Traveling the world one step at a time

By: Pamela Ortega

Plantains, pina coladas( http://www.elboricua.com/pinacolada.html)  and Puerto Ricans captivated me as I traveled through Puerto Rico. Witnessing Puerto Ricans engage within themselves, all while tasting perfectly made food was a diamond of its own. People don’t lie when they say Puerto Rico is the land of enchantment. My journey through Puerto Rico has taught me to discover the hidden gems in the world. As I move forward in life I plan to travel, not to the common popular cities everyone travels to, but to the small hidden towns with bright gems to offer. Puerto Rico showed me to look beyond San Juan, instead discover the wonders in Luquillo (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g635965-Luquillo_Puerto_Rico-Vacations.html) and Fajardo. Often time people are so over consumed by the marketing tactics of the travel industry, that they don’t stop to think about the hidden towns that are often forgotten. I hope to apply my knowledge of real traveling to my future endeavors.

Tourism is the simplicity of visiting a place and claiming to be there. It is a basic concept that is a multi billion-dollar business. Tourism limits the tourist by only providing a handful of places to visit and take photographs at. Thus, it is essential to engage in travel in order to become a traveler. My tourism experience limited me in fully engaging with the people. The activities we did in San Juan, were strictly tourism related events that focuses on places. Having Jose as a tour guide, allowed us to experience more of a travel experience.

The media can positively and negatively influence a travel experience. The booming tourism industry tends to focus on a single aspect of the touring location. Although the tourism industry focuses on prime tourism parts, some travelers go outside the box and publish work about their unique experience.

http://www.nytimes.com/travel/guides/caribbean-and-bermuda/puerto-rico/overview.html

http://www.seepuertorico.com

http://www.travel-journeys.com

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/how-to-find-authentic-travel-experiences

http://welcome.topuertorico.org/tinfo.shtml

The island that enchanted me

The island that enchanted me

By: Juliana Gutierrez

I had always wanted to have the opportunity of studying abroad. It was during my first week at the University of Oklahoma that I heard about the study abroad in Puerto Rico. I instantly felt like I had to take this class. Being able to speak both English and Spanish was surely on my side. However, neither this nor the six credit hours I was going to earn was what motivated me to take this class.

What motivated me to take this class was my hunger for culture, for relating to other people and understanding their traditions and beliefs. With my never ending desire to take on a journey and discover the world and my passion for culture, this was an opportunity I was not going to miss. 

Although this was a short yet intense one week class, I had an unforgettable experience in Puerto Rico. From the island itself, to my classmates and my devoted professors, everything was more than fantastic.

I loved how we truly immersed ourselves in Puerto Rico. Not only did we go to the touristic places but we also explored many cities of the island, discovering their uniqueness and what each one had to offer.

We engaged in the Boriqua culture and studied how tourism business works in Puerto Rico. We learned about their history and cultural mix, which is the result of three races: European, African and Tainos. We listened to autochthonous rhythms and even recited trovas.

We tasted their traditional dishes, which they reminded me of my home country, Venezuela and, of course, I loved. We explored rainforests and felt the humidity on our skin, witnessed people's strong devotion for the three kings and even watched nature’s marveling bioluminescence.

Each and every one of these experiences filled my heart with joy and my mind with knowledge, and respect for Puerto Rico and its welcoming people, who at all times made me feel at home.

Something that amazed me was how proud are Puerto Rican's of their heritage. Throughout the island I saw many flags in balconies, restaurants, house entrances and squares. Whenever I talked to locals, I felt how they cherished their culture and strived to preserve it.

I learned uncountable things. From how to write a feature and all the dimensions that tourism involves to how to make Puerto Rican fricassee chicken.

With so many beautiful places around the island, I was impressed when our tour guide, Jose Pereira, told us that only 20% of tourists visit other cities besides San Juan. Although it is true that the capital has a lot to offer in all senses, I strongly believe that visiting one city does not give tourists a complete picture of a country.

In my opinion, the media is in part responsible for this. Labeling San Juan as the only important or worth to visit city in Puerto Rico is a mistake. Nevertheless, I was able to see how cities like Caguas have done an excellent job at attracting tourists.

