Hola!
Happy Easter! The day began with two happy boys discovering Easter baskets from Grandma. Then, after breakfast, Grandma, Will and Jon went out to paint together on the balcony. It was so sweet to see! Camille is working on a beautiful landscape but both of the boys painted pictures of Hiccup and Toothless from How to Train your Dragon.
We had originally hoped to find a local English speaking church for Easter but we didn't have much luck. Even though I'm sure they are around, the closest church I could find was at least half an hour away and we just weren't up for it. Despite that disappointment it was really nice to have a relaxing morning just spending time quietly together.
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| Easter baskets! |
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| Painting with Grandma on the balcony |
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| Will relaxing on the couch |
Around noon we packed a lunch and headed out to El Yunque, the National Rain Forest. On the way Jacob read to us about the crucifixion and the resurrection from the book of John. Will laughed when he heard that Mary mistook Jesus for a gardener. The reading sparked the best discussion we've had on this trip and it was so cool to listen to Jacob and Camille go back and forth on the subjects of sin, grace and guilt.
But the drive was short and all too soon we arrived at El Yunque which is the only National Park rain forest. Our first stop was the visitor center which had a lot of information on the plants and animals in the forest. To be honest, I didn't pay much attention because I was much more interested in the beautiful views and in following the boys around. Will decided that one section was a bat cave and he spent the rest of the time squeaking and flying around the center.
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| Will and Jon with Uncle Jacob |
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| Me and Camille with the boys |
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| At the El Yunque visitor center |
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| A glimpse of the ocean |
Our next stop was at a little picnic area for lunch and down a short trail we found a concrete building with picnic tables inside. We'd had showers and sprinkles all day but while we were having lunch it began to pour. That didn't discourage the boys though and Jacob and David took them out to play in the rain. We only had to wait fifteen minutes before the rain let up and we were able to make it back to the car.
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| Enjoying our picnic lunch |
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| Playing in the rain |
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| The rain forest |
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| David by a full and fast moving stream |
El Yunque has one main road going up the mountain with many stops along the way for trail heads, picnic areas and scenic views. We had hoped to make it to the peak but the trail to the top was covered by an inch of fast flowing water so we decided to pick a different hike. We chose a 3 km round trip walk to a waterfall. It didn't pour again but between the mist, drizzle and occasional shower it felt like we were constantly wet.
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| Leaf umbrellas! |
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| Hiking in El Yunque |
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| The rain forest |
The rain forest was amazing, it was absolutely beautiful. The dense vegetation, the light mist, the sounds of the birds and the sounds of the streams came together in a setting that I can't possibly capture on camera. (OK, I'll be honest, it all reminded me of Jurassic Park) The trail was narrow, wet and a little slippery and there was frequently a steep drop to one side so we kept a tight grip on the boys.
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| On the trail to the waterfall |
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| The trail to the waterfall |
The forest captured the imaginations of Will and Jon and they spent a lot of time finding dragon skeletons and watching Tarzan swing around the jungle. Both boys wanted to spend the whole walk with Jacob and David. Jacob in particular is great at encouraging their imaginations and coming up with all kinds of fun games.
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| Silly boys |
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| Will swinging on vines |
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| Tarzan yell |
There was one sweet moment for me and James when we all stopped for a break halfway down the trail. Will came up to us and pulled us both into a big hug. Then Jon yelled, "double hug!" and joined us for hugs and kisses all around. We had just started off again when Will stopped, turned around and raced back to James for another big hug. I don't know why he felt so affectionate at that moment but spontaneous hugs are one of my greatest joys.
The waterfall was roaring when we got there. There is a little pool at the bottom of the fall where people go to swim but today the water looked muddy, angry and very unsafe. David and Jacob of course tried to get as close as they could and David went close enough that the spray soaked him right through. But even on the bridge we were sprayed by the waterfall and it was hard to keep the camera dry.
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| Me and the boys at the waterfall |
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| Jacob and David on the rocks |
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| On a little bridge in the jungle |
By the time we got home it was dark and sprinkling but that didn't stop us from jumping in the pool. James and Camille made us burgers while Jacob, David, Will, Jon and I swam. Will practiced his underwater swimming which he hadn't done since Germany. I wish I could have gotten a picture but it was too dark. At one point I heard Jon humming the Jaws theme as he swam up from behind and tagged me. He is so cute. :-)
Well I've now had a delicious dinner and the kids are sleeping so it is time to say goodnight. Tomorrow we are off to explore San Juan.
Adios!
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