This weekend I went on another adventure with my boyfriend. This time we went to Cueva Ventana (Window Cave) in Arecibo Just getting up there felt like an adventure, first of all because I was supposed to be the navigator for my boyfriend who is not Puertorrican, and I was really bad at it because I’m not used to being the navigator. Despite me being horrible at my job we made it to Cueva Ventana.

This is the second time I was there, but it felt like the first time. It was a lot of fun. The first time I was there was only a little over a year before the accident so I don’t remember. This time, it was incredibly hot outside, even though we were up in the mountains. It was a whole new experience for me, going into the dark cave, seeing small bats flying over us and the incredible view at the end of the cave.

Going in and out of the cave was a little scary because, even though we were given helmets to protect ourselves, it meant that the chances of slipping and falling or hitting our heads were pretty high. I walked slowly and with a lot of caution. I didn’t really care I was holding the line behind me because being safe was more important. Either way my boyfriend told me he was paying attention to where I stepped. He said he was paying attention because I looked a little unstable and that’s exactly how I felt.

After we both made it out of the cave in one piece, we got lunch before heading to find our next destination, Caguana Ceremonial Indigenous Heritage Center. This was a little further up the winding road in the mountains of Utuado. In Caguana we saw several well-preserved ceremonial ball courts with petroglyph carved stones that surround the ball courts.

Caguana is the most complex example of indigenous architecture documented up until this moment in the Antilles. Here is the largest number of bateyes (plazas or ball courts) in the Caribbean- a total of ten.These courts, estimated to be over 700 years old, were built by the Taino, or indigenous people of Puerto Rico.

Now I want to do a lot more exploring around the island. I used to do this a lot with my family growing up. I really enjoy road trips and there are so many other very interesting and beautiful places to see in Puerto Rico. Now I get to show Mike all of them. This summer is going to be a lot of fun.

Published by mariacristinasanfeliu

I’m an aspiring writer still looking for exactly what I want to write about, with a lot of creativity, imagination and desire to write. I studied Writing and Rhetoric at Syracuse University where I explored many different sides of writing through my classes and extracurricular activities in order to narrow my search for an identity as a writer. I have written for Citrus TV Noticias and La Voz magazine, both of which gave me the chance to explore different mediums in which to write in. Through Citrus TV Noticias I also gained experience in translating from English to Spanish and vice versa, which is also something that I would be interested in working on since I am fluent in both of these languages. I was also an intern at Syracuse University Press where I got hands on experience in what goes into actually editing and publishing a book. Through out the last four years I have faced a lot of challenges, which helped chape the person I am today. After being in a tragic car accident, being in comma, having a Traumatic Brain Injury, and being in therapy for over a year, I am a new me, willing to face challenges and knowing how to deal with them. I want to write about my accident and life after it to help others, show them it can be done and help in any way I can.

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