FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD.....WE'RE ANXIOUS TO TRY IT!

The food in Puerto Rico is pretty tasty! My parents asked me if it tasted like Mexican food to give them something to compare it to, but honestly, it’s just Puerto Rican! It has its own little category of different types of food, but I would say it’s more Hispanic than it is American. With every meal there was a salad, plantains, and beans. Now beans sounds boring or not very flavorful, but the beans in Puerto Rico were the best I’ve ever had! I kept trying to figure out what they put in the beans to make them taste so wonderful, but I could never figure it out. Rice was very common with a lot of the meals we had. 

Shrimp!

This was some pretty yummy chicken with rice, salad, and plantains.

I ate quite a bit of seafood while I was there. Living in Utah for so long makes me crave fresh seafood so I was happy I was finally able to get my fix while I was there. Grouper and fried red snapper are quite common there, along with some yummy shrimp. A very special dish in Puerto Rico that is well known is called Mofongo. This is a dish that is made primarily of rice and crushed plantains with various seasonings and your choice of meat on top. I tried it several times but the best tasting Mofongo that I had was shrimp Mofongo. Here are some pictures!

This was by far the best Mofongo we had there!

 

Fried Red Snapper!

Grouper with fried sweet plantains and salad!

One thing that I have had on my bucket list is to try shark. I have lived close to the Outer Banks my entire life but I had yet to try it. While on Flamenco beach they had what they called shark bites there! Basically it’s fried shark in smaller pieces. I thought it tasted delicious! I assumed that shark would be quite chewy and kind of hard, but it was very soft!  

The fruits in Puerto Rico were HUGE! Here is a picture of some fresh mangoes that our friend Wilson picked for us right outside the rainforest. I don’t usually enjoy mangoes but these mangoes were large and very sweet. Sadly I didn’t get to try they massive avocados there but maybe next time I go I will be able to!

 They also had very sweet ice cream there, made with coconut juice. Trying all of the different types of juices there became a fun part of dining while I was in Puerto Rico. Here is a picture of me drinking a virgin piña colada!

We went out with a couple of locals we met while there and had some AMAZING BBQ! The restaurant is called Bebo's BBQ and locals stand in line for it each day because it's so good!  I tried Yucca for the first time, which was super yummy! The BBQ just fell off the bone, it was so savory! We were all so quiet while we ate as we were so busy tasting the food! I highly recommend going there, it was well worth it! It was also nice to get out of the touristy areas and try something more local.

It was kinda in the middle of the ghetto...

We tried BBQ Pork and chicken!

Blood sausage...gross!

The white stuff on the other plate is Yucca with onions, I didn't take a picture of it so this is one off the web!

 -Amber Toy

Barfing While driving, Women With Attitude, and Men Who Love the Chase

Even though Puerto Rico is considered a part of the United States, it has a very distinctive culture. The houses remind me A LOT of South America. They are made of concrete, stacked up upon each other, and are a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. It was refreshing to see because here in Utah every house seems the same to me.  A majority of people use fans instead of A.C., due to its high costs on the island. One of my friends told me it costs him $400.00 each month for A.C. even though he only uses it at night. Can you imagine! Esh! No wonder everyone uses fans! It is extremely hot in Puerto Rico; it was around 95 degrees while we were there with humidity. I forgot how much humidity hits you in the face while you’re there!

 

The Women/Men

 

Women in Puerto Rico know that they are gorgeous, and have lots of attitude as a result. But the men in Puerto Rico love the chase, and often times appreciate the attitude. It is all about making love on that island. So many people get married and are not happy, have affairs, and lots of drama is then included within families. Not that all Puerto Ricans are the same, it was just something I observed, and was confirmed by several locals. Appearance matters, which is why everyone is always so incredibly dressed up all the time. Sex is discussed openly there, and dancing is a gateway to that very act in Puerto Rico. Did I tell you that all the men shave their legs and wax their eyebrows? Just thought it was interesting!

Drugs/Alcohol

 

Weed is very common in PR, while eating at a restaurant we were asked by our waiter the following question,

 

“You two seem like cool girls, would you like to come back to my apartment and smoke weed for a while?”

 

I couldn’t believe he had asked! We obviously declined the offer but I was just star struck as to what just happened. There are very distinctive places to attain drugs there, and we made sure to stay far away from them.  I couldn’t believe the complete honesty of Puerto Ricans, it made me laugh to be honest. Haha No thank you, I don’t smoke weed is all I could muster back.

