PNW Hikes

Vacationing and Island Hopping Part I: Enchanted by Puerto Rico

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After living on the pancake island of Grand Cayman for the past 15 months, I am starving for mountainous sceneries, elevation sensation and ocean curls. And might as well take the advantage of my current living location to explore the surroundings. On the menu this month: island hop the Caribbean!

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Puerto Rico is a beautiful tropical island of the Caribbean located between the Dominican Republic, the US Virgin Islands and BVI. It is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies. Perfect for me! I plan on driving around the island, from East to West coast and energize my body while hiking waterfalls, surfing the waves, walking around the old town and dancing to reggaetons.

Arrival (San Juan)

We land in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. Amber and I have booked our first nights accommodation at El Canario Boutique Hotel. We unpack a few clothes, freshen up then stroll down the streets of our new neighbourhood. Our first impressions are promising: clean streets, authentic eateries, nice boutiques, plus we blend in.

We pass a corner where stands an open air local pub. We stop for a beer. We get approached by two gentlemen, late 20’s and discuss floating topics like profession, homelands, passions and interests. One is a professional athlete, surfer to be precise, and the other works in the industrial sector, electronics to be exact. One beer turns into a few until we decide to head back to our temporary home and catch up on some sleep. We say goodnight to our new Spanglish friends and go back to our hostel.

We wake up to a beautiful morning in Puerto Rico. Amber and I, both living in Cayman Islands where shopping is a true nightmare, are very excited about hitting Plaza Las Americas today, Puerto Rico’s largest indoor mall. While getting information about the transit system from the lady at the desk, we meet 2 fellow male guests visiting from the States, also looking for a shopping adventure. They are bright and showy with a humor to die for! We decide to tag along with these bubbly pals and share a cab to the mall.

It’s big, it’s huge, it’s fantastic! (…I’m talking about the mall here).

We meet up again with our new friends for the cab back home. Arriving at the hostel, we  line up our purchases on the beds and parade to each other.  Might as well celebrate with a few cocktails! We cheers to our new friendship and for the good times to come!

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Old San Juan

We spend the day wandering the cobble stoned streets of the old town. With colourful 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial buildings, historic Old San Juan is a pleasure for both eyes and camera lenses. We dispose of our map and get lost in the old streets following smells, people and attractive sites.

The Food

The food here is absolutely amazing! It is a unique blend of Spanish, African, Taíno, and American influences. Combining tasty indigenous seasonings, ingredients, cultures and recipes. My favourite: the mofongo. Known as the signature dish of the country with African origins, the mofongo is a delicious mix of fried and mashed yuca filled with your choice of meat, seafood or veggies. With 24-hour restaurants offering authentic food and beverage service, no wonder why I gained 10 pounds!

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Nightlife

Skip the tourist trap and hit the local clubs. It is the best way to understand and get introduced to people’s lifestyles. Located just a few steps from our hostel is The Small Bar where many locals hang out to the late hours of the nights (or early hours of the morning). The tiny trailer shaped bar which hosts regulars nightly offers a large variety of beers and liquor and succulent, although extremely expensive, Blue Long Island Ice Teas (you really only need a few of these generously sized deliciousness).

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Because we brought our friends to our favorite place, it was up to them to bring us to theirs. After a cab ride through the darkest street of the town, we get dropped off in front of this:

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Nonetheless to say where we are going.

Impressions: interesting, different, perhaps ”checked” and let’s-not-do-this-too-often (and thank me for not posting any further pictures).

We bar hop a few gay clubs and finally end up the night back at the Small Bar. Actually no. We end up the night at the local eatery by our hostel for another mofongo and a Pina Colada. Yum!

El Yunque Rainforest

The next day we decide to rent a car and drive to El Yunque Rainforest with our new friends (note: if you plan in advance a trip to the island, book a car in advance as it is a true mission to get a last-minute deal, especially with a hard hangover).

The rainforest is beautiful. The group is content with cruising aboard the car explaining that forests and their creatures are not so much their cup of tea. We accept to abort the hike and stick together. We journey through lush forest, tree orchids, giant ferns and wild flowers.We pass breathtaking waterfalls and admire the views of the northern coast. The air is clean, the smell is fresh, the scenery is splendid. The oxygen slowly cures my morning after.

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The People

Puerto Rico was populated for centuries by aboriginals, until it was found and claimed in 1493 by the Spanish Crown. After the Spanish-American war, the island was conveyed to the US after 4oo years of colonial rule that nearly exterminated the indigenous population. With the introduction of African slavery and the large number of European immigrants, Puerto Rico has a blend of ethnic groups, which offers a very diversified population.

