Day 4 - Camuy Caves and Caguana, and oh yeah a Tow Truck

We left early and went to The Camuy Caves, the third largest underground river and cave system in the world.  We took a trolley down some 500 feet into a sinkhole seeing all the plants and trees that flourish in the moist damp air.  At the bottom of the sinkhole our tour guide took us into the cave.  It was dark and deliciously cool compared to the outside temperature.  He pointed out different structures inside, and explained that an inch of a stalactite would take hundreds of years to be created.  The water trickled down the sides and sometimes dropped on us.  We saw bats flying around, plus the river almost 200 feet below.  It was very cool.  We went to a different area that is open to the outside at the top, the light shines down and there are waterfalls on the sides.  After visiting that cave we got back into the trolley to go to another sinkhole.  It was big enought to fit the El Morro Fort inside of it.

After leaving the caves we took the scenic rout to Utuado by way of Lares.  The road was curvy the entire way.  Almost like a roller coaster with blind curves going up and down.  The lane barely big enough to fit 2 cars and people are passing you.  It was a bit scary.  We made it to El Parque Ceremonial Indigeno de Caguana, and i was a bit dissapointed.  There was no one available to give the tour in English.  The kids had no interest in listening to someone that they didn't understand so it was us listening then translating quickly before he moved up to the next thing.  The rocks with the petroglyphs were worn down and barely visible.  The guide then kept reiterating that none of the Bohios were original, they were just what the archeologists thought might have been and it was just a dissapointing visit.

We left Caguana and noticed that the battery light in the car we had borrowed, for me to use, was on.  The entire 30 minute trip was downhill and even more steep,blind curves.  The air conditioner died halfway down, and when we finally got to the bottom of the road into the intersection to get back to civilization, the car died.  So there we are hot, sweaty, and stuck in and intersection in the middle of nowhere.

One and a half hour later the tow truck arrives to tow the car and us back to San Juan, 80 miles away.  The five of us squeezed into the back seat of a tow truck cabin.  The kids fell asleep and after 2 hours we finally got dropped off in Old San Juan.  It was the end of another fantabulous adventure.

Can't wait to see what's in store today.

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 04:44:00 -0700