This city, known as the heart of Puerto Rico, had a characteristic that made it different: it is not on the coast. This was not a disadvantage for Caguas. With so many other things to offer, the city has managed to enhance its tourism and uniqueness through the construction and preservation of over a dozen museums that are connected by the 'criollo hear route'.

A welcoming office of touristic development, social media and beautiful easy-to-use brochures that guide people through the 'criollo hear route' have been some of the media strategies the city has used to increment its tourism.

Even if the media has underestimated cities like Caguas, which are obviously less popular than San Juan, I believe that the so called cultural tourism is starting to change with coming generations.

As Resonance Consultancy president, Chris Fair, said in an interview with www.travelmarketreport.com, creative tourism is a trend to watch in the next years. What differentiates creative tourism from other trends is that travelers engage in the culture of the place by having a connection with it. In this trend, tourists become travelers and interact actively with locals and their daily activities.

With creative tourism trend arising, the media will probably start targeting tourists by selling more emotional connections and fulfilling experiences and less leisure time or ordinary visits to museums.

After our adventure in Puerto Rico, more than ever I feel that I am a traveler and not just a tourist. Without even knowing about this trend, I am sure we all engaged in creative tourism in some ways.

This amazing trip actually accentuated my hunger for discovering the world and it made me want to truly engage in the culture of each place more than ever.

Without the shadow of a doubt my expectations for this short study abroad program were exceeded. I learned in the best way possible: stepping out of the classroom and the books and actually experience the topic of study: Puerto Rico. 

Photo by: Juliana Gutierrez 

 

Photo by: Juliana Gutierrez

 

http://www.seepuertorico.com/

 

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Six-Travel-Trends-to-Watch-in-2014-Beyond

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g147319-Puerto_Rico-Vacations.html

 

http://travel.usnews.com/Puerto_Rico/

 

http://visitcaguas.com/

 

400 years of history, 2 forts & 1 identity

400 years of history, 2 forts & 1 identity

By: Juliana Gutierrez

The morning was so bright I could barely open my eyes under the beaming Puerto Rican sun. I put on my sunglasses and tucked my heavy backpack on. As usual, I had been left behind because I had been taking pictures, aiming for the right angles and lighting to obtain the perfect photograph. I walked quickly up the hill, leaning my head back to see where the tall dark walls of Old San Juan's forts ended. Inside, centuries of history and battles awaited--I was eager to discover what this place had to offer.

I felt a sense of pride within the forts. After more than 400 years and several battles, San Felipe del Morro and San Cristobal forts were still standing tall, undefeated.  With the Caribbean waves crashing right at the bottom of the Fortaleza and the wind blowing my hair, I felt as if I were living in a movie scene. Just the thought of how many people had been in this exact place and the historical events that happened here made me get goose bumps.

On assignment for my class and trying to multitask between taking pictures, notes and absorbing the whole scene, I managed to talk to a park ranger who was kind enough to answer all of my questions.

"San Cristobal fort was built in 1634 to serve as the city’s land attack defense. It is the largest military fortification built in the American continent. It served as defense of the land entrance of the city. It was a very important part of the defense system because it prevented attacks coming from the area of Condado and the Eastern part of the island," said Enmanuel Rodriguez, who had been working at San Cristobal fort for five years.

National Park Service website, confirms this information: "El Morro was built to defend against sea attackers; later San Cristóbal was built to protect against attack on San Juan by land".

He continued explaining that this historical site is the main touristic attraction in San Juan and that within the first days of January 2015, they had a record of having 6,000 visitors in one day. He added that on average, around two million people go to the forts every year.

Before I continued my adventure, Enmanuel Rodriguez gave me a brochure that contained valuable information about both forts. This colorful and full-of-facts brochure, explained Spaniards' reason to build the forts in this specific location was that ''the trade winds blew sailing ships here from Europe, helped by ocean currents.'' Also the deep bays in Old San Juan made it an excellent port.

With such a strategic location that served as the door to both the new world, Europe and Africa, Spain was decided to protect it's colonies, especially Puerto Rico--which was then known as San Juan island.

Over 450 cannons, sentry boxes were soldier took guard, 400 troops, walls of up to 25 feet tall, fortifications of 150 feet tall and 27 acres were some of Spain's defense system against enemies.

