Last Day on Culebra

This is our last night on Culebra and we are already planning a return trip.  We found two paved roads (we are allowed to take the rental car only on paved roads) on the map that we haven't yet driven down, so we need to come back to do that.  Tomorrow we fly back to San Juan, then Saturday fly to Minneapolis where we'll take a quick peek at our new grandchild, Anne Elizabeth, then drive back home---where the temp will be at least 75˚ colder than we are now accustomed to.  We're trading shorts, tees and sandals for Ugg boots ,jeans and turtlenecks.   What are we thinking!!!????  I'll blog again after we get the underwater pictures developed. 

Our morning started with breakfast over the water, visited by tarpin who fought over pieces of Dave's pancakes.

Then we headed for Flamenco Beach, one of the world's top 10 most beautiful beaches. The sand is sugar sand like I have never seen before, as fine as baking sugar.  Not only is the beach long, but there is an area for tent camping, swimming, food vendors, and the beach gets groomed daily.  The perfect place to hang out, catch some rays, and swim.

This is our favorite beach, Tamarindo Beach.  The sand isn't nearly as fine as Flamenco, it is rockier both out and in the water, lots of coral under water, and this is where we found the great snorkeling.  This beach has character.   But.....it also has sand fleas, which aren't fleas at all, but are teeny tiny crustaceans.  Mosquitoes love me, so it's no surprise that bugs here would love me, too.  I learned NOT to lay/sit on a beach towel, but to use a chair and get my body off the ground.  Most people aren't bothered much by the sand fleas, but of course my bites itch like crazy.

The Day of the Iguana:  While I was beach walking I watched a 4 foot long iguana climb out of the ocean, walk across the beach and into the woods.  This was a green iguana, others saw a purple one in the same area.

When we returned to Casa SuMarco, 

this iguana was waiting on our front step.

This next picture is a puzzle for Mox and Marty.  Can you find the iguana in the tree?  Look for his feet on the lower left-hand side, then he disappears behind a branch, and then you'll see his head.  Great camouflage!

We made a list of Dos and Don'ts for this trip.  The dos outnumber the don'ts so I'm going to start with the negative.  Do not:  sit on the beach on a towel, use a chair in case there are sand fleas.  Do not tell anyone about Culebra, we want to keep it just as it is.

Do on Culebra:  Ask Jerry for a nicer jeep next time, go hiking on Luis Peña Island, check out the paved roads we missed, get Betty in the water for more snorkeling (this may require serious pre-vacation conditioning), bring bug spray with deet for sand fleas, stay longer, go sailing

Do in Rincon:  Eat at the Lazy Parrot, take a guided tour inland-don't try to drive ourselves, rent a car in San Juan - we can drive just fine, take the Catamaran snorkel trip

Do for Puerto Rico:  bring more books or my Kindle, bring fewer clothes, and no long pants except jeans for the plane ride.

Goodbye from Casa SuMarco, Culebra.