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We quit our jobs a few weeks ago in Austin, Texas to seek adventure, new experiences, and travel for a year!
From Austin to New Orleans and then to Florida to visit family and friends, we’ve now landed in Puerto Rico and will be here for most of the summer.
Puerto Rico – Borikén : La Isla del Encanto
Puerto Rico is an island located in the Caribbean. You can say Puerto Rico and it will instantly make you think of any number of things and people: mofongo, lechón, Hector Lavoe, Marc Anthony, salsa dancing, baseball, el coqui. A vibrant island full of the best beaches, amazing tropical fruits, delicious food, and people with the biggest hearts. Things are getting a little more back to “normal” these days, but pre-COVID, there was always a festival going on to celebrate something – flowers, oranges, kites, hammocks (!!), holidays, you name it! With all of its life, music, laughter, food, and nature, it is no wonder that Puerto Rico is called “La Isla del Encanto,” or “the island of enchantment.” Puerto Rico is also known as Borikén or Borinquén. Before the Spanish colonized the island, the native Taíno people of Puerto Rico called their island Borikén, meaning “Land of the Valiant Lord.” The native name of the island, Borikén, is also why so many Puerto Ricans call themselves boricuas. Puerto Rico is an island with diverse influences from Taíno, Afro-Caribbean, and Spanish roots.
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If you weren’t already aware, Puerto Rico is not a sovereign country – it is a U.S. territory. This means that while the government is self-ruling, the island is not an independent nation. And as a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but since the island is not considered a state, its people do not have a voting representative in Congress (source). There are political movements and activity advocating for U.S. statehood, for independence, and other political arrangements (read more here). Historically, the U.S. has utilized the island in ways that have benefited its operations and resulted in negative economic and health effects for Puerto Ricans [Jones Act, U.S. Navy usage of Vieques as bomb testing site, unethical clinical trials]. There is a lot more to understand about the long and complex relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S. But despite historical and present challenges, in Puerto Rico, you will find a proud, resilient, and hopeful people.
West Coast – Best Coast?
So now to give you some snippets of what we’ve been up to on the west coast of Puerto Rico!
Rincón & Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | If you’re on the west side of Puerto Rico and looking for good places to snorkel, Rincón and Aguadilla are where it’s at! The fish that hover around the dock at Playa Crash Boat are very social and used to being fed old bread. They have no fear of swimming around you if you have food and are very friendly. But swim out a little farther (or deeper), and you may spot some big fish (one was as big as my entire arms’ length!) or interesting ones like the amazingly fast stonefish on the right (swipe right to the last video).
India Beach was a more secluded beach, but as you can see above, incredibly beautiful. Located north of Playa Crash Boat, it was notably rockier compared to the smooth sandy bottom of Crash Boat, but more rocks meant seeing more fish! It was also half rainy, half sunny the day we went and the colors of the sea and sky were stunning shades of aqua and blue.
Steps Beach also had a rocky sea floor, so we saw some really cool fishes like the bluehead wrasse (picture below), a parrot fish, schools of small fish, and more.
The day that we went to Steps Beach, we stopped on the way home to get lunch at On Fire BBQ. Their chicken and baby-back ribs are the BEST. Fire. Fuegooooo. We highly recommend it!
Baby-back ribs & root vegetables (garlic topped yuca, yam, sweet potato)
Drool-worthy food, fresh fruits, and the prettiest beaches…. In Puerto Rico, the west coast mayyyy be the best coast.. 😉
We hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of our first couple weeks here. Stay tuned for more on Puerto Rico and talk to you soon!
Vida BoriKor 