In addition, San Juan had a sacred companion on its side: Saint Barbara. With a sword on her left hand and a challis on her right one, she was the patron saint who defended Spaniards in battle. To pray and ask for St. Barbara's intersection, both El Morro and San Cristobal forts had chapels named after her.

Jose Pereira explained that chapels inside the forts prevented soldiers from having to leave the defense system to pray while on attack.

Being a Catholic, I believe that Spain's preach and actions often conflicted and took opposite directions. I find it contradictory that soldiers prayed for protection right before heading to kill countless humans--needless to say that this is prohibited in the Ten Commandments.

San Juan's convenient qualities were not unknown to other countries, which were greedy to take over the island and claim it their own. Tour guide Jose Pereira said that La Fortaleza was attacked in five different occasions by England and the Netherlands.

Nevertheless, Puerto Rico continued to be Spain's colony until 1898, when they lost in the Spanish-American War and the island became U.S. territory.

Looking at this timeline and battles for ''ownership'' of Puerto Rico over the years, I found it quite saddening to think that the island of enchantment has never been an independent country. Only when it was populated by Taino Indians did Boriquen--Taino name for the island--enjoyed freedom from Conquistadores and the U.S.

However, it was amazing to see how Puerto Ricans cherish their culture and protect their heritage and historical sites. I was not the only one marveled by this fact.

Tom Link, a visitor from Pittsburg who was exploring El Morro, said that it was "very interesting to look at it and realize how many years ago the Spaniards were here. What we are mostly impressed with are the fortifications, I mean, my goodness! They still stand after all these years and they are enormous, covering most of the old San Juan. It is very beautiful, an impressive work by the Spanish."

His wife, Nell Link, similarly agreed saying "You come here and you are like ‘oh, my God!’ They come from a great history. People underestimate this place, those who came from here, the beauty of this place, its history. It has been a big surprise for us."

In Jose Pereira's opinion, these forts are part of Puerto Rican culture.

"When you are a child, you go to the forts to fly kites. This area is great to have activities. People grow with the forts. It is part of our culture, we feel owners of the forts and we preserve them. If we see someone attempting to damage San Cristobal, El Morro or any part of this historical site, we protect it."

He continued saying that visiting the forts is one of the first excursions children have with their school.

"It is an amazing experience for kids, because at a young age you believe in pirate stories, soldiers and so on. As an adult, when you visit the forts, you revive your childhood and the many times you went there to play."

In fact, not only Puerto Rican children can have a memorable experience when visiting the forts. Park ranger Enmanuel Rodriguez said that because the forts are part of the National Park Service, the junior ranger program applies to this historical site.

Designed for children between ages of 5 and 12, the program offers kids a free activity book--and entrance ticket--they have to complete throughout their visit. Once they finish the required number of pages--which vary depending on the child's age--they are certified as junior rangers, pledge a short oath and are awarded with a badge from San Juan National Historic site.

"This is a very special activity for children because they can collect the badges and it works as a little souvenir. Not only Puerto Rican children learn about their own history but also children from all around the world can know about Puerto Rico. From an early age, children can learn the importance of protecting and preserving places like this," said Enmanuel Rodriguez.

With this entertaining and free program for young ones, both adults and children have the opportunity to enjoy this exciting attraction in Old San Juan. For only $15, adults can purchase a day pass that covers the entrance to both forts.

After my expedition through the marveling forts of Old San Juan I hoped on the trolley that would take me to a small street where I was going to have lunch with my classmates. On the trolley, I turned to give one last look at El Morro.

And there it was, surrounded by fields of green were children and their parents flew colorful kites and dozens of visitors explored the place. The more than 400 years construction stood undefeated and proud under the bright Puerto Rican sun.

This last scene captured what El Morro and San Cristobal are: centuries old fortifications that are not only an important part of the island’s history, but their significance goes beyond the documented data. The forts represent the cultural heritage that, for generations, has contributed to proudly make people identify as what they are: Puerto Ricans.

