breakfast and stretching our legs before boarding our flight to San Juan. Puerto Rico here we come!

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Location:Houston Airport