One year in Rincon...

Hard to believe, but it's been over a year since Cynthia and I packed the dogs up and settled into our nice little house here in paradise. The first few weeks here were the hardest due to a lack of creature comforts such as refrigerator and tv, but it's great to look around and see how far we've come in just a this year. I just finished the new cabinets in the kitchen and soon I can start to focus on the landscape. Our web design business, 413 Geek, has grown more than either of us could have expected and Cynthia has almost got this surfing thing figured out. ;)
As I write this, we are expecting our first hurricane of the year, Hurricane Earl, to bounce just off the north coast of Puerto Rico. We've done as much as we can to prepare, but we don't have a generator or even a large backup water tank so we hope a direct hit won't come. I installed hurricane proofing for our large sliding window doors last year and we have about 20 gallons of drinking water and a 25 gallon tank of grey water for showers and the toilet. I don't want to buy a generator, eventually I'd love to have a solar battery backup just to run the fans and a computer or 2. Ah, another project.
The water is another issue. I can collect the rain runoff into our 25 gallon tank, but eventually we will need to buy a 200 gallon tank. Then hooking it to collect runoff and to use gravity for it to flush toilets and run a shower if we need to. For a storm situation, the water could be off for 2 weeks, if we can collect runoff we won't be reliant on the city to come around with the water truck. As far as the house goes, it's all concrete and once we get the hurricane panels up, no windows are exposed. We;re also high above the beaches so a large swell shouldn't be an issue either.
There haven't been many storms to directly hit Puerto Rico, the last being Hurricane Georges in 1998 that was the first to pass through the entire island since 1932. It sounds like it was pretty devastating, mostly on the eastern coast, but damage throughout the island. I'm sure another one will hit eventually, maybe sooner rather than later considering the climate changes of the past decade. Our friend, Beth Kramer is coordinating an emergency preparedness workshop with government help to start in September. Cynthia and I will be in the classes for 3 consecutive Fridays, learning how to help our town in the event of a disaster, natural or otherwise. When it comes, we would like to be fully prepared, but hard decisions must be made on how we spend our money. For this hurricane season, we will prepare to be self-sufficient for a 10 day period and rely on neighbors and friends if we need more, next year I hope to be writing about our 200 gallon water tank and solar battery system and to be of some help should our neighbors or friends need it.

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!

Plastic Free Oceans

Yesterday we went to a news conference at the Villa Cofresi announcing the start of a standup paddle board journey around the island of Puerto Rico to raise awareness of the problem of plastics and their growing mass in the oceans around Puerto Rico.  Here's a link to their website:  http://plasticfreeoceanpr.org/index.php/?option=com_content&view=article&id=62   So happy to see a local getting local kids and communities involved in this issue.  At the news conference, Ernie Alvarez spoke of his journey to come and what he hoped to accomplish, the plight of sea turtles stuck in plactic bags and a growing sea of plastic out there in the ocean that surrounds us.  Our friends Angelo Cordero and Katka Konecna will accompany him to photograph and film the journey as well as the news conferences along the way.  They will raffle off a brand new ARK paddle board at the end on June 5th and are selling t-shirts and reusable grocery bags to help fund their "Challenging the Ocean to Save the Ocean" campaign.
     The plastics issue has been gaining ground lately, there have been a number of documentaries detailing the plastic soup running hundred of miles swirling around the Pacific Ocean.  One of the most interesting facts that I learned recently:  PLASTIC NEVER DIES, every piece of polyethylene plastic manaufactured since the 1930's when it was first made is still around!!  So  these statistics: 

• Number of plastic bags used worldwide each year: 4,000,000,000,000 to 5,000,000,000,000.
• Amount of oil used annually to produce plastic bags: 17,200,000,000 to 21,500,000,000 gallons.
• Number of plastic bags used by Americans each year: 110,000,000,000.
• Amount of plastic bags recycled in the United States in 2006: 2%.
• Amount of plastic used worldwide every year just to bottle water: 1,500,000 to 2,700,000 tons.
• Number of plastic water bottles sold in the United States in 1997: 4,000,000,000
• Nearly eight out of every 10 bottles will end up in a landfill.

end up being pretty scary.