 Photo by: Juliana Gutierrez

 Photo by: Juliana Gutierrez

 



Photo by: Juliana Gutierrez 

Photo by: Juliana Gutierrez

To learn more about San Juan National Historic site visit:
http://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/fort-san-cristobal/

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/el-morro/

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/el-morro/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147320-d149852-r177556712-San_Juan_National_Historic_Site-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

Of God and Mofongo

By Marisa Mohi, true believer

I’m not a religious person. God, for me, has always been more of a question or intangible possibility than an absolute. My views have evolved throughout my life. I’m no longer so devoutly agnostic as I once was whilst growing up in the conservative safe haven that is Edmond, Oklahoma. The further I get from the people shouting at me that alcohol is a sin and educated women are tools of the devil, the more I can envision a god.

For the past few years, as I have gone through graduate school, everyday I’m overcome with intense feelings of love and gratitude for the place and person I am today. I have never felt so comfortable and content in my entire life. The further I get away from the city I grew up in, the more convinced I am that there is a god out there, just not the one in Edmond that wanted me to fry.

I don’t mean to bring up a controversial topic. I’m a good country girl and I know better than to talk about religion or politics in polite company. And I know this all seems wholly irrelevant to Puerto Rico. But I’m getting there.

I’ve always been terrified of water. Pools, lakes, ponds, and stagnant mosquito-ridden puddles used to make my blood run cold. I’m not a strong swimmer, I’ve never looked good in a swimsuit, and my family isn’t the type to pack up and go to the lake. Up until my trek to Puerto Rico, I had only seen the ocean once before.

On New Year’s Day, I stepped off the sand on the beach in Luquillo and made my way into the waters of the Atlantic for the first time. I didn’t swim much, and I found out that I wasn’t good at boogie boarding, but I did wade out a little and experienced real waves for the first time.



Before this day, I had been feeling intensely homesick. I was the furthest from my family that I had ever been, and I was surrounded by a class of near-strangers. But when I stared out at the waves, I didn’t really care anymore. I finally was beginning to understand why so many people love the ocean, an entity that used to terrify me.

As the days wore on in Puerto Rico, we were so busy that many of us lost track of time and couldn’t really tell you what day of the week it was. Some complained of missing their boyfriends or girlfriends, or wanting to see their family. While I did miss my family, I really didn’t have any desire to go back. Even now, as I sit on my couch staring out the window at the dreary gray deathscape that is winter, I think that I could definitely go back.

It’s not just the ocean or the white sand beaches though. I think it was the people there too. There were so many people constantly surrounding us in San Juan that I initially felt scared. I had never been to such a big city before. As we ventured away from San Juan to cities like Ponce and Juana Diaz, I began to feel less like an outsider. Though my Spanish is still the Spanish of a public high school classroom, I still felt like I could make my way through Puerto Rico.

So, my initial reason to take this course was to get away from my family and see the world in order to become a better writer. I’m not sure if my writing has gotten any better, but I definitely have a new perspective on my surroundings. I think seeing a place unlike your home forces you to consider new ideas and makes you adjust your opinions just a little. Going into this trip, I thought that I would always live in Oklahoma. Graduate, get a job here, and finally raise a family. After this class, though…I’m thinking there might be some other things for me on the horizon. I now have places to go and a to-do list to go along with them.

So what does all this have to do with my imaginings of a celestial being? Well, maybe nothing. Or maybe everything. I am thankful that I was able to go on this class trip. I am thankful that I had the experiences I did—sleeping on a beach, hiking through a rainforest, swimming in a waterfall, standing on an 800-year old tree, seeing more neoclassical/Spanish revival architecture than I could even recognize, eating fresh pineapple on the side of the road, seeing a religious festival and standing in the middle of it…



And even now, as I wallow in flannel pajamas, I can almost still feel the ocean and how it felt to be hit by a wave for the first time. It was a whirlwind two weeks to say the least. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I became content with just going with the flow. I stopped missing my home. I didn’t care that I was sleep deprived. I welcomed a dish called mofongo with open arms. In all of this, I would say there is more than just a tincture of grace. This opportunity to travel, the experiences I’ve had, and the new friends I’ve made—these are all things I would call blessings.

Did I find religion in Puerto Rico? Nope. But some of the feelings that I’ve come to over the years have been reinforced. And maybe for a once-staunch agnostic, seeing the ocean and riding the wave of travel is a good first step.

