June 24, 2007

Elsie and Gus have just recently left after a visit of just over a week. They came from Houston, Texas. Elsie had lived in Puerto Rico many years ago but is originally from New York, while Gus was from Massachusetts. I thought that having lived in Texas for so long they would be used to the heat, but I guess they stay inside most of the time in the air conditioning and therefore not used to the heat. Even though we have ceiling fans for the living room, dining room, and their bedroom, they still felt it was hot. It is true that this year all the locals are saying that it is hotter now than usual for this time of year. I have no problem except for when I am in direct sunlight. So I avoid the sun and stay in the shade most of the time. During last week though I went to the beach and actually went swimming at least three times. My lips seemed to have gotten a little dried out or burned, but I kept my hat on as well as my tee shirt so I did not get burned.

We spent the morning before our visitor's arrival at Isaac LaBoy's carving studio as usual on Saturday mornings. Isaac had visitors come and pick up commissioned pieces as well as buy some of the other work he had done. He sold the female Taino girl carved from a large chunk of tree trunk. We did not ask how much since one time earlier he mentioned that one of the things he disliked and took as an insult was when someone asked how long or how much something costs. The commissioned work of Jesus in large form and also in small form, was picked up by the father who represented the hospital that purchased the carvings. An even larger, but unfinished carving of Jesus is leaning at the workbench waiting to be finished. Apparently he had started that one and found the wood beginning to do something he did not like and decided to stop and start a new one. That one he finished and already had sold to the church that had lost their previous one when someone stole it from the sanctuary. He showed us the beginnings of a Puerto Rican Parrot that he had started as well as the "Study" of the parrot that he had done and considered it to be "not so good". There was a set of three kings facial carvings mounted on a base in the shape of the island. Each of the faces were carvings of some member of the family of the person who commissioned the work. The face of the Jesus that was picked up was, I think, carved to resemble Isaac's own face. Another artisan stopped by and showed off his set of three kings riding horses done in caoba (mahogany).

Although we did a lot of touring during the week, there were few places that I had not been too. Many of them I needed to go back to take pictures for my website, so that presented a good opportunity to do that. The Camuey Caverns was spectacular as usual. Gus could not go into the cave due to his severe arthritis that limits his walking, but the rest of us took the tour. We saw the underground river where it surfaces in the giant sinkhole. We went to Ponce via the roadcut thru the mountains and saw the antique parque de bombas (old firehouse) from 1883 with its antique fire equipment on display. We also visited a place called La Guancha which was a boardwalk with many different food booths, only a few of which were open during our visit. There were brown pelicans, and large fish to be seen along the boardwalk. Freyda was able to pet one of the pelicans . We did not have time to visit some of the other places so another trip will be in the making some time. We located Elsie's old apartment that she lived in over thirty years ago that looked like it was getting ready to be rehabed or torn down. We also stopped by her mother's old house. We stopped for a few minutes at the casino so Elsie could yank the crank a few times (actually push the button with the new machines). We went to the museum of art once again and took some more pictures of some of the interesting art there. I took some shots of the busts in marble for the purpose of study for carving faces. On the way back from Ponce we stopped in Aguadilla while Freyda and Elsie bowled at one of the few bowling alleys that we know of in Puerto Rico.

One other trip we went to La Paguerra, the place where Freyda used to live on a houseboat. We think we found the place where she had lived, but there was not a boat there any longer. We ended up trying to find a restaurant which lead us to Guanica and specifically to some beach resort with a fancy hotel and restaurant where I ordered and enjoyed salmon carmellada, or something like, that which was very good, while Freyda had Mofongo with shrimp.

We went to the San Sebastian farmers market and looked at the local fruits and veggies for sale. That brought us by the Guajataca lake that always presents a beautiful scene. One day we made a return trip to the Moca castle and took a few more pictures of that and found out that they were not going to be open on the weekends any longer for some reason. Perhaps every other weekend. I think they were getting too many party reservations and did not want to mix them with regular visitors. That day there was to be a wedding of some "famous" young lady who apparently represented Puerto Rico in the miss Universe or something pageant and many dignitaries from the island would be in attendance.

We visited Rincon beach, Crashboat beach, Jobos beach, and a beach in Aguada. During one of those visits Freyda had forgotten her sunglasses and while swimming, I thought I had found a shell with my feet on the bottom of the ocean, but it turned out to be a nice pair of sunglasses that fit her perfectly. I also found a girls swimsuit, but it was a child's size. At that same beach there were many people due to the celebration of San Juan day. Parking was at a premium, but I found us a place when we got there. When we were ready to leave someone had put up a sign and was attempting to collect $3 for parking in that area. Luckily the guy was not in the chair trying to collect when we actually left, but we had decided we would not pay anyway.