 

People begin drinking on Thursday night and party until Saturday night, dancing and drinking at the clubs. Wilson, a man I met while there, told me the thoughts of many Puerto Ricans on drinking it driving. They don’t understand how there can be so many accidents of drinking while driving in Puerto Rico, because they do it themselves all the time! Wilson said he has been drunk so many times while driving, even throwing up outside the window while still continuing to drive! I have reached the conclusion that Puerto Ricans have a much higher tolerance for alcohol, which is why they can drive so incredibly drunk and not kill anyone. Alcohol is everywhere, you see people drinking early in the morning even! I really do think it is something about their blood that gives them that higher tolerance, what else could it be! The legal age of drinking in PR is 18, but many men start at the ripe age of 13. I was a little surprised to hear this, but not after I was there on a weekend. Haha

 

Dressing UP

 

If you show up to dinner in jeans in a T-shirt in Puerto Rico people around you will know that you are a tourist. When you go to dinner there you wear a very nice dress, (typically sparkly) and some killer high heels. You put lots of make up on and you never ever wear flip flops. Everyone dresses up for dinner, or for going out. I have never ever seen so many people look so nice in my life!

The people

The people of Puerto Rico are so very kind! They always stop for pedestrians to cross the street! Which is not a pleasure I get here in Utah! They are very giving, always willing to stop what they are doing and help you. They are also hilarious, and know how to make you smile. I would think that Puerto Ricans are tired of tourists but that is not the case, they are always friendly towards them and giving.

-Amber Toy

A Coqui To Remember

Puerto Ricans are extremely proud of their frogs. There are over a 100 different types of frogs in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Ricans call frogs, or most especially the tree frog, a Coqui. The Coqui’s make a very distinct noise, or at least the males do when they are trying to find  a partner to mate with. I loved the sound of these frogs, and one of the things I miss the most about Puerto Rico is the sound of the Coqui. Here is a video that Esmie took for me of what the Coqui’s sound like. So peaceful right?

Here are a couple pictures of the Coqui’s in Puerto Rico. Seriously, I miss that sound! The Puerto Ricans are accustomed to listening to the sound of the Coqui’s, but I loved hearing them! The Puerto Ricans have a belief that if you catch a Coqui it means you are lucky. Sadly, I did not catch one while I was there, but maybe next time! 

This is the symbol for the Coqui in Puerto Rico, you see it a lot on necklaces, bracelets, etc with this symbol.

 

A Magical Experience

After we went to the rainforest we then drove further up to a dock in Farjardo to see the Bioluminescent Bay. There are only 5 in the world, three of which are in Puerto Rico, but only one is working at the moment in Puerto Rico. Esmie and I kayaked for about 30 minutes in a small grove of trees to get to the enclosed bay. I felt at peace while we kayaked our way there, it was dark but the trees above me were serene and it was a lovely ride to be quite honest. 

Thanks for photo bombing dude!

Life jackets aren't my thing...

 

The organisms that produce this light are called Pyrodinium Bahamense, or Dinoflagellates. 

When the “dinos” come into contact with another organism or are shaken they produce a bright burst of blue light. The reason these organisms are doing so well is because they are protected by the mangroves surrounding the bay. The reason the other two bays are very dim currently are because people like to swim in these waters, but the lotions and oils on our skin kill these precious organisms and make it almost impossible for them to glow. It was a magical sight to see them in the water. As you row the water lights up a very light blue color. Esmie and I had fun putting our hands in the water and shaking it around. It was like something you see in a movie! You can’t capture what it looks like because nothing shows up in the picture, so it’s just something you have to see in person. This is the best picture I could find online that is photo shopped but that portrays what it looks like when you have your paddles in the water. Cool, huh?

 

My favorite moment of this trip was seeing how happy Esmie was. Haha she got so caught up in the organisms she near about tipped us! She put her whole hand in the water and began splashing like a little kid, but precious Esmie forgot how heavy I was! The kayak about tipped and then a nice elderly man saw what was happening and pushed me back up. Haha Glad we made it ok!

 

I am so glad I had the opportunity to see the Bio Bay, who knows if it will be around in another 40 years. I would like to think the government will keep working hard to preserve it, but you never know really. It was a magical experience, one that you have to have for yourself, since we both know pictures won’t do it justice!

 

The Group