PCH to 413

Understanding the Puerto Rico Situation

2016-05-10T11:40:00.001-07:00

All crises have their backstory and the key to responding to and eliminating any crisis is understanding how these things came to be.

The news reports on the PROMESA act and "bailout" of Puerto Rico, focus on the size of the debt and some even urge the US Govt to act to help Puerto Rico. But the true story of #PuertoRicoCrisis is Puerto Rico's situation and how it has been for the past 100+ years.

To have an opinion of whether or not the US Govt should help Puerto Rico resolve it's financial crisis without understanding Puerto Rico's recent history is like a doctor prescribing medication without examining the patient.

A quick recap of Puerto Rico's recent history:
- In 1897, Puerto Ricans finally won semi-autonomous government representation in Spain after centuries of repressed rights and colony rule only to lose that semi-autonomous status one year later as Puerto Rico became a colony of the United States at the end of the Spanish American War, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The US allowed Puerto Rico to have a House of Representatives, but the Governor and Upper House were appointed by the US President, via the Foraker Act.

-The first Governor of Puerto Rico, appointed by President William McKinley was Charles Herbert Allen, a former secretary of the Navy and one of the most notorious robber-barrons of the last century.

"The revenue for the island's government was raised internally, mostly from tariffs, sales taxes and property taxes. During Allen's tenure this annual budget equaled the 4.4 million pesos the Spanish had spent in 1897, but without expenses for a five-thousand man garrison or the former contributions to the Catholic church. Due to this reduced overhead, the island should have had a substantial budget surplus, but Allen's administration did not provide many benefits for the people. He ignored the appropriation requests of the Puerto Rican House of Delegates, and refused to make any municipal, agricultural or small business loans. He built roads at double the old costs. 85% of the school-age population did not have schools. Instead of making needed infrastructure and education investments, Allen re-directed the insular budget to no-bid contracts for U.S. businessmen, railroad subsidies for U.S.-owned sugar plantations, and high salaries for U.S. bureaucrats in the island government" - Thomas Aitken, Jr.; Luis Munoz Marin: Poet in the Fortress, pp. 60-61; Signet Books/New American Library, 1965.

After resigning the governorship in 1901, and taking advantage of tax tariffs, water rights, railroad easements and foreclosures and land grants, Allen built the largest sugar syndicate in the world, now know as Domino Sugar. This is the beginning of Puerto Rico exports going to the mainland, along with most of the profits, and being imported as a finished product, a trend that escalated throughout the next 100 years.

-In 1914, the Puerto Rican House of Delegates voted unanimously in favor of independence from the United States, but this was rejected by the U.S. Congress as "unconstitutional".

-In 1917 the US passed the Jones Act of Puerto Rico, whose effects are still with us today, granting Puerto Ricans US citizenship, allowing Puerto Ricans to elect their Resident Commissioner, and exempting Puerto Rican bonds from federal, state, and local taxes regardless of where the bond holder resides. "Through its passage, the Jones–Shafroth Act—via a combination of citizenship and the expansion of U.S. laws to Puerto Rico, including the aforementioned National Defense Act—imposed mandatory conscription into the U.S. military on Puerto Ricans, precisely at the moment that the United States entered World War I. As a result, more than 20,000 Puerto Ricans served in the U.S. armed forces during World War I." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones%E2%80%93Shafroth_Act#Conscription

-This Jones Act should not be confused with the Jones Act of 1920 regarding merchant marine laws. It is this law that requires all good imported to Puerto Rico to come in on ships flying an American flag and built in the United States. It is this law that many argue has contributed to Puerto Rico's economic woes. It's hard to disagree.

-Operation Bootstrap was a plan to industrialize Puerto Rico by offering American business incentive to build factories on the island (low labor costs, no import tariffs and a promise of profits that could be transferred to the mainland free from federal taxation). It succeeded in creating industry in Puerto Rico, however, as industry increased, the labor workforce decreased. There were not enough jobs to replace those created by agriculture. This resulted in a mass migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States. Over 1 million people migrated to the United States between 1945 and 1970. (Carrión) American business interests profited without taxation, funneling those profits out of Puerto Rico and into the US.

-In 1996 after many corporations exploited this loophole to funnel may of their profits through Puerto Rico, President Clinton signed legislation that phased out the incentive over 10 years, causing Puerto Rico to spiral into a recession starting in 2006.

-Throughout the 20th century, Puerto Rico has been subjected to harmful environmental American military operations, government experiments including sterilization, and brutal oppression of free speech.

Which all leads us to its status.

Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States when they are residing off their island, but on the island of Puerto Rico they do not have the same rights. Puerto Rico does not have a voting representative in either the Senate or Congress, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in the Presidential Election, only in the primaries. For further clarification of the inconsistencies and outright unjust situation the United States has placed upon Puerto Rico, I suggest you read Juan R Torruella's speech in the John Jay College of Criminal Justice from April 2016. As a Puerto Rican born federal appeals court judge, sitting on the second highest court in the US, his knowledge of the law and the precedents for colonial rule and citizen rights offer meaningful insight.

And John Oliver has a nice way of pointing out the obvious;

The status of the island needs to be addressed as part of any bill or recovery plan.

PROMESA Promises to take Puerto Rico back in history to an even more oppressive status than it has enjoyed in the last half century. It is carte blanche for the hedge funds and banks to get whatever they are owed without a balance of power or a consideration of the Puerto Rican people. Schools, healthcare and natural resources are all on the table for cuts and outright takeover. Once again I suggest you read the bill to make your own judgment.

I am not overlooking the fact that the Puerto Rican government mismanaged its resources and has not made the necessary adjustments to prevent this crises. Indeed, the ease at which they could borrow from the banks and the lack of support for any government cuts has only deepened the problem, but once again, as Hon. Torruella states,

"Although Puerto Rico's political entities have necessarily played a role, theirs has not only been a limited, parochial one, but, most importantly in my opinion, not a decisive one. Any distraction from that ultimate truth, that our colonial condition is the primary cause of the debacle we now face, detracts from efforts to find a solution"

So where is the solution?
- I believe, as I have stated before, that the solution starts with the status of Puerto Rico. A U.S. congressionally-sanctioned and binding referendum where the Puerto Rican people decide on whether to become a state or an independent country needs to be the founding base of any plan.
- Should a territory with more than 45% poverty rate and childhood poverty rate at a staggering 56% with official unemployment more than 12.5% be forced into austerity measures?
- A forced negotiation of compromise and repayment that is fair to both sides or allow Puerto Rico public utilities to declare bankruptcy, a right allowed to all stateside "municipalities" of which public utility companies have long been included.
- As Senator Bernie Sanders has suggested, auditing Puerto Rico’s debt to investigate whether it was incurred legally. If any debt was issued to creditors in violation of Puerto Rico’s Constitution, it must be immediately set aside.

Puerto Rico is a beautiful country with considerate, hard working people who deserve to be treated with respect. Puerto Rican soldiers have fought in every major U.S. military conflict during the past century. In the United States, they are educators, business leaders, entertainers, scientists and even a Supreme Court Justice. We cannot allow the current conditions to fall into humanitarian crisis and civil unrest, the United States owes them more.

Workshops in Rincon

2012-09-22T10:09:00.001-07:00

The fairly recent trend of shared workplaces and workshops has begun to take hold here in Rincon, a couple of new businesses have opened recently that will try to make shared business and work spaces available to those seeking less rent and overhead while fostering a creative environment.

