For the real Puerto Rican local market experience, you need to head to Rio Piedras. There, you will find a large indoor Mercado de Rio Piedras (Rio Piedras Market) and blocks of outdoor sidewalk shopping where the locals go to shop! It is alive with the sights, sounds and colors of things for sale and people enjoying themselves.

Located on Paseo de Jose de Diego, the Mercado itself is a large air-conditioned building housing a multitude of vendors. Inside, you will find many people selling fresh fruit and vegetable, plus loads of other things like meat, fish, herbs and natural products, Puerto Rican souvenirs and even lottery tickets.

In the middle area of the building, there are probably more than 30 fruit/veggie vendors to chose from. This was my reason for visiting and I was not disappointed! Some places have their prices posted, some don’t. Some stuff is sold by the pound, some stuff is priced per piece (c/u). I knew what I was looking for and at, but if you don’t speak Spanish or don’t know what the fruits are, do not worry. There is always someone whom you can ask about what each thing is, if it’s ripe or not, etc. To get prepared, take a look at our article about tropical fruit available in Puerto Rico.

Just out of chance, the vendor we decided to buy from turned out to speak English. We bought a mamey sapote (not inexpensive, but perfectly ripe and delicious), some nisperos and mangos. Yummy! At another booth, we found a piece of sugar cane, which I had always wanted to plant, so I was a happy girl!

There is a cafeteria area that serves up local fare of all varieties — from the basic fried goodies, to full meals of home made Criollo cuisine. And prices were very reasonable. There are plenty of tables and chairs available. Along the perimeter of the large market, you will find the stores — like a travel agent, music store, a barber/beauty salon, even a laundromat. You know — the day to day things for the locals who live in the area. As we walked around near the back, we heard dominoes being shuffled. There are domino tables available for the men to play while the women shop!

In the middle of the market, there is a lovely mural depicting a Jíbaro (poor farmer) with this crops. It is as if this beautiful humble Jíbaro oversees all the fruit/veggie vendors. The older locals come and sit around, relax in in AC and catch up with all their friends and neighbors.

Even if you don’t want to try some of the tropical fruit and veggies available, the beauty of the colorful fruit and vegetables, the artwork and daily life scenery make such great pictures!

The Mercado is open Monday through Saturday 9am to 6pm, it is closed on Sundays. It is an "off the beaten track" experience — loads of people meeting at the local market, talking, shopping, playing dominoes, lots of good food — now this is the real Puerto Rico!

Outside of the market there are a number of blocks of local stores. Mostly lower-priced items, but you can pick up some great bargains on shoes, casual clothes and assorted stuff. Almost every store had racks of sale items outside — like a giant sidewalk sale. I have read that this area is closed to traffic, but the day we went, it was open to traffic. It wasn’t an issue, since the side walks were wide, but it would have been nicer to have the streets closed off.

There are a few small parking lots within a few blocks of the Mercado. Parking costs 75¢ to $1 per hour.

You can locate the Rio Piedras Market on our interactive travel map.

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Rio Piedras Market - A “Real” Local Experience

If you are a birdwatcher, then Puerto Rico needs to be added to your must-visit bucket list. Puerto Rico has so many different geographical regions, all within a small 35×100 mile area — rain forests, dry forests, and forests in-between, seaside, mangroves and mountains. Due to this fact (and our wonderful winter weather), you can see many different types of birds during a short visit to the island, especially if you know where to look. You have a pretty good chance of seeing at least a few of the 17 endemic birds and many of the 300 different types of bird species that call Puerto Rico home at some time throughout the year.

Right Here on Our Property

Here, in the El Yunque rain forest area where we live and have our vacation rental, we have spotted a number of endemic and migratory birds. My favorite ones are the PR Tody, PR Oriole, PR Woodpecker, PR Emerald Hummingbird, the orange-fronted parakeet and the male pin-tail Whydah (during mating season). But there are many others that we see on a daily basis, such as the bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), red tail hawks and the PR Lizard Cuckoo.

One bird you should not expect to see is the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. With only a few dozen left in the wild, it would be an extremely lucky sighting!

I am not a true birdwatcher, but even I am always amazed at the amount of birds that call this area home. There is always something flitting about! Especially early in the morning.

I am sure someone with some birdwatching experience, binoculars, a book of local birds and some patience can really add a few birds to their life list. And even when you can’t see them, you can hear them, both day and night. There are a number of nocturnal birds, too!

Though you need to go up to higher elevations of El Yunque forest to see a few specific species, most of the bird species that call this area home can be observed at the lower elevations where the vegetation is less dense.

Out on the Island

If you are really into birdwatching, you will want to make some road trips around the island to see a more diverse variety of species. One area that is great for observing shore and water birds is the Humacao Nature Reserve. It is nice to walk around and look for birds, but it is best to go on a weekend when you can rent a kayak and go into the mangroves and the lagoon. They even have signs around the lagoon to help with bird identification.

