Puerto Rico Facts and Stories

The temperature in Wisconsin this morning was -21. On the coast of the Atlantic, where I'm sitting now, it is 93. We woke up this morning at 7:00 to the blazing sun slicing through our white curtains like they were no more than cellophane.

I journaled this morning, and it was physically difficult write out the word "January" while sitting in the humid air, filled with the voices of birds and the swish of palm trees. I felt like I was lying to my own journal. I misspelled the word, in fact.

I have found it difficult to write about the beauty of this place because I'm so distracted by it that I can't focus on a paper page. I love being wowed by our Creator.

The people here are incredibly nice. We haven't engaged in conversation with locals just strolling around. Everyone we've met has been working at the places we patronize. But they're wonderful. Not rushed, but smiling and patient with our communication barriers. And they're not slow by any means either. It's as if we're authentically guests everywhere we go.

Despite the kindness we've encountered, properties are walled off with razor-wire-topped cement, often 8 feet tall. The area is also laced with a STRONG police presence. We've traveled around the US a lot, and we have never seen so many emergency vehicles or heard such a stream of sirens.

I asked someone about it, and he credited drugs. He said that when he was a boy growing up here, people would sleep with their doors and windows open and think nothing of it. He mentioned that he could leave his bike outside and it would stay there. But once drugs move in, they bring out a whole new group of people. People to deal them, people to use them, and people to commit crimes to get them.

On a lighter note, when we first came into town, we passed a place called "Steak and Sushi." Rodney commented that it sounded good, and my CFO-of-the-trip brain said it sounded expensive.

Last night, about 9:00 local, we decided to go out walking in search of food. I had forgotten about the place by then, but he walked us straight to it. I knew that if I said "No," he would hound me all week. So why not get it out of the way?

First off, there were no forks or knives. That turned out to be okay, because there was no steak-- or beef of any kind. Instead, we were given menus filled, front and back, with sushi. Everything from spicy crab or tuna to octopus and even spider sushi. I managed to find a non-seafood avocado salad. An avocado is $1, and my salad was $8, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. But i really like raw avocado, and it seemed like a better option than $15 sushi I would hate.

Off subject, everyone here only serves bottled water. I was a little concerned, but after talking to someone who spoke English well enough to ask, I learned that Puerto Rico's drinking water is indeed safe. So now you know.

Our food came quickly, and Rodney got down to business with his sushi. My bowl of lettuce and avocados DOUSED in teriyaki waited for me to try outsmarting the tiny wooden sticks in my hand. I think I cut years off the non-arthritic life of my hands trying to eat my distasteful, small, overpriced salad that I didn't even finish.

We walked from there to a Taco Bell where we were preceded in line by a pile of drunk, American teenagers-- maybe college age. They were trying to be funny, but in so doing, I think they insulted the sweet kid behind the register. Their ring leader then noticed the kid wearing plastic bags over his shoes and asked why. His English was poor, so he simply pointed to the kitchen floor and tugged up on the legs of his pants in a gesture one would make if walking through muck. None of us completely understood, so he bent down and slipped off one of the Taco Bell bags to reveal the crisp, black Pumas he was protecting form kitchen gunk. The Americans let out a simultaneous, universal "Ahhh" of understanding. We later snapped a picture of the bagged cashier. It was pretty funny-looking :)

I recommend getting a GPS with your rental car, if you visit this paradise. I have never seen people drive like they do here. It's still on the right side of the road, like home, but the understood rules are just a little different. For instance, when turning left, it is common to see people pull out and completely block all traffic while waiting for the far lane to open up. Also, windy roads have dashed lines. And people pass cars without visibility of more than a car-length ahead. Add to these types of changes the fact that you don't have a clue where you're going or what the signs say/mean, there are no exit numbers or road signs, and a GPS becomes what we might call useful.

Restaurants around here are primarily outdoors, and they cook with wood.

San Juan has never been above 100 degrees or below 65. A few weeks ago, a "cold front" came through, angering the ocean and knocking the temps down to 75. The guy we talked to said that was considered "cold" around here.

We were told about ferries that you can pay $3 and ride to the Virgin Islands.

The rain forest is nice, but it requires lots of hiking up and down, so at 30 weeks pregnant, we will need to let that wait for a future trip.

There is snorkeling, jet skiing, bioluminescent cave exploring, parasailing, kayaking, and so many many other things to do here. We do not have enough time to do or see the things we want to. This is a place I would recommend to anyone-- but plan for more than 4 days :)