Hi all--
Spent a lovely week around Puerto Rico. Very nice--- the weather was surprisingly hazy and not really as warm as S Florida. In any event... I didn't see a single positive article about W down there (in the English newspapers at least). Gotta love that! Secondly, I was amazed by the political limbo that they are in... commonwealth status... not free but sort of loosely connected. I remember a diary a long time ago about the political status of the country and am still confused.
Firstly... would being the 51st state be so bad? Is it the taxes that Puerto Ricans don't want to pay? It seems like a complicated issue and I admit ignorance.. I know the Navy didn't make any friends for the Vieques bombings. I would imagine some US money would help the sorry state of the roads and general upkeep of the country. Maybe Hawaii could attest for how well we treat our states? :)
El Yunque is beautiful... I recommend everyone to go. I was shocked that no air conditioning was needed at a mere 1500 ft above sea level... very nice. The number of chickens and dogs on the backcountry roads would surprise many on here I bet. If you need a good place to go to escape the daily political landscape.. El Yunque is wonderfully isolated.
Puerto Rico is vegetarian hell. 3 places in the whole island served vegetarian food.. Indian, Lebonese (San Juan) and some mixed stuff in Ponce. The mofongo is unusual but I prefer the sweet plantains. Al Salaam is very good in San Juan!
One final thought is that the roads down there are amazingly confusing. A quick summary:
- Speed limit signs are in mph
- Distances are in km
- Gas prices are in liters
- Exit signs for the interstate are optional.
It is driving fun for those who are adventurous... more challenging than Miami or New York!!! Get good insurance and some patience for the San Juan traffic.
Eric