The Cube has been in operation since May this year. It is above the La Paz yoga studio near the Rincon Plaza and functions as a workspace for those who need an office space, but prefer to rent on a daily or weekly basis and save money on overhead and other business services by sharing the load with others. It's a great addition for Rincon residents, seasonal inhabitant and tourists. 787-464-2952

Taller Caribe "offers work and gallery space for artists and artisans looking for commercial storefront exposure, without having to invest all the time and resources required of opening a shop in PR." It is located on the Rincon plaza and will officially open October 5th. It's a great opportunity for artists to share the costs associated with having a studio and it's in a great location, another great addition to the Rincon plaza and art scene. If you’re interested in forming part of this project in any way, or want to get more information, feel free to contact Anthony Smith Rodríguez, antoinebags@gmail.comor 787-407-1940.

I hope these ideas take hold. Rincon is a seasonal town and it is difficult for businesses to make it on their own here, having like minded people around to support and help carry the load could help Rincon grow through individual ideas, strengthened by community.

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This Small Town Just Got Smaller

2012-06-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post, but it's always great to hear from readers who have read this blog and made it down to Rincon. A few months ago, our friends told us of a couple they met who moved here after reading the blog and I just met a nice couple who were vacationing here who had read the blog. The emails asking for more information are welcome too, I really feel like we were helped by so many people when we got here that I need to pay it forward.

So it is with a heavy heart that we attended a memorial ceremony for our friend, Carlos Martinez, who along with his wife Erica owned the Boarding House. Carlos passed away last week at the age of 36 from cancer. I think I first mentioned Carlos in a blog post from 2010 titled The Surf Brought us, the people keep us...Then I wrote,

"Carlos, who runs the Boarding House Surf school and rentals really epitomizes the Rincon attitude as we have found it to be. When Cyndi was looking to buy a board he offered up a few to try out so she would know what she liked and when I expressed some interested, he pulled out a big 11 foot board and shoved in my hands and told me to get out on the waves with my wife. When I got my hands on a nice longboard that needed a few fixes, he took care of it and found a cheap used fin for Cyndi's board, all the while not worrying about how he would get paid, more interested in us getting out on the waves. Not everyone in Rincon has this esthetic, but the more people we meet, the more nice things we have to say."

And he really did, a few months ago when my wife Cynthia had just bought her horse and managed to find a piece of land for him to stay on, the horse got out and went searching for a mare. It was Carlos who found the horse and made a quick lead and tie out of an old surfboard leash, then let us know where we could get him, also offering to help repair the fence on the land where he was boarded.

At the memorial, organized by his wife, who has been so courageous and strong, we heard many similar stories, stories of Carlos' never-ending smile, unselfishness and welcoming spirit. There was a sunset paddleout, a prayer circle, a short slideshow and then we lit Thai lanterns that sailed into the Rincon sky above the ocean. A beach bonfire and music went deep into the night. And the small town we live in came together to share it's sadness and loss, but I think we also connected to the possibilities of a life, and how spirit can transcend mere mortality. It was one of those moments that maybe could only happen in Rincon, maybe only for a person like Carlos.

Live Music In Rincon

2012-04-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

The music scene in Rincon is an interesting mix, lots of local and Caribbean influences with the gringo, surfer crowd thrown in makes for a lot of good musicians creating great soundtracks to the sunsets and the full moon parties on the beach.

Calypso Cafe at Maria's Beach stands out as a great place to hear and see live entertainment. They have regularly scheduled musicians during the season at least 3 nights per week. Sundays, Tito and Fito are a duo who play mostly instrumental versions of classic rock, with a bit of a flamenco twist, great musicians who play very well together. Fernandito is another Calypso regular who plays mostly reggae. He has a great voice, his versions of the Marley classics are beautiful and make me wonder how we are so lucky to have such a talented singer playing at our local bar.

Calypso also has regular Bomba nights with a band called Taller de la Isla. If you haven't experienced Bomba before, it is not to be missed. Bongos and drumming with rhythmic dancing and a chanting and yelling, very tribal and down deep, primal. Add some rum punches and you've got the picture...

Los Hijos de Puntas have been playing locally for the last few months, they have a bongo and loud guitar with Spanish and English songs, I really like them, more than just soundtrack music.

Calypso, Pool Bar and the Rum Shack have live surf music, the Superstereos and other East coast based surf bands come down during the season. Rincon is also lucky to have Predator Dub Assassins play around town once in awhile, a great reggae band, check out their video, filmed in Rincon, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQKiFcDHyrA

We have a friend who plays in a band called Trio Experimental, they play jazzy, latin influenced music, with a great singer and sound that suits this town very well. They play at Das Alpen cafe and have played at some of the galleries and other restaurants around town.

Rincon's most famous band is probably the Disfunction, they play a kind of updated version of 80's post punk pop. Lots of energy and a big following here in Rincon, they play the east coast of the US and play at Brisas Bar or Pool Bar when here in Rincon.

I've seen some great live music at the Cocktail Club, located near the Edwards Co-op. They have local bands on Friday and Saturday nights. Tamboo Tavern, The Black Eagle, Pool Bar, the Uncharted Studio, Kasa Vieja and Casa Verde all have live music occasionally. The best way to find out where the live music is Rincon.org Upcoming Events Page or El Coqui of Rincon's Events Calendar or Facebook and like the Tourism Association of Rincon.

Reducing Single Use Plastics in Puerto Rico

2011-12-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

I've written about a few of the problems of waste on this island; landfills filling up, more waste per capita than mainland US, recycling rates far below US and other countries, no bottle deposits and not enough equipment to recycle the amount of bottles and glass discarded, plastic being shipped off island to be recycled and an unwillingness of municipalities to tax or increase the cost of waste disposal, but all of these things pale in comparison to the overwhelming problem of single use plastics.

Everywhere plastic bags are being used as if they grow on trees, very low lying, high yield trees. A trip to the market of a small cart of groceries and you can come back with 20-30 bags, that is if you don't use re-usable bags, and very few people do here. Ley 38, passed in 2010 was drawn up to require every retail establishment that used plastic bags to provide, carry out and document recycling og those plastic bags. It also required those establishments to provide alternatives to plastic (re-usable bags for sale). The law was in response to a "Ban the Bag" proposal that supposedly would have placed a burden on consumers and retailers alike by forcing them to provide other means to transport their purchases. But Law 38 isn't being enforced. Our local Econo used to have a bag recycling station, but that is gone, they used to sell re-usable bags, but those are gone too. I see these bags on the streets everywhere, floating in the wind or spilling over the public trash cans at the beaches, installed by Surfrider Rincon.

Reduciendo la Huella Plastica Rincon is a group of concerned volunteers, myself included, who are working to reduce single use plastics in Rincon. Their activities include raising awareness, increasing enforcement of anti-littering laws, educating the public and meeting with government officials, ministers and local business owners to work out solutions. Key in this process is Ernie Alvarez, who circled the island of Puerto Rico on a stand up paddle board to raise wareness of the plastics problem in our ocean with a group called Plastic Free Oceans. Ernie recently spoke to over 200 Rincon school kids as part of the Rincon Recycling Club, telling them that the plastic water and soda bottles they discard are assassins, killing marine life at an alarming rate. It is up to them to change the habits of their families and recognize the problems their generation will face if changes aren't made, immediately!

The plastic problem certainly isn't confined to Puerto Rico, but this is where I live and where I can make an impact. I'd love to hear about things you've done to reduce your plastic imprint or if you have any ideas to expedite the process of reducing the use of single use plastic in Rincon. Thanks!

