On our way to San Juan, we decided to stop at the El Yunque National Forest. I had looked up several long hikes that I hoped to take through the rain forest, imagining a day of sore legs and beautiful views.

Before heading out we went to a Puerto Rican Bakery near our hotel and ate toasty cheese and ham sandwiches for breakfast. There is nothing better than a hot sandy for breakfast, amiright?

Then we headed to the rain forest. Long story short, after an hour of driving on winding roads, from one end to the other, we figured out that all of the trails were closed, save for a teeny tiny one, Coca Falls. The forest was still in recovery mode after Hurricane Maria and the crews were working on clearing debris.

It was a huge bummer not to be able to take the multi-hour hike I had envisioned. The little bit of rain forest we did see, however, was absolutely gorgeous. We’re talking Microsoft screen saver beautiful, okay? Postcard to your mom just to make her jealous beautiful. Dream about for days beautiful.

Our little hike took us about 15 minutes to reach the falls. Once there, we saw another path on the other side of the stream, leading in the opposite direction. We picked our way over the rocks, following the sound of rushing water and laughing voices to another swimming spot.

We sat down and watched the fish dart through the perfectly clear stream. Other loungers nearby had stripped to their swimming suits and were jumping in the cool crystal water, but I had just worn regular underwear like an IDIOT so I watched from afar, promising to never leave home without my one piece again.

It’s like my mom always says – life is life a rainforest, you never know what you’re going to get. This time we didn’t get much, but I’ll be back, Puerto Rico, when the roads are clear and the trails are up and running and I have a bikini on under my clothes.