My wife & I spent most of the previous week on a long-overdue vacation in Puerto Rico. The better part of two days of this were spent in El Yunque. I took almost 400 pics during our vacation and the vast majority were within this rainforest. Needless to say, I've attempted to whittle the number down (but probably still have far too many that I am including - my apologies). I have been here previously but managed to drop my camera in one of the many creeks (while it was opening) so these are the first pics that have made it home.
Here's a view of the canopy, showing some huge treeferns and others:
Sometimes the canopy would open and allow us a view of the mountains we were hiking:
A few of the trails:
A pretty little creek:
The same little creek from a different angle - to show the round little ferns on the right part of the foreground:
The understory (yes - several of these look suspiciously like they are focusing on epiphytes - but hey - there are lots of epiphytes 8^) )
.... and now for the epiphytes:
Some of the critters - first two of the ubiquitous lizards (anoles?)
.... and an iguana (not in the rainforest - but probably the best place to throw it in)
.... and a walking stick (spotted by my wife while she was waiting for 1) the rain to slow & 2) me to get done snapping pics of moss/vines/fungi/etc...)
.... a species of tree snail. The scale on these guys was difficult to show but the shells are around 3" and the eye-stalks are >1" - - so pretty good sized slime-makers ....
Here's a view of the canopy, showing some huge treeferns and others:
Sometimes the canopy would open and allow us a view of the mountains we were hiking:
A few of the trails:
A pretty little creek:
The same little creek from a different angle - to show the round little ferns on the right part of the foreground:
The understory (yes - several of these look suspiciously like they are focusing on epiphytes - but hey - there are lots of epiphytes 8^) )
.... and now for the epiphytes:
Some of the critters - first two of the ubiquitous lizards (anoles?)
.... and an iguana (not in the rainforest - but probably the best place to throw it in)
.... and a walking stick (spotted by my wife while she was waiting for 1) the rain to slow & 2) me to get done snapping pics of moss/vines/fungi/etc...)
.... a species of tree snail. The scale on these guys was difficult to show but the shells are around 3" and the eye-stalks are >1" - - so pretty good sized slime-makers ....
), there was a place they called the 'Stone Beach' where there were both volcanic rocks and sandstone. The sandstone was more jagged than my mind would allow me to grasp:
Heck - on an epiphyte-covered tree trunk, it was not easy to differentiate vines, utrics, ferns or orchids (although utrics don't count here since they are only on other islands) - but there are lots of green things that have potential ... 
)
