The rest of the mountains & yellow road

After a day of rest from the roller coaster road ride through the mountains, we drove the south interstate over to Porto Real to pick up Amazon packages they were holding for us.  Jose offered to bring them to us but he has done way too much for us already.  After we left there we drove to Mayaguez and started the eastbound yellow road (it is only yellow on the map) across the island  along the mountain ridge line. 

looking for the right road

finding the left road

start of the road in the lowlands

up into the rain forest and the ferns that grow with trunks like saplings

The roads were barely wide enough for two cars and filled with hairpin curves the locals refused to slow down for.  I held my breath many times as mirrors passed within 2 inches of colliding.  The women dented the floor stomping imaginary brakes and ruined my eardrums screaming.  It only took 5 minutes to give me a splitting headache.

I learned two (and many more) things on this trip, every Puerto Rican seems to have several roosters but few hens

one of the lonesome roosters looking!

and they are wasting a natural renewable building material in the giant bamboo that grows everywhere in the mountains.  I took a picture of Sally standing next to a clump to show you their size.

Sally in the bamboo forest

  Low rise buildings could easily be constructed using this bamboo. The Japanese used smaller bamboo for scaffolding to construct high rise buildings. Once dry and kept dry they will last as long as wood and have a better strength to weight ratio, just can't be sized like wood. 

There are banana, plantain,

wild planton

small banana farm

mango, guano, coconut and flowering trees everywhere the bamboo hasn't outgrown them.  Ferns grow large enough to completely cover a Volkswagen.

 

has to be a relative to stag horn fern

Your eyes get used to seeing all the different hues of green when you round a hairpin into scorching bright sunlight with a group of brightly colored houses hanging out over the edge of the mountain and then right back into the greens.  At first it was delightful but after four hours my eyes were aching and my ears from the women's screams and my shoulders & arms from whipping the wheel back and forth on curves.  I was ready to stop but we were only halfway.  Another 3 hours until a welcome session with Dr. Barcardi  to do his magic.

We had lunch in a quant little town called God only knows what,  in God only knows where, and ate God only knows what Puerto Rican food.  But the food was very good, the atmosphere good and the people very happy and welcoming.

looking for Dr. Barcardi!

Sent from my iPad