Monday, March 01, 2004

By PEGGY SIJSWERDA

“You don’t need a raincoat,” my friends had told me. “The rain is warm and gentle in the rainforest.”

I listened to large, loud raindrops pelt the roof of the van I was riding in with my 7-year-old son, Ross. We were heading up a mountain road, deep into the heart of El Yunque, Puerto Rico’s lush tropical rainforest. Hmmm, I thought. This rain looks pretty wet to me.

But by the time we got out to explore the El Portal Visitor Center, the rain had become a fine mist, like the wet spray you feel standing near a waterfall. Only this mist felt warm – not at all unpleasant – and suddenly I was glad I’d listened to my friends and left my clammy raincoat behind. In order to enjoy the true rainforest experience, you simply need to get a little wet!

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Ross and I recently flew south for a four-day mini-vacation in Puerto Rico, Isle of Enchantment. El Yunque – the only tropical rainforest found in the U.S. – was just one of the many highlights of our first-ever visit to the Caribbean. From beginning to end, Puerto Rico was enchanting.

Ross was immediately delighted with the animals we encountered. At the Westin Rio Mar Resort, where we stayed, Ross loved visiting with the two parrots in the lobby. One of them was a real flirt and whistled at every girl who walked by (even me!). Outside iguanas roamed freely on the resort grounds, so it wasn’t unusual to find a three-foot scaly green fellow sunning on a walkway. Numerous small lizards also skittered around underfoot.

My favorite animal in Puerto Rico was the coqui, a small frog that’s practically impossible to see, but you always know when they’re around. The coqui, which are indiginous to Puerto Rico, sing at night: “Ko-kee. Ko-kee!” – a lovely, haunting sound that I’ll always associate with tropical Puerto Rican evenings.

Of course, the music of the coqui was only one of the sensory experiences we discovered in Puerto Rico. Back in El Yunque, we oohed and ahhed over the colorful tropical flowers and lush green foliage that spilled down the mountain slopes. Impatiens grew waist high along the road. Birds of paradise soared above our heads in a showy display of orange and yellow. Not to be outdone, cousins of the bird of paradise – heliconias – displayed bright yellow banana-like blooms. African tulips, known as the “flame of the forest,” brightened up bushes with their orange flowers. With all those colorful blooms around, I felt like I was walking in a painting by Gauguin.

The rain flurries brought me back to reality, however. Sometimes light, sometimes a little more intense, the rain was a constant as we hiked along paved trails. Ross made a new friend named Kyle, who was visiting Puerto Rico from northern Virginia with his mom, Susan. The two boys fashioned umbrella hats out of huge leaves and looked just like little jungle boys.

Waterfalls cascaded down the mountain slopes throughout the forest.

Tall falls and small falls, they all added to the ambience of the rainforest experience. Ross and Kyle couldn’t rest until they’d gone swimming in a waterfall. We found a little spot where they could take a dip, and they had a happy time splashing and getting thoroughly soaked. Of course, by then we were all pretty drenched and ready to head back to the resort so we could get out of our wet clothes.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY OASIS

The Westin Rio Mar Resort (www.westinriomar.com) is a delightful oasis on the Atlantic coast of Puerto Rico. Set on 481 beachfront acres, this classy property caters to everyone from golfers to families. I had been invited to join a family press trip to review the resort so the focus during our stay was on the family-friendly amenities.

Ross spent the first full day at the Rio Mar hanging out at Club Iguana, the resort’s club for children. Smiling staff greeted us at the door at 9 a.m., and Ross joined a half dozen other children in the cheerful setting. He immediately headed over to the video game corner and barely looked up as I said goodbye. Later I would learn about all the fun he had in Club Iguana that day: swimming in the pool, making a seashell frame, feeding lettuce to the iguanas, and playing in the playground.

I think resorts like the Rio Mar are perfect for people who want a carefree Caribbean vacation. Everything you’d ever need is right there and more: twelve restaurants, a spa, planned excursions, golf, tennis, the ocean, the list goes on. There’s even a casino, which we got to check out that evening when we put the kids back in Club Iguana so we could enjoy adults-only activities.

OLD-FASHIONED FUN

An all-day family excursion to Old San Juan was on the agenda the next day, which dawned clear and sunny. The one-hour ride from the resort passed quickly, and we found ourselves in a the charming historic district of Old San Juan, where pastel-colored stucco buildings perch along bluffs overlooking the sea.

Our first stop was El Morro, a fort jutting out into San Juan Bay, used to defend the city from enemy attacks. One tradition among the locals is to fly kites on the expansive grounds of El Morro, where a stiff breeze washes across the grassy lawns. We brought kites along, and the kids ran and jumped and shouted with glee as their kites lifted higher and higher in the sky. I think old-fashioned fun is the best kind!

Afterwards we enjoyed another Puerto Rican tradition: piragua, also known as sno-cones. Refreshing, icy, and sweet, these were a big hit with children and grown-ups alike, especially in the heat of the day. After lunch, we explored the streets of Old San Juan, which were full of boutiques, art galleries, and of course souvenir shops.

The next day Ross and I had the opportunity to take a sailing lesson on a 13-foot Hobie Cat. I hadn’t gone sailing in years, not since my dad sailed his 33-ft. Pearson on the Rappahannock River many moons ago – but I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I remembered how to trim the sails and work the wind. Our instructor gave basic instructions and then put me at the helm. We spent an hour or so, zipping along the coastline, Ross happily holding on to the canvas trampoline.

HAPPY MEMORIES

One of my favorite memories of our trip was when our guide pulled the van to the side of the road after our tour of the rainforest, saying, “Now I will show you something very special.” He hopped out of the car for a second, and then he was back bearing his special gift: a delicate yellow yling ylang bloom, whose sweet perfume wafted throughout the inside of the van.

Now when I smell yling ylang, I’ll think back to my enchanting visit to Puerto Rico with Ross. I’ll remember the musical call of the coqui, the warm rainforest mist on my skin, the sound of the waterfalls rushing down the mountains, the brilliant orange and yellow tropical flowers, the sea breezes that filled the sails and blew into my room each night, and especially the happy smile on Ross’ face as he ran with the wind and watched his kite fly up high in the blue Puerto Rico sky.

Peggy Sijswerda is currently working on her MFA degree in creative nonfiction at Old Dominion University. She is also the editor of Tidewater Women magazine. She resides with her family in Virginia Beach, Virginia.



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