Day Seven: Julian, Paige, Zuriel

 The day began at 7 am. We grabbed breakfast at the cinematic and pop art-themed hotel located in the plaza of Ponce. The hotel is cinematic/pop art and inspired by past restaurants, theaters, and malls which used to occupy the land before its construction, though all the art portrays United States-born figures such as Marylin Monroe and Frank Sinatra. 

Jayuya is an hour away from Ponce, in the valley of the Tres Picachos mountains. The drive is up a mountain with many curves, although many would be an understatement. Many trees in the forest are broken and bent over and the roads are very narrow, so it became easier to picture the inaccessible supplies and electricity after the hurricane's destruction. In the valley there are many rivers, those bridges happen to be named after Zuriel’s mother's side of the family- Padua. Her great-grandfather and his family had owned most of the land in Jayuya, including a park that is now named after her great-uncle. 

We stopped to drink coffee at the Tres Picachos coffee hacienda. Coffee in the U.S. can only be produced in Puerto Rico. Initially, Coffee was exported and imported from a port in Yemen called Moch. The European economy loved it but coffee could only be grown in certain areas. The Dutch tried to grow coffee in Holland although it was not successful. Later coffee became banned in countries because it promoted political reunions over coffee. The Europeans then brought the first bean of coffee to grow in Indonesia on Java island, Java meaning “give me coffee”. The Dutch decided to donate their coffee plants to the French, who began to grow coffee in their colonies. Out of the five plants they shipped to their colonies only two survived. The coffee that we know today in America came from these two plants. From Guadalupe to Haiti, it arrived in Cuba and then Puerto Rico. Coffee had its boom in the 19th century. From 1867 up to the invasion, coffee drove the economy in Puerto Rico. Jayuya, which was a coffee town, began to grow sugar cane. Although some coffee haciendas are left, the economy must depend on U.S. income and imports to meet agricultural production and product needs. 

Coffee takes 3 years to grow. Thus, after the destruction of the hurricane(s) farms could expect to wait up to three years for ripe coffee beans. The coffee season starts in September and ends in December or January (the sugar cane season starts when coffee ends). First, the coffee is grown, picked, and washed. The first machine peels off the skin. After it is rewashed, the farmers try to remove the gooey substance that surrounds the bean, like the pulp called baba. Then it is put to dry in the sun. A very common place to dry coffee is in plazas, an open space for light. Now some machines dry them. After it is dried, coffee can take a light layer of skin off and put it in sacks. Once the coffee is roasted it is better to drink it after a year. 

This excursion is related to my (Paige’s) topic, as I am exploring the potential political and economic structures of Puerto Rico should the island become independent. Following independence, the island would likely become more dependent on agriculture and tourism (rather than pharmaceuticals) to generate capital and incite GDP growth. Coffee haciendas like Tres Picachos may become more common, as the climate of the island offers ideal conditions to grow this type of plant. Further, Tres Picachos is an ideal model for a coffee hacienda, as it is owned and operated by a family from Puerto Rico. More such facilities would kindle sustainable wealth generation.

Many families grew up in the house and got involved in Puerto Rican politics. It’s considered one of the liberal movements of the siblings. The Canalés family lives in that house. Pedro Campos would come to this house to escape the city and help the politics in Jayuya. The places and fields are also special. The three peaks have significant value to indigenous peoples. It is a sacred place for the Taino people and has become important for Puerto Rican people. After leaving the house, we traveled to a riverside restaurant for lunch. 

After lunch, we took a short drive to an outcropping near a river. Sitting by the river bed, we observed Taino markings, believed to be from the pre-colonial era. After spending some time in this area, we drove to the center of Jayuya. Here, we said goodbye to our tour guide Maylina and viewed the outside of the Taino cultural center, near which were a set of stairs and a mural dedicated to the indigenous populations who lived in Puerto Rico before colonization. 

We began the drive back to San Juan after saying goodbye to Maylina. We were in the car for about two hours. Much of the trip was spent on the mountain roads, from which one can view surrounding municipalities. Once we arrived in San Juan, we said goodbye to Jorge, the tour guide who was with us throughout the trip and checked into the airport hotel. Here, we ate dinner at the hotel and reflected on our shared experiences. 

Additional information learned on the tour: 

Jayuya Flag

The Jayuya flag has three colors: green, white, and red. The colors represent the color of coffee and the mountains by which it is surrounded. 

The Revolution

The revolution of 1950 was a group of nationalists who fought against Puerto Rico’s colonial status. The revolts did not only occur in Jayuya. The idea was to organize 9 revolutions: San Juan, Ponce, pañuelos, Mayagüez, Naranjito, Jayuya, and Washington D.C. Initially, the plan in Washington DC was to shoot the president. In other municipalities, it was to take over political buildings and raise the flag and declare the republic of Puerto Rico. The idea was to run to Utuado and go into guerrilla warfare. Blanca canal was the leader of Jayuya nacionalidad times. Many nationalists were arrested but it became feared by others.

The Gag Law

The Gag law was created to fight nationalists who were protesting against colonial status. The law was placed to arrest anyone who demonstrated patriotism towards the Puerto Rican flag. The original flag was designed in 1895.

Spanish

Throughout the trip the group came to learn more about the Spanish language including words and phrases used in practice in interactions with others. Shoutout to Chase F., Louis-David P., Mrs. Ducharme, and Mr.Piller for engaging actively with the language. 

Señor Campos

Thank you to Señor Campos for enlightening us on a piece of his culture in only so many days. Thank you for your hospitality, patience, and excitement to be vulnerable and share a part of your life with us.