Puerto Rico Surf History

2011-08-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Cindie Rice Collection

I've recently come across a great Facebook group, Aviones Boys, that has an amazing collection of photographs of Rincon and Puerto Rico from the sixties to the present. The page is dedicated to Puerto Rican surfing and seems to grow with added posts daily. Of particular interest to me are the pictures of Rincon in the 1970s, pictures showing, palm lined beaches with very few structures, even the hills above the beaches are incredibly bare of development. The surf pilgrims in the pictures are staying in ramshackle places and beachfront shacks, climbing the trees for coconuts and catching their own fish and lobsters. We still do this here in Rincon, but mostly for fun, not for sustenance, the paved roads and well stocked colmados make life a bit easier, but when I hear people complain about the long drive from San Juan or poor cell phone coverage, it really makes me realize how spoiled we are here now.
The 1968 World Surfing Championships held in Rincon was the door that opened to bring the first wave of surfers to the island, but Puerto Rico already had a growing surf culture. Jorge Machuca is the man most consider to be the first great Puerto Rican surfer and his legend started as a 14 year old boy in those 1968 World Championships in Rincon. He was featured in all the advertisements and articles leading up to the contest and did not disappoint, amazing the crowd and his fellow competitors with moves they had never seen, floating on waves before anyone knew or even thought of doing it. Jorge went on to be sponsored by Hobie and surfed around the world, but also influenced a new generation of Puerto Rico surfers including Edwin Santos and Carlos Cabrero.
Around the island, the surf culture has grown and the Aviones Boys group has great pics from Aviones to Jobos to Gas Chamber and Tres Palmas. Photos showing Maria of Marias beach, cockfighters in Rincon, old pictures of the Rincon town plaza, the nuclear reactor being built, Surfer's Beach in Aguadilla with a sign stating that surfing was "only allowed under the auspices of the Surfer's Club Association by order of the base commander". Looking at the size and shapes of the surfboards, the shorts and bikinis the people wore, it was a different world.
Nostalgia is often used as an argument against progress and I can see why as I look into the lives of the people who came to Puerto Rico in these days and found a place that was in a time warp when compared to the 1970s US. The beaches were undiscovered and underused, the locals were kind and eager for contact with others, surfing had already happened in the states but here it was still a novelty, there were only a couple surf shops on the entire island.
Some may see a negative impact on Rincon from these tourists to what Rincon is today, but I believe it's been positive. I would say most of the Puerto Ricans in Rincon have come to respect the old timer gringos who have been here awhile and made it their home. The ones who have come and gone have brought their love of Rincon back to the states. An unchanged Rincon is impossible, but a true appreciation of the beaches and water that are the lifeblood of this town is what these old timers brought and that has remained here and grown. To the ones who stayed, Cindie Rice of Calypso, Dennis Rich at the Pool Bar and others who have the memories to look back upon, thanks for sharing.

Puerto Rico Street Dogs - Satos

2011-07-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

Today was the annual ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) Rincon Dog Health Day. For those of you not aware, ARF is Rincon's non-profit Animal Rescue and Education Organization, they have an office in the Balneario park that is open MWF 9-12pm. Their office does great work such as these dog and cat health days offering low cost vaccinactions and neutering services for Rincon residents, as well as creating a network of fostering dogs and cats for adoption. We adopted our dog, Uno after first fostering him in the ARF program.

It's important to know that ARF doesn't have facilities to house any animals, so it's fostering program is key and they could always use more foster volunteers. We have 3 dogs and do no/cannot have any more, but we are willing to foster puppies that get in the ARF program because they will get adopted, either here or sent off the island for adoption.

My wife, CC has worked with so many great people outside the ARF organization to do things that ARF cannot, including fundraising to send dogs off the island to new homes and gaining access to donated food and supplies for the fostering families to reduce the burden of fostering homeless pets.

The animal population problem in Rincon is relatively minimal relative to the rest of Puerto Rico and its because of ARF and many other folks around toen who have worked to keep puppies off the streets and to get them neutered and adopted into good homes, Calypso Cafe, Mango Beach Shop, Green Room Surfboards, Pools Beach Cabanas are just a few of the local businesses that have taken in strays (satos) and either found homes for them or adopted them themselves.
The amount of dogs and cats run down that you encounter while driving is disturbing. On a recent rip 10 miles away to Aguada I saw 2 dead dogs and a dead cat dead in the road. It may be one way to control the animal population but it certainly isn't a humane one. Laws protecting animals have recently been enacted and they are enforced where possible, but it still is a society as a whole where cockfighting is celebrated and animals are seen more as working tools than as parts of the family. So it was rewarding to see so many local Puerto Ricans at the Dog Health Day today, spaying and neutering their pets, doing the right thing to keep the animal population down and keeping satos off the streets. Gracias ARF and all those who volunteer!
For more info: http://www.413geek.com/animal-information-for-rincon-puerto-rico/

New Businesses in Rincon

2011-07-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the latest issue of the El Coqui magazine, I started looking around and realized we do have a number of new businesses here in Rincon. I try to support most of the new endeavors here because I know it's difficult to succeed as anew business anywhere, let alone a place like Rincon where the seasonal aspect of the town can wreak havoc on the budget of a place just starting up. Also Rincon can use some new places, we lost a few last year including Surf's Up Coffee and Happy Burger (we think).

So here's an uncomprehensive list of some new things around Rincon.

In the plaza downtown, a coffee shop kiosk has opened and they serve GREAT coffee, lattes and espresso. They are Saludos & Cafe, owned by a guy named Joe who is passionate about, well, Joe. It's a top class place that looks like it could be a franchise, but no it's all original and the food is great too. Stop in and say hi to Joe and his family who help him run things.

There's a new sandwich shop in the plaza by Angelo's Car Rental, it's called Sandwich Delight and it too looks like it could be a franchise, very clean, organized and fast. They have probably about 40 sandwiches on the menu and the few I've tried, the Cubano and the Media Noche and Huevo con Jamon have all been very good.

The Black Eagle restaurant has opened up again in the location where The Spot at the Black Eagle was. They've redone the interior, it's always had such a great location and view, now it's nice. But the food is mediocre at best, cold beer helped, but serving hamburgers on cold, untoasted buns isn't going to cut it. Than again in Rincon it just might, better to drink here and get a burger at the Rum Shack later.

The Wine Cellar opened a few months back in the space below Ode to the Elephants and it's really nice inside, classy. The wines are different and not over priced, everyont that works ther knows what they are talking about and Ish, the owner is usually around to tell you about his food and wine . Nice place for a late nibble or dessert.

A few months ago a great little art gallery opened just south of the Plaza, Tres Puertas has only Puerto Rican made items and also has art workshops and Bomba lessons and Kids Summer camp. It is such a great addition to downtown Rincon, check it out.

The Kiosko is a used bookstore selling Spanish and English books amid the Rincon Cultural Center, where you can see photographs of old time Rincon and artifacts from Taino Indians. The bookstore has plenty to choose from on its overstocked shleves and great prices. It's located on Rt. 413 behind the Balneario.

Where to Stay in Rincon

2011-06-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

When we first came to Rincon on a vacation we didn't know anything about where we should stay. We found a flyer for the Lazy Parrot at EC bakery and decided to check it out. Luckily that turned out to be a great decision, the Lazy Parrot gave us pool view room with a balcony and mini fridge, great bed and bathroom for about $120/night. I don't know their prices now, but that I felt that was a great deal for what we got. Of course some people have other standards and in the mantra of Knowledge is Power, I'll try to semi-objectively write about a few lodging options in Rincon.