Puerto Ricans are a generous kind. They will go above and beyond to spice up your experiences and mesmerize your stay. This is what I love the most about travelling: the people (well the food is up there too). Okay, okay ”don’t talk to strangers”, I get it. But this is not America (although PR is an unincorporated territory of the States). For me travelling is interacting with the people and being submerged in their culture. I like to reach out for inspiration and learn from different values. Of course you have to be vigilant, but sometimes you have to follow your instincts and take risks and chances. Call me naive or innocent, but I still have some faith in humanity.

Our local friends offer us a ride to other side of the island. We say farewells to our new lifelong friends from the States and hit the road towards the West Coast.

Wow, what a road trip! The road to Rincon from San Juan is an approximate 3 hour drive. We sing reggaeton songs from Don Omar out loud, windows down, passing farms, little towns and open air stores. Our friends inform us about few aspects of their enchanted island, talking about politics and their open and dependent economy. Overall, they seem pretty content citizens. We communicate in English, a language that they learned in school and practice at home. Like most of their neighbours, they come from educated families and are now young entrepreneurs.

Rio Camuy Caves

Although informative and entertaining, the ride is long and a stop is well needed. Our hosts propose to stop in Arecibo and explore the Rio Camuy caves.

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A miniature train drops us at the entrance of a large network of natural limestone caves and underground waterways that have been carved out by the Camuy River, the 3rd largest underground river in the world. We wander around this spectacular piece of art from nature, exploring caves and sinkholes. The whole Camuy cave system is believed to hold over 1,000 caves. However, only a fraction of it has been mapped and only a small section is open to public.

Rincon

We arrive to our destination. We have a room booked at Casa Verde. Cozy, a few steps away from the beach, with a tiny bar and a refreshing pool. Those vacations me like! We say goodbyes to our generous friends who hit the road again.

Rincon is Puerto Rico’s surf town located on the West coast of the island. It is an ocean paradise where the sun sets over the horizon and the palm trees sing through the wind.  Catch a surf lesson in the morning, hang out by the pool in the afternoon and listen to reggae at night sipping on an authentic Pina Colada (official beverage or PR), watching an electric sunset painting the sky of its warmest details.

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Oriented towards tourism, Rincon is also known as one of the best surf spots across the globe which attracts a lot of people from around the world. If you want to surf, chose your season wisely. Unfortunately for us, August isn’t the best time to show our skills on a board. Unpredictable waves and unstable pattern keep us on the beach instead. But the scenery is pretty and laying around on vacation is always a rewarding treat.

Once again, the generosity of the people absolutely amaze me! The bartender of our hostel takes us under his wings and show us around his town, bringing us to local hang outs and introduce us to the local and expat crowd. We spend our short time in Rincon socializing with beach bums and inspiring life connoisseurs and then realize our time is out and we need to go catch our flight back in San Juan. Also realizing that it is pretty primordial to rent a car in Puerto Rico and that there is no public transportation available back to the East Coast, our new friend offers us a ride from his father, a long-term Puerto Rican resident from the States.

The ride back was interesting. Learning about this man’s journey from working a professional 9 to 5 job in the States to migrating to the land of enchantment and being a happy beach bum. ”I surf everyday. I don’t need that much. And I am happy. That’s all that matters”. We stop at a waterfall to freshen up. The 60-something-year-old man tells us he hasn’t been there in 20 years and he appreciates our presence so he can revisit the places of his younger years. While we explore the underwater caves and just fool around, we see him climb up the waterfall… a good 50 feet! Oh boy! With a few local families around asking us if grandpa knows what he’s doing, all we can do is hope for the best. With one hand on my camera and the other one on my eyes, fingers spread, I look at grandpa going for the big jump… Thank goodness, he is safe and alive! Ouff!

It is time to leave the ground of the island of magical landscapes. I haven’t rented a car, nor hiked a waterfall, nor surf the waves, but I have walked the old town and definitely shook my booty at the sounds of reggeatons. I also leave with amazing memories and new friendships. The highlight of the trip? The people. Their warmth, generosity and openness made our stay lively, vibrant and unique. Oh and the mofongos too 😉

Now, it is time to embark in our small plane, direction St-Thomas where we will be visiting our friend from Grand Cayman.

Puerto Rico, I was enchanted to meet you.

Island Life: A Year in the Making

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I arrived on the 4th of July. Like many islanders, I came searching for a new light — to shake up the mold, create new experiences, and start a chapter of my own.

This wasn’t a plan. It showed up as an opportunity, at just the right time — when my heart needed recovery and my soul was ready to hold on to something new.

I’d never thought much about the Caribbean before. To me it was touristy, full of big hotels and all the things I usually avoid when I travel. But this wasn’t about backpacking. It was about leaving home, on my own, at an older age, and stepping into the unknown. I had no expectations — just a work permit, a one-way ticket, and an open heart.

