Puerto Rico's gorgeous El Yunque Forest: lush acres and a special frog

The El Yunque Rain Forest is one of the smallest, yet with a most diverse "repertoire" to behold.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers at El Yunque Visitor Center.

--Henry David Thoreau

WHERE NATURE IS REVERED: El YUNQUE

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

FORESTS HAVE for centuries have captivated writers and poets.  The beauty,  enchantment, tranquility, and ecological richness of forests is a soothing balm for the traveler and local alike.

The unique coqui frog does not have webbed
feet, like most frogs. The males have an
enchanting song they sing all day.

Puerto Rico's famous El Yunque Rain Forest weaves lush foliage, unusual wildlife and a beautiful modern visitor's center  to create a symphony of nature. We admired waterfalls, beautiful flowers and century-old trees, with background music of a unique frog, taking a page from Thoreau's book, if only for a day. It was, in a word, captivating.

The showy heliconia, or lobster flower,
has a place of honor in the rain forest and
in the garden of El Yunque's visitor center.

We had a wonderful day in this magical place.

Various snails make their home
in the rain forest. Guides take
guests around for close-up views.

THE 29,000 acre rain forest is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. Although it is one of the smallest national forests, it is also one of the most biologically diverse with a charming and unique frog, the coqui. The small tree frog is Puerto Rico's national animal and has a  charming if persistent  song.  Choruses of male coquis can be heard from dusk until dawn all over the island. The  coqui (pronounced ko-kee) is a small arboreal frog that can be brown, yellow, or green. Its scientific genus name --  try pronouncing eleutherodactylus -- means “free toes” because, unlike many frogs, the coqui doesn't have webbed feet.
 THE PARK's diverse ecosystem also boasts hundreds of unique plant species. These are described at the impressive El Portal de El Yunque, the main visitor and information center in the forest.

After the feeling of ancient wonders as we drove through the forest, a striking modern building comes into view to welcome visitors.

Bruce Keller admiring the fan ferns in the rain forest.

Our guide was proud of the trees whose roots
spread out hundreds of feet in the forest.

It features an elevated walkway through the tree tops, educational displays, a short wheelchair-friendly interpretive walking trail through the lower forest, a counter-service restaurant with tasty Puerto Rican sandwiches, some beautiful “selfie spots,” and a small gift shop.  We recommend a stop at this modern, interesting visitor center which besides its beauty and eye-catching architecture, gives an informative grounding for first-time visitors to El Yunque.

YOU'LL LEARN that the island's national flower is thespesia grandiflora, a hibiscus like beauty known as maga, also referred to as Maga Colorada ("Red Maga") and Puerto Rican hibiscus. It is a tree in the family Malvaceae of the rosids clade endemic to Puerto Rico, where its flower is celebrated as the national flower
of the archipelago. You'll also see gorgeous orchids, ginger plants, plumeria, anthurium, birds of paradise, and the showy heliconia, 

also known as lobster flower.
THE PEOPLE of Puerto Rico have long 
had a deep-rooted connection with its native flora. 

From the indigenous Taíno people to the country's modern-day inhabitants, native plants have played a significant role in shaping Puerto Rican culture, traditions, and even spirituality. The unique relationship Puerto Ricans have with their native plants goes beyond aesthetics or ecological conservation.

A reverence for plants and growing things is an integral aspect of their identity. Medicinal plants and botanical remedies can be widely found in herbal displays and health stores. I replenished a few of my favorites.

A climb up Yokahu Tower is a fine way to view the rain forest from above.

 WHILE YOU are so near a spectacular place, don't miss the opportunity to stop at Yokahu Tower, and climb to the top.

It is right off the road, with a large parking lot.  The view is worth the climb. There are 96 steps to get to the top, but don't be intimidated. The steps are wide and you can go at your own pace to reach a marvelous view of the woods below.

We stopped several times to gaze out the windows and let others pass us.

The 69-foor concrete tower leads to an observation deck where you can literally see the forest for the trees. We had a remarkably clear day so we could even see the ocean beyond the tree-top canopy.

Cookie strolls one of the charming
walking paths at the El Yunque
Visitor Center, a lovely new space.

Constructed in 1963, the tower was built by forest supervisor and director of IITF, Frank H. Wadsworth. The tower is one of the two observation towers located in the park and sits at an elevation of 1,575 feet (480 m). The other tower in the El Yunque is the Mount Britton Tower, which friends say is equally engaging. We've vowed to see it on our next visit.
Many tour companies offer everything from food to nature excursions. We had good luck with Bespoke, which we booked when we reserved our week with Hilton. We used Bespoke for several tours. They have a relationship with Hilton, are pleasant and accommodating to work with in the booking process, and they picked us up at the hotel.

More information:   

 https://bespokeconcierge.com/

 www.viator.com

 www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque

www.discoverpuertorico.com

www.puertorico.com

San Juan offers a blend of old and new, relaxation and high
energy activity and touring, beaches, Old Town and a lovely bay.

UP NEXT:

From rain forest wonders, to seductive San Juan as we cap our Puerto Rico series. Fortresses, parks, sculpture, night life, street food, glitzy casinos, elegant resorts and a lively old town mix with live music and sunshine for an intoxicating time. Old San Juan offers history and beautiful architecture. The beaches are among the best in the Caribbean and there's a historic site in the fortresses. We also recommend a cruise along San Juan Bay. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly.

Book a terrific time on a fun, educational tuk tuk tour in Lisbon

Enjoying a tuk tuk ride in Lisbon, from left, Bruce Keller, Jane Milder, driver Tomas Neves,
Christene "Cookie" Meyers, Rick Cosgriffe.  All aboard for a fun tour of this lovely Portuguese city. 

