Arroyo’s Tren del Sur– Train of the South
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A Puerto Rican attraction in need of resurrection..
Most printed travel guides speak of the ‘Tren del Sur’ in Arroyo as if it were only temporarily closed. It operated 4 miles of track from 1984 to 2005 when it was shut down for ‘maintenance’ and never reopened. Today, it appears to be all but abandoned… weeds and tall grass are starting to overtake it.
That’s truly a shame.
It’s typical of the kind of changes that have taken place, island wide.
Sugarcane has not been a cash crop here for decades. Yes, you can still see it in small plots, but that’s it. More of a novelty, really.
Puerto Rican Rum is made from imported sugar and molasses…
Not… Continue reading
University of Puerto Rico Botanical Gardens
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Another ‘Top 10″ attraction of PR and San Juan in particular.
Yes, the gardens on the grounds of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) had been on my original ‘hit-list’ of places to see. I’m a little ashamed I had not come to visit before now. The SJ Photo MeetUp Group decided to come back and check it out so that was all the 
excuse I needed.
Though some tropical plants flower year round, this is the tail end of the summertime flower explosion. There is something in bloom year round, but it was evident that many things had gone to seed or past that. The dry season starts in late December so most things go into a… Continue reading
Posted in Greater San Juan Metroplex, Old San Juan | 
Agricultural Experimental Station, Aquatic Garden, Association of Sugar Producers, Bamboo Chapel, Botanical Garden South, Bromeliad Garden, Caguas Botanical Gardens, Carambola, Ficus benjamina, Flor de Magna, Fountains, Highway 1, Highway 21, Highway 3, Hurricane Hugo, Medicinal Plant, Monet Garden, Sculpture Garden, SJ Photo MeetUp Group, Star Fruit, sugarcane, Tropical Agricultural Research Station of Mayaguez, UPR grounds | 
Leave a commentThe Mountains Above the Yabucoa Valley
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Where everyone has a ‘Million Dollar View’
By special invitation, me First Mate and I had the opportunity to visit with a family on Christmas vacation from Chicago. Tony had seen me scurvy blog and wanted to show us around Yabucoa. It is part of the east coast I had not toured yet, so I jumped at the chance. He grew up here and has lots of family here. He and his wife will eventually retire to Yabucoa and I totally relate to that.
It took us about an hour and a half to go from the Santa Isabel/ Coamo exit on Hwy 52, to Yabucoa proper. The drive was along Hwy 53 and 3 … Continue reading
Arroyo, PR… ‘Pueblo Grato’ (Grateful Town)
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 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