Between September 16th and 22nd, 1989 one of the most infamous and disasterous hurricanes in Atlantic history, Hugo, devastated portions of the Caribbean and South Carolina. From the evening of the 17th through the morning of the 18th, the US Virgin Islands, and the northeastern tip of Puerto Rico bore the brunt of Hugo’s exceptional violence. Alongside the thousands of residents who suffered through the terrifying experience, a small group of veteran storm chasers, including myself, had the rare opportunity to document the full force of an intense hurricane, during daylight hours, at a direct coastal location. At the time of Hugo’s landfall in Puerto Rico the storm was producing sustained winds near 130mph, with gusts over 160mph. In commemoration of Hugo’s 20th anniversary I’m presenting a new, digitally re-mastered, high-quality DVD edition of my chase footage, including many previously unreleased scenes, new special features and extra content. This seven minute introductory clip showcases some of the highlights from the main feature. Without actually experiencing an event of this magnitude, first-hand, it’s difficult to truly understand the incredible ferocity, unrelenting power, and somber aftermath a violent hurricane commands. The new 20th anniversary commemorative edition DVD is dedicated to all those affected by Hurricane Hugo… to the meteorological, scientific, and storm chasing communities who strive to further our understanding of these amazing forces
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Montaje de fotos de Puerto Rico en los años 40. Tomado de www.hispanoboricua.net.
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Hurricane Georges crossed through Puerto Rico on September 21, 1998. As the storm made landfall over the southeastern part of the island, I was able to intercept the northern eyewall in the town of Luquillo (the same location where I intercepted Hurricane Hugo nine years earlier). Although Georges had weakened significantly as it approached the Northeast Caribbean, the hurricane began to strengthen rapidly just before landfall in Puerto Rico. Georges was a Category Three with maximum sustained winds of 115mph and gusts between 130-140mph at landfall in Puerto Rico. Winds of 110mph with a peak gust of 130mph was recorded in Fajardo, very close to my location. The minimum central pressure at landfall in Puerto Rico was 968mb (28.59in).
Three tornadoes were reported to possibly have occurred on Puerto Rico. One was detected just north of Puenta Este in Vieques. A second one was recorded in the Orocovis and Barranquitas general area and a third tornado in the Jayuya area .
Discover Puerto Rico Mountains (Part 2).
Farther along the road lies the base of Cerro de Punta, at 4,390 feet the
island’s tallest peak. A steep, one-lane road leads to the top for still more
panoramic views of San Juan and the Atlantic.
Now, leave the Panoramic Route and head north on winding Route 144 for a look
at Jayuya (ha-YOU-yah), one of Puerto Rico’s highest towns.
Nestled in a lush valley and surrounded by the mountain summits of Cerro de
Punta and neighboring Los Tres Picachos, rural and refreshingly cool Jayuya is
the home of remote coffee “fincas” or plantations, ancient petroglyphs and some
of the island’s finest woodworkers, many of whom take their inspiration from the
region’s natural beauties and early Taino Indian culture.
To learn more about the legacies of some of the Caribbean’s earliest
inhabitants, stop by the Jayuya Archaeological Museum, home of hand-crafted
native pottery and sacred ceremonial objects known as “cemis,” from which the
museum itself takes its fantastic shape.
If possible, spend the night in this rarefied corner of the Cordillera where
you will be lulled to sleep by a chorus of “coquis,” Puerto Rico’s native tree frogs.
On your way back down from Jayuya, turn northwest on Route 140 and continue
past Utuado on Route 111 to the Caguana Indian Ceremonial Park for another
glimpse of the island’s pre-Colonial history.
The most important of some 30 Indian centers found in the area, Caguana is
set in its own 13-acre botanical garden where royal palm, guava, cedar and ceiba
abound.
Its main attraction is 10 “bateyes,” rectangular ball courts where Taino
Indians once gathered to play a semi-religious game similar to soccer.
Of particular interest are the many petroglyphs which adorn these rock-bound
fields and date back some 800 years.
The park also features replicas of native huts or “bohios” and a pocket-size
museum highlighting important archaeological finds. Admission is free.
Double back on Route 111 to Route 10, going via Adjuntas, a pleasant mountain
enclave with agricultural roots.
The surrounding fields yield a highly esteemed brand of coffee, but it is as
a producer of citron that the town has gained international recognition.
Facilities here process this amorphously shaped citrus fruit and ship its finely
cubed skin to the United States and Europe to flavor cakes and other sugary
confections.
Pick up the Panoramic Route on Route 518 as it continues west, crossing Lake
Garzas Dam and skirting Guilarte Forest Reserve.
Here you can climb a flower-fringed trail to the summit of 3,900-foot Mount
Guilarte for unobstructed vistas of both coasts and a look at some of the 278
tree species which thrive in this dense domain.
Continue west on Routes 525 and 135 through the rolling hills of compact
coffee bushes to Los Rabanos, known more commonly to locals as Castañer.
Coffee cultivation is said to have been introduced here from the French
Caribbean in the early 1700s. By the end of the following century, the island’s
premium blend had earned itself a reputation in Europe for its winning
combination of aroma and flavor. To this day, the dark green plants still
flourish here and annual bean harvests pump an estimated $70 million into more
than a dozen mountain rural communities.
On the last leg now, head for the coffee stronghold of Maricao, on
the western edge of the Cordillera Central, and the Maricao Forest Reserve.
Puerto Rico’s smallest municipality is also one of the prettiest and boasts
its own fish hatchery (open daily to the public and located off Route 410) which
stocks island reservoirs.
