Puerto Rico is "La Isla del Encanto," the island of enchantment. Part of the Greater Antilles Islands, lying 1,277 miles north of the equator in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico is known for its azure and turquoise green waters, miles and miles of sandy white beaches, vibrant and colorful tropical rain forests, and deliciously rich, but rare coffee plantations.
The island is where my grandparents are buried, as well as my father. It is their resting place. Coming back to the home of my parents and my ancestors, is a sigh of relief.
I've come back home to world class cooking. The author of Puerto Rico: Grand Cuisine of the Caribbean, Jose Luis Diaz de Villegas said Puerto Rico's cuisine is "...the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean." I've come back home to the happy, go lucky attitude from mi gente saying, "It is what it is." I've come back home to the musical cadence of the language I knew as a child.
It's sad to see the ravages of hurricane Maria, but the resilience of the people is inspiring. There are many stories of bravery, of lives lost, of lives reborn.
Come and visit the enchanting island of Puerto Rico. Tourism is a great way to help the island and the people recover from the devastating hurricane. In the words of Sergio George's Salsa Giants from the song, "Baja La Tormenta":
He that wants to can,
He that wants to does,
Things can be bad,
But what you look for you will
find.
If the sky falls under the storm,
Things can be bad,
But what you look for you will
find.
I will come with my sword,
and conquer that mountain,
What you are in life is how you
die.
Rain comes and rain goes,
As I walk I will find,
And I will find my destiny.
I will look for what is mine,
And I will be reborn,
What you look for you will
find.
