Views from Puerto Rico

I realize most of the country is on vacation in some form or fashion this weekend, so I'll join the club.

Here are a few photos of part of our country you might never see. Last week, I was blessed to see a good friend who's spending this year in San Juan. While it's part of our country, it's a radically different culture and a vastly different climate. So enjoy the views!

Originally posted at the Green Phone Booth May 29, 2010

Postcard from Puerto Rico, day 3

Buenos.

Not Buenos Dias, Buenos Tardes, Buenos Noches or any other greeting I'd learned in high school Spanish class. Simply put, Buenos.

This lazy greeting I've heard day in and day out in Puerto Rico brings it such an air of simplicity and informality I've struggled to get used to the last three days. Not having your check rammed down your throat as you're taking your first bite? I can live with that. But the waiting, the extreme abdication of time, seems surreal most times.

I look everywhere for a clock, and there aren't any to be found. In truth, it's a blessing; a vacation should be about losing time and finding yourself.

The last three days have been about finding that small spark of me and learning to play by others' rules. True, as a parent, a wife, an employee there's a lot of negotiating in my life. But too often, mom forgets to take care of herself, and as you know in that old adage, if mom's not happy, no one is.

For three days, I've read, I've walked, I've shopped, I've had uninterrupted conversations - seemingly small things but large considering the many daily interruptions in our days, be it people or electronic.

I soak in everything - noticing the changes in trees, the colorful tropical flowers, the blueness of the waters. And I'm not interrupted in my quietness. I told my friend this morning, while reading Eat, Pray, Love, that I could never subject myself to a silent retreat. Perhaps mine was just made of small moments.

So each morning, I'm awakened at a far earlier time than I'd ever dream of at home, by the sun and the birds. And I spend hours in a hammock reading - yes, reading - actual books in their entirety, not simply a quick magazine article, picture books or part of a newspaper page.

I balance my desire to see all I can of Puerto Rico with the reality that the noon sun brings the hottest temperatures of the day, and it's best to wait until a little later in the afternoon, as the air cools. I balance my anticipation for getting out with the reality of traffic snarls and reroutes due to student protests at the capital, and silently admire the fact that someone in this country is willing to do more than just complain or write a Facebook post grumbling about the state of things.

And this morning, my last hours in San Juan, I spend sitting in the hammock, reading, admiring the sun (which comes in infrequent spurts in Indiana) and enjoying the awesome view - the mountains, the water. And I hope few people here take it for granted.

Puerto Rico, day 2

The sun blared through my blinds before 6 a.m. - 5 my time, and the birds were singing like crazy, each blending into a song.

10 hours of sleep is a beautiful thing.

This morning, I lazed in a hammock again reading my book for hours - a joy with the breezes, the birds, the clouds blowing over the mountains. While it's hard for me to slow down, this was a welcome opportunity.

Today is a decidedly warmer day, and it looks like rain is in the horizon. At least the mountains are out of view. We're planning to visit Old San Juan today, now that the protests have passed. I'll probably look for a small treat for my children as well, but it's always a challenge to find something that's not junky or a "Mom went to Puerto Rico and got me this" T-shirt. I'd stopped in the bookstore the other day to look for a Juan Bobo story - the kids had heard about it on Super Why on PBS - but unfortunately it was out of stock. And if I really wanted to order it in-store I could do it at my bookstore at home.

Yesterday we were blessed with cooler weather and a few sprinkles, compared to Monday's rain. We drove to a small town called Dorado, and visited one of the many beaches along the coast. The trick for us was finding one not clouded by runoff from the previous day's rain - much of the water had turned a cloudy brown from the dirt. We settled down at Cerra Gordo, watching the waves crashing against the reefs, swimming and feeling the sand and seaweed against our toes.

After some time in the ocean, we drove through another town looking for lunch and were slowed by a funeral procession. Instead of the families in black and parade of cars, we watched as loved ones, dressed brightly, sand loudly and marched proudly in the street, a painting of the deceased in their arms. I think I'd like to be remembered with music and joy, rather than sadness and quiet, too.

Dinner was shrimp smothered in garlic (probably one of the last shrimp dishes I'll have in quite some time) and fried plaintains, something admittedly new for me and a dish I'd try again.

We admittedly turned in early - I'd forgotten what the hot sun takes out of you. Looking forward to my last full day in Puerto Rico!

Hola from Puerto Rico

Hi from not so sunny Puerto Rico!

I admit this is my first real vacation that involves no family members since well before my oldest was born. And that's too long.

Fortunately, I was blessed to have a very generous invite from a friend who's a faculty member at the university here, and I'm spending 72 unsual hours in San Juan.

I arrived yesterday to torrential rains (apparently we picked hurricane season!) that didn't quit until late until the night. Instead of roaming old San Juan or dipping my toes into the beach, I ducked under umbrellas and hoped for the best.

Instead of running around outdoors, we were limited to wandering the most ubitiquous of American institutions: wandering the mall. After seven hours in transit, a little walking was in order! We opted for a low-key evening at home after dinner out.

The most unusual thing is the culture. I find it interesting that while we're in America, we juggle seamlessly between English and Spanish, and the laid-back attitude is taking some getting used to after rushing around for, well, years. And I could get used to 79 cent pineapples at the grocery store!

Today, the skies are overcast, and we've already had a few showers. The cool breezes are welcome after yesterday's mugginess, and I hung out in a hammock for several hours today doing what I haven't done in ages: reading a book. Uninterrupted.

Right now, we're hoping for a return to wellness for my friend's pets, whom she understandably doesn't want to leave at home for reasons I won't recount here. That, combined with a strike and protests planned in old San Juan, means we're very much playing the day by ear. So while this wasn't the visit to Puerto Rico I'd imagined, it's at least restful. Wishing the same for you today!

Robbie