Other places further away that are also excellent for birdwatching are the out-islands of Vieques and Culebra, which have wildlife refuges. In the south-west of Puerto Rico, you’ll find the Cabo Rojo wetlands and saltflats, the freshwater Cartagena Lagoon, and the dry forest in Guanica. The Maricao Forest and Boquerón Forest are also home to a number of different variety of birds that you can’t see in the El Yunque forests.

Only in Puerto Rico

Endemic birds, which mean that they are native to the island and live only in Puerto Rico, include

• Yellow-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus)
• Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata)
• Green Mango (Anthracothorax viridis)
• Puerto Rican Nightjar (Caprimulgus noctitherus)
• Puerto Rican Emerald (Chlorostilbon maugeaus)
• Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo (Coccyzus vieilloti)
• Puerto Rican Pewee (Contopus portoricenis)
• Adelaide’s Warbler (Dendroica adelaidae)
• Elfin-woods Warbler (Dendroica angelae)
• Puerto Rican Bullfinch (Loxigilla portoricensis)
• Puerto Rican Screech Owl (Megascops nudipes)
• Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis)
• Puerto Rican Flycatcher (Myiarchus antillarum)
• Puerto Rican Tanager (Nesospingus speculiferus)
• Puerto Rican Spindalis (Spindalis portoricensis)
• Puerto Rican Tody or San Pedrito (Todus mexicanus)
• Puerto Rican Vireo (Vireo latimeri)
  source Wikipedia

Guides, Guide Books & Tours

If you’re looking for some field guides to local birds, we have some recommendations for you. We have the first two on this list as part of the library our guests can access.

• A Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by Herbert A. Raffaele, Cindy J. House, John Wiessinger.
• Puerto Rico’s Birds In Photographs by Mark W. Oberle. This one has a CD with the birds’ songs.
• Aves de Puerto Rico by Virgilio Biaggi (this heavy book is in Spanish, but great illustrations)

Of course you can go bird watching on your own, but if you want to go on a guided tour, there are a few companies/groups that offer them.

• The Puerto Rico Conservation Trust runs birdwatching outings all around Puerto Rico. These are basic birdwatching trips. Check their website to see what trips are being offered, dates/times and to reserve your tour in English. You can call 787-722-5882 for more information.
• The Puerto Rico Ornithological Society also does guided bird watching outings. Check their website for more information. These trips are most likely in Spanish, but I am sure many in the group will be bilingual. Their website is a great source of information on Puerto Rican birds (they even have recordings of the bird calls along with pictures).
• Adventours is a tour company that offers birdwatching trips and multi-day tours. You can check their website for more information.

So bring your binoculars, a good bird book, lots of patience and go birdwatching during your visit to Puerto Rico!

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Spend Some Time Birdwatching in Puerto Rico

My favorite Puerto Rican dish is Arroz con Habichuelas, or rice and beans. The beans are actually a stew, with potatoes, squash, other veggies, some ham and, of course, beans. I eat this, served over rice, for a meal whenever I can find it.

Lots of people here in PR make Habichuelas, some are better than others (I know because I have tried a lot!). So it was only a matter of time that I was able to get a recipe that I loved. I got this recipe from a local woman (thanks SMS!) and it’s really easy and delicious. I will tell you I am a horrible cook, yet I gave it a try, and it came out great the first time! So if I can do it, so can you!

You may have to poke around in the ethnic aisle of your supermarket for some of the ingredients. This recipe will feed about 12 people as a side dish or 6 people as a main dish. Vegetarians can make this without the ham (and using vegetable stock instead of ham stock) and it still tastes great. I have adjusted the recipe for my preferences — since I like my habichuelas very thick, I "stew" it an hour or more. If you want a thinner stew, just don’t simmer it as long! Experiment a little with the recipe until it is "perfect" for you.

Habichuelas (Stewed Beans)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 4" x 6" piece of smoked ham (the pink salty stuff), cubed (if the piece you buy has a bone, drop in the bone to for flavor — remove before eating!).
• 1 cooking green pepper (NOT hot), diced small (these are the long light-green ones, NOT Bell peppers)
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, mashed
• 2 cans (use 16 oz cans) beans (pink/rosado, red or pinto) boiled in water and salt. I like pink beans (rosados) the best. The can label should say some kind of liquid with beans are in. Just be careful not to get the ones cooked in tomato sauce or "ready to eat".
• 2 ham or chicken broth bouillon cubes, diluted in 1 cup water (we’re able to find Calabaza y Jamón flavor)
• 1 cup tomato sauce, NOT paste
• ½ teaspoon dry oregano leaves
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 4" x 6" piece of cooking pumpkin/squash/calabaza, cubed (with skin)