The first months were tough. I missed friends, my dogs, the family I’d built over nine years. I missed the mountains, the lifestyle, the fresh air of the Canadian West Coast. I missed home. But there were reasons I was here. I needed to push through the loneliness and give myself over to this island life. After two months in an old hotel room, I found a small condo on the beach. When my co-worker Jo from Whistler arrived, it felt like a piece of home had followed me here. That’s when life began to shift.

Fourteen months later, I sit on my balcony with a latte, looking out at the Caribbean Sea, remembering it all. The taxi dropping me off, the humidity instantly claiming my hair. My toes in the ocean, marking the Caribbean as mine. My first kiss with a stingray. My first dive into the clear waters of the Antilles. Wakeboarding at sunset, hold on tight, convinced I’d be shark bait if I fell. Jetskiing rough seas, clinging to life. The parties, the too-much Jäger, the nights I thought I’d forget but now hold onto. The friends who came, the ones who left, the ones who lit the way for future dreams.

I remember the pride of welcoming my mom and friends into my little paradise. Walking barefoot to beachside lunches. Watching sunsets on the way home from work. Snorkeling in my front yard. A quick weekend with my mom in Cuba. Diving at dawn and showing up to work with a mask mark across my forehead. Cheering with my roommate as we bought a Jeep with two months left on our lease, a Riesling bottle in hand. The DJs, the boat parties, the famous Sunday Fundays. Like steering a small vessel, I navigated my island life through it all — sometimes with a bottle in hand (no judgment, it’s island living).

It’s been a wild ride — a rollercoaster of challenges, joy, and memories I’ll carry forever. No regrets.

Cayman Islands, I raise my glass to you: thanks for the ride. Ya man!

Promise Me We Will Always Be Wild

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Promise me we will always be wild,
Running barefoot in the dirt,
Wind messing our hair,
Sun freckling our skin.
That we will free our inner savage,
And embrace our beautiful flaws and blemishes.

Promise me we will always be bold,
Living lively, fiercely, and colourfully.
That we will smile often and be silly.
That we will dare to escape the societal mold,
And float everywhere but mainstream.
That we will always be courageous enough
To listen to our heart and live the life we always imagined.

Promise me we will always be spontaneous,
Avoiding schedules that make us rush,
Breaking routine that makes time fly.
That we will never be trapped in familiarity and comfort,
Becoming creatures of habits living a boringly predictable life.
Because life is much more interesting when we experience the unexpected.

Promise me we will always be authentic,
Revealing our unlimited self in all our rawness and realness.
That we will always live a uniquely crafted life,
Choosing experiences over things,
Finding the positive in the negative,
Discovering beauty in what people dismiss.

Promise me we will always be vulnerable,
Daring to take off our mask and emotionally expose ourselves.
Because it takes courage to be imperfect,
To let go of who we think we should be
And to become who we really are.
There is a stunning beauty in vulnerability.

Promise me we will always be kind,
With an open mind and a compassionate heart.
That we will always cherish unity and interconnectedness of all life.
Everyone has a story,
And everyone has something unique and beautiful to give.

Promise me we will always be adventurous.
That we will break ground into new experiences and seek novelty.
Because adventures make us come alive.
After all, life is made to be an adventure.

Promise me we will always honour our fears,
Embracing the feeling of the unknown.
Because if there are no fears, there is no adventure.
And really, life is much more adventurous
The moment you add uncertainty and fear to it.

Promise me we will always love.
That we will forgive and let go of things.
Because we know we make mistakes too.
Life is much more beautiful where there is love.

Promise me we will always wander to places we’ve never been, near and far.
That we will get lost often in beautiful places
So we don’t forget who we are.

Promise me we will always chase our wildest dreams with eyes wide open.
That we will never stop believing in our potential
And never question our capabilities.
Because we are here once and what we do matters.
So let’s live the life of our dreams!

Promise me we will always be wild,
Jumping feet first into the world,
Adventures messing our routines,
Experiences freckling our memories.
That we will free our wilderlust,
And embrace our beautiful mess.
Promise me we will always inspire others
To fully live their one wild life,
So we never become extinct.

Capucine ♡

When Does It Start to Feel Like Home?

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So when does it start to feel like home? Is it when the pile of shoes grows in the condo entrance? When swimsuits crowd the towel rack? When you’re greeted by familiar faces at the grocery store, the local pub, or while strolling the beach at night? Or maybe it’s when your skin slowly adjusts to the daily sun, the mosquito bites, the fire coral burns, and the jellyfish stings. How much — and how long — does it take before you truly consider yourself at home?

