March 1981
Sophomore year at Georgetown held a lot of new adventures for me. I was a member of the "French House" on campus, which was a dedicated student apartment where we were to speak French as much as possible (we didn't) and where we received money from the university to throw some French-oriented parties (we had parties at least). I wouldn't say we were scamming the system, but then again - we didn't have much oversight and we were all about 20 years old.
In that year, through friends at one of the above parties, I met the ebullient Ivan from San Juan, who was a French major in the College of Arts and Sciences (as opposed to a French major in the School of Languages and Linguistics where I studied - I still don't quite get how that was possible). In one of those situations where people said "you guys have got to meet, you are going to get along so well", we met and we did hit it off. In fact, we became fast friends so much that I nearly excluded all my Freshman year friends. By March 1981, Ivan had convinced me that we just HAD TO go to Puerto Rico for Spring Break. Ivan never really got how poor I was (and at that point I didn't know how rich he was). Somehow I managed to save my pennies and work-study money and scraped together enough for a ticket to San Juan. It was my first airplane flight ever, too.
We boarded an Eastern Airlines plane, flew to Miami, changed flights, and soon were winging our way over the Caribbean Sea. We landed to mass chaos at the airport. I had never picked up anyone from an airport except my father years before at Harrisburg Airport in Middletown, PA. Even today that airport is never busy. San Juan Airport was an absolute madhouse. We somehow found Ivan's parents and soon were on the highway driving back toward the city. It was night and I just drank in all the sights. It was hot and humid - wow. Cold DC in March was far behind us.
Ivan's parents were renting a house in Villa Caparra, Guaynabo - an upscale residential area outside of Fort Buchanan on the outskirts of San Juan. The house was massive, but the only topic was the "new house" in the hills nearby that they were building. I was impressed with the place they were only renting - wow! It was absolutely massive.
Thus started my very eye-opening week in Puerto Rico.
Old San Juan
What a place to start out! One of the oldest Spanish settlements in the New World, Old San Juan for me was like landing on another planet. Finding parking on those narrow old streets was (and still is) a nightmare, and we had to park and walk quite a distance to get to our first stop, El Morro Castle. Old San Juan became one of my favorite places - ever. Even on a brief return visit via cruise ship years later, I was excited to walk its streets again. [see: Old San Juan]
El Morro Castle
Castillo San Felipe del Morro, (El Morro) sits atop a high promontory overlooking the entrance to the San Juan Bay. It is the result of the efforts of Spanish engineers over a period of more than 250 years and is one of the largest fortifications built by the Spain in the Caribbean. Although its foundation was laid in 1539, the six-level fortification was not considered complete until 1787. During World War II, the U.S. government added an artillery fire control station. El Morro suffered several attacks from the English in 1595 and 1598 and the Dutch in 1625. In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, United States Navy ships fired upon the fortification, destroying the lighthouse, which was later restored.
El Morro was the first place we visited in Puerto Rico. It was my first "castle" and I found it spectacular. It was older than everything European in the continental USA. The architecture was something new to me as well (being an East Coast guy I didn't see many Spanish-influenced buildings). The water crashing into the base of the fort shot up in an incredible spray like the sea was constantly trying to reclaim the bastion for its own - that just added to the charm. In the big grassy meadow that made up the center of the fort, kids were flying kites against the beautiful, blue (and windy) sky. Had I arrived on a different planet? I was so glad I had scrimped and saved for the plane ticket.
La Fortaleza
As we walked the streets of Old San Juan I was drinking it all in. We came upon the Palace of the Spanish Governors (La Fortaleza). Again, I was struck with history like a sledgehammer blow.
La Fortaleza (lit., "The Fortress" ) is the official residence of the governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as Palacio de Santa Catalina. It is the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the New World.
(Wikipedia)
We couldn't go inside, but I was awestruck by the age of the place. Why did I not know about any of this??
Photo from December 1981 (return visit)
We wandered the streets of Old San Juan stopping at all the tourist spots and doing all the touristy things:
Casa Don Q where we learned the history of Don Q rum, the national rum of Puerto Rico. Bacardi was only there in exile from Cuba even though the factory dominated San Juan port.
Butterfly People, an art gallery that took local, tropical butterflies and made artistic creations from them.
Drank piña coladas, the national drink whose origins are murky and hotly debated.
Visited the hotel El Convento, an old convent turned into a luxury hotel - my first experience with a space being radically repurposed (wow!)
