Sam's bad back finds a cure... the ocean.

My dear readers! I am so thankful for the soon to be millions of you reading my blog! How's that for positive affirmation? Bueno. Today, we awoke to a sunshine we haven't seen up here in the forest in a long time! Barely a cloud in the sky, the light was twinkling in my room through the trees and greenery and woke me up with a warm hello. I stretched out like a lazy lion and jumped out of bed with the ease of a house cat. Sam and Alwin had risen from slumber a bit before me and were sitting in the porch/dining area when I got up. I could see from the look in Sam's eyes that he was in great pain. We had been asking Lucy to get us in touch with a good Chiropractor, but it was the weekend when we had last spoken with her and she said nothing was open. Sensing Sam's pain and the eminent danger that he might kill all of us, I made haste to Lucy's house to ask her help. She was able to find a full service physical therapy clinic right in Rio Grande that would take Sam, but not until the morning.

Shit. What to do? Well luckily for him, Sam had mentioned how he felt pain free in the ocean the day before so I figured we would spend part of the day at the beach. This time we headed west towards San Juan sticking to the coastal roads that meandered through Loiza and Pinones, two shanty towns on the islands north east coast. We stopped for our usual sandwiches and coffee at a different panaderia and enjoyed a nice breakfast. We even had free entertainment from the conga line of ants whizzing past our table on the floor near the bakery coolers. Don't get me wrong, the place was very clean, and the food delicious, but it was kind of crazy to see how many of the little buggers had invaded. They moved about in single file, except for the ones carrying food, who did so in a communal effort of mass strength. Ants moved in a steady line coming in and out of a little hole in the wall. Each one stopped to communicate with the next passing one in rapid fashion as if to compare GPS coordinates and mission plans! I told Sam and Alwin about my ant fetish and how they react when you kill one in the line. They totally freak out! But I didn't activate the little boy in me this morning, and the ants were spared my terrorism. Satisfied, we carried on with our beach plans.

After a brief stop at Walmart to pick up snorkel gear, we cruised the coastal route through the towering palms and brush. A large section of this road was a forest and beach preserve, which made for spectacular views and Robinson Crusoe like daydreaming. I kept getting glimpses of old huts and homesteads long left behind and couldn't help but dreaming of living on the wild coast eating coconuts and catching my own fish from the reefs. There were small food shacks, some opened for business, many closed, that popped up occasionally on both sides of the road. You could smell the fresh 'pinchos' roasting on the grills. Tender pieces of chicken, pork, and various seafoods popping and sizzling on kabob sticks. Mmmm.

Soon after the twisty road straightened out, we found our spot; a broad and wild beach park that was protected from the big Atlantic swells by an old coral reef that had long since dried out. It made a mini lagoon of sand bottom beach that was nice for wading and swimming, but not so much for snorkeling. Maybe 4 feet deep at its deepest point, the beach seemed to be a favorite for families with little ones. It was awesome watching the 6 foot waves crashing into the reef, then trickling over the lagoon, their power rendered useless by the fortress of old coral.

We spent the rest of the day here. I caught up on some reading. Sam mostly played in the water with the new snorkel gear, and Alwin was back and forth enjoying both. I had a couple locals ask for juice to finish off their bottle of Vodka with and I quickly became the bartender as they came back a few times over the next hour with a shot of booze in their glasses, waiting for the all important mixer. The afternoon ended with Sam bitching about being cold. The trade winds were blowing hard, but the air was still pleasant so Alwin and I forced him to change his state of mind by screaming over and over again, "THE WORLD WAS MADE FOR SAM!!!!!!" Our loud bursts and songs eventually cracked a smile in Sam's face and we decided to complete our evening in San Juan.

We stopped at a bar for a few drinks and chatted with some cruise ship passengers from England, then I stopped at the cigar shop to refill my small stash of cigarillos. I'm not a smoker, but these little hand rolled cigars flavored with rum, chocolate, vanilla, coconut and a host of other tropical delights are nice to puff on at night up here in the forest. We strolled the city and enjoyed all of the festive lights and displays in the Plaza de Armas and the rest of the city. It was amazing and Sam was starting to pine for a little snow. I quickly thought about missing snow and all of the comforts of home on Christmas, but instantly became grateful for the chance to live it here in the beautiful, balmy weather. Yeah, I suck... I know!

I am going to shower up and hit the sheets, we are taking Sam to the doctor very early in the morning and I am going to try to jog some miles tomorrow so I can keep up with my training. Hope you are all having a fantastic night!

Ye old fort...thine protectorate!

Old San Juan holds many architectural and cultural delights. By far the most stunning and popular are the two forts that surround this city of Caribbean antiquity. We opted for the smaller of the two, San Cristobal on the northeast side of the city. The fort, with its towering walls and gunnery posts, is a sight to behold from afar and up close. We pulled into this UNESCO historic site for a day of exploration.

Built in the 1600's to protect the then burgeoning Spanish port, the fort is an architectural masterpiece for its time period. There are numerous features that blew my mind, including the water collection system that led all rain water to a holding tank in the depths of the fort that had a capacity to store 870,000 gallons of fresh water. They even had the foresight to line the tank with limestone as a filtering agent, and rodent and animal control measures were used to keep the grounds in pristine condition so the inhabitants of the fort would be healthy as possible. Even then, the military spent a great deal of money and had the best technology and resources available. Some things never change!

