Ten Beautiful Things About Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico…The Word Beautiful Will Never Be Enough
Traveling Eyes Are Wise
Where Culture Is
The sun is so radiant that silhouettes are casted on everything. And as it goes down, colors of orange, red, and pink serenade the sky.
When you at the beach the water is so clear you can see right through it. Sea minerals are purifying. In fact, I looked down and noticed my toenails lightening-hot pink polish and all.
Fruit trees are abundant. If you love coconuts and mangoes Puerto Rico is the place for you. It is normal to find a vendor on the side of the road selling fresh fruit juices. There is nothing more refreshing than coconut water and more delightful than the meat. Except, mangoes. My word! They are flavorful, fortifying, and packed with vitamin c. You will never run out of delicious healthy snacks in Puerto Rico.
Murals will tell you a lot about Puerto Rican history and culture from Loiza to Old San Jaun-paintings and murals depict the island’s diverse heritage and the bravery of its people. Art lovers you are in for a treat.
Flags are at the beach, painted on walls and crafts, printed on clothing and signage, and hanging on wall of an Airbnb.
Consideration for people with physical disabilities. I noticed a wide bathroom stall with a sink built in at the Airport. Access is obviously for everyone.
Arroz y Gandules will never be the same. Even if you had the best rice and beans made with delicious, canned pigeon peas-you will never experience the phenomenal flavor of having them plucked freshly from the tree. Your tastebuds will thank you after you have experienced it.
Peace is definitely to be had. You can watch videos on traveling while Black and marvel at the vloggers sharing their personal truths. When you get to PR you will discover this reality for yourself. During my trip we stopped at Walmart. It took a few minutes to realize that I was being neither watched, followed, or ignored. It was fabulous. This is how expats are born. It doesn’t matter if PR is a US territory- it is still its own place.
Community is essential to Puerto Rico. I had been to several cities in my week-long getaway, and I barely saw any extreme symptoms of hurricane Maria. This is because as a people Puerto Rico came together to rebuild. There were empty houses, but souls filled with national pride.
Hospitality is in direct alignment with community. A stranger offered a bunch of tamarinds from his tree. The owner of our Airbnb went into the backyard and began knocking down coconuts from a tree with a large pole. These rolling spheres of deliciousness were ours for the taking. I can’t help but to think that if he were “on the mainland” these things would be for sale the moment they tumbled down.