Rincon, Tostones and a Little Infatuation

They say Travel is like falling in love. Strangers at first. A glance turns into a stare, and then you're entranced. The stare becomes a longing gaze. You realize that you, the tourist, become the one conquered by a once-unfamiliar location. And that's how I fell in love with the sunset at Rincon. Specifically at "El Faro," or the lighthouse in Rincon. The rays of the setting sun shimmering over the waters were a mesmerizing sight. It was God's postcard meant to be enjoyed by our naked eyes. Sounds cliche, yo se (I know).

It's my second time in "La Isla del Encanto," and it has enchanted me a second time. We celebrated my niece's birthday with her abuelos there as well as Labor Day Weekend.

Up in the western boondocks of Aguada, we ate at a neighborhood restaurant which served chicken, "tostones" (smashed plantains then fried--Puerto Rican fries), burgers using Puerto Rican beef, and ribs. 

Puerto Rico feels like going to a province in the Philippines, because the houses are painted in the same bright colors, and the heat is similar. Except people spoke Spanish. Although a U.S. territory, people especially in the rural areas mostly spoke Spanish. In the more touristy locations such as San Juan, Puerto Ricans are bilingual. This trip meant that I could practice my still struggling Español. But I loved being able to do it even just to order or pay for things. I even delighted in asking a Walgreens clerk to look up my rewards card with my phone number. (Puede buscar con mi telefono?)

At that little food shack up in the boondocks, I watched a man inside prepare our order. He must have been chopping the pollos to perfection. But I couldn't stop staring at his face through the small order window, so much so that I zoomed in my camera to take one photo.

At least the sight of him made my pollos con tostones much more sabroso.