Rincon Off-Season

The mangos are everywhere, the flamboyans are bursting red and the beaches, roads and bars are quiet ,it must be the off-season.  We got here in August of last year and enjoyed the relatively empty beaches, not much surf, but perfect for us beginners to paddle out.  Sandy Beach is great this time of year as hardly anyone is out and the water is calm, with a few small sets here and there. 

We spent some time at Finca Cielo Verde today, our friend's farm in the hills east of Mayaguez. The drive was up then down, through the winding roads with canopys of green and mangos along the side of the streets.  It's a beautiful property with a small creek and waterfall running through it, amazing trees everywhere and a large working vegetable farm.  They grow organic vegetables and have started potted landscape plants as well.  We took home a few colorful additions to our gardens.

We've spent some quality time in Aguadilla lately as one of our friends moved there.  The beaches I've seen are beautuful with rock formations and small private coves and of course the surfing up there can be better than Rincon.  110 Thai is a busy restaurant in Aguadilla that we finally checked out on Cyndi's birthday.  The food was so fresh and reasonably priced and they have some really good beers on draft, definitely rates a return visit, but they do get very busy so if you're going, go early.  I've been golfing at the Aguadilla Golf Course more often and enjoying it more and more.  The fees are relatively cheap and while I haven't been golfing very long, the course offers some beautiful views and is challenging but not intimidating.

The rain has started kicking in, bringing a cool late afternoon storm almost daily, washing away the heat and flamboyan petals.  This is the time of year when the jungle can overcome all efforts to keep it at bay and Cyndi has been using the weed wacker and shovel to keep our hillside lean and mean, but I can see the vines crawling faster and faster, I need a more permanent solution.


I went to the pulgaro in San Sebastian which is held every Friday afternoon.  It's a good sized flea market with vendors mostly selling fruits and vegetables, but you can find tools, clothes, plants, and livestock there as well.  I bought some banana palm bones for planting, some incredible organic tomatoes (hard to find good ones here) and some yucca root to cook.

Lots of friends leaving or already left.  Some find the summer just too lifeless around here, other leave to make money elsewhere.  This summer should be different though, the Mayaguez 2010 Games are being held at the end of July and 3 events are being held in Rincon.  This is the Caribbean and South American Olympics and they expect a huge influx of people.  Should make for an interesting summer!