On the Rincon.org website we break the town of Rincon into 4 areas and I think it's helpful to know what makes these areas different. The North Coast is mostly Puntas and is the heart of the surfing scene. It's hilly, so traveling can be rough without a car, but the beaches are some of the best for surfing. There are also alot more vacation rentals here, homes and apartments that are owned by snowbirds, available for rental mostly by the week. The aforementioned Lazy Parrot is here too as is Casa Islena, a nice guest house on the beach near Antonio's that I would describe as classy. A little further down the beach are Tamboo Beside the Point, which is on the beach and Casa Verde Guesthouse, both nice, but because they are in the heart of the action, can be noisy. Pool Beach Cabanas are a little further down the road and to be honest, I haven't seen the rooms, but the pool and sushi bar is great. As far as vacation rentals on North Coast, I am preferential to the Apartments at Pools Beach, because of the great location and also because I help market the property. But there are so many different properties for all sizes of groups. Casa Grande is 2 huge properties side by side with a pool, walk to Sandy beach. Pelican Point has a great location, but once again noise can be an issue, Rincon Surf Rental is in a townhome complex within walking distance of the beach and has a pool, nice and comfortable, sleeps up to 8 for a good price. We manage their website as well as Oceanview Rentals which are up the hill further, 2 studios and a main house, the owner takes good care of the property. Right next door is Vista del Mar apartment, nice budget places run by the Mayor of Puntas, Elier Lopez. Elier and his daughter, Jennifer, also have many other properties in the Puntas and Ensenada areas. The Surf House Apartments rent more longer term and are very nice, Suites at 413 is on the 413, very cool, with a small pool. Casa Azul is a big property on the hill with 3 levels of villas and the Boarding House is a guest house with 3 apartments and a built in surfing school.

Just down the hill from Puntas toward the downtown is the Sunset Coast, mostly Ensenada, Tres Palmas Marine reserve to Maria's Beach and the hills above, great beaches for surfing and snorkeling. No hotels, mostly vacation rentals as well, but one of the best properties in Rincon, The Villa at Maria's Beach, a beautiful beachfront complex, great for weddings. I also like Casa por Fin Tres Palmas because it is beachfront, secluded with a pool. These place are pricey, but sleep large groups and do it right. Up the hill from the beach are The English Rose, known for its great breakfasts, but a nice property with a pool and Villa Quiles, a gay-friendly guest house with several nicely furnished apartments.

The 3rd of Rincon.org's area of Rincon is Downtown and the Marina, better known for restaurants than lodging. The Blue Boy Inn is a very nice guesthouse near the Marina with a pool and from what I hear very good breakfast. There are several condo developments near the Public beach, but I don't know much about their rentals.

This brings us to the Rincon's Caribbean Coast, where the beaches are calmer and better for swimming than surfing. There are no hills, so walking or cycling can be your mode of transportation. 8th and Ocean is a modern, new property on the beach that has 4 villas for 4-22 people. Nearby with a pool is Beachside Villas, a classic beach house that gets great reviews. The Pineapple Inn is a guest house with a pool where service is excellent. Casa Vista del Mar is up the hill with beautiful views and 5 small, comfortable apartments. Villa Orleans is a secluded house with beachfront and a small pool in a tropical landscape. Tres Sirenas is a nice guest house with a great location on the beach near Rincon of the Seas, a resort property with a great swim-up bar, but rooms that don't quite measure up. The Rincon Beach Resort is a beautiful property with great rooms, but pretty far away from everything else, maybe good if you don't want to leave the property. Likewise for the Horned Dorset, Rincon's most famous hotel (and most expensive).

Eco Tourism in Puerto Rico

2011-04-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

The title of this blog post may be misleading as I won't be writing about the latest Eco-resort if such a thing exists in Puerto Rico, but I will be writing about ways that tourists here can help minimize the impact of their visit to this island, whose natural beauty, beaches and coastline draw millions (yes millions) of visitors each year. http://www.topuertorico.org/tinfo.shtml It seems to be a bit of a catch-22 as these beautiful natural resources can only stay that way if they are managed properly, bringing in millions of people who create trash and waste and consume can only be a negative, but there aren't many alternatives for the Puerto Rico economy; manufacturing and agriculture can have as much if not more negative environmental impact. A growing tourism industry relies on keeping Puerto Rico's natural resources clean and beautiful and hopefully the Puerto Rico tourism Company and the visitors to Puerto Rico understand this. To see a report from the Puerto Rican Tourism Company from 2006, click here. But I don't see a lot of this in action here on the West Coast.

Sometimes people go on vacation and take a vacation from their responsibilities as citizens as well, using bottled water just because you're on vacation doesn't make sense, but it happens. I'm hoping to reach some of the people coming here to let them know that as a group, things will not change, its up to individuals to think about what the impact of their lives is on the planet and how they can lessen that impact.

Unfortunately, Puerto Rico doesn't have very good public transit, I know in Old San Juan it is ok, but generally the Publicos are unreliable and a mystery to tourists. So a rental car is probably the only option, but before you think about getting a nice big sedan, try a smaller vehicle and realize that alot of the roads in Puerto Rico are small 2-lane roads. you'll be saving gas and not be reduced to playing Chicken with the oncoming cars.

Very little of the plastic consumed on this island gets recycled here. Most ends up in landfills, some gets shipped off the island and some make it to the plastic recycling centers on the island, please read about the misconceptions of recycling here.
Water is a big issue nowadays and bringing a water bottle with you, instead of buying bottled water will make a huge difference, but also asking the hotel if they filter their water and letting them know that that is important to you as a consumer.
When you go out to eat, once again bringing your own water or asking if the restaurant filters their water keeps restaurant owners accountable. If a bar serves you a drink in a disposable plastic cup, ask if they have a reusable cup or for your next drink, request to use the same cup.
Trash - Very little glass get recycled on Puerto Rico 7-10%, most gets ground up and put in landfills, so the best environmental material is aluminum. While Puerto rico does not have a bottle bill like many states requiring a deposit for all bottled beverage or aluminum can sales, many individual collectors still make aluminum and cardboard the most recycled materials on the island.
Asking if bars, restaurants and hotels recycle will help get these operators on board.
Try to buy local food and remember to seek out eco-friendly businesses on the island, make your tourism dollars count by giving it to those that care about keeping Puerto Rico natural and beautiful. Find more info on 2006 PR Recycling Report.

Updates, The Season is Almost Over

2011-03-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

As the surf season in Rincon winds down and we near our second year in Rincon, we've come to appreciate the seasonal aspect of Rincon as a tourist town and the impact it has on local business. Many business owners leave town during the summer months and up until November, especially surf-related businesses. Generally the surf season is November to April, but July is a big month for Puerto Ricans to vacation and Rincon is a big wedding destination, so the early summer months can be worthwhile for local hotels and restaurants, dive shops and other activity providers.

We work with so many tourist related businesses to promote Rincon as a tourist destination, but find ourselves looking forward to the days when the beaches are less crowded. I can only imagine how the local Puerto Ricans surfers feel about it. I've heard grumblings in the water and on the beaches before, but the tourism isn't going away and the town of Rincon and its residents, with some exceptions, seem to have embraced the tourist dollars. I suppose Rincon is similar to the rest of Puerto Rico in that tourism is one of its fastest and only growing industries.

Lately I've been hearing about problems with local businesses on the beach wanting to monopolize the beaches, so that only 1 business could rent surfboards or give surf lessons on a particular beach. The Department of Natural Resources issues permits for these businesses and is responsible for finding abuses. If only one surf instructor can operate at Maria's Beach for instance, that is bad for tourism. Competition fosters better service and more accountability. I believe in regulating the businesses at the beaches, surf instructors should know CPR for example and food vendors should be responsible for keeping the beaches clean, but the permits issued by the DRNA don't address these issues, they just hand the key to the beach to the person with the most influence or connections.

Permits should be required for businesses to operate, especially near the beaches where dangerous conditions and environmental concerns need to be addressed. The process of getting those permits needs to be fair and transparent, the permits themselves should be limited, but should not create monopolies on the beach. Rincon has many qualified, long-time residents who make their livings from the beach and enough tourists to support them, it would be a shame to see small-town politics and petty jealousy spoil those tourists' experience.

Felicidades!

