Shades of Puerto Rico

By now you might have read my posts about the ice cream, café and musical acts I came across during my two weeks in Puerto Rico, but lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about that beautiful little island where almost everyone drives SUVs (not so beautiful, but very true). Since it’s beginning to get colder and more drab in both my New Jersey and Chicago-area homes, I decided it was apropos to share some of the especially colorful and inviting photos I took during my time in PR.

Some pictures I took while lounging on the beach in San Juan or strolling through Old San Juan (which reminded me of both Lisbon and Sevilla; see if you think I’m right on that). Others are from a weekend jaunt to Fajardo or the natural wonder, Las Cavernas de Camuy. And the last image is a shot of my aunt and cousin, my beautiful and gracious hosts, and me out to dinner at Parrot Club (delicious, by the way; the mojitos especially) on my last night in Puerto Rico.

–Karina for TKGO

On the Street

And ready with small bills and change

I could sit and watch a good street performer for hours.

What really fascinates me about these all-the-world’s-a-stage artists is how much they vary from city to city and, directly related, how they really reflect and capture something about where they are.

One of my favorite performers was a combination tap dancer, ball-bouncer and juggler in Barcelona. He was always precise and concentrated, and glanced up at the crowd when his routines ended with a sheepish smile. Sadly, I didn’t shoot a video of the performer myself, but I found a video of him and a friend on YouTube (below).

In Puerto Rico, I spent an afternoon walking around Old San Juan and came across this guitarist playing the song “Guantanamera.” Even though the song is technically Cuban, the scene to me was the essence of Old San Juan: relaxed, colorful, sunny and Spanish. The man sitting next to the guitarist is totally unfazed by his performance or the surroundings, such as the hundreds-year-old convent (now hotel) he was sitting facing. This is everyday for him. Not for me!

–Karina for TKGO