Fajardo
Next morning, I loaded my backpack into the rented bright blue Kia feeling wonderful that I did not need to carry it on my back and drove off in the direction of El Yunque National Forest.
It was a good idea to check the forest website the night before. Apparently, visiting El Yunque required preregistration. The fee was $2 per car, visitors can chose from 2 entrance windows: 8 – 11 a.m. and 12 – 15 p.m.
The forest is half an hour drive from Fajardo. Once I entered El Yunque, the road turned into a series of sharp switchbacks going up and up. A ranger sat at the gate with a printed list of visitors for the day and marked their names off the list as cars rolled past her.
El Yunque is a tropical rainforest that covers the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains. The road goes almost to the top where cars turn around and return the same way as they entered. Visitors do not have to leave the car, they can simply drive and admire the views.
There are parking areas along the road to stop and to hike. Not all trails reopened after Hurricane Maria but the ones that are open are long enough to wear you out. I hiked a couple of trails, though not to the very end. The ground was muddy and slippery after the night rain which made hiking difficult in some places.
After half a day in El Yunque, I left it and decided to go south. I had seen the Atlantic coast in Fajardo; now I wanted to compare it with Puerto Rico’s opposite shore on the Caribbean.
I stopped in Humacao to have lunch and to assess my next move. It was midday, time to know where I would spend the night.
Google showed 2 hotels nearby. I drove back and forth and was unable to find them. I asked the locals – they shrugged shoulders and said they never heard of them. Confused, I went to Humacao Nature Reserve to see it and to gather my thoughts.
Another attraction in Humacao NR is this abandoned water pump. It was built in 1950 when the reserve was a sugarcane plantation. The area was prone to flooding that led to the loss of profit. The station pumped out water until the environmentalists raised their concerns; the pump station stopped functioning and the plantation became a nature reserve.
I did not know that the gates at Humacao Reserve close at 5 p.m. When I returned to the car the gates were locked for the night; I had to find a security guard to let me out.
So, I needed a hotel and could not find any in this area. Other hotels were a long drive from Humacao and I did not want to go too far west.
The southern coast was flat, with sandy beaches and palm trees, as it could be anywhere else in the Caribbean. The Atlantic coast looked a lot more impressive with its dramatic volcanic rocks standing in the water.
The choice was clear. I got into the car and turned it north.
In 2 hours, I crossed the island from one shore to another keeping my eyes peeled for a hotel while driving but I did not see them at all.
‘It is all right,’ I told myself. ‘I am going to a resort area that should be studded with hotels.’
I was on a road that was going along the Atlantic coast with stunning views that I’d have enjoyed if I was not so preoccupied with thoughts of finding accommodation.
A narrow beach ran along one side of the road. The other side was small private houses, cafes, derelict structures, wastelands and thick jungle vegetation. It was anything but hotels.
From time to time, I pulled over and asked Google Maps to find me hotels. It showed some, with the reviews written days ago and reasonable rates. I drove in their direction with a renewed hope, only again to see an abandoned building or an empty space.
I could not understand how that was possible. Sure, I am not good at navigating but being unable to get to a specific location 6 times in a row was too much even for me. Who writes those reviews on nonexistent hotels or was I losing my mind?
It was 8 p.m. and already dark. Tired and hungry, I began to mentally prepare myself for spending the night in the car. Then, I thought better of it and decided not to look for budget hotels. Google showed Hyatt Place Manati Hotel, rather expensive, but this one should definitely exist.
It took another 30 minutes to get to the Hyatt. Not wanting to go through the same ordeal of searching for a hotel again, I paid for 3 nights till my departure from Puerto Rico and ordered dinner from Longhorn Steakhouse next door to be delivered to my room. After the meal, I took a shower and went straight to bed exhausted after driving for most of the day.
What an adventure! The pictures are marvelous, especially the tower and the “pillbox” bunker:) All good that ends good:)
Yeah, I almost panicked at the end of the day but everything turned to be all right.