1. Using a deep stock pot, heat the oil over a medium heat and sauté the ham, until it starts to get a light golden color on some of it. Add the garlic, stir in, add the diced green peppers and the onion. Stir frequently to avoid burning. This process should take 5 minutes. The onions will become translucent and it will begin to smell good!
2. Add the beans with their liquid, the diluted broth, the tomato sauce, and the oregano. Stir to mix. Let it boil at medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the cubed potatoes and pumpkin. Stir. Lower the heat to Low — do not cover — and let it simmer until the potatoes and pumpkin are tender and the sauce thickens (about 45 to 60 minutes). If, when you add the potatoes and pumpkin there is not enough liquid, add water little by little until there is enough to cover everything. If the sauce does not thicken enough, simmer longer (or if you are in a hurry, mash 2 or 3 extra pieces of the potatoes or pumpkin and add to the pot).
4. Correct the seasoning — You can add salt if needed, a little ground black pepper (if you like) and if it tastes a little acid, add ½ teaspoon of sugar.

Serve over white rice as a meal or side dish. Disfrute! Enjoy!

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Make Yummy Habichuelas at Home with this Easy Recipe

Visiting Vieques is usually best done as a multi-day trip — when you have time to rent a car and explore the most remote beaches. But what do you do if your vacation schedule only allows time to spend one day on Vieques? Head on over to Vieques and spend the day at Sun Bay, one of the many beautiful beaches on the island. Sun Bay (or Sombe to the locals) is a pretty beach with all the facilities necessary to make for a pleasant day trip. And it’s easy to get to using public transportation.

Getting to Sun Bay Beach

You can get to Vieques via passenger ferry from Fajardo, or by flying from the San Juan (SJU), Isla Grande (SIG) or Ceiba (RVR) airports. What’s the best way to get to Vieques? Well, that’s really an individual decision. It’s commonly said that "If you have more time than money, take the ferry. If you have more money than time, take a plane". So it’s really up to you.

No matter how you choose to travel between the islands, once you get to Vieques, you can ask any of the many taxis (publicos) to take you to Sun Bay beach. The charge is $3/person, one-way. The driver will typically arrange a time to pick you up from the beach for your return trip back to the airport or ferry dock.

A Day at the Beach

Once you get to Sun Bay, your biggest decision will be where to sit. The beach is a 2-mile crescent of light-colored sand with blue Caribbean water separating you from the little islands off in the distance. It has all the makings of a picture-postcard and a lovely day. There are palms and other types of trees that provide shade all along the beach. A roped-off swimming area with lifeguards allows for easy and safe swimming.

Sun Bay is the easiest beach on Vieques to access without your own car, so it is also the most "crowded". This beach is popular with families, especially on weekends, but there is always plenty of room for everyone. When we went, there were about 15 groups of sun bathers. Not crowded at all! But if that is too much for you, you can walk along the beach until you find your own quiet spot. If you walk to the right (facing the water), you can actually walk to Esperanza Malecon, though it’s probably about a ½ mile walk.

I think to get the most enjoyment out of this beach, you have to pick the best spot given the conditions of the day. We chose to stay near the cafeteria. But the day we went, there were some high seas and a good amount of wind. Looking back, I realize that we would have been better situated elsewhere on the beach. If you head to the east (walk to the left when facing the water), you will find calmer waters and more protection from the wind. Or if you like waves, walk to the right — there is usually more surf in that area. So take your time and search out the best spot given the conditions and your personal needs. Just as a sidenote, there really isn’t any good snorkeling at Sun Bay, though you may find some starfish or conch in the sea grass areas.

Sun Bay is the only beach on Vieques with facilities — there is a designated swimming area with lifeguards, working bathrooms, showers, and a cafeteria for food, drinks and snacks. You can bring your own cooler with food and drinks, but the cafeteria actually had decent food, lots of cold drinks (ice cream too!) and reasonable prices.

One nice bonus is the wild horses that visit Sun Bay (usually during the afternoon). They are so pretty and pose for pictures. But be careful where you step!

Camping

Sun Bay also has a campground administered by the Compania de Parques Nacionales. The fee is $10 per night. You have to bring your own tent. You don’t need to make a reservation, though it might be good to do during holiday weekends! Supposedly check in is until 4pm, but if you get there later, you can just pay the next day. Call 787-741-8198 for campground information.

The beach itself is free. There is a $3 charge to park if you have a rental car.

Balneario Sun Bay is on the south coast of Vieques, to the east of Esperanza, off of Road 997

You can locate Sun Bay Beach on our Interactive Island Map

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Sun Bay - The Perfect Beach for a Day-trip to Vieques

Every year, the town of Aibonito hosts the largest flower show on the island. It features flower and plant displays, entertainment, music, food — and the thing most people go for — the plant sales! There are rows and rows of booths selling all kinds of plants — orchids, fruit trees, vegetable plants, heliconias, gingers, hibiscus … just to name a few.

This year, the Aibonto Flower Festival (Festival de Flores de Aibonito) will be held this year from June 26 through July 5, 2009.

