Puerto Rico

I finally got a few videos uploaded to YouTube from my trip to Puerto Rico. I've been meaning to write about the trip, but life has been way too busy. I suppose that's why you go on vacation, right? I've been going like crazy ever since I returned, but I plan to write about it...eventually.

For now, here are a few videos from my time in the El Yunque rain forest. I think this part of my trip could have been the highlight for me.




Here is a video half way up the hike to Pietro Falls. It was steep and a bit treacherous, and clearly something that wouldn't have been allowed in the states, but it was tons of fun.



Here's what it looked like at the top. I hiked up with a young family and we all had fun swimming in the pools which are naturally filled with gold dust. Pretty cool, and amazing beautiful!



This is what I did after breakfast my second day. This waterfall is literally a five minute hike from where we ate breakfast each day. That's good living!

Puerto Rican Sushine

I really need to post about my trip. I just haven't had the time. I have a boatload of more pictures to post, and all kinds of stories to tell, but for now here's a picture on a sunny day in the middle of the El Yunque rain forest, looking up at the sky through the foliage of a tree fern.

More to come soon...

Old San Juan Streets and Cathedral

Well, it's about time I posted a few pictures of my trip. I think these will be coming for a few weeks. I hope to find time to write about my trip, but for now here are a few pictures of the streets of Old San Juan, a very charming city. It's streets are lined with pastel painted whitewash exteriors, adorned with wrought iron balconies. The streets are cobblestones taken from the ballast of Spanish ships hundreds of years ago.


I have always enjoyed taking pictures in churches, and the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist was no exception. I didn't have my tripod with me, so I had to improvise with how to use the camera without one. I decided to place the camera on the floor for some pictures, and then on a ledge looking straight up at the ceiling. I really enjoyed some of those pictures that I wouldn't have gotten if I actually had my tripod with me. Serendipity I suppose.

I think I could write for hours about my trip to Puerto Rico. There's the daily play by play to report on, with pictures of course, but there's also a desire to write about what I was able to reflect upon. When you travel solo, there's lot's of time for thinking and I feel that I gained some clarity about some things in my life in the midst of enjoying the warm weather. On top of that, I also met some fascinating people and I don't want to forget about them either.

Vacation's definitely over, however, and I'm swamped with all kinds of things. I don't know when I'll be able to sit down and put in some quality time posting about my trip. Alas, alack.

Before I go to bed, I might as well post a picture that I like quite a bit. Here's the Caribbean Sea, looking down a ramp of the Puerto Rico fortress El Murro in Old San Juan.


I'll also add this: I think the benefits of traveling to a warm climate in the dead of winter are legion. I snow blowed today and didn't mind it at all, nor have I minded the icy roads or wicked cold of yesterday. I beat winter for a week, and I took winter by surprise and escaped its icy clutches. That's empowering, and for some reason, I'm finding that I don't mind the nasty weather so much. I took control of winter, and cheated it--for a week anyway. I find that I can face winter now with smug satisfaction that I had the power to get away.

I want to do something like this every year, if I can.

I'm back...

...and I had a great time. It's late, and I'll really have no time to post about my trip for a day or so, though I thought I'd at least put up what I'm sure will be my favorite picture from my trip.
As you can imagine, there's a story behind this one. It's good to be home, but I wish I didn't have to come back!

Chocolates...and PR

The chocolates were a hit, but who doesn't like free chocolates? A woman paid $100 for my 100 chocolates, and I gave her two of my books to pick the kinds she'd like to have. She's a dark chocolate lover, so she kept asking if everything could be dark chocolate--it was kind of funny. I think she'll have fun picking them out, and anything she picks would be good for me to try and make. She really liked the Irish cream concoction which I think incidentally was the favorite.

It's fun knowing someone was willing to pay money for the chocolates I made. I think I may keep doing these silent auctions, and using it as a way of perfecting my chocolates. My goal will be selling them for real in two years time. I think this year will be a year of learning and improving, and then another year of figuring out a marketing plan. There's one thing I know I don't need to improve on: the Irish cream concoction. It's really velvety smooth, and a hit with everyone. I think that will become the base for all of my liqueur based truffles.

Why not, right?

On another note, I'm finishing packing tonight, and then tomorrow I'm off. I can't wait. I'm leaving the computer at home, so I'll be incommunicado for a week, but that's part of being on vacation, right?

I'm hoping and praying that Puerto Rico will be good for my soul, and hopefully it will help heal some of the residual funk that's been hounding me.

I'll post tons of pictures when I get back!

Adios...

I'm so looking forward to Puerto Rico. I just want to step off the bus for awhile and totally leave everything in my life here behind for a week and forget about everything. I suppose that's what a vacation's for, right?

This week is insanely stressful. I had a recital Monday night and will be playing my solo again tomorrow at another recital. I've got a boatload of chocolates to make for our charity auction, plus the stress of being one of the planners of that event. Right after that's done, I drive to a recording session in K'zoo with my brass quintet, recording the most challenging piece I've ever played in my life. But most of all, I'd like to be able to completely forget about Meg. It's a good thing that I didn't go to that birthday party the other night--apparently Meg was there with one of her friends. Yikes. I'll be glad when I don't think about her every day.

I'm hoping Puerto Rico will help me.

We sang this hymn in church this past Sunday. It nearly brought me to tears and as I stood there singing it, I was picturing Puerto Rico, thinking about its "rocks and trees, skies and seas."

