Ponce and San Juan

When I awoke I was in Ponce. I was also incredibly disoriented and dazed. The rainy night before was not the first night where I hadn't gotten much rest. In fact I hadn't really slept since I left my Aunt's house. Luckily I bought a foam camping roll the night before so I could sleep better on almost any surface. I tried to hire a Publico (shared taxi) but instead I got an expensive Taxi by mistake. The driver took me to a small park surrounding an old Cathedral and in front of City Hall that was somewhat close to the Publico terminal. It was a really strange experience. Everyone was speaking Spanish and all the trees where wrapped in Christmas lights but it was balmy out and the decor defied all convention. There were strange chirping noises coming from just about everywhere and there were stray dogs milling about in very social ways. I later discovered the chirping to be the call of the Coqui frog. I tried to sleep on one bench but a cleaning crew came and started using leaf blowers so I moved to the other side of the park. There I attempted sleep on a bench next to a fountain but it soon became to cold to sleep so I walked around some more to warm up. I put on my winter coat for about four seconds before realizing it was still soaked, cold, and quite pungent.

Eventually I found a small spot under a palm behind a burger king. I woke up several hours later and wandered to the Publico terminal. I met a driver going to San Juan and he said if we left now it would cost forty dollars or I could wait for other passengers. So I waited, and waited, and waited some more and I think around noon enough people showed up but I can't really remember too well because I slept most of that time on a lovely little bench. The drive was also spent sleeping, but at one point I awoke in the middle of a mountain range and it was stunningly beautiful. The mountains were very steep, but they were covered from summit to peak in beautiful green foliage. Some had large rocky cliffs jutting out from them too.

San Juan was really weird and the park I got dropped off at was even more bizarre then the last. There were tons of homeless men and women here and even more stray dogs. I made my way to the Library at the University of Puerto Rico. There I found accommodations and some good cheap eats on their internet computers. I was leaving to find the buses when I was greeted by Spyridon. He was a young painter from Tennessee and he was here setting up his exhibit for the University. He got me into the back areas and I got to see the exhibit before it was finished. The gallery was amazing. They had painted posters from a cultural revolution that had occurred several decades before. Puerto Rico was railing against cultural assimilation by the United States and it was very apparent in these posters.

Spyridon also showed me his work which was very religious and it had a pretty unique style to it. He worked with oils and had painted two pieces which were on display outside in this sort of courtyard area. I helped him gather some leaves and flowers to place around the pieces and his friends showed up. His friend Peter and his wife with there three year old son David. We all helped Spyridon setup his display and then Spyridon drove me to Viejo (Old) San Juan. He dropped me of on Calle de la Tanca and I walked to the Castro Guest house where I had my reservation. The Castro was wedged between a Chinese food restaurant and a up scale night club called The Noise and sat opposite a popular bar. I got a room with a balcony for forty a night and bought a cheap bottle of Chilean wine and some ear plugs. I threw the doors of the balcony open to let the wonderful night breeze in popped the ear plugs and started on the wine.

I spent several days exploring Viejo San Juan and Candado Beach. I never did find a job there. Although I did get to see some wonderful things and meet some wonderful people. I met Jaqi from Massachusetts. She lives in Mueyguez and is trying to find a job as a physician. We met at the breakfast bar in the Sheraton Hotel, which is funny because neither of us were guests there. In fact her friend Evans wasn't either. But we all thoroughly enjoyed the muffins and papaya juice regardless. I also met the activists camped in front of the controversial Condado playa (beach) apartments. According to the protesters and most of everyone I've spoken with, the owner, an asshole American no less, bought the land illegally by bribing the government and then began building the apartments. The land itself was a public beach, which was enjoyed, in particular, by less wealthy individuals. I just happened to be walking by and the protesters offered me rice and chicken. They had a spicy senorita making all of the food which I thought was a bit curious, but regardless it was the best rice I've ever had and the chicken was good too.

I crossed the bay bridge and met a young scientist taking water samples, he said the bay was really healthy. He told me a story about the apartments. Apparently one night the protesters climbed the crane and attempted to sabotage it. The police came to stop them and they swung the crane around and climbed down the cable into waiting kayaks. They then paddled across the bay and were apprehended. However the police let them go which in my opinion is a testament of who's on which side.

I spent some time meeting my roommates, Isreali from Florida and Alex from Germany. They are both pretty mellow guys and we've gone on a few missions together. One night we went to a big hotel near the bay and scored four or five pounds of choice beef from a conference that had just ended. We at like kings that night. Alex introduced me to Johnny from Wichita, Kansas and I asked Johnny if he wanted to split the cost of visiting El Yunque and he said he did.