TOURING LISBON BY TUK TUK YIELDS HISTORY, STORIES, FRESH AIR, FUN TIME

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

Lisbon's seven hills stretch from the city center to the sea,
with architecture typical of one of the world's great cities. 

WE LOVE LISBON! It's a favorite European city. So we wanted to show off "our town" to my brother Rick and his partner Jane during our two weeks together in southern Europe.

We did it in style, by tuk-tuk, that time honored transportation mode invented in 1879 and offering close-up views along with a few fun bumps.

LISBON OFFERS a wealth of architectural wonders and sea views making it a perfect city to explore by this three-wheeled cart, originally pulled by a person. My dad told lively stories of traveling by  rickshaw during his Army days in post WWII China.  He became fast friends with his trusty driver, as we have with Tomas Neves, who has shown us around his native city several times.

Miradouro das Portas do Sol is Lisbon's most
 photographed wiewpoint, a central location
near the cathedral and castle. Here Rick and  
Jane enjoy the view as we photograph them.

OUR FAVORITE Lisbon tuk-tuk is electric and driven -- not pulled -- by the amiable Tomas. It is  manufactured in an Amsterdam factory, where most licensed electric auto-tuk tuks or rickshaws originate. There are many types of tuk-tuk treks offered by Tomas and a host of other outfits. 

With over 500 tuk-tuks in Lisbon, tours range from gardens to restaurants, churches and museums.  Enthusiasts may concentrate on the oldest part of the city, the Alfama, or the narrow lanes of  residential districts. One may also "tuk-tuk" to Lisbon Castle and other popular destinations including Lisbon's famous Cathedral,  the Convento da Graça, the National Pantheon, Jardim São Pedro de Alcântara and the lively Thieves' Market. 

Tomas took us to the Graça Viewpoint at the Igreja, where Rick and Jane enjoyed the view and took selfies.

Most tuk tuks accommodate two to four people but some
such as this one are larger and can accommodate six or seven. 

OUR TWO-HOUR tour focused on Lisbon highlights, with Tomas providing entertaining commentary and stopping wherever we saw a photo opportunity. Because it's a city built on seven hills, its neighborhoods spread out from the city's historic center, blending into one another, to the Belém area near the water.
Some tours focus on history, others on architecture, others on food. So you can tailor your tour to your interests.

Lisbon's famous Cathedral, the Se de Lisboa,
is one of the stops driver Tomas always includes. 

The tuk tuk is a wonderful way to savor a city. On an earlier tuk tuk tour, we sampled flavors of Portugal, with typical sweets and chocolate cups.

 Lisbon's sights are muted and lovely on a sunset cruise.
A tuk tuk tour then a relaxing cruise are a fine pair.
 

Typically, the two-hour tuk tuk tours focus on a specific area of the city, usually the Alfama and historic area.

A half-day tour allows one to see more of the city 
and get more detailed information about the main attractions.
A full-day tuk tuk tour will cover most of the major attractions, most likely taking passengers to Belem which is a bit outside the center.

The longer tours also give time to go inside museums, churches and gardens rather than just driving by, which we did this last time.

Lisbon is a city of majestic architecture and many fountains.

During themed tuk tuk tours, you’ll visit the main landmarks of the city but with a special focus. Passengers can choose from desserts to art to national heroes, museums and more.
WHETHER YOU see Lisbon by tuk tuk or walking tour, or taxi ride, you won't want to miss Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. As one of Lisbon’s must-see sights, it is Belem's undisputed architectural showstopper, an impressive honey-stone Manueline cloisters inside a UNESCO-listed 1495 monastery. On the nearby riverfront, another famous sight is the tower, or torre of Belem. It's an imposing fortress which epitomizes the excess of the Age of Discovery. We climbed to the top for splendid views over the Tagus River.  

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers took
a tuk-tuk tour then hopped on a sunset cruise,
 framed by Lisbon architecture. 

OUR GUIDE Tomas knows where to find the best views for photos. He drove us to historic places, waiting patiently and helping us plan the next stop.  As one of the oldest cities in western Europe, there are more stops than possible in a single tour. So Tomas helps narrow the field, describing how his city has evolved through various occupations, wars and conquests, asking which aspects interest us most. 

HE EXPLAINED that the region was home to the Celts -- founded by well traveled Phoenicians around 1200 BC, making it 400 years older than Rome. These educated people established a settlement called Ulissipo, and became successful merchants, traders and colonizers until they were conquered by the Greeks and Carthaginians. 

TOMAS IS rightly proud of Lisbon.  As Portugal's thriving capital city it maintains its strategic geographical position at the mouth of the Tagus, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. After a tuk tuk ride, we recommend Tagus Cruises, which takes it name from the famous river.

Consider Lisbon by boat and tuk-tuk. For tuk-tuks, contact Tomas Neves: tomasneves95@gmail.com

TripAdvisor offers many tuk-tuk tours.

Or contact Lisbon's tourism office at: www.visitlisboa.com/
For a fun cruise: taguscruises.com 

Puerto Rico's El Yunque Rain Forest is a tropical treat.

UP NEXT: We continue our look at Puerto Rico, where the government has stepped up its tourism in the last year and is spending millions to attract us. It's more than coffee, casinos, rum and beaches. After leaving Ponce recently, we headed into the El Yunque rain forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. Then, a visit to seductive San Juan, with adventure, night life, fine dining and an inviting old town and gorgeous hotels and resorts.