If you happen to be on the island during that time, make a day of it and take a drive to Aibonito. Most of the music and "official" activities occur in the Festival Area, behind the Colliseo los Polluelos de Aibonito, but all along the roads leading to the park there will be small vendors set up selling everything from plants to perfume, flowers to food.

Just keep in mind, if you’re in Puerto Rico on vacation from the States, the USDA does conduct mandatory luggage inspection at the airport. So if you plan on buying plants to take back the the States, you might want to review the USDA Preflight Inspection Notice: For Travelers From Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. Mainland (PDF file) regarding what plants you are allowed to take home with you.

Entertainment for the Whole Family

In addition to plant sales and displays, there will be live entertainment for the entire family. Though they don’t post an entertainment schedule with showtimes, they do give the days different performers will be there. Most performances start in the afternoon.

• June 26: Orquesta son Caribeño | Abraham
• June 27: Grupo Renacer Borincano | Show de Elvis Crespo
• June 28: Trio los Rosarios | Grupo Armoní Cultural & Show de Trovadores | Show de Manny Manuel
• June 29: Gilberto y su Sonida
• June 30: Grupo Renacer Borincano
• July 1: Conjunto Variedad | Grupo Peor es Na
• July 2: Trio Voces del Centro | Mickey Cora & La Orquesta Cábala
• July 3 (morning - for kids): Show de Remi | Barney, Dora, Elmo, Sponge Bob, Diego and more
• July 3 (afternoon): Conjunto Variedad | Juan Castillo y su perico Ripiao,/li>
• July 4: Grupo son Caribeño | Flor de Tabaco | Millie Quezada y su Orquesta
• July 5: Trío ls Jilguero | Grupo ls Zonic | Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz

Entrance fee to the festival is $6 per person. Parking is free

In 2009, the festival starts on June 26 and ends on July 5

Including driving time from San Juan, plan on spending most of a day.

From San Juan, take Route 52 South to exit 39 (it’s the second exit for the town of Cayey). Turn left onto Route 1 south. Follow Route 1, past Route 206, until you get to Route 7722. Turn right onto Route 7722. Follow Route 7722 until you get to Route 722. Turn right onto Route 722. The festival is on 722, on your right at KM 6.7.

The drive from San Juan will take about 2 hours

You can locate the Aibonito Flower Festival on our Interactive Island Map

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2009 Aibonito Flower Festival

For reasons that I can’t figure out, of the trails right along Road 191 in El Yunque National Forest, La Coca Trail is seemingly unknown. It is as if someone found out how beautiful it is and decided to keep it a secret! But if you invest some time and effort in hiking this trail, you will be handsomely rewarded with rivers, waterfalls and swimming pools galore!

Not for the Faint of Heart

I will say this right off the bat — this trail is not well-maintained and it is a bit difficult, so it is NOT for the average El Yunque visitor. But if you are a hiker, or someone who is prepared for this experience, and have a sense of adventure, this is a not-to-be-missed trail.

La Coca Trail is just past La Coca Falls as you are driving up Road 191. The trail head is located at about KM 8.6 on the left (eastern) side of the road. There is a small parking lot there and a trail map.

Note — There is a trail map at the trail head. STUDY it. La Coca Trail is not on the trail map you get from the ranger’s station and the trail itself is not well-marked. We took a picture of the trail map with our digital camera so we could refer to it during the hike when we had to make a decision. But here is a tip — when you get to a river, cross it and the trail continues on the other side (this is not real obvious when you are there). There is an end-of-trail marker at the third (and final) river. Click the map to the left for a bigger map in a new window.

About the Trail

This trail starts at an elevation of 1476 feet and descends to 820 feet. It is an in and out. The length of the trail is 1.6 to 1.8 miles (depending on what source you’re reading) each way.

When you take a look at these numbers you’ll quickly realize that this is a downhill trail on the way in. Which means is an uphill trail on the way out — after your hot and tired. The last 0.4 KM almost killed me!

Our Recent Trek on La Coca Trail

We started out at about 1pm on a Saturday. I was actually surprised to see another car in the parking lot, as this trail is hardly ever used. We had "done" this trail a few years ago, but at that time, it was only open up to the first river crossing. Now the whole trail is open. I am glad we went again and got to do the whole thing. It is really a pretty trail.

This trail is rated as "difficult" — and I would agree with that. The first ½ mile down is slippery rock. Then a river crossing. The next ½ mile is downhill in slippery mud to another river crossing. The last part is mixed mud and rocks, until you get to the end at a third river. For the river crossings you have to either go across on slippery river rock or through the water. The water is only ankle- knee deep at the crossing points. When you finish these challenges, you turn around and do them again, but this time going up the mountain!