In February there’s the annual Maricao Coffee Festival. Held in the town’s
diminutive main plaza, it features a parade, folkloric entertainment, arts and
crafts and agricultural exhibits.
Discover Puerto Rico Mountains (Part 1).
When city folk from Puerto Rico’s populated northeastern region yearn
to relax and indulge in nature, it’s more than likely they’ll head “out on the island,”
far from the bustle and congestion of metropolitan buy augmentin Rico’; return true” onmouseout=”window.status=’ ‘” href=”http://www.map-puerto-rico.com/san-juan-puerto-rico.html”>San Juan.
While they may opt for the delights of sun and surf at a nearby beach, they’re
just as likely to head for the less-populated high country of the Cordillera Central (Central
Mountains), where the air is sweet and cool, the vegetation lush and the pace leisurely.
Like a long, elevated spine, the Cordillera Central traverses Puerto Rico from east to west
for about 60 miles, unveiling a side of the island seen by few tourists.
An unhurried ramble along the western portion of the chain’s Panoramic Route
reveals a world of dense forest reserves, small towns and undulating fields of
coffee. And it offers a step back through history for a glimpse of a lost Indian
civilization that was still flourishing here less than 1,000 years ago.
As you drive along, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of cloud-covered
peaks and subtropical valleys that stretch north to the Atlantic Ocean and
southwards to the Caribbean sea coastline.
Count on two to three days for a foray into this area and keep on hand a
detailed map pinpointing the Panoramic Route, a network of two-lane, blacktop
roads which winds ever upward in a series of switchback turns. Gas stations are
plentiful on the trip’s first leg, but become less so the higher you go.
For snacking, keep an eye out for small grocery stores known as “colmados”
and roadside fruit stands that sell “coco frio” coconut water served ice-cold
from its unhusked shell.
Plan to spend a night or two in a historical “parador,” one of the island’s
small country inns. Several in this region are located in restored, 19th-century
coffee plantations such as the popular Hacienda Gripinas.
Begin your trip from San Juan by taking the Arecibo Expressway and Route 2
to the town of Manati. Turn south on Route 149 as it climbs through haystack-like
karstic hills past the town of Ciales and intersects with Panoramic Route 143.
This 60-mile journey takes approximately two hours and places you at
Divisoria, a small community which straddles 7,000-acre Toro Negro Forest.
Today, the reserve is home to dozens of varieties of plants and majestic
trees, including towering, slender-stalked mountain palm, feathery bamboo and
giant tree fern.
West of the intersection lies the man-made Guineo (banana) Reservoir, the
island’s highest lake, and to the east the Dona Juana Recreational Area with its
ranger station, picnic tables and freshwater swimming pool.
You can follow one of several slippery hiking trails to a deserted watch
tower or to 200-foot Doña Juana Falls.
As you travel west, you will pass Cerro Maravilla, its flanks carpeted with
lush vegetation and a silvery forest of communication towers crowning its
summit. Nearby are some striking lookouts onto the south coast and the Caribbean
sea.
Will continue…
There are a lot of places to visit in Puerto Rico on your trip. Most people concentrate on the main attractions on the metropolitan area of the island and here we feature other nice places to visit out of the way, they are worth the driving and the experience. Visit Map Puerto Rico (http://www.map-puerto-rico.com/) for more information.
Las Cuevas de Camuy National Park
This national Park features on of the largest cave systems in the world. Visitors will walk into parts of the caves and explore a small part of the system. The surrounding areas feature some nature settings that make for very good views. At this awe-inspiring underground Camuy cave park you can experience a magical ambiance created by nature. The caverns are unbelievably huge. The Clara Cave is so large that a 17 story building could fit inside of it.
La Parguera, Lajas, Bioluminescence Bay
Another very unique place to visit on the island. this bay has micro organisms on the water that when disturbed they “light up” and produce a beautiful display on the water. this phenomenon happens on various places around the world, but in Puerto Rico is the only place that is guaranteed for it to happen every night.
In the north par of Puerto Rico you can visit the famous radio telescope part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), the largest of this kind in the world. Its large receptor plate it’s larger than 12 football fields, used to spot signals from planets and in the SETI research for extraterrestrial life. Inside the Observatory there are science related exhibitions of different subjects to watch.
Mayaguez is home to the only public zoo in the island. The zoo 2 main animal selections are the African Forest and the African Savannah. Also it features a Beautiful bird sanctuary. Cages and open compounds stand in an attractively landscaped setting of small islands, a lake, tropical vegetation and children’s playground.
Any street in Ponce, Puerto Rico is in itself an outdoor museum of sorts. The city’s architectural treasures are lavishly decorated with wrought iron balconies, window grilles and ornamental trim. The Ponce Art Museum has the largest art collection of the Caribbean between pictures and sculptures. Its collection has many European works such as works by Velasquez, Rubens and Rodin, and others.
It is also the home to the largest Marina in the Caribbean, called Puerto del Rey. The town contains various hotels; the El Conquistador Resort is one of its most famous hotels. Off shore near Fajardo few islets can be found: Icacos, Palominos, Palominitos and Diablo, uninhabited coral islands.
For the divers, there is excellent clear water all around the cays, with plenty to explore. An excellent place to snorkel, the shallow waters at Seven Seas are swarming with tropical fish, coral and an abundance of other marine life.
Offshore reefs help keep the waves down and strong trade winds make it an ideal spot for sailing and windsurfing.
Visit Map Puerto Rico (http://www.map-puerto-rico.com) for more information.
