El Yunque National Forest

Cloud Forest

Observation Tower

La Mina Falls

Karst and Caves

One third of Puerto Rico was once a large and thriving coral reef. Over time, the remains of the reef's marine inhabitants were deposited and carbonate rock was formed. Eventually geologic movement in the crust thrust the limestone seabed upwards forming the "haystack-like" limestone mountains called Karst topography.

Karst is characterized by how it reacts with water. Being composed of calcium carbonate, the limestone reacts with mildly acidic water and begins to dissolve away. This chemical interaction is what produces a labyrinthine landscape riddled with sinkholes and underground caverns. It is this rugged terrain that harbors the richest diversity on the island.




Some rivers, like El Río de Camuy, pass through this karstic area in the tropical North of Puerto Rico and disappear under the surface and then reappear various kilometers down hill.
Where the river leaves the sun to travel beneath the ground is the site of Rio de Camuy Cave Park.

First glimpse into the mouth of Cueva Clara

From inside, looking out at the Eastern mouth of the cave

Looking up at the sinkhole that is the western cave entrance

We also got to visit a lesser known cave, Cueva Ventana, or Window Cave. There was no entrance fee or tour guide, not even a handrail or paved steps leading down into it. To get to it, all you have to do is park at a gas station on the side of the road, and hike up the hillside following a dirt path. Eventually it will take you to a hole in the ground just beneath the spreading roots of an old tree.

Once you climb down, minding the wet moss covered stones and muddy slope, you find yourself in darkness. There are no electric light displays. Without a flashlight you could not see that the floor of the cave is smooth and slippery showing the bumps and wavy patterns that water makes during its swift passage. Making our way through the cave, we begin to notice certain characteristics common in public places. The first thing you notice is the smell, like urine and maybe worse things. There is also obvious vandalism in the form of graffiti and carvings, as well as broken stalactites/stalagmites. The stone formations that do remain are a slick black from the hundreds of oily little hands that have grubbed them up, arresting their growth.
Progressing through the passages you can begin to see some sunlight ahead.

A huge hall is revealed, and then as your eyes begin to adjust to the light, you realize why it is named 

Window Cave.

A View of El Rio de Camuy

Seedling Squad

Quebrada Sonadora

bridge over the Sonadora

Quebrada Sonadora is a mountain stream that flows near the station here. There are several places along its course where it has formed natural swimming holes, with clear water flowing over the moss covered stones.

San Sebastian Festival in Old San Juan

http://www.enciclopediapr.org/ing/article.cfm?ref=08120906

Traditional masks

Calle de San Sebastian

Musicians playing and dancing in the streets

The Puerto Rican festival in honor of San Sebastian first took place in the 1950's when a priest in Old San Juan organized festivities to raise money for church repairs. The revelry was discontinued some time later, but was then revived in 1970 when some neighbors on San Sebastian street decided to reignite the festival to benefit a school and some charity organization on the street.
Now this internationally known festival incorporates traditional costumes, music, art, and dancing into a modern city-wide party that is attended by more than 200,000 people.

Street Art in Rio Pedras

Student Strike shuts down University of Puerto Rico

Guarded entrances

Heavy police presence

Student strikes erupted at the University of Puerto Rico when the administration proposed extreme tuition hikes as a resolution for the university's large debt and budget deficit.

"After negotiations were coming close to end the strike, it was discovered that there was going to be a 100% estimated tuition hike. The hike, unveiled by the President of the Board of Trustees, Ygrí Rivera, made the previously negotiated achievements on the waivers or exemptions almost inconsequential. The administration "flexibilised" the hike, trying to make students agree with either a 100% tuition hike or a $1,300 Special Fee. The fee would be paid twice or thrice a year, for a three year period, and would be tied to a tuition hike after the 3-year period, despite the fact that tuition increases are already in place until the 2015-16 academic year according to Certification 60.
In order to have the special fee approved, in July 2010 the government modified the Board of Trustees to increase their members from 13 to 17. Then, they imposed a special fee of $800.00 per year indefinitely."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_University_of_Puerto_Rico_strike 



"University of Puerto Rico students successfully, and almost without a significant incident, paralyzed academic and administrative operations at the Río Piedras campus Wednesday after university officials had vowed to keep the institution open."
http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Student-strike-shuts-down-UPR 

University of Puerto Rico, UPR campus

Stripe-headed Tanager, Spindalis zena

 

 

Clock Tower