AWAY FROM SANTURCE TO ROUTE 15 CAYEY JAJOME GUAYAMA

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, I decide with great effort to leave the house. It is difficult since I have to leave my botanical, canine constant company. One has to plan carefully before engaging in such projects for a simple reason, this is an overcrowded, noisy, with a ridiculous vehicle density, island. Imagine over two million vehicles in a one hundred miles long and thirty five miles wide, shitty isle.

Oh, excuse me please, I remind you virtual READER, this is not a traveling guide blog, singing to our cultural, social, historical,
gastronomical values.

This a critical blog... At any rate, taking the old road to Caguas or #1, you reach the highway to Cayey making a right turn when the Cayey to Guayama sign drops by.
Be careful, you need Route #15, through Jajome. If you make a mistake, you will land
in a horrible traffic jam towards the road to Guavate, that only local gluttons for roasted pig, longaniza, rice with pigeon peas, heavy drinking, motorcycle freaks,
and noisy families with children tolerate with resignation. I do not.

While on the road you will enjoy the possibility of driving with the windows down since the high altitude allows the cool fresh air cool your jets. Another great ecoturististic advantage of travelling this almost ghost road, is listening to the many birds hanging out in heir backyard trees, without urban decay, construction/desctruction.

Poinciana trees are abundant and happy. They prefer dry, coarse soils with good drainage soils. One very rare, Black eye Susan was spotted across what certainly was a country
hotel with an impressive view of the mointains. Now somewhat abandoned, this structure demonstrates the feeling for detail in the architecture, even today, with some parts of rotted ceiling showing, the beauty is amazing.

From this hotel I was able to collect a root of a rare Bambusa. This type grows about two inches in diameter and fifteen feet high. If invasive or not, time will tell. Bamboo
perhaps one of the most interesting grasses there is to create a curtain of privacy. However if you plant the wrong one... Good luck.

Other collected items were an endemic Anthurium, rather ugly, with thick leaves found in a small, typical landslide of the mountain in the right side of the road.
Finally, seeds from a Mexican climber, Coral vine, very abundant throught out this road came home to be planted among the many others in the drive way pots.

Finally again, this road with many smooth curves, is in excellent shape to enjoy
the trip. You will pass in front of the summer house of our governor, a unique
structure with definite Spanish motifs in the architecture. There are views of mountains covered with old trees, something that will not last forever, plus many views of the Caribbean Sea and Arroyo, a town, close by from Guayama, itself a great
place to walk around and calm the thirst.

Until our next meeting...