Day One: Paige, LD, and Frankie

We began our first full day in Puerto Rico with breakfast at Manolín, a cafe near our Airbnb in Old San Juan. Some members of our group watched the Baseball World Cup, which has been going on for multiple days now, and is closely watched by many in Puerto Rico and beyond. After breakfast, we ventured to Loíza, a quaint coastal town near San Juan. Here, we took a walk around the coastline and saw the area where Roberto Clemente, a famous Puerto Rican baseball player, died in a plane crash. Clemente is extremely important to the people of Puerto Rico, as he paved the way for future baseball players. His number (21) can be seen on jerseys throughout Puerto Rico meant to commemorate his legacy. 

On the walk, our tour guide explained some of the history of the Taíno people, the indigenous group in Puerto Rico prior to Spanish colonization. He explained the common myth in Puerto Rico that there are two indigenous groups and outlined the creation of said myth by Spanish colonizing forces. Next, we traveled to Cueva María de la Cruz, a cave and surrounding community center. Here, we ventured into the cave and learned that the cave used to be a safe area for formerly enslaved people to practice their religion without persecution. Later, the cave served as a refuge for children from hurricanes. The children were brought there to escape danger by María de la Cruz, who the cave was later named for. 

Then, we headed to the center of Loíza. We learned that the standard design for all Puerto Rican towns is to have a Church facing a community plaza. On the other side of the plaza is the mayor’s office. The plaza usually consists of trees, benches, plants, and a small stage. We visited the Church of St. Patrick which is the only church in the world representing St. Patrick as a black man.  

After, we walked a short distance to a small museum near the Río Grande de Loíza. The owner, a woman who belonged to a family that facilitated travel across the river for decades, explained some of the cultural symbols frequently seen in Puerto Rico. Specifically, she explained the significance of the vejigante masks, which were worn by formerly enslaved peoples to scare European colonizers away from the section of the island to which they had escaped. This part of the trip helped me (Paige)  gather important information for my project, as it outlines part of the colonial history of Puerto Rico. Such history and its odious legacy is part of the justification for Puerto Rican independence. 

After returning to the community center from the museum and church we found two different classes happening. Back in the cave there was a drum lesson going on. The instructor would have everyone sit in a circle and then copy his rhythm, and once everyone got it he would start to change the beat to make it more complicated. The second class going on at the community center was a dance class. Both the drum and dance class were both in a bomba style. The women dancing had long flowy skirts that they would move around with their hands. Watching these classes related to my (Frankie) research project as it showed how important music is to Puerto Ricans. Bomba is a traditional music style in Puerto Rico, and seeing these classes showed how even though the style is not very modern it is still very much so alive in Puerto Rican culture.

(LD)

A few things related to my topic I noticed throughout the day are the multiple different designs of windows on commercial and residential buildings. One that is very common looks like horizontal metal blinds instead of traditional glass windows. At the community center, Jorgé, our guide, told me they have multiple purposes. First, they are more resilient than glass windows to the debris and strong winds during hurricanes. Second, they function as blinds to prevent the sun rays from heating the inside of the building too much during the day. This way, less energy is used for AC. Finally, they are located on opposite walls so that it is easier to draft the buildings. Especially since most buildings are made out of concrete which is too good of an insulator for the heat here, this passive window design is much needed when the sun goes down. 

After empanadas for lunch at the community center, we took a longer drive to Caguas to visit the museums they had there. The museums were set up in such a way where there are smaller exhibits on specific aspects of Puerto Rican history all in walking distance of each other. We saw exhibits about tobacco, art, and Spanish colonization. Each small museum had an expert working there that explained to us the significance of everything there. After finishing at the museums we had some free time in the Caguas town square where we got to shop for souvenirs, eat ice cream, and hang out with miniature goats and chickens.

Dinner at Cueva del Mar was amazing. We tried different local meals including the fish and shrimp tacos for which Cueva del Mar is famous for. Other food on the table included mofongos rellenos (a mix of plantain puree, spices, and meat) and pork chunks. Again, the baseball world cup was presented on multiple screens while we were there. Finally, we came back to the Airbnb in Old San Juan, about a 35 minute drive. We are all very tired after this long day. We are getting some rest for another great day tomorrow.