We visited a couple of lighthouses. The one in Rincon was not open since they were doing remodeling on the grounds and surrounding buildings. We were able to get views of it by working our way around the fence and eventually going up the hillside from the beach where a good view of sunsets would take place as well. There was a beach there called Playa Domes due to the fact that there was a dome shaped nuclear reactor (not in action as far as we know) just behind it. We found a good view of the lighthouse on a road above that also had a terrific flambouyan tree in bloom and I noticed a papaya tree with papayas that looked delicious..

Freyda had a birthday on Friday the 22 of June. We had a party in which about sixteen people were in attendance and seven people got within a quarter mile of the place but could not find it. Due to the fact that there is no cell service in the area they could not contact us so they went home.

Finally I got a chance to stop and take a picture of the great Ceiba trees growing between the traffic lanes along route 2 in quebradillas. Several hundred years old, someone had been stopped from cutting them down years back. The root system above ground is quite interesting and spectacular in my opinion.

On the last night of their visit we tried to take in a sunset from the Guajataca cliffs area. At first it looked as though it would be a good sunset, but then we discovered that the clouds on the horizon were just too much in the way and the sun went down prematurely behind the billowing clouds to the west. It was a nice view anyway and the cool breeze made the event memorable.

We took Gus and Elsie down to La Charca to meet Isaac, our carving instructor, and to take him some tools that I had ordered for him. He gave us a tour of his shop and some of his carvings. The area he lives in is known as La Charca. It is quite remote at the end of a narrow road with a dead end. The little community located there has its own rock carving at the entrance done by Isaac, of course. The pirate is the mascot of the town of Quebradillas. There is also one of his larger works on the side of the mountain near Guajataca beach in the form of a Taino indian face about thirty or forty feet tall.

I thought the day after the visitors left would be a day of relaxing, but that pastime went out the window when Freyda called Ruben to see if he was going to the beach in Aguada for what she thought was a festival with sand sculpturing. Turned out that he was headed to San Juan to the Plaza Las Americas, the largest mall in the Caribbean, to pick up his miniature carvings from the Artisan fair that weekend. He also wanted to meet with a prospective client about buying his carving of the Virgin of Guadeloupe. We were to meet him at the Macdonalds by route 2 at 12:40pm. He did not show until after 1:00pm cause his stepfather, who is dying, wanted some food from a particular restaurant or something to that affect. Finally on our way, we ran into traffic backup about five miles down the road due to a fire in Hatillo. We could see the billowing smoke as we approached. Three hours later, and after traveling a whole mile or two, we were finally on our way to San Juan. We arrived at the mall just as it was preparing to close. Freyda and I zipped thru the artisan fair as quickly as we could while Ruben collected his carvings and tried to contact the doctor who was interested in purchasing. Unable to contact the man, he decided to drive around San Juan and try every now and then to contact him. We made our way along until we were stopped dead in another traffic jam apparently caused by a marathon being conducted along the road as part of the celebration of the Day of San Juan. We entered Old San Juan as the sun was beginning to set, but the coolness of the air and the lack of crowds made the journey enjoyable as our guide drove us past the two forts located there. We stopped at the old cathedral, San Juan Baptista, and went inside for a quick look. The ceiling was quite fancy, all of it being painted to make it look very elaborate. We drove around more of the town and then set off to who knows where which eventually led us to his ex sister-in-law's house for a visit. It was in the heart of the Dominican section of Santurce. Still not having made contact with the doctor, we eventually left town and arrived home near midnight. So much for taking it easy.

I remember one of the the things that I don't like about air planes: they are a harbor for transmitting diseases, especially respiratory diseases. It seems as though Gus came down with something midway through his visit with us. I told him that it was from that recirculated air on the plane. I have not had a cold for over a year, but now I have one too. Interesting thing about Puerto Rican pharmacies - it seems as though they can fix you up with an elixer custom made for your symptoms - without a perscription. At the pharmacy next to our friends shoe store Gus had a bottle of cough syrup mixed up for six dollars to relieve his symptoms. He claimed that it helped. Now that he has left and I am having respiratory problems, I have yet to go to the store and see what majic they can mix up for me. Hopefully I will not have to make a visit.