Thanksgiving Weekend Installment 2 - The River

We were headed off to El Yunque on Saturday and checked email before we left. There was an email from Tom. The Anasco River was clear and at a good height for kayaking - a condition that rarely occurs. He wanted to head out that way on Sunday. Jeff had planned to go hiking with another friend but invited her to this adventure instead. She isn't a paddler and doesn't care for the water much so she passed but Jeff really wanted to do it so we did. The adventure started out like all of them do...with a confusing drive to the site. We took 119 (panoramic route) that twists and turns and turns and turns and for a while travels along the ridge of the mountains kind of behind our house. We had a couple pauses as the Tom-Tom lost the road....119 had a little gap (called 105) before it picks up again as 119 and it really isn't clear which way to go. Once we arrive in Las Marias the confusion compounded as the Tom-Tom sent us down an impossible road where we see Dallas (another friend joining in for the fun) driving toward us. We are both confused. We try to get some local directions from people but they too are confused so we go with the Tom-Tom over the 2 GPS's and do make our way there at last. We drive close to the water and it is beautiful! We pull the kayaks off the car, load them up, relocate the vehicles to a safer spot and head out!

Here is Jeff standing in the shade waiting for departure. Dallas is in the kayak with his dog Crash Boat who is wearing a tiny life vest.

We paddle downstream for about 8 miles of mostly calm water with a few little runs like this one. Just enough white water to make for a little bit of excitement. It might be really fun with a higher water level!

We pass orange farms, plantano/guineo farms, coffee farms and cows.

The sun is shining and Tom, Brett, Dallas, Crashboat and I are all enjoying it. It is a perfect day on the water. This was the most exciting little rapid we went down. Jeff went first and made it out to be a big deal which made Brett and I hesitate a little but it turned out to be the funnest spot without any problems.

After this spot we meandered around for a while longer before reaching the bridge where Tom's car was parked. This was the pull-out spot for today. We pulled everything up the steep embankment and I hear little cat voices. Yes. I need hearing aids that will reduce my hearing and screen out cat voices. There were two very teeny kittens under the undercarriage of a truck container. They didn't look deathly but there was no mom. No one in our group wanted to take them and with 12 we just can't. If we were to live here forever we would have but we are on a 7-more-years plan unless things here improve (jobs). We had to leave them, but they got an hour of loving while I got lost retrieving the truck. We finally all did get back to pick up the kayaks (and Jeff) and then headed to Tom and Diana's for a quick visit. It was a nice one. This is a very nice river. The water was very clear (rare event) and there wasn't any garbage anywhere. The float was a nice one and wasn't very taxing. The company was great. Another nice weekend - but busy.