La Isla De Encanta

31 items of fact and fiction from our trip to Puerto Rico:

1. Between the hours of midnight and 6:00 AM, you can run red lights to avoid carjackings, as long as it is safe to do so.

2. There are small white birds commonly known as Cattle Egrets (Garza) that are found in great numbers, especially in the rural areas, and have brought all forms of trabajo to a standstill. This explains all the hanging about and excessive surfing of the locals. Let the man work!

3. Sometimes, especially at 7:30 in the morning, some people need, and I mean need, music to relax while they eat their breakfast.

4. Randy Soler is the best friend you've got down there, as long as you're on his side.

 5. For some reason, the locals drive really, really fast on the narrow, long and winding rural mountain roads, which is something I can get behind. The problem is that they drive really slow and stupid on the wide and easy highways, which is something that drives me nuts. Also, there seem to be an unusually large amount of vehicles that are unequipped with turn signals.

6. The folks at Surf Zone in Ramey, right up the hill from Surfer's Beach, are really helpful and patient. We spent probably 90% of our trip in this store. Also, you can store towels on the rocks outside overnight.

7. King Monkey made me do it.

8. Despite crowds at certain surf spots, it is possible to get very nice waves pretty much to yourself. The larger sets were double-overhead on this day, with the smaller ones being head high to a little overhead. My favorite break as far as crowds go.

9. El Gallo odia el Pelícano.

10. During the first few days, when it was rainy and windy, we were colder surfing at Maria's in 81 degree water than we have been all winter in 40 degree water.

11. There are amazing hand-painted murals everywhere.

 12. The food is incredible, and really, really cheap. They love fried things, and make excellent pastries, and all this stuff is so readily available you can't help but eat, eat, eat. I weighed myself on a luggage scale at the airport and thought I had gained 10 pounds, but when I got home to the scale I normally use, it was the same as when I left. Seems like the airport might add some weight for some strange reason.

 13. Medalla, the local beer, is readily available in can, bottle, and 10 oz. bottle form almost everywhere for usually between one to two dollars, and isn't that bad. And they make their bottles tough, right El Gallo?

 14. Surfing in warm crystal clear water with a backdrop of cliffs and jungle and beach and blazing sun bright in the clear blue sky is a great feeling, even when the swell has dropped off and the waves are akin to our summer waves here.

 15. El Bohio near Maria's break in Rincon is the best little bar we found. For some reason, everyone flocks to the trendier, more expensive bar next door, so when we got out of the water, there was always room at el Bohio for us and the drinks are cheap and strong. Vive de largo el Bohio.

 16. Blue jeans, especially Levi's skinny 511 jeans worn to perfection over a couple years, are apparently hot commodities and hard to come by in Puerto Rico. This must be true, because someone smashed the window of our rental car to steal mine.

17. There exists a large population of New Jersey expats in Puerto Rico.

18. Locals are really nice and oftentimes give you free food on top of the food you just purchased, or give you their phone number in case you need anything.

19. Locals seem really mean while you're driving through their neighborhoods. Hard stares abound.

20. Locals seem to know how to party, as evidenced on Wednesday's reggaeton night at some of the bars near where we were staying. The crowds spilled into the street, music blasted and cars drove through the crowds burning rubber and showing off. At first I thought we might be in for it, venturing into this crowd, but the hard stares they shoot you while driving disappear in person, and it because an interesting observatory situation and we just sat, marveling. It was a weeknight, but I guess when the garza halt most forms of work, people don't have to worry about that.

21. We had some pizza that could stand up to any, and I mean any, pizza up in the tri-state area. This was Junior's Pizza in Isabella. Please go there if you get the chance.

22. It goes way past funny and becomes very sad when your friend sleeps the entire trip and misses absolutely everything.

23. The Dollar rental car place in Aguadilla is terrible, the people are rude and ugly. On the other hand, the Dollar rental car place in San Juan is great, the people there are friendly and helpful, especially the extraordinary Mr. Matos. Vive Mr. Matos!

 

24. Daddy Ray's Fig Bars are available in Puerto Rico!

25. Once you leave the rural areas, the American influence becomes sadly apparent.

26. There is a government program called Project: Project Horse. The purpose of this program is to increase morale at project-type housing complexes, and this is accomplished by supplying each complex with one (1) horse.

27. There are a lot of amazing trees and plants in Puerto Rico.

 

28. The hatchet-type trailer fin I made worked really well. It loosened up my Cannibal due to the narrower base but didn't seem to reduce the hold on the wave due to the full tip. However, I lost it at the end of the first day, on the last wave, riding the whitewater in to the beach. When my fins hit the rocky bottom, it broke out. A little tab was left in there. Still, it was so cheap to make (I'm thinking no more than $2.00 in materials) that I'll probably make a couple more out of the marine ply. I think it would last a lot longer if I didn't hit rocks. 

29. El coqui is a tiny frog that lives in Puerto Rico. At night you can hear them singing a tune that sounds similar to their name. It is a beautiful sound, but if you see el coqui, you will not live to tell about it.

30. These guys are nothing but trouble.

31. Icarus, with waxen wings spread wide, overcome with joy despite the fading swell, too close to the sun.