…is a breathtaking archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. I was fortunate enough to get married 22 years ago in Puerto Rico and lived there for 3 years while I was in the Navy. Part of Puerto Rico is still in my heart and I cried happy tears when we landed this past June.

People often ask me what they should know about Puerto Rico. I am by no means an expert on Puerto Rico nor would I ever profess to be an expert on any location where I am just a visitor, I will leave that to the community that lives there.

But I can tell you what I do know…

Long before Europeans descended on Puerto Rico it was called Borikén (Borinquen) by the Indigenous Taino people, meaning “Land of the Valiant and Noble Lord.” This amazingly lush and tropical locale is small in size at only 100 miles by 30 miles but rich in culture, history and food. Roughly the size of Connecticut, Puerto Rico and its people make you feel like family. They are hospitable, joyful and passionate.

The music, food and drinks of Puerto Rico are an amazing mix of African, Taino and Spanish traditions. One of the most treasured creatures on the island is the Coqui frog that sings a relaxing and purely Puerto Rican tune every night starting at sundown.

The island is easy to navigate by rental car. Drivers do need to be alert as always. Access to the beach is very easy for tourists. The language of Puerto Rico is Spanish but English is readily spoken almost everywhere. Most restaurants have English and Spanish on their menu. The restaurants that do not have English can be navigated with Google Translate.

The capital city of San Juan is extremely metropolitan. There is an area known as Old San Juan that is home to fantastic restaurants, food tours, architecture tours and well maintained Spanish forts/castles. Plus has the idyllic pastel painting buildings throughout the streets.

The east side of the island where I lived includes the towns of Rio Grande (one of my favorite places to stay), Fajardo (seen in several movies), Luquillo (sleepy surf town known for a strip of seaside restaurants called kioskos and now home to the only jazz club in Puerto Rico), Ceiba (former home of the largest US Navy base), among many others. Here I still have friends and they have introduced me to local entrepreneurs who have businesses that include restaurants, accommodations, kayak tours, bioluminesence bay tours, catamaran tours to small archipelago islands, yoga, and did I mention restaurants.

The food in Puerto Rico is so delicious and the recipes are tried and true. The avocados of Puerto Rico are 3 times the size of the ones in the states. I never tasted fruit so delicious. Many fruits we don’t have in Texas, including quenepas. Which are only in season part of the year and contain a juicy fruit covering a stone pit. Plantains are eaten with almost every meal. They are served savory as tostones or sweet as maduros/amarillos. Rice and beans are staples usually made with red beans unlike the not too far neighbor of Cuba that generally uses black beans. Meat and seafood is available in all forms everywhere. One of my favorite foods is Arroz con gandules which is rice and pigeon peas. I have never had a bad meal in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has struggled over the years, mainly due to the status of a US territory and lack of representation in DC. They are forcibly dependent on the US government and that has removed much of the autonomy in the island. Recovery from recent major earthquakes moves at a snail's pace due to the lack of action from DC. Insurance claims from Hurricane Maria in 2017 have still not been processed. Residents are told not to make repairs or the damage will be accessed at the repaired status not post hurricane status. Cost of living is high there because of increase in foreign (non-Puerto Rican) real estate purchases and the Jones Act which requires all ships delivering goods to or acquiring goods from Puerto Rico to first touch mainland USA before heading to the island. The Jones Act is also law in Hawaii and Alaska. Agricultural items like coffee and sugar are processed in Puerto Rico then shipped to mainland USA and brought back then resold to the citizens of Puerto Rico. This makes the cost of goods significantly higher.

I hope I have given you a brief snippet into what I know about Puerto Rico. Please consider visiting this beautiful island someday. For the past year, I have been working to create connections with local tourism related small businesses on the east side of the island so travelers can experience Puerto Rico, not just a large golf resort on a beach. No judgment to those who chose to stay at the resort, but maybe someday you’ll rent that car and eat where the locals eat.

https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/island

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/27/16373484/jones-act-puerto-rico

Puerto Rico: One of my favorite places in the world

But I can tell you what I do know…

No jet lag here