PUERTO RICO’S LAND OF THE RAIN FOREST COQUI AND THE “FLAMING JUNE”by Autumn Rhea
Puerto Rico offers the traveler a variety of culinary choices, to pacify hungers and ensure true fulfillment. At Café Concierto, the owner, Carli, hypnotizes you with his jazz piano playing and convinces you to try the quesadillas and organic green salads.
Tranquility can be found lurking in many places on this island. The rain forest in the Luquillo Mountains, is home to the two-note chanting frog, known as the “Coqui.” He chats with endangered Puerto Rican parrot and other tropical birds heard squawking in the trees. The serenity is enveloping and shows the forest’s integral role in the planet.
San Juan beaches offer various forms of relaxation, seclusion and an escape from the summer heat. The beach in Isla Verde, skirts the Atlantic ocean and boasts a long stretch of sand and palm trees. The smaller Condado Beach, offers families a romping area among its natural rock barrier. Kayaks may be rented for a sail on the Condado
Enlightenment can only be found from within, but Puerto Rican museums and musical festivals can aid in the search. The Festival Casals de Puerto Rico where internationally renowned artists and orchestras collaborate in musical performances is a time to celebrate Pablo Casals’ life. He brought the world of classical music to many Puerto Rican children. The event brings out many well-dressed natives This year’s program included a mixture of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Haydn.
An addition to the cultural art scene, The Museum (Museo) of Art of Puerto Rico, opened this summer to the public. The facility will host theatrical events, a five-acre garden, featuring 106,000 Puerto Rican plants, a comprehensive educational program and a meeting place for the general community. The museo contains over five hundred years of Puerto Rican artistic productions. The Museo de Nuestra Raiz Africana is another cultural avenue, which educated visitors on the African influences on Puerto Rico. Valuable slave historical information, musical instruments, eating utensils, maps and sculptures have been restored to exhibit Africa’s involvement with the Puerto Rican culture. Currently the population is divided into a mixture of African, Spanish-Nicuraguan, American and Indian.
Maybe spirituality is the answer to completeness. The Church de Juan Baptista’s doors are open for prayer daily. For a simple quarter, visitors can experience a truly millennium religious experience. Place the coin in the allotted slot at the electric candle prayer table, a light is produced and prayers are answered. Despite this modern amenity, the church fashions century-old frescos and catholic sculptures, as well as the revered Puerto Rican code of arms. When it’s time to return to the world of obligations and responsibilities, just close your eyes and think about those Puerto Rican beaches, sumptuous mufango, the chantings of the coqui and the prayer you made at the electrified candle. And maybe it will all come true. Contact information:Puerto Rican Tourism Company – (787) 721-2400 www.prtourism.com Café Concierto – (787) 725-4927 (PH) carli@caribe.net Pamela’s - (787) 726-5010 Amadeus Café – (787) 722-8635 (PH) amadeuscafe@worldnet/att.net Ajili-Mojili – (787) 725-9195 www.icepr.com/ajilli-mojili Caribbean National Forest – (787) 888-1880 The Golden Door Spa – (787) 863-1000 x 7300 or (800) 468-8365 Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel and Casino - (787) 721-5100 www.wyndham.com Wyndham El San Juan Hotel and Casino - (787) 791-1000 Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Country Club – (787) 863-1000 Festival Casals – Art and Music Corporation - Apt. # 41227, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00940-1227 The Ponce Museum of Art – (787) 848-0505 map@carib.net www.museoartponce.org The Museum (Museo) of Art of Puerto Rico – (787) 722-2525 x 6097 www.mapr.org The Museo de Nuestra Raiz Africana – (787) 724-0700 x 4239 The Castillo de San Cristobal – (787) 729-6777 www.nps.gov/saju Images by: Autumn Rhea c - Autumn Rhea - 2000 -Updated 8-21-00- |
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Escapism. It’s what we’re all seeking. A secret answer that will erase all of the headaches, unhappiness, unfulfilled moments that the television, microwaved popcorn and Blockbuster stores have been unable to fill. As children, we quickly found the solution in our treehouses, invisible friends and finely crafted hopscotch games. But as adults, our imaginations have blurred and it takes more to appease our escapism lust. We’ve tried a stint in Yoga, breathing techniques when in “road rage” traffic and the occasional bad Jim Carrey movie to attain that elusive peace we all desire. I’ve found a place that could be your new secret place. I’m not promising pure Nirvana bliss, but at least a week of escape. It’s called Puerto Rico.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, is known for its island flair, with Western undertones. Locals are open to tourists and welcome them to enjoy their traditions and history. It offers fulfillment, tranquility and enlightenment to those seeking escape from their daily grind.
Pamela’s provides an ocean view with Caribbean cuisine, ranging from portabella salads to seared cornish hen. An open view of the ocean lulls you into your own world. Amadeus Café restaurant shares an airy patio with enchanting paintings and foods including fresh salmon, baked chicken stuffed with escargot and guava and mango mousse. Ajili-Mojili offers an authentic Puerto Rican dining experience, where the waiters sport traditional hats (Puerto Rico’s version of a cowboy hat.) and there’s a dull roar at the tables. The chefs’ specialty is the mofongo, a traditional meal, made with plaintains and choices of shrimp, lobster and carne frita. Plantains are found in most Puerto Rican dishes, in various forms.
Tranquility is the height of escape for many people and a state of unadulterated peace.
If nature doesn’t entice you, a day visit to the Golden Door Spa at Las Casitas Village at Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Country Club could be your ticket to tranquility. At this luxurious island, guests overlook the Caribbean Sea and are treated to a Zen-like sanctuary. Various massage therapies, body treatments and fitness services are available to rejuvenate the spirit.
For indoor pampering, various San Juan hotels and resorts cater to individual desires. The Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel and Casino is located across from the cruise ship piers on the waterfront of historic Old San Juan. It features luxurious suites, elegant guest rooms, and a 10,0000 square-foot casino. The Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Country Club offers a majestic setting at the point where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean meet. It combines four resort environments, with their own personalities.
The Ponce Museum of Art, shares the world of European painting and sculpture as well as Puerto Rican, Mexican, Columbian and other Latin American Art. School children are seen romping the marbled staircase, absorbing the culture. The Flaming June, painted by Lord Frederick Leighton, exudes the museum’s spirit. Her flowing gown and glowing hair play a trick of serenity and intensity.
To be educationally enlightened a tour of The Castillo de San Cristobal (Fort of San Cristobal) is mandatory. The wall was first installed to protect the city from island intruders in the 1500’s.Tthe wall and the city of San Juan was later burned and all of the historical information was destroyed with it. Finally, the fort was used during the Spanish American War for protection of the city. Tours are available to reenact the soldier’s experiences during the war, including the dungeon, the bunkers and the secret paths within the fort.