Lately, I’ve noticed a shift: easing into the constant heat and humidity, finding comfort in my apartment, building a circle of friends (eventually you meet the whole island), and becoming more at peace with living far away. But does that mean it feels like home?

I still miss my friends, my dogs, the mountains, and the life I left behind. Soon it will be a year since I first landed on this rock. Looking back, it’s been a steady evolution — from scared and lonely to comfortable and at ease. And now, as this Caribbean chapter nears its end, I’m not sure I’m ready to let go.

During the first five months, I was desperate to go back. Then a friend told me: “You just got here. This is a new habitat. It takes time to mark your territory, build comfort, and feel secure. Don’t run back to your comfort zone. Sit with those feelings, learn from them, and grow stronger. This island has so much to offer — be kind, keep your heart open, and give yourself the chance to truly live it. Don’t give up. Not yet.”

He was right. When I went home for the holidays, I struggled to return. But once I did, I threw myself into my “Cayman To-Do List.” I stayed busy with work and endless social gatherings, but also carved out time for new experiences: scuba diving twice a week, exploring parts of the island I hadn’t seen, trying new restaurants, chasing Sunday brunches, and even flying off on quick getaways, like the weekend I met my mom in Cuba. I wanted to do it all — to give this island chapter a big, honest checkmark. I even started thinking about buying a car, just for the freedom it would bring. But then I wondered — isn’t that one step closer to settling down?

So yeah… after months of loneliness and homesickness, here I am in Grand Cayman, living island life at its fullest. I had doubts at the start, but no regrets now. I’ve realized we all leave something behind, we all feel lonely at first — but in a way, we’re all lonely together. And somewhere along the way, I caught myself thinking: this is starting to feel like home.

The Return to the Rock

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Coming back to the Cayman Islands wasn’t easy. I missed home as soon as I left the Whistler grounds. It was snowing pure white snow. The village was awaking to another epic day on the mountains. I said farewells to my dear friends and off on a plane. I left with pain and fear of longing for home again. But I had to do this, in order to complete the experience I gave myself in the first place.

Sunday Fundays

A beach break at Royal Palms

A couple of months went by and I am back into the island life. I luckily get Sundays off, which is just awesome. ‘’Sunday Funday’’ is a common drinking event that rewards every person that is lucky enough to have the day off. Although Sundays in Grand Cayman are at the origin dedicated to a visit to the church by the locals, it is celebrated in a very festive way both by expats and Caymanians. Perhaps start the day with a ceasar at Billy Bones Pool Bar, followed by a glass of Moet at the poolside of Royal Palms. The afternoonis commonly spent on the blue waters aboard luxurious yachts and fancy leisure 

motorboats. Perhaps a stop at the Sandbar for a swim with the wild but friendly sting rays, or perhaps a race aboard the jetskiis. Drinking is involved and the use of clothing is optional (don’t worry Mom, I still have my dignity). All embarked partyers meet at Rum Point, on the North Side of the island, where boats are corded together, where music is Kaibo Beach Bar for some deep fried seafood and goodies, which helps to soak up the heavy consumption of alcohol circulating in our bodies. A ride back to shores under the shimmering stars and it is already bedtime for our inebriated ones. Maybe a stop at Aquabeach for a last one 😉

Winter Months in the Tropics

The weather has been pleasant, the breeze refreshing and the water… revitalizing! Mostly warm and sunny, we still get some stormy days bringing crashing waves to our front yard.  I even considered wearing a long pair of jeans one night after feeling a rush of goosebumps!

Not to forget to mention the wear of my toque, perhaps for some kind of comfort, a feeling from home. The tourist season has finally started and the restaurants have been pretty busy which fills our pockets with decent money.  Cruise shippers abound the port of Georgetown, hunting for jewelry and island souvenirs. I got a yoga pass at the studio next door and I really enjoy my teacher and her Jivamaktu class. I also managed to commit to a regular visit to the gym (who knew I would actually enjoy it). Plus, I try to go for a swim, a true long time gone habit. I also started my Advanced Open Water Course, finally. A bit of studying and workout will hopefully keep me out of trouble for a little while (with the exception of Sundays, obviously).



The Return to the Rock  

The return on the rock wasn’t actually so bad. It took a little while to transition my mind from cold white snow and pure mountain air to warm sun, blue waters and tropical atmosphere but I realized that I do really like this place. You pick and choose what you need and make the most out of it. Having Sundays off brought up to me a variety of new opportunities and I meet positive minded and ambitious people that brighten this tropical journey. I am working on focusing my energies on my mind and my body by learning new things and staying active.

No matter where your life brings you in this journey, remember to let loose, get scared, and live on the edge. It is okay to have fun, just find the right balance. Don’t live a boring life otherwise you’ll regret it when you die.

Live young. Live wild. Live free.