Puerto Rico

We were in Puerto Rico in mid-December. Having been a fan of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride in Disneyland and always loved tropical islands, I was curious. I met various VIPs from all over there and got lots of work done, but you our friends, web surfers and lurkers don't want to hear about work, you want to hear about our adventures so... Let's get to it.

Old San Juan. The architecture was from the old Spanish colonial days, but it was fixed up and gentrified. Obviously, the wealth of San Juan and perhaps a lot of affluent others owned homes there. We really felt in an entirely different part of the world. If Mexico has a strong relationship with California and the American Southwest, Puerto Rico has a strong relationship with New York and Europe.

The one thing I can love about Latin American urban planning is the plaza. Every modest-sized town seems to have one. The one in Old San Juan was really nice, with all sorts of life. There were families, pigeons, children playing, adults playing checkers and old men chatting. There was a kiosk selling the delicious Puerto Rican coffee, tropical fruit drinks and all sorts of delicious pastries. These plazas are usually anchored buy a Catholic cathedral on one end and the one here was suitably grand and historical. Nearby we shared a lunch of what seemed to be the best of Puerto Rican food: BBQ pork (lechon), yucca 木薯root/plaintains, beans and flan.

Puerto Rico is different because it is Latin America but it is the United States. That means that the measures and the currency are the same. It also means the prices are not that cheap, but there are generally no concerns about food and drink. I also rented a car and drove there which I wouldn't do elsewhere, especially if they drive on the wrong side of the road as in England and Hong Kong where I almost got a nose rearranged by a double decker bus, but that is a different story.