Return to Jayuya, Tomato Festival 2011

A Local Event with Variety..

Weather was going to be an issue so we got an early start. The morning was nice with only a few fluffy clouds to break up the blue.

I will not cover the specifics of the trip up to Jayuya since I did that in my last Jayuya post. We got there early enough that I wanted to get shots of the two old sugar mill chimneys I missed on our last trip. Unfortunately, a neighborhood has developed around them so they now stand in folks backyards. The shorter red brick chimney is behind a child day-care biz, the much taller one is located behind several homes. Living there under them seems kind of risky to me. I’m surprised the ‘powers that be’, would have allowed it. The island is prone to the occasional earthquake and these chimneys are very old.

Jayuya rests in a large bowl shaped valley, behind Cerro La Punta, the highest mountain peak in Puerto Rico. It is very lush and green up here. We passed many gardens, large and small along the way.

Of the local events I’ve covered to date, this one and the one in Corozal had a very local vibe. Unlike the Festival de Platano in Corozal, this one WAS about the Tomatoes of Jayuya.

The Main Event..

We got to the stadium grounds just before noon. It is only a few blocks off the main Plaza. It was obvious that most vendors were only starting to set up shop. About a third were still not here.  There were very few folks milling around at this point. That was good for us, since I wanted to score some shots without ‘elbows’ in them. The festival was staged in the parking lot directly behind the main stadium which also provided restrooms for the public. Next to the stadium was a fenced-in game court. This area was also dedicated to vendors. Beside the main parking lot was a large enclosed stage where I’m sure they were going to present live music later on. It became obvious that the day’s events were not intended to start until later in the evening.

The problem with that was, the weather was supposed to go bad before then..

It did.

There was also a couple of cute amusement park rides to the right of the main parking lot.  They make great ‘photo-ops’ for parents with kids.

We spent a couple hours checking out the various vendors.

I’ve carried on before about the Artesanos and they were out in force selling some very beautiful work. There was also an assortment of cheap costume jewelry and
t-shirts for sale too.

All very colorful.

There was one vendor selling parakeets, finches and rare birds. Something that is very popular with the locals.

Most of the food and drink vendors
were already set up so I had to try
something new.

What looks like a little pancake is actually a thick slice of cheese with a slab of Guava jelly on it. The cheese was very mild and very smooth, but firm. ‘Queso Blanco con Pasta Guayaba’ was most delicious. At a buck and a quarter, it was also reasonably priced. I give it 5 skulls. We scored some of the Queso Blanco (white cheese) on our way out. They were also selling home made jams, jellies, salsa and ‘pique’ sauce which is made from peppers. A kind of local hot sauce.

Something I have not seen at any festivals other than in Aibonito– there were lots of flower and plant vendors with what I thought were very fair prices. Tomato plants were the most popular with many of them already bearing fruit. Exotic flowers were everywhere. Though they are very beautiful, my interests lean towards fruit bearing things. I was not disappointed.

I scored an Avocado tree for $7 and a Brazilian Guava tree for $7.50.

Each in small pots, but very healthy. They’re both in the ground now and doing quite well.

Another vendor was selling fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. We had to buy some tomatoes and a few other essentials. I regret that we did not pick up any of the hybrid Mangos.. they looked great.

Cafe del Alba, a coffee hacienda had a booth which is something else you don’t see very often. I wished I had picked up some of their gourmet coffee. They have a website, but it badly needs some work. I wish the coffee haciendas would come together as a group and sell their Puerto Rican coffee on-line. I know they would do well. As an artisan coffee cooperativa maybe?

By 3PM, the sky had turned to a pale gray

As we headed towards the car with our booty, I felt the first faint drops of rain. The main stage was only now getting set up for the evening’s entertainment. The place was starting to attract more folks too, but I wonder about how wet it eventually got.

It was a good trip and one I would do again, weather permitting.

Jayuya is a ‘Must-See’, if you venture into the mountains of Puerto Rico.

My last post about Jayuya is much more extensive.

We took the same route home we did last time via Hwy 143, but stopped for a few shots along the way. I have spoken before of driving along the ridge-line when in the mountains.

The views at the top are spectacular… especially since you can often see down both sides at once.

While stopped to shoot the crest-line image and a few giant tree ferns, I stumbled on to a patch of wild Raspberry. They were growing along the guardrail and down the steep slope. I was able to score a few of the large ripe berries and will try to sprout some of the seeds. The seeds were very small, unlike the Raspberries I’m used to in Alaska.

We were in and out of the rain at this point so there is not much to say about the rest of the trip home.  It has been pretty wet, ever since.

My next post will be about the ‘Paradise Tax’ we put up with to live here.  Something I have also spoken about before. Don’t worry, it’s worth it!  the Scurvy Dog, Arrg!