2010-12-26T04:21:00.000-08:00

The holidays in Rincon and I'm sure all over Puerto Rico are very festive. I noticed around Halloween al the Christmas decorations and gifts were taking over Sam's Club and the Three Kings Day parties on January 6th are the crescendo of a long and joyous celebration of the holiday season.
The plaza in downtown Rincon is lit up with Christmas lights and the churches celebrate a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, the only thing missing is snow on the ground. The surf has been very heavy, too big for us, so we had to settle for a dip in the water and frisbee on the beach on Christmas Day.
But the town is bustling with surfers and families seeking a warm Christmas, many make their way here every year to celebrate.

I've heard the power and water has always been a problem in Puntas around Christmas time, I remember last year the power and water were off for 48 hours right around the 25th, but the only problem this year was an 8 hour power outage on Dec. 23 rd due to a scheduled repair on a power pole. So far so good. I know the Tourism Association has been working with county water and power officials to prevent as many utilities outages as we've had in the past.

I definitely recommend a visit to Puerto Rico for the holidays, CNN says San Juan is the one of the top 10 places to spend Christmas, but plan early because most places get reserved early and we've had more than a few people ask us about last minute vacation rental vacancies and unfortunately, there aren't many.

Changes to the Landscape of Rincon

2010-12-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

Bienvenido, local traffic regulator

It seems like there are so many new construction projects around town. The biggest is a town-home style development near the marina, a small cul de sac of attached 2 level homes that makes me wonder, why are there no balconies facing west where the sunsets and ocean are. Who designed these? Across from this development which looks to be almost complete, a lot has been cleared for a new development on the 413 at the marina. This new development is supposedly a hotel, but that's just a rumor so far.
Down our street, a small house has cropped up with really bright red shutters. It sits on a quiet side street overlooking the River Mouth, nicely designed, all concrete, but with some interesting features.
Right behind us, the old cock fighting buildings have been torn down and the lot leveled. It is a beautiful lot with views of all of Aguadilla Bay, rumor is that they are planning on building a new cock fighting coliseum on the site, oh joy!
The 2 large villas being built near Maria's and Dogman's Beaches are getting close to being complete. I believe the one at Marias is going to be apartments, and the one at Dogman's looks similar, very large with multiple units on multiple levels.
There has also been a lot of clearing and moving of dirt on the hill behind the post office, no word on what the plans for that are.
Being fairly new to Rincon, I can't be too critical of these developments, they bring much needed jobs to the area and probably increase property values, but I do wonder if they will all be occupied with so many other developments just sitting around almost empty or even worse, incomplete. The huge Costa Azul development in Aguada has 2 huge towers, nearly complete, but no work has been done on them for months. Another development on the 413 near the 115 at Pineapple Hill sits nearly complete, but no construction crews have been there for months as well. The condos near the balneario and the Sea Beach Apartments on the 115 haven't sold, so where and when will the buyers for these projects come?
Meanwhile, still many lots and houses for sale in Puntas. No water or electrical outages yet this season so overtaxing of the utilities doesn't really apply as an argument against new construction anymore. The roads are still small and there is still no traffic signals in Rincon, of course our local traffic regulator, Bienvenido and his whistle help, but with all these new developments around town is that the city of Rincon's solution?

Updates in Rincon and Beyond

2010-12-04T06:47:00.000-08:00

This is the first post in awhile, but I do plan on more regular updates. I've been busy with a website called SurfWestPR.com that is a "online guide to surfing Western Puerto Rico". After being here more than a year, I realize how much this town and especially the "gringo" population, but certainly not only them, rely on tourism for their livelihood. Whether they have vacation rentals or a catering company or surf school, the majority of their business is tourists and the past few years have been difficult ones as the number of people coming to Puerto Rico and the amount they spend have been representative of the economy as a whole; cautious spending and lots of job losses.

I also realize not a lot of businesses here are represented on the internet and after reading so many articles about how the future of travel starts with www, it makes sense to gather some of these businesses in one spot online. The great surfing is the most unique thing about this part of the island and definitely its biggest attraction, but it isn't limited to Rincon. Isabela and Aguadilla have amazing surf spots as proved by the success of the recent Rip Curl Live Search at Middles Beach in Isabela. So businesses can buy a listing and be found and travelers can know where to rent a board or surf in Aguadilla or Isabela. Helpful to both, I hope.

Meanwhile, in Rincon Surfrider has a new Chair, he is Jim Crotty a surf photographer based in Aguada who has been active with Surfrider Rincon for some time. Wes Merten, the previous Chair did a great job, steering the Rincon Chapter to being ratified in November. I look forward to working with Jim and the rest of the Surfrider Executive Committee in the coming months. Remember Surfrider has its monthly meeting the first Thursday of every month at 7pm at Club Nautico at the Black Eagle Marina in Rincon and everyone is invited.
The surf season started off great with a few nice swells early and the beaches at Maria's and Domes jumping with energy as locals and out of towners took advantage of the great waves, warm water and stoked vibes running through the town. Someone told me he felt Maria's is like the battery of Rincon, it is where the energy comes from and the surfers feed off it and send it back on shore to everyone else and I get that now, the surf, the sunsets, Calypso and Playa Marias at this time of the year, there's no where else I'd rather be.

Season's Around the Corner....

2010-09-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

I've been away from Blogspot for awhile, working on other projects, so here's a few updates...
The hurricane season has been very kind to PR, so far, Earl brought a lot of wind and our power was out for about 24 hours, but for the most part Rincon didn't suffer much damage. I know a few people had their power out for quite awhile 4, 5 days in some cases and that is a concern as the storm wasn't a direct hit, what's gonna happen when we get one that hits us head on? There were lots of palms down on Corcega Beach and lots more erosion on all the beaches, but that's what storms do.

Igor went north of the island, but brought some fantastic surf to Rincon and all of the west coast beaches. I hadn't seen Tres Palmas break like everyone says it can, but Igor brought it out. See the picture above. Not a surfer, I was able to get some nice photographs though. Hopefully this is just the start of a big surf season.

People are starting to trickle back into town, the "snowbirds" who move between the states and here, you can see it on the roads and restaurants and bars. I know the economy is everyone's minds these days and things are no different here in Rincon. I have seen some new construction, most notably a townhome project near the marina and what looks like an apartment building down the street from our house. Like most vacation destinations, Rincon is struggling to draw the amount of tourists it had a few years ago and businesses who thought those times would last forever will fall by the wayside.

When we came here last year I was surprised at how many businesses were for rent in the plaza. This past year we lost 2 more, West Coast Surf Shop and Ice Chill n Grill. Superfoods, an organic market and deli a few miles away in the Pueblo may be closing or up for sale and The Spot, a restaurant in the marina has closed with a new owner hopefully taking over.

On a good note, there is a new Thai restaurant opening in Puntas called Ode to the Elephants and Club Nautico, in the marina has been remodeled and has much improved food done by the people who own the Shipwreck. Surfrider has moved their offices above and Rincon Sailing has set up shop there as well. The Black Eagle Marina will benefit from these moves, in fact already has as Surfrider has focused on cleaning it up and planting new trees. (see video here) But I would really like to see our town Plaza revived. The renovations completed a few years ago are being wasted by a lack of use, especially during the evenings. More restaurants, art galleries, live music and events in the plaza will help change the perception of the downtown area of Rincon, but we need business owners willing to set up shop and we need a government that will work to bring them here.

The Rip Curl Pro Search Surfing contest is coming to either Isabela or Aguadilla at the end of October and will bring great recognition to the west coast of Puerto Rico. Rincon may have been able to draw on its own history, beaches and surf in the past, but to survive as a tourist destination this town need to ride on someone else's coattails for awhile, be it Aguadilla or Isabela and while we're at it, let's pair up and promote all 3 towns as a destination for surfers, beach goers and people seeking a Caribbean experience without a passport. The Porta del Sol, is how the folks at the Puerto Rican Tourism Company is marketing this area of the island and that's great, but their marketing dollars are spread between the other areas of the island as well, I suggest a tourism organization centered on these towns that have similar offerings and cater to similar travelers. Maybe a good idea, but like most things nothing that will get done unless someone leads the charge....

