Putting Religion Back In Sunday.

Ponce: Focus on Religion

Traveling from San Juan to Ponce has opened my eyes to the differences in lifestyle around the island. While all places in Puerto Rico possess the same ideas about culture and religion, there are slight variations on these traditions depending on where you go. We arrived in Ponce on a Sunday afternoon. Dr. Subervi, one of our professors based at Texas State in San Marcos, Texas, had explained a brief overview of the towns history and how they identify themselves among the rest of Puerto Rico. They are a very proud city, and according to our tour guide Papo, "they believe Ponce es Ponce, and the rest is just parking." The people of Puerto Rico are predominantly Catholic. This religious association is reflected throughout the land in its architecture, festivals, churches and business hours. Arriving on a Sunday, we were warned that not much hustle and bustle would be found. Business' were closed due to the Sabbath day, or they had early closings. It has become such a law throughout the land, that even finding something to eat can be a hunt and gather process. This dedication to the Catholic faith makes those in the states, including myself, seem mediocre and faithless. According to the religion, Sunday's are to be regarded as a day of worship, focusing only on the LORD and leaving business and material focus for the remaining 6 week days.

My journey for food and entertainment began around 5:00 that Sunday afternoon. I was hoping to find shopping, eateries and local bars to have a few drinks from. While walking around, we realized little to nothing was open. Stopping to ask a police officer where to eat, we received an "it's Sunday" with two options that turned out to also be closed. Finally, we spotted the Remada Hotel. I figured that if anywhere would be open, it would be a restaurant in a commercialized hotel. I was right and we ate in a restaurant named Lola. It was seemingly upscale for the area, but delicious and everything I wanted. I was hoping to find information from the bartender or servers there about potential nightlife in the area. My good friend and fellow student, Kali, and I were sitting at dinner and received two roses from the bartender, courtesy of two gentlemen sitting at the bar. They approached us and we began a conversation. Yovan Murillo is originally from Puerto Rico. He moved to Jacksonville, Florida and is now back living in Ponce. He works in marketing a few days a week. Talking to Yovan, I began to understand the importance of religion in Ponce and its correlation to a "dead nightlife." He gave me a recommendation for a place that might be open on a Sunday night, Hollywood Cafe, which we went to later that evening."In comparison to San Juan, Ponce is quieter, nightlife here is less of a tourist attraction. Our weekends start on Wednesday, so it is pretty quiet other nights," Yovan said. Speaking with him made me also come to the conclusion that a lot of the nightlife during the weekdays was based around family gatherings.