But don’t think I am complaining — this trail is beautiful! It is probably the most "jungle-like" of all of the trails I have seen in El Yunque. We saw large areas of wild heliconias, wild gingers, bananas, and huge philodendrons. The river crossings are great — beautiful river pools to play in and waterfalls to enjoy. And I heard and saw more birds and different plant life than I have seen on most trails in the rain forest. And the sound of the river along various parts of the trail, with distant views of waterfalls … It was just a stunning trail in all aspects! Well worth the time and effort.

We took our time and explored and played in each of the rivers. It took us about 4 hours from start to finish. Hiking the trail in and out takes a minimum of 3 hours for the physically fit, but plan on more time so you can play (and cool off) in the rivers. I mentioned earlier that the trail is not maintained very well — there were times it looked more like a riverbed then a trail. Sometimes it was a little difficult to decide which way to go. But we managed fine.

For someone who wants to do a shorter walk, but still enjoy a quiet trail to the river and waterfall, you can just go to the first river (it is about ½ mile each way). When you get to the first river crossing, head up stream to get to the waterfall. This is still a difficult hike, but worth it as you will probably have it all to yourself.

Going Off-Trail

I agree with all of these points, so I would NEVER suggest anyone go off the trail … but we did. At around half way through, you will hear and catch glimpses of waterfalls in the distance, off the trail. We made our way carefully down and were rewarded with some great waterfalls with natural pools for swimming.

Tips, Notes & Other Important Things

• Bring water — lots! I’d suggest at least 1 liter/person. We only had ½ liter for each of us, and it was not enough.
• You need to wear at least sneakers with good traction or hiking shoes for this trail — no flip flops!
• If you have long hiking pants and a long sleeve shirt, wear them. The trail is not maintained very well, you will be muddy and brushing against plant life. I did notice some Stinging Nettle along this trail (Ortiga Brava and Urera braccifera).



• Be careful of what trees you grab for support — some have thorns!
• Bring water shoes if you want to play in the rivers (or be prepared to get your hiking shoes wet), because the underwater rocks are sharp.
• Bring a swim suit — either change at the rivers or wear it underneath (but that would be really HOT!). I didn’t bring mine, as I am not usually a river swimmer, but it was hot and the trail is very private, so I went in au natural. The water is VERY cold (about 60 degrees!) but refreshing.
• The gates across Road 191 close at 6pm, so make sure you leave enough time to get back to your car before 5:45pm to get out of the forest before the gates are locked.

Like the rest of El Yunque National Forest, there is no charge to hike on this trail.

Open daily 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Ranger stations are open 9-5. The gates close at 6pm.

Remember to pack out all of your trash!

Allow 3–4 hours total.

Drive up Road 191 on the north side of El Yunque until you pass La Coca Falls just the right of the road. Continue driving and start looking at kilometer markers. The trail head is on the left hand side around KM 8.6. There’s a small parking lot at the trail head. The trail head is marked with a sign.

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Hike to Jungle Rivers & Waterfalls on La Coca Trail

Anyone who visits Puerto Rico can’t help but notice that we have a stray dog problem. These strays, which are usually mixed breed dogs, are locally called satos (that’s local slang for "street dogs"). These scared, lonely, hungry and sometimes injured animals are everywhere around the island.

The stray problem is due to lack of education and affordable spay/neuter programs, along with inadequate animal control and animal shelters. So the animals are left to fend for themselves along streets and at beaches, where they multiply rapidly. Many get hit by cars or die of hunger. It is a heart-breaking situation.

But officials in Puerto Rico are finally seeing the light — there are now stronger laws against animal abuse, and new animal control units & shelters are being set up. Education about animal population control and low cost neutering are in the works. Hopefully these measures will help.

The Animals Need Your Help Now!

But the animals need help now. Currently, there are a number of wonderful, non-profit organizations on the island that help the animals. All Satos Rescue, Manos por Patas, Save a Sato, Four Paws at a Time and Amigos de los Animales are just some of them. They rescue dogs from beaches, streets, or anywhere across the island of Puerto Rico. They give the dogs immediate food, veterinary care, shelter and lots of love. With the help of volunteers, these dogs are rehabilitated, sometimes at the facility, sometimes in foster homes. When the dogs are healthy and ready, they are sent to partner shelters in the continental US, where they get adopted into loving homes.

It is a wonderful program, but it has one major obstacle. Since 9/11, Federal law does not permit animals to travel on commercial flights without having a corresponding ticketed human passenger as an escort.

So sending the dogs is not simple any more — they need traveler’s help. The dogs have to travel on someone’s ticket as additional luggage.

Do you think that, maybe, you can help out and be that someone?

How Can I Be An Escort?

These organizations have made the process of being a dog escort very easy. There is no additional cost to you as the escort and it requires very little time or effort on your part. The organizations are 100% responsible for the dogs at all times — making sure they have all the necessary shots and paperwork, getting them to the airport, taking them through all the various inspections and taking care of them if the flights are delayed or canceled. The only thing you, as an escort, have to do is meet the representative of the rescue organization at the airport and present yourself to a ticket agent to confirm that you are actually going to be a passenger on the flight and that you are OK with the dogs being on your ticket.

