Farsighted Fly Girl

Puerto Rico is part of the United States of America. The fact that I have to state that is part of the problem and shame, that accompanies this country's history. That's because Puerto Rico is not a state but a territory of the U.S ., which  essentially amounts to being a colony. Chicago's own Boriqua   Congressman Luis Gutierrez , (D-ILL.) has referred to the relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S. as an association with "a distant and inattentive colonial master." I can think of a few other words as U.S. government  response to the devastation of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico lags and American citizens continue to go without water, electricity and food. This goes beyond demolished buildings and ripped infrastructure, 34 people have died and that number is expected to rise if the neglect continues. Dozens of grassroots relief efforts have sprouted to try to address Puerto Rico's relief needs. Here is a list of vetted charity organizations that w...

I'll never get tired of traveling through the Caribbean, especially since Chicago has gifted us with snow in April. Besides the sun, I'm thrilled to be returning to San Juan and St. Croix to explore Caribbean cuisine at two popular food fests. In San Juan, I'll be visiting Saborea , a four-day festival of  the island's culinary standouts as well as music and culture. In St. Croix, I'll be experiencing A Taste of St. Croix , an island wide culinary competition where I'll also serve as a guest judge! In between all the gorging, I'll also stroll the streets of Old San Juan shown above, and Caguas, to witness the distinct criollo  culture. On my beloved St. Croix, pictured below, I'll revisit historic sites like the Whim Estate as well as a few rum distilleries. My San Juan trip is at the invitation of  Puerto  Rico Tourism and St. Croix ,the U.S. Virgin Island Tourism.  Expect lots of tasty posts and pix coming soon!

Sunset is my favorite time of day. I love the drama of the changing sky and the pretty colors that spread across it. Of course, the best sunsets are always over water so I've compiled some of the most memorable sunsets of my island travels. My all time favorite is this stunning sunset over Hilton Head Island, above. The Spanish moss dripping over the water just ups the dazzling effect. This sunset is dipping down over Eleuthera in the photo above. The amber and apricot hues over the water and palm trees create a lovely image. I think this flame-colored sunset over Cozumel is the most striking. It looks like streaks of fire rolling over the water. The fact that I viewed this from a pirate ship seems extremely appropriate. In Fajardo, Puerto Rico, the slip of rosiness behind the palm tree on the right qualifies as the most delicate sunset. Do you have any sunset (or sunrise) memories from your travels?

Visiting Puerto Rico is always exciting but this time we had an unexpected dose of excitement. The day we were scheduled to leave, Hurricane Earl arrived with gusting winds and a vicious downpour.  I've experienced many tornadoes but never a hurricane so I was a little dumbstruck. What exactly do you do during a hurricane? Of course, El Conquistador Resort staff is used to dealing with hurricanes so all the electricity was shut off and guests were advised to stay inside. As the palm trees bowed with the powerful winds and buckets of rain puddled everywhere we stepped,  we stood in a long line to check out. Dozens of panicked travelers were trying to book early flights to escape Earl but we already had our flight and we didn't worry. We flew safely back home and when we arrived, news shows flashed images of El Conquistador, which was located in the heart of the hurricane, as well as mudslides and flooding on the Eastern side of the island.  W...

The original inhabitants of the Caribbean region of North America were the Arawak, Taino and Carib  native peoples.  The Tainos are a subgroup of the Arawaks and are recognized as the founders of the island of Boriken or Puerto Rico.  These were the people who offered a peaceful welcome to Columbus in 1493.  They didn't know the cruelty and violence that would follow his so-called "discovery" of the land that they had cultivated for centuries. Despite official government pronouncements that the Taino have been killed off by the massacres and slavery that followed in Columbus' wake, they live on.  As demonstrated in the photo above by  members of  the Puerto Rico Folklorico Dance & Culture Cultural Cente r, Taino traditions, food and names remain strong. Throughout Puerto Rico, town names like Mayaquez, Utuado and Caquas echo the Taino language as do the musical instrument maracas and hamaca or hammock. Legends of Taino warriors, like Hatuey, who ...

Of all of natures wonders, rain forests remain one of my favorites. I love being surrounded by lush greenery and vivid tropical flowers. It's like wading through the Garden of Eden.  So I was excited to hike though El Yunque rain forest in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. We started at the Yokahu Tower observation deck, climbing about 100 stairs. Looking out over the tower, the views were stunning. A canopy of vibrant plants seemed to cradle the sky. Taking in the mountains, I realized that it wasn't going to be an easy hike. According to Taino legend, the good spirit of Yokahu reined supreme on these mountains, protecting Puerto Rico and its people. I don't know if it was protecting me but lets just say that the 3-hour  hike was very strenuous. Since it's a rain forest, it rained half the time we tread through the trails. I was chilly for awhile and then the sun blazed down and it was hot. We glimpsed chartreuse Puerto Rican parrots and languid streams like the one abov...

Continuing with my bird theme, because you know, frigid January temps and piles of snow just make me think of birds. We observed this crafty critter while we were on vacation in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Notice how he just perches non-chalantly on the creamer's tip. I think he was actually whistling a pretty tune to distract us. Then he takes a quick glance around. Any humans approaching? Perhaps to claim the abandoned cream?  Nope. They're all too busy cramming their faces and soaking up the sun. The coast is clear. Sipping down the cream, he scores!  The bird drained the cup so quick, you would think he was storing it up for his Starbucks habit. Have you observed any funny animal scenes during your travels?

 I'm off to St. Kitts and then Puerto Rico and hopefully, I'll be spying lots of the little creatures above.  St Kitts is filled with vervet or green monkeys, imported from Africa by the French centuries ago.  Today, the monkey population is estimated to be two and half times larger than than human population of St. Kitts and Nevis. I plan to capture some pix of these cute guys as well as kayak, bike and maybe scale Mt. Liamuiga volcano. In Puerto Rico, I'll be spending my family vacation lounging and hiking through El Yunque rain forest on the lovely Boricua island.  Look out for pix and posts in September!