Cruising with Encore: We start Puerto Rico

We arrived Puerto Patillas, dropped the hook and rested to prepare for the upcoming week. We rented a room from Don & Janis Furness, a retired fireman from Sherman, TX and they also have a home on Lake Texoma. I thought it ironic a fireman named Furness, guess you had to be here.

Don & Janis' gorgeous home in paradise

We picked up Sally's sister Mary & grand-niece Taylor at San Juan at 6:00pm and was full dark by the time we found a restaurant. On the way back to the south coast I made the mistake of listening to the gps and proceeded to leave the interstate and head cross country on the shortest route. It actually turned out to send us through the rain forest on nothing but hairpin switchbacks through huge bamboo forests and hardwoods with vines hanging down over the road to where the traffic broke them. We rolled the windows down so we could hear the tree frogs and night birds, it was sorta magical but Harrison Ford did not show. I spent about an hour trying to get out of Pitallis and down to Don's.

Puerto Rico has a yellow (colored yellow on the map)brick road that runs the mountain range from the east coast to the west coast and we intend to see it all. However, it is very difficult to follow cause either they didn't have enough road signs or someone took them, but we saw a lot more than the yellow road. We started on a short run from the east coast over to the north south interstate and then down to Ponce for the fine art museum. The road was just like last night, hairpin switchbacks but totally different in daylight bringing a lot more screams cause now they can see the vertical drops beside the road.

notice ferns on left side of road

bamboo and more ferns

no tarzan but plenty of vines

We passed up a bar/cafe named El Bambu and stopped at a gas station to fuel up. When I asked about a restuarante they insisted we go back to the Bambu and it was a wonderful little place that almost spoke English.

El Bambu Restaurant & Bar

Don't know what we ate but it was good and like nothing I had eaten before. The museum was awesome and a must see for everyone that visits Puerto Rico. The building itself is world renown, winning many awards for the architect.

Ponce museum of fine art