The Scurvy Dog's Puerto Rican Blog

Juncos Meetup and Lunch on a Sunny Saturday

A few weeks back, the Photography Enthusiasts Meetup Group (of San Juan, PR) made a run to Juncos. We all met at the Plaza and then preceded to work our way around the downtown area, shooting local color.

I made the drive to Juncos solo.. me First Mate stayed home.

Though I was a little apprehensive about it, I made all the ‘right’ turns and got there in record time.

Learning Spanish is going slowly, but I can get by in a pinch.

Can you say-

Pollo Asado,
Pincho, Cerveza, Pitorro, taza de Café, Baños,
Uno, Dos, Tres? And maybe Cuba Libre?

GOOD!

As I got near the plaza I spotted a style of sugar mill chimney I had not seen before. Most chimneys are red brick, square and taper towards the top. This one resembled a ship’s cannon from an old black and white cartoon. It had become a fixture for a local restaurant. Different.

The plaza of Juncos is most impressive.

I’ve complained before, about tourist venues not having enough benches, but this plaza had them in Spades. [Read more…] about Juncos Meetup and Lunch on a Sunny Saturday

2nd Annual Coffee Expo of PR & Lunch too

Me First Mate and I had been looking very forward to the Coffee Expo.. it did not disappoint. When we got there at 10:30AM, the Expo had only been open a couple hours.

This was also an opportunity to check out the Dr. Pedro Rossello Convention Center of San Juan, built in 2005. It is yet another jewel in the crown of Greater San Juan. A beautifully designed, massive steel and glass structure. The surrounding grounds and reflection pool are also quite impressive. It stands as a grand tribute to artful, but functional architectural design.

It is located very near the Old San Juan district and Condado. We had to cross over the bridge into Old San Juan before doubling back to get to the Convention Center. After the double-back, you will see the new Sheraton Hotel with the Convention Center located behind it. From the front of the Sheraton, you cannot see the Convention Center.. we had to double-back a 2nd time to find parking. Doh!

There is plenty of parking here, which is kind of a novelty for San Juan.

Parking was a flat $6 bucks per car… typical of this venue. There was also a Home Show going on too. Even with both shows, traffic in and out was not bad.

There had been a fair amount of local press about the Coffee Expo, including a large presence on the Web and a bunch of Facebook chatter. [Read more…] about 2nd Annual Coffee Expo of PR & Lunch too

Puerto Rico Coffee Expo- October 8th & 9th

This is a short heads-up about the Coffee Expo this coming weekend in San Juan. I’ll be reporting on the experience in a couple weeks. Did I mention it’s free?

Details: Second annual event. Admission is free. Parking is $6 per vehicle. 9AM to 6PM both days. Over 100 exhibitors and live music. Web site is in Spanish or English. Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, 100 Convention Blvd., San Juan Puerto Rico 00907

The Old Spanish Ruins of Maunabo

This is a follow up to my last post about the Land Crab Festival in Maunabo. I did not get into any background on the town last time so I’ll do it now.

The ruins of Central Matuyas shown here are from a much earlier time than the Roig Mill in Yabucoa or the Central Aguirre ruins near Salinas. They date to Spanish colonial rule. Maunabo was founded in 1779 or 1799 depending on the historian. Before that, it was
considered part of Guayama. So it’s very old.

Maunabo has a much more ‘laid-back’, rural feel to it.

It’s almost as if time slowed down here. Sure, there are still plenty of cell phones and new cars, but the land looks ‘non-contemporized’, if you get my meaning. Kids on horses are a common site as is the pickup truck stuffed with hay or chickens.

The Lighthouse at Punta Tuna was built by the Spanish in 1892 to support the port of Maunabo. That was 6 years before the US took possession of PR.

The lighthouse and the beach below, are a ‘must-see’.

Image of Small Abandoned Structure in Maunabo, PR, Shot with a Sony A100 and 10mm to 20mm Sigma Lens

Hurricanes wreaked destruction here in 1899- Hurricane San Ciriaco and again in 1928 when Hurricane San Felipe came through.

Bear in mind, this was before homes were built from cement blocks and concrete. Island wide, thousands of people died.

This set of ruins are right along the road so they are easy to access. Back then, all work was done by slaves. Mechanization came later. Think ox drawn carts, narrow gauge railroads and bosses on horses. [Read more…] about The Old Spanish Ruins of Maunabo

Maunabo Land Crab Festival, Sept 4th 2011

This report is a little bit late, but I wanted to get it in before the end of the month. ‘Been very busy with other posts and work on the home front. Also had issues with electricity and our DSL service during the last 2 storms.

We are getting hit with an early afternoon downpour as I peck this out..

Maunabo’s Land Crab Festival was a fantastic local celebration and if you ever get the opportunity to check it out, it’s a ‘Must See’. We were there on a Sunday and the weather was pretty good, right up until we left, around 4:30 PM. In fact, it was down right hot, if you were not in the shade. We hit the Plaza about 11:30PM… they were still setting up the main stage.

Steel Drum Band Working Their Way Through the Crowds at the Maunabo Land Crab Festival in PR

By Noon, all of the shady spots had been taken.

About 1PM, I went back to the car and got our folding chairs so we would have a place to sit and get off our feet. As local celebrations go, Sunday is always more crowded than Saturday. A couple of friends who live near Maunabo, said Saturday was much less crowded.

The Plaza of Maunabo is very nice, but not near big enough to accommodate the ‘thousands’ of folks who converged on it. [Read more…] about Maunabo Land Crab Festival, Sept 4th 2011