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Thank you for this comment! There are parts of Puerto Rico that are "3rd world hellscapes," but they are tiny and not the norm. It is a beautiful island with a
by debacle 3y ago
Thank you for this comment! There are parts of Puerto Rico that are "3rd world hellscapes," but they are tiny and not the norm. It is a beautiful island with a ton of natural resources and hardworking people.
Where else can you drive 3 hours and go from dense rainforest to absolute desert, spend your morning snorkeling pristine reefs and your evening deep in the mountains, and see a mix of old and new everywhere?
- irrational 3y agoBut, do you want to go deep in the mountains? I lived in Morovis for about 4 months. I’ve never seen anywhere more infested with more cockroaches and rats in my life.
- debacle 3y agoJayuya is one of my favorite places in the world, but you are right the bugs are out of control. Especially at night, two screens on the windows and the buzzing all night.
- boredumb 3y agoYou just needed a few cats and some chickens :D I live outside the metro area and there are definitely 4x4 only areas as far as transportation and it becomes quite rural pretty quick in the hills. Not to mention the chupacabra.
- koprulusector 3y agoIs it really like that? It sounds, truly, like paradise. There HAS to be a catch. How big are the mosquitoes, tarantulas, carnivorous ear worms, bees, ants, snakes, etc?
- debacle 3y agoLots of catches. Many places have bars on windows, those pristine reefs are surrounded by areas with unexploded munitions, tons of bugs, roads that are not necessarily safe for cars, etc. But 100% worthwhile.
- craigyk 3y agoI grew up there in near rain forest area (just slightly short of the technical rainfall requirement). There aren't really any poisonous snakes on the island, just one type that has mildly irritating saliva (I caught and got bit by lots of these as a kid, barely noticed). Depending on which micro-biome you are in, there can be lots of mosquitoes, or not many at all. Where I grew up, there were very few probably because of all the predators (and most of the water was moving not standing). Caught a few tarantulas growing up, never got bit. There were some pretty giant centipedes where I lived but I rarely saw them, never got bit. A few bee stings, but nothing too bad- but wasps... hate those f**ers.
- prottog 3y ago> Where else can you drive 3 hours and go from dense rainforest to absolute desert I've never been to Puerto Rico. Rainforest I can imagine, but where on that island is there a desert, even a relative one?! When you say "absolute desert" I'm imagining, I don't know, something like the Sonoran Desert.
- debacle 3y agoThe southwest corner of the island is known as a "dry forest" but there are areas, especially the coastal region, that are rocky desert. Wear a big hat, go before 8am, and stop by the salt flats.
- prottog 3y agoI would love to visit one day!
- alephnerd 3y agoGuánica Is technically a desert.
- prottog 3y agoAh, I see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_dry_forests https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_dry_forests Average annual rainfall of 24-39" is not exactly anyone's idea of a desert (I believe 10" a year is the typical definition), though looking at the photos it does appear to be more similar to the transitional area in Texas Hill Country, for example, with short trees and more shrubs. Certainly a far cry from the lushness that I expected to encompass all of Puerto Rico.
- givemeethekeys 3y agoCalifornia
- negroni 3y agoThere's rainforest/jungle in California?
- usaar333 3y agoYes. The redwood forests in Del Norte County have enough rainfall to meet the temperate rainforest definition (55 inches of annual rain). And yes, you can get to the desert driving 3 hours east (albeit into Oregon)
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- loeg 3y ago> Where else can you drive 3 hours and go from dense rainforest to absolute desert Washington!
- jcranmer 3y ago> Where else can you drive 3 hours and go from dense rainforest to absolute desert Hawaii, except I didn't drive, I walked; and it took half an hour, not 3 hours.
- craigyk 3y agowhat struck me about Hawaii on my last visits though is the juxtaposition against Puerto Rico (the lost opportunities). Very similar in a lot of ways- but hasn't nearly leveraged the richness of its culture (history, music, cuisine, etc.) as much as Hawaii has.
- craigyk 3y agomany islands have similarly diverse environments packed closely together; doesn't make Puerto Rico any less beautiful though.