"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in
its net of wonder forever."—Jacques Cousteau

Feb. 12 - Jayuya, PR

“Travel doesn't become adventure until you leave yourself behind.” –Anonymous  

Today we left the beach and headed inland to Jayuya (hah-YOO-yah). The town is known as the “Town of The Three Peaks'' and is located high in the central mountain region of the island, north of Ponce. It's the site of the highest mountains in Puerto Rico, surrounded by the Cerro La Punta and Los Tres Picachos mountains. We plan to do a little hiking and explore the mountains and waterfalls in the area.

We spent the morning enjoying our last view of the Atlantic Ocean. We've truly loved being here, but we are ready for something a little different. The road through the mountains was an adventure in itself...beautiful but narrow and very windy. It's a good thing Stan doesn't mind this type of road. Google tried to send us on a few shortcuts, but the friendly locals set us straight. 
Believe it or not this is one of the wider mountain roads we were on today.
This Caonillas Lake we passed it on our way to Jayuaya.
The house we're staying in isn't fancy, but very adequate. It's a historic house built in the 1920's and it sits across the street from the town plaza. We wandered around this afternoon and it's a pretty little town on the Rio Grande del Jayuya. The people are super friendly. We were invited to join a local family to watch the Super Bowl, but we passed. We were just too tired.

Our home for the next three nights.
The house is basic but we have three bedrooms and two baths. Each bedroom has AC, but the evenings are in the low 60's so they are only needed to keep out the sounds of the town and the roosters.
Our Lady of Monserrate Parish in the plaza across the street from our house. The bells ring each morning at 6:30...no need for an alarm clock here.
One of the pedestrian bridges that cross the river in town.
The Rio Grande del Jayuya that runs through town.
These stairs lead to the monument that pays homage to the Taíno culture of Puerto Rico. The Taínos were the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico. It is located just off the plaza where our house is.
The sculpture at the top of the stairs is a bust of the Taíno leader Hayuya. The stairs lead to the tomb. The words made with mosaic tiles in the steps greet visitors and are the Taíno names of Puerto Rican towns.
The view from the top of the stairs.
We ended up going to Patria Mia for lunch and dinner since it was close to the house and so good. We were the only turistas in the whole place.
Way over there in the west is where we came from today.

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