[smooth=id:35;]

The drive down to El Yunque National Forest, from San Juan, took about 45-60 minutes. I could see some big clouds up around the peaks of the El Yunque Mountains from a distance. The El Yunque National Forest is the only rainforest in the U.S. national park system, and has hundreds of small animals species that don’t exist elsewhere in the world. Jorge wanted to take me down one of the many trails that looked interesting to us. We wanted to take one such trail to the top of El Yunque’s peak, which measures out at 3,526 feet top to bottom, but it would have taken at least 2 hours going one way. We hiked through the thick rainforest instead. I could feel the heavy and humid mist around us. We were hoping to see some Puerto Rican parrots flying around, but had no luck. The park has a Puerto Rican parrot recovery program, since it’s the only native parrot species in Puerto Rico.

I saw many different types of trees. Jorge wanted to show me the walking stick insect, but once again we had no luck. We kept on going through the forest, and realized it would be a good time to try finding La Mina Falls. It didn’t take long before I turned leftward and saw the beautiful waterfalls. I had goosebumps on my body, and I pulled my shirt and shoes off, dipping my toes into the cold water. I told myself, DO IT! Don’t turn around! I swam toward the deep water. It was worth it to walk the many miles for that special and cold waterfall. I was puzzled about the meaning of a rainforest, so I asked Jorge if we were in the rainforest for sure. He said “Yes, we are.” Sure enough, some heavy rain started pouring down on us. Jorge said “wow, we’re really in the rainforest.”

It’s time to walk up the hill. We walked on, and Jorge suddenly stopped. I was confused, because he was laughing so hard. He pointed out the reason why he was laughing: a walking stick insect was right under our noses! We laughed because that rock looked like a nose popping out from the thick forest to smell us. After the hiking, we decided to check out a nearby Deaf school in Luquilo. We drove down a narrow and windy road, and then saw a small sign saying The Evangelical School for the Deaf. We met Betsy, the leader of the school. She signed very well. I was so impressed with her motivation to do whatever it took for her school. The school only has 11 students, ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade. I asked her how she could have 11 students in one classroom to cover all the grades. She laughed, and said it was very tough. She and the other teachers had been multi-tasking to make it work.

She showed us around the campus. They do have a dorm, but only for one boy and one girl, and she lives on the top of the school roof watching them. I finally met the students in the library. They were so happy to see another Deaf adult. I gave a short presentation about DeafNation, and we took some pictures. We shared some jokes and interesting stories about my travels and DeafNation Expo events. They couldn’t stop talking to me. Betsy was thrilled because she always encouraged them to meet more Deaf people, and even took them to Washington, DC to visit Gallaudet University. The students were very overwhelmed by their big city experience. One of the students said it was about time to see a young Deaf adult visiting their school. It really made an impact on me.

The school is doing very well with contributions from churches, and an organization based in Canada which actually does the Campbell soup labels. Please visit www.esd.faithweb.com and learn more about their school. Leaving the school, I hoped that I had left a mark on their lives, and also hoped to see them have great success in the future. It was time to return to the hotel in San Juan for a short break. The InterContinental San Juan Resort & Casino will be our official hotel for the San Juan DeafNation Expo in June. The resort was originally built in the late 1950s, and was designed by Morris Lapidus, who is known today as the grandfather of postmodernism architecture. The resort is located on Isla Verde, San Juan’s best beach, and is a great setting for both business and pleasure. We will have a “Deaf Club” on Friday and Saturday nights during the DeafNation Expo weekend. Come and stay with us at the hotel!

Dr. Yolanda Rodriguez-Fraticelli and Elizabeth Rios invited us over to their house for a Puerto Rican dinner. Elizabeth used to work for the post office and a Deaf organization in San Juan before she joined Sprint Relay. They are two of the many great Deaf leaders in Puerto Rico. We discussed many issues facing the Deaf Puerto Ricans. They had tried to see if they could join NAD (National Association of the Deaf) but it was difficult due to different languages and cultures. It felt awkward to me because Puerto Rico is part of the United States. They wanted to open a Deaf Center in Puerto Rico, but the government has yet to offer full support. I believe that we must give them our full support and resources; however we must also respect their cultures and empower them. We strongly believe that we should see a big impact on the Deaf community and Hearing professionals at the San Juan DeafNation Expo.

About GraciasVRS:
GraciasVRS is your global community in Trilingual VRS interpreting for Spanish/ASL/English. We service and respect every nation, country and community by providing the right interpreter you need every time! Try GraciasVRS with ANY videophone by dialing graciasvrs.tv or english.graciasvrs.tv today!