On an Island in the Sun

For the last two weeks, we planned on taking a big group trip to Culebra, one of the two smaller islands off the east coast of the main island.  The wan was rented.  Our bags were packed.  But Friday morning, just hours before we planned on leaving, we sat in the conference room debating if the trip would be worth it.  Relentless rains had barely let up all week.  Normally the coasts are much clearer than the mountain, but it had been raining heavily at the bottom of the hill too.  The weather service had forecast a fifty-percent chance of scattered showers in Culebra.  Some people were concerned about camping in the rain, but I was looking forward to this trip so much that I was willing to brave a little rain.  Thankfully we decided to take our chances.

Seth drove us to the ferry in Fajardo, where cloudy skies still spit at the earth.  We bought tickets and waited to board the ferry.  Before anyone embarked at all, the ferry pulled away from the dock!  The ferry was sitting too high in the water for cars to drive up the ramp, so it left to top of the fuel tanks and hopefully weigh it down.  With rain still plaguing the coast, we finally boarded.  Some of us stayed on the top deck to watch the cars load via the dangerously steep and slippery ramp.  It was impressively entertaining.

Surprisingly, the little Corolla had no problem with the ramp, unlike the black Toyota near the bottom which took three attempts and at one point we were pretty sure it was going to roll its self.

Just before leaving port, the sun broke through the clouds.  I was relieved to see a break in the weather. An hour later, we approached the dock in Culebra. The low angle of the sun reflected off the few clouds left in the sky, casting a gorgeous array of color over a sailboat-dotted bay.

Welcome to Culebra!

We found a shuttle van near the port to drive us and all of our gear to the campground on Playa Flamenco.  We picked a campsite and got our tents set up just before the sun dipped below the horizon.  The clouds had cleared, and we took a walk along the shoreline under a nearly full moon.  In the moonlight, the crescent shaped beach was one the the most tranquil places that I have ever been.  The sand felt soft under my bare feet.  The waves lapped gently at the shore.  Chris, Rachel, Sheffin, and I sat on the beach a little while longer after everyone else went to bed.  We barely spoke to each other.  Words seem unnecessary.  Vast expanses of water always have a way of hypnotizing me.

I slept surprisingly well that night.  Unlike our last camping trip, I didn't freeze!  The temperature was delightful.  In the daylight, I finally saw how picture perfect Playa Flamenco is.  A white sand beach adorned with palm trees hugs the cerulean blue bay.  I'm not surprised that it ranks among the top beaches in the world.  It was perfect for a morning swim and lounging in the sun.

My morning walk on Playa Flamenco

After a quick lunch, we walked over a mine field to Carlos Rosario beach.  That's right.  Culebra was formerly an uninhabited island used by the Navy for target practice.  A few tanks still stand on Playa Flamenco where they practiced amphibious landings including training for the invasion of Iwo Jima.  The trail to beach is guarded by a sign warning of potentially unexploded munitions in the area.  I decided not to stray too far from the path.

Festive paint job on one of the tanks at Playa Flamenco

Sheffin in the Danger Zone

Playa Carlos Rosario is gorgeous, and a lot less crowded than Playa Flamenco.  outside of a couple families, we were the only ones there.  Some of us snorkeled through the breathtaking reef that ran along the coast.  It's a much different habitat than the sea grasses in Guanica.  Fan, elkhorn, and brain corals create a forest on craggy offshore rocks with ample hiding places for colorful tropical fishes.  Andy and I snorkeled around the point of the bay to a deeper part of the reef.  I caught a glimpse of of something huge out the corner of my eye.  It was a sea turtle!  We watched it glide effortlessly through the water; then we headed back towards the beach.  What we didn't realize was how strongly the current flowed around the point.  Fighting the current on the way back exhausted both of us, but just finding the sea turtle was well worth the swim.

Playa Carlos Rosario

We packed our campsite late in the afternoon before catching a shuttle back to the ferry. Sheffin and I had unofficially declared this weekend "MicSheffles Fest" in honor of our upcoming birthdays.  While we waited for the shuttle we had a couple of rum drinks to celebrate.  With an icy beverage in my hand, I finally felt like I was on a true tropical adventure.  We returned to Fajardo after a pretty uneventful ferry ride.  I don't know if I'll have a chance to go back before I leave, but visiting Culebra again in itself would be worth the return trip to Puerto Rico.  One night was far from enough.  I'm so glad we made the trip happen and can't believe we almost cancelled it.  All over a little rain that never came.