What Airlines? What Cities?

The organizations only use American Airlines to ship the dogs. Any AA-ticketed passenger over the age of 18 can be a dog escort. And each passenger can accompany more than one dog. Though these groups have sent the dogs all over the US, they usually need escorts on flights out of SJU that are going to the cities of Chicago, Hartford, Boston, Baltimore, Washington DC, Fort Lauderdale, Newark, Miami and Orlando. They need direct flights, but they may be able to work something out with any travel plan. So no matter where you are headed to on American Airlines, please contact them and see if you can help.

OK. So What Do I Need To Do?

You need to contact one of the rescue organizations here on the island and let them know your itinerary as soon as you have finalized your travel plans. You’re best off contacting them a few weeks prior to your travel dates. These groups all try to work together, so even if you contact one organization, they will share your info with the other groups on the island to see whose needs you can fill. They will each contact their shelter partners in the States to see if they can accept dogs on the day you’re traveling. Many times, they might not know if one of the partner shelters can accept dogs until about one week before the flight date. So be patient — they are working busily to match you with dogs in need!

If your itinerary matches a dog’s travel needs, someone will contact you to confirm. Since the dogs are added as checked baggage, it is good to let the rescue organization know how many bags you will be checking. Luckily, they can send up to seven crates per plane. And many times, more than one dog can go in each crate. Twig, from All Satos Rescue, tells me that it is possible to get up 20 dogs/puppies up to the states on one escort’s ticket. That one person can really make a big difference.

Is That All I Have to Do?

Yup. That’s really the extent of your involvement. You contact the rescue organization to give them your travel and contact info. If they determine they have dogs to send to your destination, you’ll meet them at the SJU airport on your departure date and say YES to the airline ticketing agent. That is it!

Upon your arrival to the destination city, you are free to get your own bags and leave. People from the receiving shelters will meet the flights at the other end and pick up the dogs. However, can you really resist stopping over to the crates to see "your" satos? It is really heart warming and rewarding to get their joyous thank you licks (from the dogs … not the people from the shelter!) and see their happy tails wagging, and knowing that you have been the person who helped get them a second chance at great a life.

I’m Gonna Do This! Who Do I Contact?

Contact any of the people in this list with your travel plans and email address.

• Twig at All Satos Rescue
• Ginny at Manos por Patas
• Donna at Save a Sato
• Keishya at Four Paws at a Time

I’m Not Flying on American Airlines. Is there Any Way I can Help out?

It costs $150 per crate to ship these dogs, which the rescue organization pays. If you would like to donate money to help defray these costs, I am sure any of the above rescue volunteers would be happy to help make that happen!

Thanks!

Many thanks to all traveler escorts who care enough to help, and all the wonderful people doing this rescue work. Special thanks go out to Twig at All Satos Rescue for her help with the details for this article and Ginny at Manos por Patas for some of the photos.

Save a Sato has a great website with all this information.

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Flying Out of PR on AA? Be a Sato Escort & Help a Dog in Need

Andrew Zimmern and the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods crew was in Puerto Rico recently to film an episode that will be airing on Tuesday, June 9, 2009.

On this episode, Andrew takes a tour of Puerto Rico where the flavors of the food tell the history of the island. From the deep-fried treats brought in by Africans, to the roasted pork made popular by the Spanish, Andrew tries a variety of traditional foods.

Andrew’s culinary tour kicks off with stops not usually seen by the average tourist. First is a local bakery in San Juan where he tries Mallorcas (a Spanish pastry) and Cocas (similar to pizza, but with vegetables and sardines). Next, he visits Plaza del Mercado de Rio Piedras to find some unique local products including: Algarobba, Mavi (a drink made from sugar and tree bark), Corazon, and Caimitos (a star shaped pulpy fruit).

What would a trip to Puerto Rico be without pork? On Sundays, Puerto Rican families like to pile into the car and take a trip up into the mountains to the town of Guavate, where they pig out on roasted pork. There are a dozen of lechonaras that serve pork along the so called "Pork Highway", but the original is El Rancho Original. In Andrew’s own words, "That little bite that I had there is the best pork I’ve ever eaten in my life!".

Where Did Andrew Eat in Puerto Rico?

• the kiosks in Piñones
• La Bombanera on Calle San Francisco in Old San Juan
• Plaza del Mercado on Calle de Diego in Rio Piedras
• El Rancho Original in Guavate
• the Ice Cream Parlor on the town square in Lares
• El Nuevo Guayabo in Arecibo
• Pikayo Restaurant on de Diego Avenue in San Juan
• a private family residence for a real home-cooked meal
• He also took a Segway Tour in Old San Juan and took a tour in the Toro Negro Forest

So remember to tune in to the Travel Channel at 10pm eastern/pacific on Tuesday, June 9 and have a pen and paper ready to jot down some notes to help you find your own bizarre food during your visit to the island!