Central Texas Landscape in Puerto Rico

By Bianca Davis

We arrived at Guanico Dry Foresst in the morning however the heat of the ‘desert’ sun made it seem like high noon. Surrounded by small shubs, cacti, and familiar trees I felt like I was at home in the Central Texas Hill Country.
Francisco, our guide from Aventuras Puerto Rico, knowingly led the way down a rocky path noting that the rocks here were not native to the area but had been imported to create a trail of sorts. We made frequent stops to learn about the various vegitation and how they have adapted in order to thrive in such an aridd climate. The further down towards the coast the more the cool breeze from Guanico Bay could be felt giving relief from the scorching sun.
Having made our way all the way to our destination, an 850 year old Guyacan Tree, we stoped for a group photo. I was able to talk to Francisco on the walk back because there were fewer stops since he had already pointed out most of the points of interest on the trip in.
Francisco, who owns his own tour company Aventuras Puerto Rico, has been giving tours for 5 years now. However, tourism was not his original choice in career. Francisco said he used to work as an acountant, but was unhappy with his work. On a recommendation from a friend and a big leap of faith, Francisco studdied for two and a half years more after already graduating from college in order to earn his certification from the Puerto Rican Tourism board, a task he said that was not easy. Eventually he bought a van, and as time progressed he has been able to operate a successful tourism company out of Ponce. Francisco said prior to the cration of his company, all the tour guides in the south were sent from San Jaun because there were no tour guides from Ponce, he found his niche.

Iguanas: The Squirrels of Puerto Rico

By Abigail Hess

Since my conception in 1983, I’ve had a strange and endearing (at least, I think it’s endearing) affinity for all things four-legged.  This of course includes reptiles of all shapes and sizes, so I was understandably pleased to see countless iguanas upon my arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

However, our tour guide Papo felt quite differently about the island’s most common 6-foot-long lizard.

After telling us that they are not, in fact, indigenous to Puerto Rico, Papo explained in intricate detail how iguanas began as mildly entertaining pets…and grew into the most destructive and annoying critters the Caribbean has ever seen.

Despite my optimistic assumptions (which were based upon the prettiness of their yellow eyes and the way they lick their chops after a meal of mosquitoes and dragonflies), iguanas actually aren’t fantastically sweet and adorably quirky creatures.  Papo told us stories of floral devastation, and bitten-off fingers and legs sliced by whipping lizard tails.  But more than the obvious destruction these parasite-like reptiles cause, it was clear that Papo was concerned about one primary characteristic of these monsters running rampant on his homeland:

Their sheer and utter worthlessness.

Apparently in Puerto Rico, iguanas are about as valuable as squirrels are in Oklahoma.  Sure they destroy your stuff and commit suicide under your car tires, but the most annoying thing about them is that there is absolutely no point to their existence.  If squirrels suddenly ceased to exist in the Midwest, no one would bat an eye...and it seems iguanas are equally inconsequential in the tropics of the Caribbean.

At first, this was hard for me to accept.  To outsiders, iguanas are wonderfully fascinating…they can move their eyeballs every which way, and they can crawl on all sorts of unimaginable things, like the walls at Fort San Cristobal.  And especially to me they were mesmerizing, as I’ve never met an animal (or reptile) I didn’t like.  But after several angry iguana stories and countless smooshed iguana parts on the side of the road, I too began to see them as pesky mongrels too trivial for considerate thought.

Now that we’re on our way to Vieques (which is our last stop before our return to frigid Oklahoma), I’m realizing my time in the Land of the Lizards is almost through.  But no matter how much I try to remember my previous affection for iguanas, I can only see them as overgrown  squirrels with emerald scales instead of fur.  I blame Papo.  I blame Puerto Rico.  I blame the government.  But more than anything I blame myself, for letting my pure vision of iguanas become tainted by reality.

So the next time you see an itty bitty iguana in a pet store window, think twice before bringing the cunning critter home.  For if you’re not careful, these uncommon commodities will become as mundane and troublesome as squished opossums on the side of I-35.

Just stick to gerbils and goldfish for mediocre companionship, and leave the dinosauresque reptiles to Puerto Rico.  For the lackluster of iguanas may have faded for me, but the hope of it still lies in you.

Much love.