Ate helado, the local ice cream that was served in tiny paper cups very cheaply. The choices were coconut or mango - both insanely refreshing.
Visited the top of "La Perla", an infamous slum built into the steep slope below the old city walls. Built originally by slaves forced to live outside the city proper, its people have resisted removal and renovation for centuries.
I wondered why people came to Puerto Rico and only wanted to stay on the beach in some modern, boxy hotel when Old San Juan held all those treasures only a short distance away.
The other San Juan
Condado
The strip of luxury high-rises and hotels starting at the Caribe Hilton leading east down the very exclusive Ashford Avenue is the Condado. The Miami Beach of San Juan, it is the place for vacationers to lie in the sun and enjoy white sands and turquoise blue water. The sea is really the North Atlantic, the Caribbean only starts halfway around the island on the other side - but no one cares. As far as any beachgoer is concerned, they are on an island in the Caribbean Sea. We went both to Condado Beach (very touristy) and the more local Isla Verde Beach further east (much less crowded). At night we danced in clubs atop the hotels - our favorite was called "Stars". It was the peak of the disco era and I was constantly amazed at how flamboyantly the Puerto Rican men dressed compared to their more staid counterparts (even in the disco era) back in Norte America. The best part of going to Stars during tourist season was that every night was a weekend - people were on holiday!
I actually did not like the beach too much along the Condado stretch by the end of the trip. Compared to other places we saw and the beaches we later visited, it was not that great. However, anyone who visits Puerto Rico and has not spend at least a couple of hours in Condado has not really been to the island.
Rio Piedras
Ivan's best friend, Ricardo, was from Rio Piedras, home of the University of Puerto Rico where his mom taught. We often drove to pick him up. He lived in a neighborhood where all the street names were after US universities. I got a kick out of finding "Calle Georgetown". Rio Piedras was certainly NOT Villa Caparra either. The area was far more middle class and reminded me that Ivan's family were people of extreme privilege and wealth. It was starting to dawn on me just how wealthy Ivan's parents actually were. His father owned a large construction company that helped to expand the airport in San Juan as well as improve several other Caribbean airports.
Hato Rey
From the hills of Guaynabo, we could see the modern business district of Hato Rey. It was "modern San Juan" and, although we didn't visit, it did give the city something of a skyline. Most of San Juan was low-rise with the exception of a few beachfront hotels.
Near Hato Rey we went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream one night and there were children begging nearby. I had seen homeless people and "bums" in the USA, but never children. I was astonished. Ivan's family was surprised at my astonishment. Maybe mainland USA just did a better job of hiding such unpleasant truths - it really impacted me. I had naively believed that in the USA, no child would ever beg. That was reserved for "Third World Countries". My eyes were opened a lot that night - all because we went for ice cream.
Beaches
All of the best beaches close to San Juan were on the East Coast around the town of Fajardo. Not wanting me to think that Condado and Isla Verde beaches were the best of the island, Ricardo and Ivan headed east with me in tow.
Luquillo
The most famous of all the beaches was Luquillo. It was very downscale compared to Condado - just a grove of coconut trees along the beach and a few houses scattered about. For me, it was like some paradise. If I thought the water off San Juan was beautiful, it was nothing compared to that turquoise blue of the shallow waters off Puerto Rico's east coast. I was simply blown away!
However, we did not stay because Ricardo insisted he knew a place that was even better.
Seven Seas
Just beyond Las Croabas was a small peninsula that traditionally divides the beaches of the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Ricardo was not mistaken, Seven Seas was a gorgeous setting and was even less developed than Luquillo (even though Luquillo had very little development). All of the beaches were like nothing I had ever seen in my life. In fact, those beaches became the bar for me for other beaches I visited from then on. Few would be better.
Palmas del Mar
Further south, a resort community had been built on the beach and Ivan's parents had a condo there. We were given the keys and told "go have a good time". Things were about to get even better (I could not believe how the trip just got better with each passing day). Ivan and I drove beyond Fajardo and briefly onto the US Naval Base at Roosevelt Roads (Ivan's dad had arranged permission since he did a lot of work on the base). A submarine base, the installation we visited at the end of the Cold War would soon be decommissioned. I was astonished to see subs carrying nuclear warheads with my own eyes (and in such an idyllic setting).
We continued on toward Palmas.
