We’ve been back from Puerto Rico for a week now, so it’s time to post some pictures. Here’s a bird-of-paradise in El Yunque National Park, PR.

Also from El Yunque, a shot of a snail (this sucker was about 3 inches across…)

Here’s an example of the bizarre root systems many trees in the tropics have — up above ground. Kurt tells me they don’t know for sure if this is an adaptation to the high rain fall, a necessary structural buttressing, or both. (I love it when we don’t know things.)

I was fascinated to see palm trees growing wild in the forest. Having lived in AZ and seen all the work required to keep a palm tree alive in a desert, it seemed unreal that there is a climate on the planet that can support them (and tons of other plant and animal life while it’s at it).

One last shot from El Yunque, which was only open for half a day while we were in that part of the island. The storm that made our drive from the airport to our B&B so dramatic brought down limbs and caused some mud slides. It took them a day and a half to clear up the roads enough for visitors to drive into the park, and even then they cautioned us to be careful, especially on the trails. This is La Mina falls, part of a wonderful paved trail we hiked.

On to San Juan. We visited the fort (San Felipe del Morro), which sits on a point at the mouth of the bay. Believe it or not, this fort was actually taken by the enemies several times over the centuries.

There were many walls I couldn’t see over even on my tiptoes. Translation: Kit is short. But we did find a wall taller than Kurt.

Old San Juan has been renovated and is beautiful. I couldn’t get over all the colors — blue brick streets and houses in all sorts of pastel colors.

(I took a million pictures like this one…)

Something I took with my friend Deb Robson in mind (she’s working on a book about wool right now): sheep statues (in old San Juan). At least, I’m pretty sure they’re sheep, and not goats… Their coats look a little scraggy.

Last but not least: proof that our vacation did not suck. The view from our room the last two nights we were there…

The biggest problem with our vacation: it was too short. We were just getting the hang of lying around on the beach all day reading, and it was time to come home.