The Day I Stopped Being a Tourist

Nineteen years. That’s how long it took me to visit one of the most significant places of the island I was born in, Puerto Rico. Sad to say that it took a Literature class for me to do so since the class was assigned to spend a day as a tourist. On March 14, 2014, I stepped on El Yunque for the first time and embarked on a journey that opened my eyes to what it means to be a sightseer in my own island.

That day I woke up at seven in the morning to get my backpack ready. I packed a camera, extra clothes, and enough food to get through the trip. Then, about at 8:30, I rented a Jeep in order to live the whole tourist experience. I cruised all the way from San Juan to Rio Grande. Since I'm not very good with directions, I stopped a couple of times to ask which was the right way, just like a tourist would, and received very polite answers from everyone that I asked. Despite my constant stopping, the ride was pleasant since the sun was warm yet the wind made it bearable. It was like that for about forty minutes until I finally arrived at El Yunque. 

I was a long way up, and I was getting a bit tired and nauseous. Typically, I would've turned around and gone home, but I sucked it up and kept going. When I finally got there, I faced another tedious task, finding where to leave my rented vehicle. After another twenty minutes of looking for a parking spot, I squeezed in between two minivans. I left my car and proceeded to follow a group of people who seemed to be familiar with the area. Not a long walk after, I took out my camera and snapped a few shots of what looked to me like a lot of very similar trees. But then, I saw it. I understood why so many people like to travel from many places of the island into the magical rainforest. There was a beautiful fall, Coca Fall, they just emanated freshness, nature, and peace. I found myself absorbing its beauty until the thought of taking a picture took over me, common tourist reaction. 

After some time in the cold waters of the Coca Fall, I got hungry and decided to go for a walk to a near food place. I wandered a bit and suddenly smelled the alcapurrias and bacalaitos. I ordered my food in English and was pleasantly attended by one of the cooks. Also, I ordered a coconut, typical Puerto Rican fruit, which I ate as a dessert. While eating the coconut, one of the cooks sat beside me and began to ask me about my experience on the island and suggested other places I should visit.

March 14 became a day I would never forget; the day I stopped being a tourist and becamee a traveler. Even though it took a class for me to go to El Yunque, it was an amazing experience and I got to learn a part of my island which I nearly had any knowledge of. For the first time, I sat and wandered my view through the finest details of a place I visited. I examined the smell, touch, sight, and sounds of the rainforest. This made me be more proud of the island I live in because i acknowledged how beautiful it is, but it also made me aware of how much more I have to visit of my home.