Palmas del Mar was a gated community with a beautiful private beach. It had a swimming pool (why, the beach was dreamlike??) and all the conveniences of a hotel. We only stayed overnight, but I loved every minute. It was a vacation within a vacation. I must admit at the time I wondered what was the point to owning a condo on a beach that was a short drive from home, but that was not my concern. Ivan actually didn't like Palmas all that much. In retrospect, I probably should not have liked it, either. A bunch of non-descript townhouse type units right along the beach - there wasn't all that much to love about Palmas del Mar, but still my 20-year-old self drank it all in.
El Yunque
One of the best things to come out of the first trip to Puerto Rico was out drive to El Yunque (Lit. "the anvil"), a mountain peak that was locally famous for its radio antenna and fine views over the beaches of Fajardo. On a clear day, St Thomas was visible.
We drove up into the park (actually a National Forest) and parked the car. We followed a rather muddy path up through the tropical rain forest. My first jungle, my first rain forest - I was again speechless in a totally new world. The whole place was a lush green dotted with flowers and plants I had never seen. It was a long slog to the top, but we made it. The ugly communications mast aside, it was a gorgeous location. The clouds came and went (my first time to touch a cloud), but when they opened briefly to the east, we could see the nearby islands of Vieques and Culebra. The experience was magical and stuck with me. Green mountains, Caribbean blues, and islands in the distance - this was nothing I thought Puerto Rico would be like! I returned several times on other visits to the island. It might have been my actual favorite place even though I claimed every new place was my favorite.
El Yunque
Vieques
Along with Roosevelt Roads, Vieques had been taken over by the US military. Roosevelt Roads was a naval base, but poor Vieques was used for live ammunition drills. Most of the small island's population had been forcibly removed (as recounted bitterly by every Puerto Rican), but eventually Vieques returned to civilian hands and the residents were slowly returning (to what, I wondered?)
Ricardo and Ivan wanted to go because amongst their friends no one else had been there. I was game for anything. Thus started our rather ill-planned trip to Vieques. We drove to Fajardo and got on the regularly scheduled ferry. The crossing was fast and the views back over Puerto Rico were gorgeous. El Yunque's anvil shape stood out and confirmed its name. We arrived in Vieques to absolutely nothing. Even Ivan and Ricardo were taken aback. No transportation, no tourist infrastructure - we had arrived on an island that had recently been returned to its residents. I guess they were still trying to figure out what to do themselves? Now what? None of us had thought that far ahead.
We tried to go snorkeling on a beach near the port, but the reef was too far offshore. It was a case of the idea of doing something far exceeding the reality. I am happy to report I visited Vieques, but sad to say we really didn't do much of anything and it turned out to be a bust.
Puerto Rico from Vieques
My wonderful time drew to a close. I had been adopted by Ivan's family and the "island bug" had bitten me. I wanted to return and I did for both a visit and then a job the summer after that. That visit to Puerto Rico totally got my mind thinking in new directions and I remain grateful it happened.
Final Notes
Puerto Rico was my first view of the "developing world" and all its lopsidedness. Considering what I would see later in life, it was just a baby step. Even though I lived in DC with its stark divisions along racial and economic lines, it was nothing like I experienced in Puerto Rico. So many stereotypes of mine were just blown out of the water. What I knew of Puerto Rico previously was a lot of negative press about Puerto Ricans who had migrated to the mainland and the musical, West Side Story. To say my picture was incomplete was an understatement. The beauty I saw on the island astounded me. The poverty was also beyond anything I had seen in the mainland US.
Shocking takeaways:
Puerto Rico had a symphony orchestra (a good one, too) and a world-famous classical music festival (Festival Casals). I eventually attended some of the performances on a return visit.
A lot of Puerto Ricans were of African descent. Black and Spanish-speaking.... what???
Tostones tasted far better than french fries.
The class divide was as wide as the Grand Canyon.
My 20-year-old self was starting to learn about the world. I started to realize just how little I actually knew about anything.
Finally, I started to pick up some Spanish which continued throughout my life. Having started with rapid fire Caribbean Spanish (Puerto Rican and later Dominican in New York City) when I made it to Spain decades later, I almost burst out laughing at how slow and easy to understand it was!
One final hilarious incident was with Don Hector, Ivan's father. He was very proud of Puerto Rico's special status as a "Commonwealth" in the USA. That accorded the island privileges that were different from being a state. Well, just wait a moment - PA was a commonwealth, too. Leave it to me to shatter my good friend's dad's world by showing him my driver's license from "the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania". That was such a strange moment - but then again, that whole week was a series of strange and wonderful moments!
Matt had finally left North America and had a glimpse of wealth, poverty, a totally different culture, and a tropical island. There was no turning back.
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