Waking up this morning felt like waking up to find that a good dream was real. 

Bobby and I were headed out from The Dreamcatcher early to pick up our rental car and then drive out to the east coast of the island. But first, we ambled down the stairs to see what the chef was cooking — in this case, pancakes with almonds, fresh bananas, homemade tamarind and honey syrup, and fresh coconut-and-orange juice. 

Just as good as it looks!

After that, it was time to hit the road!

We journeyed along the road closest to the beach, which was pretty quiet, and got to take in views of the beautiful El Yunque in the distance. And then, all of a sudden, in the not-so distance.

We stopped for lunch at a rooftop restaurant rated #1 on TripAdvisor, and were treated to an excellent lunch with a view.

And after that, it was time to check in to the hotel! Our inn is a small one located at the top of a mountain, and once we got there, the host let us know that we were some of the only guests they’d seen in days. They introduced us to their 3 dogs, which they said loved to go on walks with guests, and they encouraged us to let them walk with us when we wanted to go wander around.

And then we got to take in THE VIEWS.

And see THE POOL 

I’m going to be completely honest with you: this afternoon, we did not make the most of this pool. (I know, I know.) Worse still, we took a NAP instead. But that was necessary, because of our evening plans.

Tonight, we ventured out, grabbed some kebabs from a street vendor for dinner, and sat by the beach… and THEN…

WE GOT TO SEE THE BIOLUMINESCENT BAY!

Guys. I don’t know how to describe this to you. I couldn’t take my cameras aside from my GoPro, so I will have to upload something later, if the footage even turns out.

BUT GUYS. We got the chance to see REAL LIVE GLOW-IN-THE-DARK ORGANISMS. Right in the water. RIGHT IN OUR HANDS.

We went on a guided tour with a tour group, and paddled out to sea in our little kayaks, 2 to a boat. The moon was rather full (which usually means decreased visibility), but we still soldiered on. We kayaked through a dark lagoon, all in a straight line, barely able to see in parts, with dense mangroves all around us. And just as we started flagging, the trees opened up and we sailed out into the Laguna Grande, where the sparkling, glowing organisms live. 

Our tour guide, Javier, was a trained marine biologist, so he waxed poetic for a while about the phenomenon. Apparently, these organisms are plankton, which glow as a defense mechanism. They can be seen in very few places around the world — including a few places in Puerto Rico.

We passed around a bucket of an example of the organisms, and each of us saw the electric lights — kind of like twinkle lights, or fireflies. And then, we all pulled a large canopy over our heads to better block the moon, and ran our fingers through the water. 

IT WAS SO COOL. 

We stayed in this area for some time, playing around and exploring via kayak. And then, it was time to travel back through the mysterious Jungle Book-like mangroves, until we popped back out in the ocean, and wandered back to our car.

Guys. It was so neat. The world is a very, very cool place.

Here’s one look as we prepared to get on the boats:

On the way back to the hotel, we made a quick pitstop for snacks and juices. Here are our spoils:

SOURSOP! Peach! Tamarind! Guayaba! I LOVE JUICE.

Tomorrow, we’ll be taking it extra slow. (Like, “naps by the pool” slow.) You won’t want to miss any of the action. 😜

I love Puerto Rico.