San Cristobal and her sister fort, the formidable El Morro were part of the Spaniard's intricate network of defense and transport dedicated to mostly one cause... acquiring as much gold as possible. Spain was in love with gold and glory and they used God as the excuse to travel the world in search of the precious metal. Silver and other metals were in demand as well, but gold was the premium exemplar of wealth and prosperity. I believe they would have eaten it if they could! The network extended through the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Florida and was quite extensive. Other maritime countries of imperial Europe were interested in much of the same and the battles and constant turmoil over ports and passages were constant in those days. Pirates were everywhere, some independent, others working as vigilantes and buccaneers for opposing nations. Everyone was trying to get a piece of the action, and the biggest losers were the Taino and Caribe natives who lost their homelands and health to the European's diseases and treachery.

We spent the rest of the day at the laundromat chatting with the lovely attendant named Vanessa, who used to live in Buffalo! How ironic. I spoke in broken Spanish, she in broken English, and we chuckled at each other as we tried to find out about each other's lives. Turns out she lived only two blocks from my old office on the West Side. Now we are neighbors in Rio Grande. She spoke about her children and her husband, who love Puerto Rico, but miss the states because of the opportunity. She enjoys the simpler life here on the island. She was amazed that I had no children (as I sometimes am.. ha ha) and said I should get started as soon as possible. I tried to explain to her that I was surrounded by wonderful children at the orphanage, but she would have none of it. Most Puerto Ricans and Latinos in general are very family oriented and productive when it comes to having children. They seem like little baby factories at times and most of them are married with children before their 18th birthdays. They are raised this way though, and far more mature about it than most of the teenagers in the states. I'm an old bachelor by their standards, but I wouldn't be able to travel and do the things that I do if it weren't so!

Life Anew...

Hola people! I just wanted to give a quick update on my travels and first full day in Puerto Rico. After a fantastic first class "bump up" yesterday on Air Tran, we arrived in San Juan a little tired from traveling and a lot hungry from not having anything substantial all day. I ventured my Aunt Rose into the chaotic highways of San Juan, where she repeatedly said, "Oh my God! Jeremy! Did you see that car?" And my response was, "It seems much crazier than it actually is. These people are great drivers!" I will give them credit in the driving department. They squeeze more cars into more spaces with more speed than anywhere I have seen. And, I barely ever see an accident. If you were driving the interstates at home and witnessed this style of maneuvering, you would be sure that 100 people would be dead every minute in a full-on pile up.

Alas we begin to feel the soft rumble of our rental car tires as they breach the cobblestone roads of Old San Juan. We are delighted by long views of the city and the North Atlantic beating its ever present waves into the giant walls of the Spanish fort. Senses come alive as you are greeted at every turn with romantic architecture, old world history, and culinary splendor. Old San Juan takes a week to explore thoroughly, but we are mostly interested in "la comida criollo" which is the style of cooking that Puerto Ricans grow to love in their hearty kitchens.

After a big plate of mofongo con pollo, a mashed plantain dish baked with a tomato based sauce and tender chunks of chicken, we move to the rice and beans and a healthy serving of tostones. A light, savory piece of key lime pie with our cafe con leche (Puerto Rican coffee w milk), got us primed up to hit the old streets in search of... well, exercise and excitement.

My Aunt couldn't stop taking pictures and breaking her neck to look all the way around at all there was to see, hear and smell. We strolled through the beautiful hodge podge of private villas, shops, restaurants and government buildings all intertwined on the hilly slopes of the city. We stopped at the cathedral where Ponce De Leon is buried and were serenaded by a gentleman across the street playing his guitar and singing to anyone who cared to listen. Cruise ship tourists roamed the streets in obvious packs, their obnoxiously loud English speaking, and shopping bags giving them away. It never ceases to amaze me how much these people can carry! Most of them are obese, and yet they still manage to fill every appendage like a pack donkey on an expedition. Bags, clothes, cameras and the like, clanking and weighing down their sweaty bodies as they search for the next trinket to add to the pile. Oh ye shot glass collectors from across the globe!

We were able to walk the exterior fort wall and see some of the fabulous fountains, statues and stonework that line the harbor entrance. We also took a stroll to the gate of the city, which was a treat for my aunt, who was seeing it for the first time. I always imagine the old regimes pulling into harbor and walking through the gates, scrolls and swords in hand, ready to handle the important affairs of imperialism. After a few more streets, we decided it was time to hit the road and head back to the house.

Stopping at the local WalMart (sorry... I hate it too), we were able to supply ourselves with what we needed for the evening and head up to our tranquil home in the mountains of El Yunque! It was so great to hear the frogs singing the familiar sounds "coqui, coqui", and to smell the fresh rains giving the forest its lush lifeblood. After meeting all of the children from the orphanage and having a special greeting from Lucy and Marian, we retired to our casita and enjoyed one too many rum punches. We smoked cigars, laughed, cried, and bonded with great fervor talking about life and all the crazy people in our family. Sleeping under a beautiful full moon, I began my life anew....