When my traveling companions said we needed to start looking into excursions for our upcoming trip to Puerto Rico I was all aboard. I don't know what I was expecting from the last minute little think-tank we had just days prior to our trip, maybe I thought we'd sail out on a boozy catamaran or jet ski in the clear blue waters of the tropics. Needless to say, I was absolutely floored when they told me that we'd be kayaking, hiking, zip lining, and canopy bridge traversing bright and early on the first full day of our vacation. By nature I am a worrier, why on earth would they choose to have us sign our lives away the day before our best friends wedding? Why couldn't they choose something I would have had more time to research before settling on a company who I would entrust with my life?
Fast forward a few days, it's Friday morning, we're all packed up for our half day of happy nature wandering, and up pulls Ludgardo to our hotel ready to take us to our impending doom. With mild trepidation but smiles on our faces we chatted in the van about what we did for a living, he gave us some history of the island and the agricultural changes of the last few decades, we were given recommendations on where to go on the island during our stay, just kind of broke the ice and got the conversation flowing.
After signing our lives away and promising to follow the rules, we met up with two other ladies from Orlando who would be toodling around the trees with us. We all plopped into a few kayaks and headed off on the first of our mini-adventures. Ludgardo told us jokingly that tandem kayaks are more commonly referred to as "divorce boats", a term I totally get since my co-pilot had a hard time understanding that you paddle right to go left and left to go right. After a few minutes we were all under control and were on a roll singing Pocahontas' "Just Around The River Bend". If anyone wanted to jump ship on the days activities at that point, it should have been our tour guides.
Here we met with Hector who continued on our tour with us leading the way back toward the beginning of our hike. For us city folk with limited outdoor experience, the hiking wasn't nearly as bad as any of us imagined it would be. At more difficult little rocky passageways there was always a secured rope to grab onto to keep from losing balance and there was always a helping hand whether you really thought you needed it or not.
The ziplines upon first inspection seemed far more daunting than they ended up being. We were shown the science of the lines and harnesses, how we would be hooked up, what signs to look for at the end of the ride (though I still managed to screw that up the first go-around), and how to break. With that, we were hurled over the trees and on our way. After the initial few seconds of sheer terror wore off it really turned out to be a ridiculously amazing and literally breathtaking experience. I can only imagine the kind of satisfaction that Ludgardo and Hector get on a daily basis watching the kind of transformation that goes through their participants from start to finish, it must be the best feeling in the world, because we were amazed.
This activity is one that everyone should take the time out to do if they find themselves visiting or even living in Puerto Rico, this is not just a day trip for tourists. Included in the cost of the package is round trip transportation from a large area around San Juan, a homemade meal at the end provided by the loveliest of Puerto Rican ladies, and for a small fee you can tack on a fabulous mojito while everyone is decompressing from the morning's activities. When you factor in two of the best looking and funniest guys around, you find yourself not even batting an eye at the money you spent. My only qualm in all of the craziness was not making time in the trip to do the full day repelling excursion, but hey, it gives us reason to visit again. Yes, it is more expensive than other tours on the island, but what you will walk away with will be far more valuable. read more