So, on Tuesday morning, they explored their part of the city. They got dozens of brochures and recommendations from people for what to do. Everybody kept saying, "Make sure you go to Old San Juan and walk around. It's great!" So, they decided to do that. They got a taxi after much tribulation missing the bus and they went to Old San Juan. It was full of lots and lots of shops. So, they went shopping. They saw lots of random things and bought a few knickknacks. It was fun, but honestly, they thought that it was a bit overrated.
On Wednesday, they had bigger and better plans. They'd seen a brochure about a rain forest and decided that would be a great way to spend a day. So, they rented a car (a little red Corolla that they became quite attached to) and drove to the rainforest. Allison was very grateful to have Corey there because she never would have found her way anywhere on her own.
The rainforest was beautiful! Everything was lush and green and there were waterfalls everywhere. They did a few hikes. One of the hikes ended at a beautiful waterfall with a huge pool that they swam in. It was remarkably idyllic. Well, besides all the tourists... They saw an ancient tower, they went to a rainforest museum and had a great day.
Once Allison was too tired to hike anymore, they went to dinner at a little restaurant on the beach. After dinner, they decided to check out what looked like one of the best things to do on the island. They went to the beach and walked up to a company that did guided kayak tours and signed themselves up. As the sun set, the guides taught the group the basics of kayaking. These particular kayaks were two person kayaks. The guides warned that each pair would have to work as a team. Allison and Corey weren't worried about that :).
The group started to follow the leader through the ocean. He led them to a Mangrove Orchard. The group rowed their way through a canal. It was amazingly romantic. The moon was full, the water was warm, and Allison and Corey were together. As they kayaked in the canal, the other pairs kept arguing and running into things, but not Allison and Corey. They cooperated and were mishap free. The canal led to a large bay. As the couple kayaked in, they noticed the water doing funny things. Every time one of their paddles moved in the water, it would light up like it was full of diamond dust. It was amazing! Once they reached the center of the bay, the guide told them there were bio luminescent organisms that lived in the water that would light up with any movement. It was fantastic. After about 15 minutes in the bay, they turned around and went back to the beach. It was a great trip.
The couple had some issues getting home that night. They got lost multiple times. Corey ran two red lights! The first was accidental, and then it was so much fun that he did it at the next light when he saw no one was coming. Allison had always known he was crazy. Eventually, after a stop at Wal-mart to buy a cd and some air fresheners for their room, the couple made it back to their hotel.
The next morning they got really adventurous. They decided to take a ferry to a gorgeous island they'd heard about. They were very excited. After a few mishaps and a long line, they were on the ferry and ready for adventure. When they got to the island, they were a bit disappointed... It was kind of scary and non-touristy. There didn't seem like a lot to do and all the restaurants were closed. They eventually found a place to get some pizza. After that, they found a visitor's center that told them where to rent snorkeling equipment. Allison had never been snorkeling and was very excited.
So, they rented their equipment for $75 and went to explore. There was an old rusty ship that was kind of creepy right by them, but off in the distance they could see what looked like a lovely beach. The only way to get to the beach without being forced to walk over thousands of very sharp rocks was to swim out there, so they did. They saw a few cute fish on the way and it was lots of fun.
The beach they swam to was very pretty. It was empty except for one Puerto Rican family. They left their snorkeling gear on the beach and decided to go exploring. They went around a bend and Corey noticed one of the little boys from the family dart out and look at us and then run back. Corey thought this was weird, but Allison didn't think much of it.
After exploring a bit, the happy couple decided to swim back. To their utter dismay, their snorkeling stuff was gone! They looked everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. They hated to assume the worst about people, but it appeared that the family had stolen it. So, they were forced to walk across many sharp rocks barefooted while Allie's back fried. Her sunscreen must have washed off. It was sad.
So, the couple finally made their way back and was relieved to find out that none of their other stuff had been stolen. Luckily, the nice rental shop man didn't make them pay anything more than their $50 deposit for the missing stuff. After eating at a little place where Corey taught Allie to order in Spanish, they drove back to their hotel.
That night, Allison insisted that Corey take her gambling. In Puerto Rico, you only have to be 18 to gamble. So, they went to a nearby hotel with a casino and they gambled away their life savings. By life savings, I mean $5. Corey was doing really well, but Allie was not. They had so much fun though! In the end, Corey started to lose the $3 he had gained and so they cashed in their chips and left with $5 in their pockets. They might not have been as hard core as everyone else, but they sure were smiling more.
The next day it was rainy, but they'd already paid for a day trip, so they decided to brace the weather. Allison was actually a little grateful for the rain because direct sunlight hurt her back very much. They drove to a dock and got on a boat. The boat was cool. The trip included all you could eat and drink and that was exciting too. Allie and Corey did feel like they deserved a partial refund since they alone didn't drink any alcohol, but they didn't say anything. The boat went out to an island called Culebra. They stopped at a beach that has been ranked one of the top 10 in the world. It was easy to see why. The sand was pure white, the water was warm and a lovely clear blue. The beach turned into a forest of lush green trees about 30 yards back from the water. It really was just like paradise.
So, they played on the beach and in the water. They snorkeled and it was amazing! They saw so many fish! After lunch, the boat went to deeper water for better snorkeling. The fish were even better there! They took some leftover rolls from lunch and dropped the pieces in the water and the fish swarmed them. It was really amazing. At one point, they saw a tiny jellyfish. Allison's mom had been stung by one once, so Corey saw just how fast Allison could swim if she wanted to. He still mocks her about that... After snorkeling for a while, everyone got back on the boat and went back.
On Saturday, they decided to visit the Camuy Cave. They'd seen a brochure and it looked amazing. It was. It was a giant cave with amazing formations. Unfortunately, their camera's flash decided to break that day, so none of the pictures were very good/possible. The day was spent exploring the cave. On the little bus ride from the parking lot to the cave, there were several spider's webs with giant black and yellow spiders. Allie still gets scared even thinking about them.
Sunday was sadly the date of departure and the plane left around 6 a.m. The couple went to bed early and decided to wake up around 3:45 a.m. to get to their plane on time. So, the alarm went of at 3:45. They woke up and then promptly fell back asleep. About an hour later, Allison awoke with a start and realized that they had to book it or they would miss their flight. So, Corey ran to the car which was parked several blocks away in order to avoid paying $20 a night for parking and Allison hastily packed up all the odds and ends they'd neglected the night before and then managed to get all the luggage downstairs all by herself. Luckily, they had enough driving experience in the area to know exactly how to get to the airport. They drove as fast as was reasonable, turned in their rental car, and hitched a ride on an airport shuttle. When they walked into the airport, they saw a huge line to check in! They patiently waited and then when they got to the front, they were informed that they had to go have their bags x-rayed first. Time was tight, but they did what they were told. Then, the x-raying took twice as long as it should have because the airport employee didn't notice the bags the first time they went through because she was too busy talking to her coworker. Needless to say, the couple was frustrated, but against all odds, they still made it to their flight on time.
So, they flew home and relaxed for a day and a half before starting school again. And yes, the honeymoon was over, but the wonderful marriage was just beginning.
The End
No comments:
Post a Comment