Villalba, PR
Puerto Rico... Well... what can I say?.... My island, my lovely island... The place where I grew up. The place that holds my heart. Beautiful island filled with adventure and surprises. It’s an amazing place to visit and explore. Unfortunately it is also a very dangerous place to live at. My entire family is still trying to survive there and I miss them dearly. But I cannot see myself returning to this place to spend the rest of my years. At least not now. Not the way it is now. I remember going to sleep with my windows open and my mother leaving the door open for us to come home at night. Today that is not an option anymore. The crime has escalated to the point that people are scared of going out. Even in the little charming towns up in the mountains that used to be peaceful.
For a photographer, this place is great. There is beautiful people, great wildlife, amazing monuments and almost 270 miles of coastline that will leave you breathless. A fantastic tropical rainforest, full of magnificent flora, rare birds and the not so elusive "coqui". There is a boa that grows in the island but I have never seen it or know anyone who has. I have seen pictures of it though. Since I left 20 years ago, new species have invaded the island. Iguanas of all colors and sizes now roam the forest floor. New parrots from Santo Domingo fly above and our own puertorrican parrot now lives in captivity trying to recover it's numbers. There used to be wild pigs in the mountains that were hunted to extinction. I heard they are having a problem with monkeys on the south west part of the island. And there are thousands of realengos (street dogs) running around every city. That being said, everything lends itself for a good shot. I haven't had much time to take photos but going back this April and will have a whole day to explore. I am very excited about the prospects.
La Cordillera
Things have certainly changed in the last couple of decades, but for the most part it is a very enjoyable experience still today. I cherish every single one of my visits to the mountains. When its time to go back to what I now call home, I still wish things were as they used to be.
There is nothing like the smell of pine trees in the wind.
Cabo Rojo lighthouse
One of the most picturesque places in the island, located in the middle of nowhere at the southwestern most spot in the island. Took me like 3 hours to find it leaving from Ponce. Once you find it, you will be happy you made the trip. It is very windy up there, so I would suggest avoid having your kids running around. I brought 2 of my nephews with me and I could only stay for like 10 minutes before I wanted to tie them to the car. There is a huge drop right next to this lighthouse and a natural bridge that seems to attract people. Behind the lighthouse you will find "playa sucia" {dirty beach}. A crescent shaped cove that hardly anyone visits but is amazingly beautiful. There are salt flats on the way to this area that make for some very interesting photographs. Good for the HDR freak on a clear afternoon. You can see the sunrise and the sunset from this spot. There is a hotel nearby if you would like to stay close. Lots of seafood restaurants in the area where you can satiate every tropical craving.
Old San Juan
The inhabitants of the island of Puerto Rico were very likely to get attacked by pirates. That’s the reason they spent their lives looking out. The capital city was surrounded (and still is) by castles and big stone walls. Around the big stone walls there were, spaced out, a few checkpoints or "pillbox guardhouses" where soldiers would stand guard day and night. At night, the soldiers would yell to each other from checkpoint to checkpoint so they wouldn't fall asleep.
- ¡Centinela alerta! - would yell one of them
And the closest one would answer:
-¡Alerta está!
Of all the checkpoints there was one, the most distant and lonely of them all. It was located over a deep precipice at the end of the bay. In the night's silence, the waves crashing into the shore would make a sound resembling the rumor heard when bad spirits are restless.
There was a soldier whom they called "Flor de Azahar". The azahar is a very pale flower and since the soldier's skin was very white, everyone else would call him that. That night it was his turn to guard the checkpoint.
As heard every night, the calls from the soldiers would be heard from guardhouse to guardhouse. But when it came to "Flor de Azahar's" turn, nobody would answer. There was only the wind's whistle and the sea's rumor.
Fear then took over the rest of the soldiers who were worried about their friend's fate. They spent the night shivering in their "garitas" waiting for the sun to come up so they would find out what happened to their fellow soldier.
At sunrise, they all ran to the sentry box to check on their buddy. When they arrived they found his rifle, his uniform, and his ammunition. No signs of the soldier. He disappeared without a trace.
The soldiers, most of which were very superstitious, started the rumor that de devil himself had surprised their friend and dragged him into the depths of the bay.
Ever since that day, that checkpoint has been known as "La Garita del Diablo" or the devil's guerite.
That was the only explanation that was ever given for the incident.
The true, according to those not involved in the military back then is much different.
Sánchez (Flor de Azahar) was an andalucian soldier and a very handsome at that, who used to belong to the cavalry and was a very talented guitar player.
Diana, a "mestiza", gorgeous woman, lived deeply in love with the soldier. And he was in love with her also. They would be happy with stealing a glance here and there, trying to communicate with their eyes. Sanchez was forbidden to pursue her, and her mother was even stricter than his captain.
Flor de Azahar (Sánchez) would communicate with her by playing the guitar. At night he would play the guitar and sing. With his songs he would let her know his feelings. One night he sang a little tune that only she would understand. It went as follows:
"Mañana cuando anochezca, vete a buscar a tu amor, porque lejos de tus brazos, se le muere el corazón." "Tomorrow when it gets dark, go searching for your love, because away from your arms, his heart will die"
The next night, Diana got up very quietly and sneaked out of her house to look for her love. She ran to his guardhouse and when they finally felt each other's touch, they spent the night making out and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears.
Throughout the night they forged this plan to escape into the rainforest where they would never be found so they could spend the rest of their lives partying it up with the trees and the coquis...
It is said that still today, at that guardhouse, during the night, you can hear the guitar notes mixing with the ocean's breeze and the waves crashing into the rocks. If you really pay attention you can even hear Diana's laughter in the background as if making fun of those who made up the story about her lover's abduction by the devil.
Cordillera Central
There is a chain of mountains that goes from east to west across the entire island. You will find the most charming places while traveling through those mountains. You will also find some of the most treacherous roads known to men. I still have nightmares driving through the "Asomante". A road that goes from Coamo up the mountain to a town called Aibonito. I am not embellishing when I tell you it feels like you are in a movie. The road winds up that mountain with very sharp narrow curves. On one side you have an 18 wheeler barreling down the mountain and on the other side you have a huge drop that will kill you. Those of you old enough to remember "The Long, Long Trailer" will understand.