One year in Rincon...

2010-08-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but it's been over a year since Cynthia and I packed the dogs up and settled into our nice little house here in paradise. The first few weeks here were the hardest due to a lack of creature comforts such as refrigerator and tv, but it's great to look around and see how far we've come in just a this year. I just finished the new cabinets in the kitchen and soon I can start to focus on the landscape. Our web design business, 413 Geek, has grown more than either of us could have expected and Cynthia has almost got this surfing thing figured out. ;)
As I write this, we are expecting our first hurricane of the year, Hurricane Earl, to bounce just off the north coast of Puerto Rico. We've done as much as we can to prepare, but we don't have a generator or even a large backup water tank so we hope a direct hit won't come. I installed hurricane proofing for our large sliding window doors last year and we have about 20 gallons of drinking water and a 25 gallon tank of grey water for showers and the toilet. I don't want to buy a generator, eventually I'd love to have a solar battery backup just to run the fans and a computer or 2. Ah, another project.
The water is another issue. I can collect the rain runoff into our 25 gallon tank, but eventually we will need to buy a 200 gallon tank. Then hooking it to collect runoff and to use gravity for it to flush toilets and run a shower if we need to. For a storm situation, the water could be off for 2 weeks, if we can collect runoff we won't be reliant on the city to come around with the water truck. As far as the house goes, it's all concrete and once we get the hurricane panels up, no windows are exposed. We;re also high above the beaches so a large swell shouldn't be an issue either.
There haven't been many storms to directly hit Puerto Rico, the last being Hurricane Georges in 1998 that was the first to pass through the entire island since 1932. It sounds like it was pretty devastating, mostly on the eastern coast, but damage throughout the island. I'm sure another one will hit eventually, maybe sooner rather than later considering the climate changes of the past decade. Our friend, Beth Kramer is coordinating an emergency preparedness workshop with government help to start in September. Cynthia and I will be in the classes for 3 consecutive Fridays, learning how to help our town in the event of a disaster, natural or otherwise. When it comes, we would like to be fully prepared, but hard decisions must be made on how we spend our money. For this hurricane season, we will prepare to be self-sufficient for a 10 day period and rely on neighbors and friends if we need more, next year I hope to be writing about our 200 gallon water tank and solar battery system and to be of some help should our neighbors or friends need it.

Rincon Off-Season

2010-05-30T05:45:00.000-07:00

The mangos are everywhere, the flamboyans are bursting red and the beaches, roads and bars are quiet ,it must be the off-season. We got here in August of last year and enjoyed the relatively empty beaches, not much surf, but perfect for us beginners to paddle out. Sandy Beach is great this time of year as hardly anyone is out and the water is calm, with a few small sets here and there.

We spent some time at Finca Cielo Verde today, our friend's farm in the hills east of Mayaguez. The drive was up then down, through the winding roads with canopys of green and mangos along the side of the streets. It's a beautiful property with a small creek and waterfall running through it, amazing trees everywhere and a large working vegetable farm. They grow organic vegetables and have started potted landscape plants as well. We took home a few colorful additions to our gardens.

We've spent some quality time in Aguadilla lately as one of our friends moved there. The beaches I've seen are beautuful with rock formations and small private coves and of course the surfing up there can be better than Rincon. 110 Thai is a busy restaurant in Aguadilla that we finally checked out on Cyndi's birthday. The food was so fresh and reasonably priced and they have some really good beers on draft, definitely rates a return visit, but they do get very busy so if you're going, go early. I've been golfing at the Aguadilla Golf Course more often and enjoying it more and more. The fees are relatively cheap and while I haven't been golfing very long, the course offers some beautiful views and is challenging but not intimidating.

The rain has started kicking in, bringing a cool late afternoon storm almost daily, washing away the heat and flamboyan petals. This is the time of year when the jungle can overcome all efforts to keep it at bay and Cyndi has been using the weed wacker and shovel to keep our hillside lean and mean, but I can see the vines crawling faster and faster, I need a more permanent solution.

I went to the pulgaro in San Sebastian which is held every Friday afternoon. It's a good sized flea market with vendors mostly selling fruits and vegetables, but you can find tools, clothes, plants, and livestock there as well. I bought some banana palm bones for planting, some incredible organic tomatoes (hard to find good ones here) and some yucca root to cook.

Lots of friends leaving or already left. Some find the summer just too lifeless around here, other leave to make money elsewhere. This summer should be different though, the Mayaguez 2010 Games are being held at the end of July and 3 events are being held in Rincon. This is the Caribbean and South American Olympics and they expect a huge influx of people. Should make for an interesting summer!

Plastic Free Oceans

2010-05-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to a news conference at the Villa Cofresi announcing the start of a standup paddle board journey around the island of Puerto Rico to raise awareness of the problem of plastics and their growing mass in the oceans around Puerto Rico. Here's a link to their website: http://plasticfreeoceanpr.org/index.php/?option=com_content&view=article&id=62 So happy to see a local getting local kids and communities involved in this issue. At the news conference, Ernie Alvarez spoke of his journey to come and what he hoped to accomplish, the plight of sea turtles stuck in plactic bags and a growing sea of plastic out there in the ocean that surrounds us. Our friends Angelo Cordero and Katka Konecna will accompany him to photograph and film the journey as well as the news conferences along the way. They will raffle off a brand new ARK paddle board at the end on June 5th and are selling t-shirts and reusable grocery bags to help fund their "Challenging the Ocean to Save the Ocean" campaign.
The plastics issue has been gaining ground lately, there have been a number of documentaries detailing the plastic soup running hundred of miles swirling around the Pacific Ocean. One of the most interesting facts that I learned recently: PLASTIC NEVER DIES, every piece of polyethylene plastic manaufactured since the 1930's when it was first made is still around!! So these statistics:

Number of plastic bags used worldwide each year: 4,000,000,000,000 to 5,000,000,000,000.
Amount of oil used annually to produce plastic bags: 17,200,000,000 to 21,500,000,000 gallons.
Number of plastic bags used by Americans each year: 110,000,000,000.
Amount of plastic bags recycled in the United States in 2006: 2%.
Amount of plastic used worldwide every year just to bottle water: 1,500,000 to 2,700,000 tons.
Number of plastic water bottles sold in the United States in 1997: 4,000,000,000
Nearly eight out of every 10 bottles will end up in a landfill.

end up being pretty scary.

So what to do. Using reusable grocery bags is the easiest way to start and I was stoked to see MR. Special, a grocery store in Aguada selling these bags for $.99 Maybe we will see some changes that already afoot in the states come to the island. I ran across a great website that uses guerilla tactics to raise awareness of the problem of single-use plastic bottles and containers, http://guardiansofthepacific.org/. They have downloadable stickers that they urge you to glue onto vending machines and anywhere plastic bottles are sold. A great way for kids to stick it to the man and stick up for a great cause.
With the bottled water boom kicking into high gear 10 years ago, plastic usage has surged and these ubiquitous bottles have not only contibuted more than their share to the pollution of the oceans, but manufacturing these bottles also creates problems:

Producing the bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation
Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide
It took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water
(http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html)

We have a filter on our refrigerator that we change every 6 months and we both have reusable water bottles to take with us. The Brita Filtered Water Pitcher is also a great way to filter tap water rather than buy bottled. Also buying milk and juice in cardboard or glass containers will cut back plastic manufacturing. It's not that hard to really make a significant decrease in your plastic consumption and I think if people know the problems and the easy solutions, it will get done. The key is to spread the word!

Crime in Rincon?

