Day 12
Today was incredible! We started the day heading to Church in Trujillo Alto. It was all in Spanish of course. I tried my best to focus and listen. I could understand the things that I knew where happening as the Bishop conducted and they blessed and passed the sacrament. I could pick out a few words here and there and knowing the context helped me understand. Once they began the testimony part of the meeting, I really struggled. I could only pick out a few words and phrases here and there but I still LOVED it! I tried to tell the kids what people were talking about if I could. They had a hard time but they would pick it up fast if we lived somewhere where they had to speak it. Of course Jeff did just fine. He could understand everything and was loving it. I loved walking up to the church. We were a few minutes late and they were singing the opening hymn. I loved hearing the familiar tune but hearing it sung in Spanish. And I loved how you could still feel the Spirit despite the language barrier. Especially during the songs. After church we talked to a few members and took some pictures. Mark and Jeff talked much more and the rest of us milled around the open air church building. The Laurel president came over and talked to Kira fluently in English and introduced herself and they talked for a few minutes. Kira thought that was so nice of her!
After church we drove to Rio Camuy Caves (Parque de Cavernas Rio Camuy). We took a tram down to the entrance of the caves (Cueva Clara was the name of the particular one we walked through). It was incredibly cool! My pictures don't even do it justice! The cave was huge and had amazing formations (drapery, stalagtites, stalagmites, underground river, etc) all throughout. They also had an audiotour that we listened to at each station which made it very interesting and dramatic. The kids had a different audio tour that was pretty entertaining for them. We even got to take a little detour from the tour and drink from the Fountain of Youth! All around the caves was dense jungle. It felt a little like Jurassic Park! Very worth it!
Next we took a bit of a risk and tried to find a little known, local spot called Cascada Gozalandia in San Sebastian. It was a bit of an adventure on a winding mountain road (the road was very well maintained) and making a few wrong turns, taking a detour around a local ferria (fair) in downtown San Sebastian and asking a few locals for directions. At the end, we drove up a steep, residential pueblo road that ended in a random parking lot down a slippery, muddy gully. Jeff was not really happy with me for a few minutes. Then we had to make the muddy, slippery trek down a steep trail holding on to a rope to the river bottom. When we got there, there were a dozen or so locals just finishing up their picnics and packing their coolers up the trail. But we were rewarded with a beautiful waterfall into a large pool of fresh water all to ourselves! It was totally worth the wrong turns and crazy drive! We swam in the pool, climbed the rocks and jumped off the small cliffs surrounding the waterfall, slid down the waterfall, a few of the boys did flips off the rocks and we swam in the pool at the base of the waterfall. All of the adults jumped off the waterfall near the top. It was a little scary to edge out into the waterfall on the rocks and have the water pounding your head while you inch down to the spot where you jump off. Then you had to stand up and jump out at the same time. All about 35 feet above the water below. It was pure adventure! I LOVED it!!!
We drove home late in the dark. The girls had their iPad time but then they turned them all off and played hand clapping games and chicken-taco and sang songs. It was pretty adorable! Poor Kira has been battling an earache this whole week. It was really hurting last night after swimming at the waterfall. We stopped at the Walgreens and got her some medicine. We'll try to go to the Farmacia and get her some amoxicillin tomorrow. I'm certain she has an ear infection. Poor girl! She's been SO good about it and has barely complained even though I know she's in a ton of pain.
Tomorrow I think we'll head to Culebra and Playa Flamenco before the tropical storm (Chantal) that is on it's way comes in!
After church we drove to Rio Camuy Caves (Parque de Cavernas Rio Camuy). We took a tram down to the entrance of the caves (Cueva Clara was the name of the particular one we walked through). It was incredibly cool! My pictures don't even do it justice! The cave was huge and had amazing formations (drapery, stalagtites, stalagmites, underground river, etc) all throughout. They also had an audiotour that we listened to at each station which made it very interesting and dramatic. The kids had a different audio tour that was pretty entertaining for them. We even got to take a little detour from the tour and drink from the Fountain of Youth! All around the caves was dense jungle. It felt a little like Jurassic Park! Very worth it!
Next we took a bit of a risk and tried to find a little known, local spot called Cascada Gozalandia in San Sebastian. It was a bit of an adventure on a winding mountain road (the road was very well maintained) and making a few wrong turns, taking a detour around a local ferria (fair) in downtown San Sebastian and asking a few locals for directions. At the end, we drove up a steep, residential pueblo road that ended in a random parking lot down a slippery, muddy gully. Jeff was not really happy with me for a few minutes. Then we had to make the muddy, slippery trek down a steep trail holding on to a rope to the river bottom. When we got there, there were a dozen or so locals just finishing up their picnics and packing their coolers up the trail. But we were rewarded with a beautiful waterfall into a large pool of fresh water all to ourselves! It was totally worth the wrong turns and crazy drive! We swam in the pool, climbed the rocks and jumped off the small cliffs surrounding the waterfall, slid down the waterfall, a few of the boys did flips off the rocks and we swam in the pool at the base of the waterfall. All of the adults jumped off the waterfall near the top. It was a little scary to edge out into the waterfall on the rocks and have the water pounding your head while you inch down to the spot where you jump off. Then you had to stand up and jump out at the same time. All about 35 feet above the water below. It was pure adventure! I LOVED it!!!
We drove home late in the dark. The girls had their iPad time but then they turned them all off and played hand clapping games and chicken-taco and sang songs. It was pretty adorable! Poor Kira has been battling an earache this whole week. It was really hurting last night after swimming at the waterfall. We stopped at the Walgreens and got her some medicine. We'll try to go to the Farmacia and get her some amoxicillin tomorrow. I'm certain she has an ear infection. Poor girl! She's been SO good about it and has barely complained even though I know she's in a ton of pain.
Tomorrow I think we'll head to Culebra and Playa Flamenco before the tropical storm (Chantal) that is on it's way comes in!
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