^ I'm not surprised this little speed demon won 1st place ^
Guys, I'M TWENTY-EIGHT! How did this happen -- I still feel like I'm 18! Sometimes I think "oh gosh, I'm old now" and fall victim to the good old comparability to what others my age are doing or have done. Then instantly, I think intentionally to put those little thoughts to a screeching halt and just say "Rach, you're great!" and reflect on where I'm coming from and where I'm going.
Chris planned some birthday surprises... He arranged a special little dinner with our friends. I ate the most delicious salmon with mushroom and caper sauce. I ate so much that me and the girls were laughing at how I loosened my belt to the largest hole. Hah, and that was before dessert! Afterwards, we did some go-karting which was PERFECT because my ritual is that with every birthday, I need to do something that I'd normally do as a little kid. Staying young at heart is important, wouldn't ya say?
After wrapping that up, Chris hinted that he had another surprise for me on Saturday...
It was about a 3 hour hike but we made it to the top of the El Yunque Rainforest! The winds up there had to have easily been 20 MPH and the way the clouds would hit the cliff-face below us and bring a rushing gust up and over the peak - is utterly indescribable!!
When we had hit the beach it was lined with tons of vendors and food stands. Claudia and I took the camera and went exploring - the guys hung back to watch a bodyboarding competition.
Camera // GoPro Hero3
Traveling from FL to PR is relatively cheap and I can't believe it took us as long as it did to finally go. We gratefully were able to stay with a friend of a friend in downtown San Juan - Efron. Efron took us all over the city, handling the driving and showing us all the yummy food spots.
We didn't waste anytime once arriving. Our 7am flight landed and we immediately went for a hike in the forest. Hiking to the peak of the El Yunque Rainforest was filled with moist clouds and cool mist the higher we went. The peak was very untouched still, and had NO railings or protection from falling. Winds were easily 20+ mph up there in the clouds. One second the clouds were there, then they rush away and we could see the landscape of San Juan for miles! Hiking back down, the rainforest had amazing pools which of course we jumped into - Frigid surprisingly!
Day 2 back in the city, we toured the old El Morro fort, the Barcardi factory, went to the beach and saw a boogie-boarding competition, walked the street of age old cobblestone which was the same from when the settlers came over and laid it. Vibrantly painted buildings just inches from each other made an awesome kaleidoscope effect peaking down the channels of each street
It was such a beautiful place filled with an uplifting energy from the combination of people, culture, food, and history. These were all the things anyone could ask for from a vacation - to experience a place rather than just site see or tour around.
Waiting to board the legendary Maid of the Mist that will take us up and close to the Horseshoe of Niagara Falls
"Hoo Hah Hoo Hah!" - haha, I couldn't resist - my excitement was on overload as we approached the drenching mist at the bottom of Horseshoe Falls
I love the raw astonishment on Dixon's face here. The vast amount of water pouring over the Niagara Falls was absolutely breathtaking.
The Niagara Falls which were on the American side of the river. Notice the small people lined up [on the right] in yellow ponchos compared to these giant waterfalls!
In our yellow ponchos hiking up the American Falls
While on tour - we got to stop in Eerie, PA - then realized that Niagara Falls was only a 2 hour drive along the northern border. Road Trip!! Ben, Dixon, Megan, Aaron and I all chipped in for a rental and hit the road early the next morning.
2 hours later, we pulled in and the air was a cool brisk breeze and you could just smell the water in the air. We were surrounded by ALL the tourist trap stores, but since we were tourists - we HAD to go at least check it out. One of the stores gave us a group deal on the ferry ride to the iconic Horseshoe Falls, and we accepted - then - we got DRENCHED!
I learned some tips from visiting Niagara Falls:
Get there early but not at the crack of dawn - shops won't be open yet, You can haggle the price of the tours with these shop owners [especially if you are in a group], The American side has 2 attractions; you can bundle the Horseshoe Falls ferry ride plus get ponchos to walk up American Falls and go right up under gallons of water falling down.
The bunch of us were wiped out by the end of the day, and then drove 2 hours back down to Eerie. We did got to experience quite a bit in just the 1 day there, but I'd without a doubt love to visit again!
