The Grand Finale
I wake up this morning with a deep fried food baby just sitting in the pit of my stomach. It’s a powerful reminder of the folly of all you can eat deals, and I vow never to forget how nasty it feels (which of course is the same vow I took the last time I did the very same thing). The upshot, I suppose, is that I feel absolutely no need to figure out what to do for breakfast.
It is our last full day here and I’d feel like it was wasted if we just lay around, so we decide to rally and find a last minute adventure. It’s late in the morning, so most of the organized events are already underway, but we find a couple of places that will let us do a later start for ziplining. One clearly sounds more appealing than the other, but is 2 hours away in the mountains on the west end of the island. The boys are up for the drive though, and given the amount of cash involved with 5 people, it seems a shame to settle for mediocre, so we load up the rental car for one last long-range road trip and head out.
All goes well until we get to the last 10 or so miles of the journey. Up in the mountains, the roads are incredibly twisty, which makes my passengers a bit queasy. We’re happy to see the sign for the turnoff and get onto something a bit straighter, but soon find what this road is lacking in turns, it more than makes up for in potholes, blind corners, and crests so steep than when you drive over the peak, its like going off the edge of a cliff. The boys are now having a blast – my navigator not so much, letting slip an F-bomb as we go up and over the worst peak, honking our horn the whole time just in case some other poor soul is doing the exact same thing on the other side.
Given the zipline trip we did in Hawaii, I didn’t go in with the highest expectations, but in comparison, this one was light years more fun. Part of it was certainly due to the lines being longer and the terrain more rugged, but an equal part was attributable to the guides, who did a fantastic job of keeping us entertained throughout, while teaching us about the history of the area. Much to Sam’s delight, the guide’s stubby-legged dog also joins in, following the tour and chasing people as they zip overhead.
The adventure also includes a bit of rappelling (props to Ang for totally crushing her first rappel), and a short boat trip through a nearby cave. Altogether (and with the drive), it makes for a full day, and a great way to end our time in Puerto Rico (hat tip to Batey Zipline Adventure).
