013: Take me back to Puerto Rico
Vibrant and alive, scenic and colorful, local and friendly, and rum and pina coladas. Last Sunday I flew home after spending a beautiful week in Puerto Rico. My family and I stayed beachfront in San Juan, and enjoyed all the gifts of island life. The rhythm and vibrancy of the Caribbean continues to call me year after year and Puerto Rico more than delivers. The people and culture, music, and beaches and rain forest were the highlights of my travel.
People and Culture
The local people of Puerto Rico couldn't be more welcoming and supportive of tourism still without catering to it's every need--this is the perfect balance. Most islands in the Caribbean, unfortunately so, seem poverty stricken outside of their central cities and rely on tourism as their source of income. This leads to palace-like all inclusive resorts and disastrous life outside of it. Puerto Rico is entirely different. The San Juan strip of hotels accommodate locals and tourists almost equally, and we were encouraged to go outside and learn about the island. All Puerto Rican's speak at least conversational English and seem happy to see just about everyone. Because Puerto Rico was annexed into the United States in 1898, the culture has evolved as American friendly and very welcoming. Also, you don't need a passport to travel there and there are no customs when you arrive. I found the local people of Puerto Rico as hardworking, happy, and helpful. I would love living there too.
The culture of the island is as colorful and warm as you could expect. From the morning sunrise and sound of waves around 6am to the nightfall start of salsa dancing, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the personality of Puerto Rico. The island was originally a cross between native, Spanish, and African people, although Puerto Rico today is in love with it's own identity. Turning every corner you can see the national flag somewhere in sight ... really cool to see. Puerto Ricans are proud to live where they are and do what they do. You can feel that. The architecture is traditionally colonial styled (mostly Spanish) and painted with a bright palette. Think opposite of bland. Moreover, we learned soon after landing that over 80% of the world's Bacardi was made in San Juan! Talk about a party. Rum has been in ingrained in Puerto Rico's culture for hundreds of years (and it's good rum). Fun fact: the original Pina Colada was made in Old San Juan.
Music and Dancing
Ahhh the beating heart of the Caribbean! The lifeblood ... the soul ... the energy that emerges here every night is inspiring. The music and dancing in San Juan captivated a passion in me I often forget about without reminder. The music here blends together Spanish, Latin, and island influence into high-energy "salsa" dancing music. I am in love with its polarizing rhythm. If you've ever watched or danced with a partner to salsa music you should know the vibe I'm talking about. The dancing forces the man to lead hard and strong, and the women to follow creatively and elegantly; salsa dancing seems like a push and pull of passion. La Placita is the local square to visit for music and dancing in San Juan.
Beaches and Rainforests
Alongside the culture and music in Puerto Rico, many people visit for the nature side of the island. The beaches remain largely untouched, and the rainforest is protected as the 2nd formed National Park in the United States. The beaches I visited were soft and warm, and the water was beautifully blue. As I learned from a surfer, Puerto Rico is also the surfing capital of the Caribbean. There is always good surf because nothing lies in between the island and the Atlantic. Good tides consistently roll in!
El Yunque is Puerto Rican's tropical rainforest. I had the pleasure of traveling about two hours outside of the city to the East peaks of the rainforest, and we hiked the path of a small stream up into the mountains. In a lead group of about 10 people we learned the ways of the tropical rainforest and saw the sights it has to offer. The peak of the mountains here is always covered in clouds from a continuous cycle of evaporation and rain. The morning sun draws water into the clouds until where, around 2-3pm, they become heavy enough for an afternoon shower. This tropical rainforest turned out to be surprisingly unique in a couple of different ways. First, there are no predator species in the entire forest. That means everything coexists within the forest because nothing hunts each other. Opposite from the Amazon rainforest, El Yunque is isolated on a small island that isn't home to many mammal species that kill for food. That means no predators, thorns, poisonous frogs, venomous snakes, or even poison ivy exists there. Pretty amazing! So, our trek into the forest started with excitement and peace of mind. We eventually made our way to a hidden spring and local hot spot towards the top of the mountain (picture below). Beautiful. Everything I imagined a rainforest to have and look like. We ate fresh island fruit--pineapples with lime juice, mango, and plantains--and enjoyed the clear waters. There was a rope swing and 40 foot cliff jump as well.
What a fun and inviting place to spend a week. The culture was unapologetic, the people were welcoming, the dancing was passionate, and the rum was everywhere.
