"Todo Puerto Rico!"

"Todo Puerto Rico!" My Vacation Begins.



Today begins a 2 week long vacation that is a few years in the making. I came to Puerto Rico to visit my mother, to find rest, some serious relaxation, and of course, the opportunity to photograph an island whose culture is very much different from that of North Carolina...very different.



This journey begins in the small town of Piñones which is compressed into small villages full of side-of-the-road kiskos offering good eats, locally known as "frituras", or fried foods. This town colorfully illustrates the Caribbean with its brightly colored homes, aqua marine beaches, and the local residents.




Our next stop on the day's tour path was Old San Juan. Our primary reason to visit was to tour the Bacardi factory - a place sure to erase old memories with its fruitful rum blends and relaxing dark concoctions. Along the way I spotted a surf shop, and on one of our stops, had the fortunate opportunity to photograph a local who performed a tree climbing coconut retrieval stunt especially for my camera.





We walked Old San Juan on foot and found a nice restaurant to sit and dine on some local food. I ate a mixture of a mashed up green plantain dish seasoned with onion and garlic and some tender chunks of fried pork. This is referred to as "mofongo." Mmm...After dinner, we strolled back to parking lot for a long ride back to my mother's house. We spent some time visiting my grandmother who conveniently is about a mile just down the hillside from where my mother's condo is.






In 2 weeks time I will have to return home where I have a beautiful wife to greet me and no longer have an employer to report to whenever a Monday rolls around. Finding work, at least for now, is the last thing on mind; however, not having my lifelong companion to take in these moments with me is. She will visit someday.

Check back in a few days where I should have some great new photos from other areas of the island. Thanks all. - Eugenio