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Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Inauguration



25 December 2008 - 6 January 2009
Puerto Rico

Victoria and I spent the twelve days of Christmas in what turned out to be one of my favorite travel destinations thus far: Puerto Rico. 

We started off the trip by driving around the island (in a brand-new car, no less) for five days.  It was an epic journey: we hiked the El Yunque rainforest with Zel and Carlos; kayaked Fajardo's bioluminescent bay -- yes, the water actually glows -- in the dark of night; enjoyed an afternoon at Luquillo's Monserrate Beach with Zel, Noraido, Eduardo, and family; ate homemade Puerto Rican food (delicious pasteles) at Zel's house in Naguabo; took in the spectacle of Hatillo's annual tradition, the Mask Festival, on December 28; explored the beach and ate seafood at Joyuda; and wandered the streets of Puerto Rico's former capital, Ponce. 

After returning the car, we hopped on an eight-passenger plane to the tiny island of Culebra, off the main island's eastern coast (referred to by some as "the Spanish Virgin Islands").  Upon arriving at the tiny one-room airport, we were picked up by our guesthouse manager, who drove us into the town of Dewey (population: 2000).   This quirky little town is home to Mamacita's, the best restaurant we encountered in our entire trip; with entirely outdoor seating overlooking a lazy river, a pet iguana, a seafood-heavy menu that changed with every single meal, and the best piña coladas I've ever had, Mamacita's unsurprisingly had wait times of well over an hour for every dinner service.  Equally unsurprisingly, we found ourselves eating there over and over during our time in Culebra (which overall has only a small handful of restaurants to choose from).  On the non-culinary front, we spent New Year's Eve at Dewey's block party by the dock, where we were surrounded by hundreds of revelers setting off fireworks and sparklers and having a good time.  It was a great way to ring in 2009.  Finally, Culebra is home to Flamenco Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen.  The water was stunningly blue and clear, the white sand absolutely perfect, and a coral reef was just a short swim away from the shore.  As you can see in the photo above, Playa Flamenco was idyllic perfection.

The final leg of our trip took us to Old San Juan, where -- by total coincidence -- we happened to arrive on the inauguration day for Puerto Rico's newly elected governor, Luis Fortuño.  En route to our apartment, our cab driver let us know that the parade route was mere blocks from where we staying.  As a political junkie, I of course had to go check out the festivities: I waited by the parade route for about an hour, watching security personnel walk by and helicopters zoom by overhead; finally, the music got louder, the crowd swelled, and the swarms of people carrying Fortuño campaign posters filled the road.  And then, in a small opening amongst the crowd, we saw the man himself: Luis Fortuño was walking down our side of the street, stopping to shake hands with the adoring crowd.  In the most unexpected twist of all, he stopped to shake my hand, thanking me (in English) for my support; unbeknownst to him, I hadn't heard of him until a couple hours prior, let alone known that his inauguration was that day.  But it's not every day that you get to shake hands with a newly elected leader on the day of their inauguration, and -- mindful that January 20 was just over two weeks away -- I certainly had not expected the opportunity to attend two inaugurations in a single month.   

In addition to being the home of Puerto Rico's governor, Old San Juan is a fantastic city in its own right.  Its rolling hills and surrounding waters reminded me a little bit of San Francisco; the colorful architecture and cobblestone streets, amazingly, date back to the 16th century (Old San Juan is the oldest city in the United States); and the people are unconscionably friendly (one measure: drivers never honk despite the narrow streets and heavy traffic, and one car even stopped to let us take a picture of something on the other side of the road).  There's no shortage of things to do and see either.  The Nuyorican Cafe is a nightlife hotspot, with a great vibe, fun crowd, and lively jazz and salsa bands.  The fortress El Morro feels like a place you'd think only exists in your imagination; perched atop a verdant green hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the castle has it all: winding hidden staircases, cannons and lighthouses, and guard towers-turned-viewing stations, all hundreds of years old.  It is the kind of wondrous place I wished I had seen as a kid.

After twelve days of seeing what Puerto Rico has to offer, it was time to return to the states.  But I came away thrilled to learn that this island territory is a fantastic place, with an almost unfair array of things to offer: good food, friendly people (including the prettiest girls I've seen in all my travels), rainforests and beaches, history and culture -- and, of all places, it's in the Caribbean.  And you don't even have to leave our country to experience it. 

If you ask me for travel recommendations and I suggest Puerto Rico, now you'll know why.