The Many Colors of Puerto Rico

I knew Puerto Rico would be beautiful. I’ve seen the beaches. I’ve observed the Puerto Rican Day parades. I even love Rosie Perez and Ricky Martin. But my visit to Puerto Rico is more than pop culture stereotypes and cruise ship destinations. I wanted to see the “REAL” Puerto Rico. The one that we won’t find in the tourist brochures.

I started off in San Juan with a little yoga on the beach.

San Juan is modern, gorgeous and very easy for most tourists. After getting my fill of the big city, I ventured 20 minutes out to Loiza. Known for it’s traditional “Bomba” dance, Loiza is also home to the largest number of Puerto Ricans descending from West Africa.

Loiza is vastly different than San Juan offering very little for tourists. I had to search high and low for signs of “Afro” Puerto Rican culture.

And then I found Samuel Lind.

Samuel Lind is an international famed Puerto-Rican artist with a focus on capturing elements of Africa in Puerto-Rican culture. He connects femininity, nature, self expression and history through a vivid collection of sculptures, paintings, posters and mixed media.

 

My favorite piece of work was his amazing “Osain”. The sculpture reflects an African man emerging from a mangrove with leaves as fingers and tree bark embedded into his skin. “Osain” is the visual manifestation of an ancient legend of Africans transforming themselves into mangroves to escape Spanish captivity. Lind’s piece is on display at the Caguas Botanical Gardens in Puerto Rico.

 

After enjoying an exclusive preview of his latest artwork, I purchased a print and headed to El Sazon de Sylvia for some local cuisine.

The standard Puerto Rican fare is fried patties or mofongo. I was relieved to eat something unheard of. I tried a catfish stew-soup in palm oil with beans and squash. The catfish was flavorful and slightly boney. The beans were delicious and offered a great deviation from the fried food found throughout most of the food shops.

After Loiza, I headed to the island of Vieques to kayak on the bio-luminescent bay and enjoy locally grow local fruits and vegetables.

 

 

Puerto Rico is a beautiful country with a fascinating history. The uncommon blend of U.S. mainland comfort with Caribbean style flare makes for an easy getaway from the of cold November. It is easy to get stuck in the tourist trap. But just a short drive in any direction will lead you to a new discovery into the many colors of Puerto Rico.

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