A special Thank You goes out to the Travel Channel’s online community team for contacting us and providing us with the episode description and trailer for use in this post.

You can locate the lechonaras in Guavate on our Interactive Island Map

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Watch Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern in Puerto Rico

One of my favorite things about going on vacation is the opportunity to try food that is different than I can get at home. Tropical fruit has become somewhat of a passion of mine, and it’s always something I seek out whenever we travel. Luckily for me, we can grow a bunch of different types of tropical fruit right in Puerto Rico.

Where Can I Get Some of this Fruit to Try?

You can find many of these fruits at street side fruit vendors or local markets. Also almost every town will have a “mercado” that should have fruit stands. The Mercado in Rio Piedras is especially fruitful! There is a nice fruit stand called Fruitlandia la Montaña on Route 3, very close to the El Yunque and the Rio Mar resort, that has a variety of fruits. Stop in a check it out if you get a chance. Even if you don’t want to try the fruit, these fruit stands make beautiful pictures! You may even find some tropical fruit at the supermarkets, but you need to watch for freshness and ripeness. I have found Amigo supermarkets sometimes carry some of these tropical fruits. One thing to note about tropical fruit is that it is usually soft and mushy — you eat a lot of them with a spoon, unlike apples, peaches or pears which you can just hold in your hand and eat.

But I Don’t Speak Spanish

If you stop at a local stand and they don’t speak English, here are a few words & phrases that will help with your fruit purchase

• ¿Es maduro? = Is it ripe?
• ¿Para hoy? = For today? (as in Can I eat this today, or should I wait?)
• ¿Para mañana? = For tomorrow?
• dulce = sweet
• agridulce = sweet & sour
• agrio = sour

What Kinds of Fruit Can I Expect to Find in Puerto Rico?

Here is a sampling of the fruits you’ll be able to find at Coqui’s Hideaway (in season) and across the island

• Banana (guineo in Spanish) — There are lots of different types of bananas, some taste like your standard supermarket bananas that you’re used to from home, while others taste very different. Cavendish bananas are your standard bananas that have the typical banana flavor. Niño bananas are tiny and sweet. Manzana bananas are medium-sized and taste like apples when they’re fully ripe. But a fresh banana picked ripe from the stalk tastes SO much better than those from the supermarket, which are picked green and have to ripen off the stalk.
• Papaya (papaya) — There are also different variates of papaya. I like the ones that are darker orange inside (not yellow inside). A nice ripe orange papaya is sweet. They should be golden yellow outside when ripe and give slightly when pressed. Papayas have many round, black seeds inside that are easily scooped out. A papaya will ripen off the stalk if it’s not fully ripe when you buy it at the store.



• Mango (mango) — There are many different types of mangos, and they come in all colors and sizes too. The color when ripe depends on the variety, but when they’re ripe, they will all give slightly when pressed. A good, ripe mango is sweet. The better varieties are fiberless. Mangos have one large pit inside.
• Citrus — You’ll be able to find all different kinds of "normal" fresh citrus fruit, depending on the time of year: grapefruit (toronjas), oranges (chinas), limes (limas), clementines (mandarins), lemons (limóns), etc. There are all sorts of varieties. Fresh from the tree — yum!
• Chironja — This unusual citrus is a natural cross between an orange (china) and a grapefruit (toronja). That’s where it gets it’s name — chi-ronja. It is very juicy and tastes like a cross between a not-tart grapefruit and a not-sweet orange. They are very good!
• Coconut (coco) — You can usually find coconuts being sold roadside as coco frio (chilled green coconut), with the top cut off and a straw stuck into it so you can drink the juice. Be forewarned — it does not taste like coconut. Try it, it is an acquired taste (personally I don’t like it!). If the fruit is allowed to ripen, the husk gets hard and brown, and it’s very difficult to open. If you buy one of those, ask if the vendor will open it for you! Ripe coconut meat tastes just coconuty, but don’t expect it to taste like the sweeten shredded stuff you buy in the bag!
• Soursop (guaynabana) — This is an odd-looking fruit (one the bottom left of the first picture above). Kinda heart-shaped with soft spikes all over the outside. It should be dark green when ripe and give slightly when pressed. The flavor is sweet with a slightly sour taste. The fruit sometimes has a grainy texture. There are many brown seeds distributed throughout the fruit.



• Pineapple (piña) — There are many varieties of pineapples. They are ripe when yellowish and give just slightly when pressed. Ripe pineapples are sweet. See if you can find small varieties — those are especially sweet and, depending on the variety, may not have a core (meaning you can just slice it and eat it).
• Star Apple (caimito) — I have the green variety, but there is also a purple variety. They should give slightly when ripe. Serve them chilled. To eat them, cut them open quickly and scoop out the insides. The skin contains latex that will make your lips sticky! You’ll find a few black seeds inside.