2010-04-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of talk lately about a rise in crime in Rincon and while we haven't been here that long, some long term residents have mentioned the increase. To be sure the crime we are talking about here is not violent, it's mostly just theft and break-ins, in fact I haven't heard of any people being harmed in any way. But there seems to be no opposition to the fact that crime has increased. Is it due to economic circumstances, the cut-backs in jobs and spending has obviously made a dent on the Puerto Rican economy as it has everywhere else. Or maybe, as some residents believe, it is a result of the coming Caribbean Games in Mayaguez and the displaced residents in some of the public housing there to make way for the influx of athletes and attendees of the games, the reason being these poor are criminals and have moved to Rincon. I must admit I find this to be a stretch.
   Last night we went to a meeting at the Villa Cofresi introducing the new Chief of Police for the Puerto Rico Police Attachment, Capt. Matilde Rodríguez Rivera. It was an interesting meeting as we learned a lot about our policing system here in Puerto Rico and also a few first hand accounts of the types of crimes occurring in Rincon. Captain Rivera's first comments seemed to be defensive in nature, but also stating the obvious. To paraphrase; People come to Rincon and think that there is no crime so they can leave their car windows open and items in their cars and on the beach, but this is what invites criminal behavior. It is up to us as residents to educate our guests that they need to secure valuables. Part-time residents need to have alarms on their property for when they are gone for extended lengths of time. Another problem is that victims are often tourists and they usually leave before they can help with the judicial process.
   So her theme was that the police need help to prevent crime, and this is an understandable request. All the things she said are true, but some of the crimes described by the people attending the meeting didn't fall into that category so there must be more we can do. At this point in the meeting we learned that there are 2 different police forces in Rincon, the municipal police, which is located on Rt. 115 and is not captained by Matilde Rodriguez Rivera and the State Police, which is and is located near the school on Calle 2. It turns out, like many overlapping police organizations, the communication between the two police squads isn't very good (a resident next to us said it was due to different political affiliations). The fact that the Captain admitted this is a surprise and shed light on the fact that although Mayer Bonilla was scheduled to attend, he did not and no one from the municipal police were in attendance either. Captain Rivera promised that if her station was called, 911 or (787)823-2020, she would send an English speaker officer to take the report if requested.
   A Neighborhood Watch program that is popular in other communities was discussed and many of this meetings attendees volunteered to be a part of a similar program for Rincon which would begin in early May. I think a Neighborhood Watch program would increase communication between the residents, both locals and English speaking, and the police. Separating facts from rumors will help us see trends in where crime is occurring and hopefully, why. I agree with Captain Rivera that it is as much the responsibility of the people of Rincon to prevent crime as it is the police to catch the perpetrators. Overall, a productive meeting that may form the basis for a more involved community in the safety of Rincon, it's residents and guests.

March 2010

2010-03-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month so far as we have had some friends and relatives visiting, a great opportunity to do so many of the things we've been putting off doing in and around Rincon.

Cyndi went horseback riding with Pinto R Us and had a blast! She said it was the most fun she's had since she's been here. The group started at the Marina and rode north and onto the Domes trail near the Spanish Wall. Cyndi said the horses had plenty of spirit and they were able to do a lot of galloping, but her favorite part was riding on the beach, I don't blame her, I get jealous every time I see a group pass me by on the 413, knowing they will soon be on the sand watching the sun fall into Desecheo as they mosey along the shore.

We also went to a waterfall in San Sebastian. It was a little hard to find the trail, but some nice Sebastianos told us where to go. The hike toward the fall is pretty easy, maybe 10-15 minutes, definitely worth the trip. It's not a huge, gorgeous waterfall, but nice enough. There's a nice pool below and plenty of spots to jump from, also a water cave if you're feeling real adventurous.

We went to a great party while Cyndi's mom was in town, (thanks Rosa!), and experienced our first pig roast. Also met some great people, other bloggers, blog readers as well as neighbors, the house was 5 minutes way from ours. It was a nice evening and a great chance for Cyndi's mom to see what a friendly town Rincon is.

We also went up to Rincon Pottery, the studio owned by our friends, Nick and Miri, for the first time. Beautiful ceramic art, functional, looking forward to having more space so we start collecting, thanks for the tour Miri. The drive to the Rincon Pottery studio is a nice slice of the part of Rincon we don't get to see enough. Beautiful hillside homes on large lots with amazing views, brightly painted houses with all types of fruit and decorative trees and more manicured landscaping than we see in Puntas.

We finally had breakfast at The English Rose and it definitely lived up to it's billing. Hanging high above Tres Palmas, the restaurant patio has a beautiful view of the ocean and the surrounding hillsides. The food was not overly expensive and the best we've had since coming to Rincon. Kicking ourselves for not trying it sooner.

While on the subject of restaurants, another great one is El Fogon de la Curva, a pig roast/fresh fish (yes, those are their specialties) bar and grill on the way out of Rincon, at the curve toward Anasco. It is attached to a fish market where the owner will filet whichever fish he has caught that day (and still has left) for you. The Dorado is fantastic, but goes quick, I tried the Parrotfish and it was very good as well. But the restaurant is cheap and delicious, a nice combination.

The weather has been incredibly hot this week and the waves very small, so the dogs have been coming with us to the beach. I picked the hottest week of the year to start painting the house, but at least it's not raining.

Rincon Surfing

2010-03-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't written too much about surfing here in Rincon, but the great surf here is one of the reasons we're here and one of the reasons Rincon is such a special place. The story usually begins with the 1968 World Championships that were held here in Rincon, which was then barely a blip on the Puerto Rican map, but from there the town has grown in small spurts to what it is now; a sleepy surf town where mostly East Coast surfers come down during the surfing season, December -April, filling up the guest houses and surf schools as well as the line ups at most of the local surf spots.
The reason Rincon draws so many surfers is because it has beaches that face 2 directions so that swells coming from the north, bring waves to the northern beaches and south swells bring surf to the southern beaches, leaving very few days where neither side has had decent waves this season. But Rincon isn't the whole story, Aguadilla and Isabella just 30 minutes north offer more beaches and world class waves without the hype.

Cyndi and I came here to surf, although neither of us surf. I've body surfed all my life at beaches in southern California, but never brought a board in the water with me. Cyndi started paddling a big soft board a year before we got here, but never got too serious about actually standing up on it. Since we arrived here in Rincon, Cyndi has taken 3 surfing lessons and goes out almost daily, but has yet to feel the thrill of standing up through a wave. She is determined and loves just being in the water so eventually her day will come and when that happens, I don't think I'll ever be able to get her out of the water. I haven't taken any lessons, but I went out on a big softboard for the first time about a month ago and felt pretty comfortable, but a little out of breathe after 30 minutes of paddling. Since then our friend sold me a nice epoxy longboard that I've taken out once, but need more I'll have fun with it.
But listening to surfers talk, it's amazing the respect and awe they have for the sport and love they feel everyone should feel. Most of our surfing friends are so encouraging about getting us on a wave and everyone has words of advice, it does seem like a cliche but they "live to surf". I've seen a 60 year old man come out of the water grinning like a teenager and kids talking to each other about swells and currents and tides as knowledgeable as a TV weatherman (probably more so). I usually tend to dismiss the hype of this type of thing and I know I'll never be as fully immersed in surfing as many, including Cyndi have become, but I also admit that I'm looking forward to my day on a wave, when my legs are strong beneath me and the surf is rolling before me and surfing's mystery comes a bit closer into focus.

Randomness Rincon Notes

2010-03-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

A few random thoughts...

Uno, our "foster" dog is too sweet to give away, Cyndi's waaaay too much in love with him and I'm developing a little crush on him myself so I think we have 3 dogs now.....

We added a pet adoptions page to our 413 geek site, just because we hear of all sorts of puppies being droped off at people' houses and what can we do? Not much, but if anyone sends a pic and contact info we'll put it up there....

