Kenia in the Middle

Oh my goodness today was so fun! First I had volunteering and now that I’m alone with Juan and Yvette it feels so much more personal. I’m learning so much! I even got keys and got to open up the garden on my own! I went in and started extracting seeds while waiting for Yvette and Juan. The garden got pretty crazy once they got there since they brought the dog. Let me give you some background first. So in Puerto Rico iguanas are all around however, they’re not a native species, they’re invasive, and always destroy the all the plants and vegetation. So that being said one was in the tree above where we were watering the plants and Juan decided to knock it down for the dogs to hunt. I had NEVER been so shocked by a dog. They just straight up killed it right in front of me! Got a clear example of the circle of life. So with that being first thing in the morning I knew today was going to be exciting. We finished up in the garden and at the end we all tried the raw sugar cane that had grown in the garden. I’d never tried it just straight from the plant so it was quite an interesting experience. Juan used a machete to chop it up then just told me to naw on it basically, he also said it’s a natural teeth cleaner for gum health and whitening purposes which is actually hard to believe. It was so sweet I couldn’t finish the whole thing but a cool new thing I got to try! We finished up work in the garden today then we went to go plant trees in front of someones house that were destroyed and never restored by hurricane Maria. We planted 4 separate trees. Let me tell you, it was so tiring in the heat! While we were working one of the homeowners came out to thank us for our work and gave us all Patagonia gear (one of my favorite brands). Turns out he’s a sales ambassador for the brand located in Puerto Rico as well as a sponsor for CRES! They are currently working on providing gear for the program to be able to work in. Such a fun surprise! After we were finally done in the heat they told me they’d take me to the forest which I had been telling them I wanted to go to. I was so grateful that they like me enough at this point to take me on their little excursions. Fun fact but El Yunque is the only rainforest in the US National forest system. It’s filled with 1000’s of different species, waterfalls, natural waterslides, and even used to source hydro electricity through its dynamic river system. They took me to one of their favorite secret spots. It was perfect because we were the only ones there, which I love, as anyone would! We took a short hike to reach one of the waterfalls so we could walk behind it. Once we got there everything felt so surreal, it felt as if I was genuinely in a movie. You can even drink the water flowing off the rocks, definitely some of the best water I’ve ever had. Due to the elevation of where we went the water is so refreshing and ten times cooler! It was perfect to escape the deafening heat from the day. We went right as the sun was setting, watching it hit all the bright green leaves as we were swimming was so peaceful. I swear my cheeks were hurting from how much I was smiling. I wish I could remember the name but on our way down Juan showed us this tree that produces a flammable sap that releases the most calming aroma and crackling noise. Locally people use it in incenses. Learning small little facts like this has definitely been some of the most interesting parts of the trip! They drove me back with the windows rolled down and soft music playing. Perfect way to end the day! I truly wish you all could’ve experienced what I did today.