• Avocado (aguacate) — There are many different varieties of avocados, and they can be found year-round here, but most locally grown ones are available only late summer or early fall (though I have a neighbor that has a delicious winter variety — he has a roadside stand when they are in season). Ripe avocados will give slightly when pressed. They have one large brown seed inside.
• Star Fruit (carambola) — These are golden yellow when ripe. They are juicy and slightly sweet. They have a few yellow seeds inside. You can eat the skin. Cut on the horizontal (to show the star shape), they a make the nice decoration in salads. Fresh ones off the tree are way better than the small dry ones I remember getting in the supermarkets up in the States.

Other fruit to keep an eye out for include passion fruit (parcha), guava (guayaba), tamarind (tamarindo) — both the sour & sweet varieties, corazon, mamey zapote, canistel, nispero, and acerola.

Where else can I try these fruits?

Like I mentioned earlier, I have become somewhat of a tropical fruit nut. After buying our vacation rental property — Coqui’s Hideaway in Rio Grande — I started planting a number of different types of fruit trees and plants. Our guests get a fruit bowl filled with fresh fruit from our property and they can pick their own from the trees. I am more than happy to tour the property with our guests, showing them the odd and wonderful world of tropical fruits.

So go ahead, try some new and unusual tropical fruit!

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Sample the Tropical Fruit Available in Puerto Rico

The Luquillo kiosks (or kioskos) are a much loved part of Puerto Rico. This long row of humble (think almost ramshackle) buildings are right on Route 3 along the beach in Luquillo. But don’t let their appearance discourage you — stop in and you will be in for an experience that is uniquely Puerto Rican.

Something for Everyone

The Luquillo kiosks are 60 different places, each of them are numbered and many of them are named. A few sell souvenirs and some are vacant. But most of these kiosks sell food and drinks. Some of these places have been run by the same family for over 20 years, while others are brand new and recently opened. It is hard to say which ones are the best — it all depends on what you feel like eating! But most people will eventually have a favorite — just ask a local and you’ll find out for yourself!

One really cool thing about the kiosks is that they are fun and casual, with open air dining. One side of the restaurants opens to the parking lot and Route 3, the other opens toward the beach. Some have a beach view, while others do not. One place even made a rooftop seating area!

You can stop by for a simple snack or just an ice-cold beer, or take some time and enjoy a "real" nice, sit-down meal. Or just bar hop and skip the food, if you can resist! A number of places will have live music in the evenings (especially on weekend nights). There are even a few with pool tables. Stop in and enjoy, but don’t bother to get dressed up — come as you are and relax.

Rice & Beans, Italian, Mexican, Peruvian … Oh My!

The 60 kiosks (actually, there are a few less) are very different and range in style, taste and price. You can get humble local fried goodies like bacalaítos, alcapurrias, pastelillos/empanadillas or even rice & beans, and a cold beer, for just a few bucks. You can also get much more unusual things like gourmet hamburgers, local/Caribbean fusion, Thai, Italian, Mexican and even Peruvian food. This mixing of the new cuisine and the classic Puerto Rican food kiosk now offers something for everyone. The places without liquor licenses even allow you to BYOB or, if you want, just stop into one place to pick up an alcoholic beverage to go with your meal at another place.

Kiosks Serving Classic Puerto Rican Dishes

• #1 – Parada de Viajero
• #8 – de Sylvia
• #13 – Pal Bembe
• #20 – Lighthouse
• #34 – El Tainito
• #52 – Mi Favorito

Newer Kiosks Serving Different Fare

• #2 – La Parilla – 787.889-0590 – Puerto Rican / Caribbean fusion
• #9 – Congas by the Sea – 787-889-1562 – nouville Puerto Rican cuisine
• #12 – El Jefe Burger – gourmet burgers
• #25 – Cliffords – Thai cuisine
• #29 – Osso Buco – Italian cuisine
• #30 – Chaparritas – Mexican cuisone
• #35 – Capone’s – pizza & calzones
• #38 – Ceviche Hut – 787-531-8686 – Peruvian cuisine

Each kiosk has different hours — some are open 7 days/week, others are not. Some are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Some are open for lunch during the week, but not nearly all of them. Generally, the kiosks are open Monday to Thursday from about 11am or noon until about 9pm or 10pm. Most are open later on weekends, which is also when you can expect more places to be open.

Stop by and check it out! Pick a favorite! And, until you find a favorite, feel free to kiosk-hop and sample a little from everyone! Just remember, the kiosks are popular with tourists and locals, so if you want the best seats, get there early! And on weekend nights, it is a very busy place to hang out and enjoy.

The kiosks are located on the north (ocean) side of Route 3 in Luquillo, right next to Balneario Monserrate. They’re about 5 minutes east of the "main" entrance (Route 191) to El Yunque National Forest.

You can locate the Luquillo kiosks on our Interactive Island Map.

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Taste Puerto Rico at the Luquillo Kiosks