Angelito Trail; El Yunque National Forest.

I never thought I would go to the rainforest, but last weekend the hubs and I “hiked” down the Angelito trail in El Yunque National Forest to Las Damas pool in the Mameyes River.  I say hiked loosely because I’m from Colorado, and have done some serious hiking.  Nonetheless, the short trail was GORGEOUS.

The River flowed smoothly and the rushing water sounded calm and melodic as opposed to the rushing waters of most rivers that are startling–scary sounding really.  The canopy of the trees almost contained the sound of the water, keeping it calm and inviting throughout the trail.

As we started on The Angelito it was slow moving because we were stopping to take hundreds of pictures.  There was also a small grouping of bamboo (the most awesome bamboo I have ever seen btw) and each stalk had names carved into it from the many people who had visited before.  I was so excited because I felt like I was literally in a fairytale.  I immediately thought about the love lock bridge in Paris, where I will probably never visit–but the excitement was akin to that.  Although the bamboo wasn’t limited to the initials of lovers, since I was there with mine it felt extremely romantic.

I didn’t actually take a picture of our initials after I carved them, because it felt special to leave it behind and save it only for my memory–and the visitors that followed.  I learned that pictures don’t always preserve memories; sometimes it’s better to really look at something, close your eyes, and commit the beauty and the moment to memory.  I also just have a really shitty camera and was extremely disappointed with how most of the shots came out since it did them no justice compared to reality ;).

I did try and capture some of the more beautiful sights, like the differing terrains and unique mixture of greenery.

This was my favorite picture of the day, because of course it is ethereal in such a special place.  The light shining through the tops of the trees perfectly captured that special quality.  It just makes me downright giddy to look at because it reminds me that I was really there!

We finally reached the end of the trail and came to Las Damas pool, a swimming hole in the Mameyes River.  The clear water was still in the middle and flowing on both sides through giant rocks.  Surprisingly there was a rope hanging from a tree and some other trail-goers were climbing the rock wall, flinging themselves off the rope, and landing into the swimming hole–just having a blast.  I took a seat on a nearby rock and silently cheered.

Despite it’s Notebook-esque nature, I didn’t partake in the swimming.  The hubs gladly seized the opportunity, and jumped right in through the school of fish at shore.

 

   

Although it was a short trip, I will remember El Yunque forever.  I hope to revisit the rainforest one day and explore every trail.  Admittedly this trip was poorly planned, but it actually added to the experience.  We wandered along randomly driving from spot to to spot, but ended up on an awesome trail anyway–and had a great time.  Ultimately is was good for my spirit, as it helped me realize that spontaneity isn’t always a bad thing ❤