I hope and pray that Puerto Rico will be a restorative for my soul.

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

Astronomical Curiosities

I was checking out when sunrise and sunset will be occurring in Puerto Rico and found some cool information at timeanddate.com. If we get much sunny weather here in Michigan before I go, I want to be able to take note of the angle of the sun. According to the website, the sun is only at 33º above the horizon in Michigan this time of year. If you compare that with the summer solstice in June, the sun is 70º above the horizon, and is a marked difference as we all know. The primary difference we notice is a 15 hour day--how I love that time of year! But I also find that the quality of light is different. Winter light is more muted, don't you think? I attribute that to the fact that the sunlight travels through more atmosphere to get to us, due to the extreme angle of the tilt of the earth. Even though the sun is further away from us during the summer months, the atmospheric muck that it travels through to get to us is less dense due to the earth's tilt, giving us more intense sunlight. (I need to check my facts with my dad, who's studied such things, though I think I have it right).

I'm very curious to see what the light in Puerto Rico will be like. The day will be longer than here, at around 11 1/2 hours. The angle of the sun hits the island at 57º, which we hit on tax day, April 15, so it won't be quite so extreme as our summer, but I think it will be a notable difference in intensity compared to what we have in the midwest this time of year.

And since I'm close to the equator, I'll be seeing stars I've never seen before. I wonder if I'll be able to see the Southern Cross? I need to ask my dad about this.

I found a website with a star chart for what will be in the sky when I touch down in San Juan. I can see there are a few constellations that I'm not familiar with and that I've never seen before. That will be exciting, at least for me. Most notable are Canis Major and Canis Minor, the Big and Little Dogs. I see the Sculptor on here as well, though I've never heard of him. If I get up at 3:00 in the morning and stroll along the beach, I'd see part of Hydra and Crux--though I don't think that's THE Southern Cross. I'd also be able to see Virgo coming into view, which I've never seen before. I think on a clear night, insomnia wouldn't be so bad.

Seeing Virgo makes me realize that I'd also be able to see a few other constellations of the zodiac, Cancer, Leo, Pisces and Taurus, which I don't think I've ever seen before either.

If I looked northwest at 3:00 a.m., I'd see Andromeda, home of our nearest galactic neighbor, and just next door would be Cassiopeia, and if I look up, perhaps most exciting of all for me would be able to glimpse Cygnus the Swan.

I'm going to make sure to carve out some quality star gazing while I'm down there.

I don't think I want to sleep much--there are too many things to do!

Puerto Rico

Well, my trip is finalized now. I've arranged all of my housing, and mapped out my itinerary. There are still a few details I need to iron out, but I at least have an intelligent route that makes sense, and a place to sleep each night. I'm starting to get really excited, and I think the anticipation is just as good for my psyche as the trip will be.

I had trouble booking a hotel in Rincon, which is on the west coast, but I just booked a second story studio apartment that is right on the beach. I plan on doing a midnight swim--I think that will be fun, assuming there isn't a rip tide. I'm going to be asking the hosts about that, but as they say, you just swim along the shore. I think a pina colada at a local bar, a cigar stroll, followed by a swim. Man, I think it's going to be just great.

Speaking of swimming, now that I reflect on it, I don't believe I've ever swam in salt water. I've only ever waded at the ocean. I wonder how it differs from Lake Michigan.

I'll soon find out! Giddy up!

Diving

Here's my email message from the dive company in Rincon. It sounds like fun, though I think I'd better try and learn some Spanish. I hope the divemaster can teach people in English! Plus finishing the day by doing some whale watching? How cool would that be!

I think this is going to be a great vacation. I'm glad I pulled the trigger.


Hi,Daniel

For are Discover dive the price $150 .You would go out at 8.00am to the island of Desecheo,in the morning you would go snorkeling then have lunch,then the divemaster would teach you how use the diving gear for your dive .Then put you in the water ,you show the divemaster you know how use the dive gear and are ready to do your dive. Then you would do a control decent to 20-30 feet then scuba-dive for 20-30 min..whale-watching is between 4.30-6.00pm price is $35 per person call me at 1-787-823-6429 Thank you Dennis

Puerto Rico

My trip is starting to shape up. I'm hitting San Juan, the capital city on the night of February 11. To celebrate warm weather, I plan to smoke a cigar on the beach! On the 12th, hopefully the weather will be nice and I'll be able to explore old San Juan, the oldest city on U.S. soil. I'm planning a tour of a rum factory in there too, and hopefully at night I'll see a good salsa band. The next day I'll head to El Yunque, the only rainforest on U.S. soil. That night I'll be staying at an eco lodge called Sierra Palms. After dinner, I'm planning on taking a kayak trip in a bioluminescent bay. Giddy up!

The next day I plan to take a boat to an island where there are monkeys, and apparently there's snorkeling to do. You eat at a communal table, so hopefully by this time I will have met a few interesting people that I can enjoy some of these activities with, though I'm always content to explore places on my own too.

Then the next day I'll head along the southern coast, stopping for lunch in a place called Ponce, then head on to the western coast for a night in Rincon. That's as far as I've planned my trip so far, but I'm going to be sure to get a trip in to the Aricebo Observatory, that big radio telescope that was featured in the movie Contact.

I'm starting to really get pumped!