Recapping : iii

So I've been 22 for three months already.

I've noticed the past two recaps have included some traveling.

Shall it be a theme?

This month I visited my dad's country.

A place where as I child I would visit frequent.

Except this time I came to visit,

I saw Puerto Rico through different eyes.

A beautiful trip with my yes girl.

and here are the pics

:) 

This was my postcard shot overlooking the cemetary and La Perla

blame it on the sarcasm 

my gramps decided to go down hill and show us La Perla

not so beautiful how Calle 13 describes it.

we almost died of a heartattack

or 

by getting shot by the gangsters.

Alla abjo en el hueco en el boquete

Nacen flores por ramillete

Casitas de colores con la ventana abierta

Vecinas de la playa puerta con puerta.

My humble gramps asked the dark skinned gangster 

if we can continue through the neighborhood.

Having double meaning to his answer,

the gangster replied:

Yes, if you want to go to the cemetary.

You know how they say there's a light at the end of the tunnel?

I was glad I could see that light and follow it. 

After sight seeing the most scariest town of the Island,

we finally got to experience El Morro.

People from all over the Island,

tourists from all over the world, 

come here to sit on the warm green grass 

have some piraguas

fly a kite

or 

simply gaze at the clouds.

Beauty at it most simplest form. 

But, just like Miami

the weather in this Island is very unpredictable.

I had the chance to run in the rain in the middle of this big open space.

Its a shame how everyone flees when a few drops of rain hit their face.

They left El Morro just for me to run around. 

I felt like a kid again

:) 

After El Morro, we decided to go through El Viejo San Juan. 

The streets are all old and colonial looking.

This was my father's playground as a kid.

This was mine when I would visit my grandparents.

Surprisingly, he's lived in the same condominiums for 41 years. 

Entering his home is like traveling back to the past.

Nothing has changed.

Everything is in the same place where I remembered. 

I was able to show my cousin around without his help.

Call me corny, but I loved it!

I loved every minute of it. 

The walls filled with pictures of us,

his office space with the old calculator with receipt paper,

the typewriter.

Everything was still there except one thing.

As a child, I was obsessed with their phone. 

Its an antique.

(the ones you have to turn to dial)

I asked to see if he knew where he last placed it.

He made me search throughout the entire apartment.

I never found it 

but I did find and old Polaroid camera

and an old school film camera. 

I brought those back as souvenirs.

Can't wait to start using them!

:) 

On our day alone, 

abuelo took me to the cemetary located near his home.

We went to visit abuela.

This was my first time visiting her here. 

I've never been to a cemetary before.

It turns out, she's with my great grams and gramps

which I was blessed to have met them before they passed.

We cleaned their stone and paid our respect.

I hope she knows I miss her.

<3

It gives me great pride when someone tells me I look or act like she did.

Besides visiting my grandparents, 

I also visited childhood friends.

This dude and I use to play Nintendo in diapers.

This lady mentioned a fun fact that I will share with ya'll.

As a child, I would hate showering at my grandparents' bathroom.

My mom would have to drive us to her house to use her bathroom.

Gosh I was spoiled!

lol

I was introduced to new people and partied with familar beverages. 

before you entered this club, 

they asked you if you're 

soltera or comprometida

hello! 

SOLTERA

I finally did Karaoke again. 

Stretching for one of the best adventures I've done in my life.

This was the group I did ziplining and rapelling with. 

The experience was truly amazing.

I learned so much about this beautiful Island

and its enviroment. 

Yep that's me!

rapelling from an 85 ft tall waterfall

:) 

These were our wonderful tour guides.

I couldn't figure out who I fell in love with more.

Hector or Lugardo.

I love saying Lugardo

(makes me feel Italiana)

:) 

After the fun adventure

Anel's grandmother (Anel was another tour guide) made us this delicious Puerto Rican dish. 

yum yums

:)

I picked this aguacate to eat 

I ate guava from a shaken tree 

I shared a mango under the waterfalls

and

I drank water from the river

I definitely passed the Guajira test

:) 

 Another adventure we did was kayaking through the Bioluminescent Bay

located in Fajardo.

We had to kayak in the middle of darkness

between mangroves that covered the sky and all around.

(Oh the many times we crashed into branches)

  But right when we start wondering why the heck did we sign up for this, 

We reached this big laguna that its only source of light are the stars above.

We were too busy gazing at the stars that we forget to look at the water.

As we paddled, the water starts glowing.

We finally get to an area and rest our paddles.

We sink our hands inside the water and our hands start sparkling.

Reminded me so much of my fictional love.

(Oh how I miss him so much)

This by far has got to be the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed. 

El Yunque was another destination we visited.

But this adventure was so blah compared to the other intense ones we did.

This trip was filled with wild adventures and beautiful sites.

I did think I was going to lose my life in many scenarios.

the rock climbing

the rapelling

the gangsters at La Perla

the crazy Puerto Rican drivers

Every day the thought came to my head 

that I could die today.

But I made it back home safe

in one piece.

A couple of scrapes in the knees 

some discomfort on my wrist

and 

a couple of mosquito bites 

but all in good shape and ready for my next trip.

Which by the way is Chicago 

in one week!

:)