Arroyo, PR… ‘Pueblo Grato’ (Grateful Town)
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The Old Sugar Mills & Plantations of PR, Part 3
As mentioned in my 2 previous posts, the area in South East PR was home to the last Sugarcane haciendas (plantations) and sugar mills.
If Guayama was the epicenter of this climatic chapter in PR’s history, then Arroyo was its ‘port of call’ on the coast. The commercial port at Aguirre Central did not come into being until the early 1930’s.
The ‘Welcome to Arroyo’ sign is a sculpture commemorating buccaneers of the sea and days gone by.
Profiteering & smuggling were very much a part of its past!
As per the last post, we were there on a Thursday. It was hot and humid but there… Continue reading
Posted in Isla South Region, Puerto Rico | 
Arroyo, Bar El Barco, boat harbor, Bubonic plague, Cervezas, Cholera, Daughters of the American Revolution, Faro Punta de las Figuras, Guayama, Hacienda, Hacienda La Enriqueta, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueño, Isuzu, Lighthouse, Museo Antigua Aduana, Narrow Gauge Railroad, plantations, Samuel Morse, sugar mills, sugarcane, telegraph, Tren del Sur de Arroyo, U.S. Customs Office | 
2 CommentsGuayama, PR… ‘The City of Witches’
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The Old Sugar Mills & Plantations of PR, Part 2
As mentioned in my last post, the area in South East PR was home to the last Sugarcane haciendas (plantations) and sugar mills. This is evident by the numerous red brick structures still standing from its distant past.
Guayama was the epicenter of this climatic chapter in Puerto Rico’s history.
Guayama as a settlement dates to before its founding in 1736 and boasted no less than 200 houses, a church and plaza by 1776. Guayama was also involved in the Spanish American War of 1898. Two battles were fought here, one in Guayama (August 5, 1898) and one North of town (August 9, 1898) as part of a campaign… Continue reading
Posted in Isla South Region, Puerto Rico | 1776, Brujo Carnival, Casa Cautino, Commonwealth, Dominican Republic, Dulce Sueño Fair, Govenor Sila Maria Calderon, Hacienda Azucarera Vives, haciendas, Jobo, Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Operation Bootstrap, Paso Fino horse, plantations, REX CREAM, Rum, slave labor, Spain, Spanish-American War, sugar, sugar mills | 4 CommentsThe Old Sugar Mills & Plantations of PR, Part 1
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One of my favorite photo subjects is ruins and old run-down industrial buildings. Great subjects for fine art images. Seeing history with my own eyes is just too cool. To that end, I plan to spend several posts covering the sugar, rum and railroad history of PR. This is the first installment in that effort.
I’ve spent a lot of time researching sugar production and the rum (ron/Spanish) distilleries of Puerto Rico.
Coffee, tobacco and sugar cane were the primary income crops from the time the island was ‘settled’ until well into the 20th century. 
Slavery, followed by cheap, unorganized labor was the driving force behind all production. As labor costs increased, the Spanish and then American interests proceeded to mechanize where… Continue reading
Posted in Isla South Region, Puerto Rico | Aguirre, asbestos, Bahia Jobos, coffee, haciendas, Irish, plantations, Railroad, Rum, Salinas, Salinas Speedway, seafood, St. Patrick, sugar, sugar mills, sugarcane, tobacco | 12 CommentsThe Scurvy Dog’s Skull Rating System
San Juan, Puerto Rico Weather
Beautiful, Colorful Checks of Puerto Rico
PR Tours and Day Trips..
Ponce the Pearl City from San Juan
Price: $ 98.99
Ponce is a unique historical city with many museums and attractions; if you can’t spend a few days to see it all, you must take this tour. See Tibes Indian Ceremonial Park and Seralles Castle, with the city’s stately plazas and mansions, the famous red and black firehouse.
Zipline Canopy Eco-Adventure Tour from San Juan
A Memorable and Exhiliarating Experience!
Rio Camuy Cave Park and Arecibo Observatory from San Juan
Price: $ 101.65
From the depths of these dramatic caves to the stars above in one day!
Deep Sea Fishing Private Boat Charter in San Juan
Full Day or Half, sport fishing for dorado, wahoo, sailfish, tuna and blue marlin…
Rum Distillery and Old San Juan Half-Day Tour
Price: $ 54.99
Amazon.com PR Hot Picks
Order the Good Stuff Here
A Great Way to Make Coffee
Puerto Rican Flags and Banners
Fly Your Flag With Pride
Info to Help With Planning Your Trip
The Little Things You Need
B&H Photo/Video of NYC!
Scuttlebutt.. On the Dog’s Blog