The Scurvy Dog's Puerto Rican Blog

Talk Like a Pirate Day & Other Adult Nonsense

’tis the most favored day of pirates, everywhere. To honor September 19th, is to honor all things piratical. That includes independent thought, Rum and the Caribbean as well. Did you know a pirate ship was often ruled by the democratic process and that the captain could be replaced by a simple vote of the crew?

The Lord knows, Puerto Rico has known it’s fair share of pirates.

What’s sad, is that we have more pirates today than we ever had in the past. They dress in suits and drive expensive cars… we know them as lawyers and politicians. Us locals are flailing in their wake… ARRG!

Things may get a little worse before they get better, but they WILL get better. I don’t have the room on my blog to pursue this rant, but there is ‘change in the wind’. The people of Puerto Rico are ready for it.

RUM and Rum Like Beverages…

I like to feature new adult beverages as they come my way. Talk Like a Pirate Day is the perfect time to do it.

I’ve spoken before about my fondness of Barceló Rum from the Dominican Republic. Well.. they have introduced a new line to PR so here they are. The one on the left is my ‘go to’ favorite, Ron Barceló Añejo. A very reasonably priced rum suitable for sipping or mixing. Next up is Blanco Añejado, a smooth mixer. An aged rum with a clean taste. The middle bottle is Ron Barceló Imperial and it is as smooth as any premium añejo I’ve ever tried.

It’s Barceló’s best. At least the best I’ve had so far. Not cheap, but less expensive than other top-shelf añejos. The 4th bottle is Grand Añejo and falls between my fav and the Imperial. Still very smooth, but not quite as smooth as the Imperial. Lastly, Ron Barceló Dorado. A perfect dark mixer for Planter’s Punch or a Mai Tai or straight up, if you have the will. [Read more…] about Talk Like a Pirate Day & Other Adult Nonsense

Sweet Home, Coamo, Center of the Universe

I’ve written about our little burg as well as what it’s like to live here on several occasions. This post is aimed at filling in a few of the ‘blanks’.

I think it’s worth mentioning, Coamo is one of the few towns in PR that has actually experienced growth in the midst of all the negative economic reporting. It does not hurt that our current governor is from here or that the mayor is his brother. I have no issue with any of that, but some might.

I feature 4 venues of Coamo, 3 of which are maintained by the municipio (city), the fourth is a most favorite restaurant.

Piscinas Aguas Termales-

Hot Springs for the Public

In a previous post, I featured Banos de Coamo. At that time it was under ‘new construction’. Since then, the City of Coamo took over its operation and I wanted to see what it looked like. Funny thing is, we never went in (the main entrance is still under reconstruction). Instead, we drove around the back where there used to be public access to the river and the adjacent hot springs. That area had been closed for several years so we had to check it out.

Me First Mate remembers going on picnics with friends before they closed it off. Hanging out, cooking, drinking, eating and having a great time.

Things have changed since then… [Read more…] about Sweet Home, Coamo, Center of the Universe

The Abandoned Ruins of Henry Barracks

UPDATE: It turns out, this is not the place I thought it was. It is actually the remains of an old Penal Camp. I’ll let the story stand ‘as is’ since it mostly covers the grounds and what we found there. A complete rewrite is not practical. As always, If I’m wrong, I want to know about it. Sorry for the delay in passing on this info. Seems I still need to visit Henry Barracks. More details in a comment at the bottom. Thanks, Joseph.

A pal of mine recently told me about a set of ruins up in the mountains near Cayey. After a bit of planning we met in Cayey and headed off to check it out.

As it turns out, this old US Army fort has a long and colorful history.

The ruins are located on Highway 184. Coming from San Juan, it’s the Guavate Exit, which is the first exit before Cayey, off Expressway 52. After you exit, head under the Expressway going left, into the mountains. It’s a typical Puerto Rican mountain road so you will not be doing 60mph, but the views are stunning so why push it. I took a lot of photos along the way.

The actual coordinates are- 18º06’49.63”N, 66º03’49.82”W.

We had a perfect day… the weather was mostly clear with a nice breeze. After a couple of false turns, we found ourselves at what looked like the main entrance. The sign at the main gate was gone, but you could still see where it once stood.

On the Grounds..

It would be an understatement to say that the overgrowth had taken over the place. If it were not for the [Read more…] about The Abandoned Ruins of Henry Barracks

A Long Overdue Update

I apologize… I kind of lost my momentum over dealing with family issues, the downward spiral of Puerto Rico’s economy, my crappy ankles, our crappy internet service and the local drought. Nothing has changed regarding the last 4 issues, but I am inspired to start writing again.

As bad as it is for the locals, those that stay on the island need our help. So I choose to maintain a positive state of mind.

Puerto Rico will never be ‘home’ to those from the mainland who cannot adapt to a culture other than their own. Those whose lifestyles and standards of living are too rigid, hate it here. I guess I’ve become less ‘Americano’ over the last 6 years. We are so hardcore, we drive with the AC off and the windows down, if it’s not raining. Most of the issues brought up by ‘mainlanders’ don’t bother me. So yes, I still like living here. I will continue to share the places and things I discover while ‘out and about’. I am still busy shooting the places we visit so there are 3 or 4 posts I’ll follow up with. Plus there is the garden thing which keeps me very busy.

The 20 Year Drought

It’s been dry here. Way too dry. So dry the Puerto Rican government has started rationing water in the greater San Juan metroplex. I’m very glad I set up a small rainwater catchment set, but I cannot cover [Read more…] about A Long Overdue Update

5 Years in.. Time to Reflect

This yearend post finds me reflecting on more than what it’s like to live in Puerto Rico. I can say I’m just as jazzed to be here as when I landed for the first time in August of 2009. I cannot imagine living any other place.

The food, the music, the countryside, the people will grow on you.

As I’ve said before, Puerto Rico is not without it’s frustrations. Especially if you are a gringo from the mainland, though Alaska hardly qualifies as the ‘mainland’. I grew up in Alaska so that tends to ‘color’ my perspective.

Puerto Rico and Alaska share some of the same issues

Both rely heavily on food and almost all consumer goods used day-to-day from stateside. In Alaska, we referred to it as ‘the lower 48’. In PR, it’s the ‘mainland’ or something less friendly. Both places share a sense of independence.. an attitude that you could make a go of it. Not so much these days, but you can see it in the attitude of the ‘old timers’. Those that were used to depending on each other to get stuff done. I see it in the rural folks of PR and I admire them for it.

Then there are the cultural differences. To be honest, what passes as American Culture these days bothers me to my core. I think about it a lot. Way too much emphasis on consumerism and ‘things’ and less concern with ‘community’.

Goodbye to TV as We Knew it-

I was a child of the TV Era. I remember the day my dad brought home our first black & white TV. I must have been 4 or 5. TV ads were part of the norm. Even after I got cable… nothing had changed. Just more of it. There [Read more…] about 5 Years in.. Time to Reflect