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Puerto Rico's Guanica Dry Forest
I spent a long weekend diving and cavorting around Vieques Island off of Puerto Rico a few months ago, and I was very pleased with the experience. I particularly enjoyed swimming at night and paddling in the Bio Bay Reserve there, a small inlet wherein swim gazzillions of luminescent plankton that seem to magically light up around you when you swim in the water. But one thing I noticed about Vieques was how dry and rather barren the island is. Don't know what I was expecting exactly. Maybe just a lot more palm trees. The recollection of this aridness is what came to mind when I read this finely wrought piece about Guanica Dry Forest, a state forest on Puerto Rico's southwest coast. It is dry there...hence the name. But the author encounters a variety of birds and wildlife that help make the place seem far more exotic than a visit to Puerto Rico. She also comes across the "Guayacan Centenario," a plant older than Columbus. Or older than Columbus would be if here were still alive...in which case he'd likely be very shriveled and green. But I'd still have a beer with him. Anyway, my interest was piqued by this piece and I confess a tremor of regret that I never saw the Guanica Dry Forest during my own trip the PR. Perhaps next time.
Filed under: Hiking, North America, United States












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mark Sep 25th 2007 3:01PM
Greetings Eric -
Very nice post on Vieques. Next time you come through PR you should head on over to Culebra, as well. There is no better way to spend the day than visiting Playa Flamenco, or hiking to Brava Beach.
All the best,
Mark
http://culebrablog.com/