We've had a lot of luck with renting "La Olita", our downstairs studio, despite the water being turned off from time to time and roosters at 5:30 am, the guests seem to have really enjoyed their stays, $55/night, what's not to like?

Had a really bad dining experience at Brumas Bar and Grill, a restaurant on the curve toward Anasco, we only went there 'cause the fish restaurant we wanted to go to was closed for a private event, but what a waste of $50...

I decided that cooking with coconut milk is pretty cool, add it to rice and veggies for a soupy curry with a little lime and mint, it's pretty rich, but sooo good...

We went to The Best of the Fest, a screening of a film from last year's Rincon International Film Festival. The movie called This is a Robbery was a funny documentary about a 91 year old bank robber and was pretty good, definitely gets me interested in what we'll see from this years event....

Last Saturday we helped install some trash cans at the Black Eagle Marina with the Surfrider Foundation, thanks to all those that helped, hopefully they'll get used and picked up regularly by the city....

Fernando of Villa Orleans put a post on his blog about a group coming to Rincon this summer to prepare to excavate the shipwreck off the coast of Rincon. Seems there's a group looking to build a maritime museum filled with what they find. How cool would that be?

Cyndi's still working on standing up on the surfboard, she's tenacious, I even went out yesterday, but it was too blown out, I'm was having problems just paddling out, she seems pretty comfortable, maybe just afraid to commit to the wave...

A 90 lb Wahoo was caught off the coast a few days ago, great pictures provided by our friend Pablo...

The surf contest on Saturday and Sunday at Domes was packed, we went Saturday for a little while and couldn't believe how many people were on the beach, cool to see thankfully only once a year...

I guess there's a Haiti fundraiser at the Pool Bar on Friday night, our friend Yaro will be playing some music, check rincon.org TAR member events for a posting soon...

We're enjoying Rincon as much as ever, even more so as we meet more people and become more integrated in the fabric of the community, it's a special place, salud to those who recognize that!

Rincon Art & Artisans

2010-02-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

It was a weekend of art activities as Saturday was the Juntarte art show in the Plaza in downtown Rincon and Sunday we went to the Traveling Treasures art show at the Tropical Treehouse in the hills over Rincon.
The Juntarte show comes around every few months and includes local artists and craft people who make everything from soap and candles to small pieces of furniture. We missed the live music that started at 6pm, but we enjoyed seeing different artists and supporting this event as it is more of a Puerto Rican event than most other things we go to.
The Traveling Treasures is as implied a traveling art show that makes it's way to various locations around Rincon; The Lazy Parrot, Casa Islena and Villa Cofresi, but Sunday's event was at the Tropical Treehouse, an amazing collection of a main house with 2 other bamboo "hooches" that include running water and electricity. We wandered the property in awe of the various bamboo structures, furniture and crafts made by the owner, who unfortunately was out of town and we did not meet.
The art show, while not especially a large collection did have some interesting works. I bought a few prints by the Aguada based artist, Kurt Zeigler, and there were some beautiful ceramic pieces by our friend Miri from Rincon Pottery. Mostly it was another opportunity to support local artists and see friends and meet new neighbors who do the same. There are a couple of galleries in Rincon, The Secret Garden which is small, but houses some nice works by its owner, Roberto and other local artists and Playa Oeste, which specializes in surf art from around the world and other places where art can be found such as gift shops and adorning the walls of restaurants and hotels, not to mention the many murals all over Rincon, (another posting on this soon). I know of a couple great photographers, Rachel Tanner and our neighbor, Angelo Cordero.
Rincon is such a beautiful and inspiring place that a strong artist presence here seems natural. I think of places like Laguna Beach and Santa Fe where artists were drawn to the natural beauty and formed colonies of studios and galleries as their ranks grew. Rincon could turn out to have something like this, I think there are already many very good artists here, but there needs to be support from all sides of the community and maybe a more united approach between expats and locals.

The surf brought us, the people keep us

2010-02-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

When we first decided to move to Rincon it was because of the great weather and beaches, but the people here are what makes Rincon so special. I've already described how Steve and Francia Lantz from the Lazy Parrot have helped, but there are so many more. Whenever we have a question about where in the Rincon area or who in Rincon, we run it by John from Surf's Up Coffee, he's just a guy who has been here a long time and done many things here and he's eager to suggest local folks that he trusts and has a connection with.
Cyndi first met Rhea Maxwell of the El Coqui of Rincon at a volunteer graffiti cleanup event and Rhea, who has so much on her plate, was kind enough to see that we would like to help and we have built a great relationship with her.
A number of our friends have blogs; James and Shannon who got here about 6 months before we did have a great blog, James N Shan Do PR. She teaches yoga at La Paz Yoga studio and he teaches surfing at Rincon Surf School. Their blog is a great way to see Rincon through the eyes of an adventurous young couple, exploring all the things that make this place so unique.
Rincon Life is Annie, who along with her husband Justin, own Rincon Vacations a vacation concierge service for the West Coast of Puerto Rico. Her blog is probably the most informative Rincon blog I've read and there are always new and interesting posts. She and Justin are great at what they do and work hard to match local business people with tourists in Rincon.
Fernando is the man behind the Villa Orleans blog and his videos show so much about the Rincon area and beyond. He knows as much about this part of Puerto Rico as anyone I've met and is always willing to share great information about this place he loves.
His brother, Roberto is an amazing artist and runs the Secret Garden Art Gallery, where local artists can show their work. The gallery is located amidst a tropical and jungle landscape that Roberto and Fernando built behind the Villa Orleans.
Sam and Jahbi, who both work at the Lazy Parrot really welcomed us when we first got here. They came here from Pennsylvania a few years ago and remembered how hard it was to get the house in order and Sam worked on our electric and plumbing problems after some long days at the Parrot.
Carlos, who runs the Boarding House Surf school and rentals really epitomizes the Rincon attitude as we have found it to be. When Cyndi was looking to buy a board he offered up a few to try out so she would know what she liked and when I expressed some interested, he pulled out a big 11 foot board and shoved in my hands and told me to get out on the waves with my wife. When I got my hands on a nice longboard that needed a few fixes, he took care of it and found a cheap used fin for Cyndi's board, all the while not worrying about how he would get paid, more interested in us getting out on the waves. Not everyone in Rincon has this esthetic, but the more people we meet, the more nice things we have to say.

Rincon.org

2010-02-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

Rincon.org is the website of the Tourism Association of Rincon, TAR, and Cyndi and I are proud to say we are behind the new design of the website. TAR brings local businesses in Rincon together for the purpose of tourism, but it is also a great networking opportunity for new businesses. Cyndi joined with Rincon Sports Massage before we got to Rincon and has met a lot of great clients and friends as a result. Our business, 413 Geek was hired to redesign the website when the previous web designer announced a hefty price increase for the maintenance of the site. A redesign was long overdue, the old site had broken links, drop down menus and long, long pages that took forever to load. There was a lot of good information on the site, but it had been added to so often, it had become unorganized and redundant.
The website is the main benefit of becoming a TAR member and the old site wasn't serving its members as well as it could. Rincon.org has always been the most popularly searched site for Rincon, but we want it to be easy to get to and easy to navigate. But mainly we want to make the site to serve potential tourists as well as its members, listings that are organized, up to date and easy to find, important information, but not too much information, and photographs that show the beauty and fun in Rincon.
But I also think the website is just a start, there are things like the Rincon International Film Festival and the Mayaguez 2010 Games that local business owners can be a part of, but there needs to be organization and communication between owners, planners and back to potential visitors, TAR can be a big part of this communication. Cyndi and I are so excited to be able to play a part in the process. We decided a year ago that this is our town and we look forward to participating in the future of Rincon.