     So what to do.  Using reusable grocery bags is the easiest way to start and I was stoked to see MR. Special, a grocery store in Aguada selling these bags for $.99  Maybe we will see some changes that already afoot in the states come to the island.  I ran across a great website that uses guerilla tactics to raise awareness of the problem of single-use plastic bottles and containers, http://guardiansofthepacific.org/.  They have downloadable stickers that they urge you to glue onto vending machines and anywhere plastic bottles are sold.  A great way for kids to stick it to the man and stick up for a great cause.
     With the bottled water boom kicking into high gear 10 years ago, plastic usage has surged and these ubiquitous bottles have not only contibuted more than their share to the pollution of the oceans, but manufacturing these bottles also creates problems: 

• Producing the bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation
• Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide
• It took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water
• (http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html)

We have a filter on our refrigerator that we change every 6 months and we both have reusable water bottles to take with us.  The Brita Filtered Water Pitcher is also a great way to filter tap water rather than buy bottled.  Also buying milk and juice in cardboard or glass containers will cut back plastic manufacturing.  It's not that hard to really make a significant decrease in your plastic consumption and I think if people know the problems and the easy solutions, it will get done.  The key is to spread the word!

Read more at Suite101: History of Plastic: Facts, Stats, and Recycling Information: The Story of Plastic: Discovery, Invention, and Practical Use http://manufacture-engineering.suite101.com/article.cfm/history-of-plastic-discovery-invention-and-practical-use#ixzz0o6V8MKSu

Crime in Rincon?

There has been a lot of talk lately about a rise in crime in Rincon and while we haven't been here that long, some long term residents have mentioned the increase.  To be sure the crime we are talking about here is not violent, it's mostly just theft and break-ins, in fact I haven't heard of any people being harmed in any way.   But there seems to be no opposition to the fact that crime has increased.  Is it due to economic circumstances, the cut-backs in jobs and spending has obviously made a dent on the Puerto Rican economy as it has everywhere else.  Or maybe, as some residents believe, it is a result of the coming Caribbean Games in Mayaguez and the displaced residents in some of the public housing there to make way for the influx of athletes and attendees of the games, the reason being these poor are criminals and have moved to Rincon.  I must admit I find this to be a stretch.
     Last night we went to a meeting at the Villa Cofresi introducing the new Chief of Police for the Puerto Rico Police Attachment, Capt. Matilde Rodríguez Rivera.  It was an interesting meeting as we learned a lot about our policing system here in Puerto Rico and also a few first hand accounts of the types of crimes occurring in Rincon.    Captain Rivera's first comments seemed to be defensive in nature, but also stating the obvious. To paraphrase; People come to Rincon and think that there is no crime so they can leave their car windows open and items in their cars and on the beach, but this is what invites criminal behavior.  It is up to us as residents to educate our guests that they need to secure valuables.  Part-time residents need to have alarms on their property for when they are gone for extended lengths of time.  Another problem is that victims are often tourists and they usually leave before they can help with the judicial process.
     So her theme was that the police need help to prevent crime, and this is an understandable request.  All the things she said are true, but some of the crimes described by the people attending the meeting didn't fall into that category so there must be more we can do.  At this point in the meeting we learned that there are 2 different police forces in Rincon, the municipal police, which is located on Rt. 115 and is not captained by Matilde Rodriguez Rivera and the State Police, which is and is located near the school on Calle 2.  It turns out, like many overlapping police organizations, the communication between the two police squads isn't very good (a resident next to us said it was due to different political affiliations).  The fact that the Captain admitted this is a surprise and shed light on the fact that although Mayer Bonilla was scheduled to attend, he did not and no one from the municipal police were in attendance either. Captain Rivera promised that if her station was called, 911 or (787)823-2020, she would send an English speaker officer to take the report if requested.
     A Neighborhood Watch program that is popular in other communities was discussed and many of this meetings attendees volunteered to be a part of a similar program for Rincon which would begin in early May.  I think a Neighborhood Watch program would increase communication between the residents, both locals and English speaking, and the police.  Separating facts from rumors will help us see trends in where crime is occurring and hopefully, why. I agree with Captain Rivera that it is as much the responsibility of the people of Rincon to prevent crime as it is the police to catch the perpetrators.   Overall, a productive meeting that may form the basis for a more involved community in the safety of Rincon, it's residents and guests.

March 2010

It's been a busy month so far as we have had some friends and relatives visiting, a great opportunity to do so many of the things we've been putting off doing in and around Rincon.

Cyndi went horseback riding with Pinto R Us and had a blast! She said it was the most fun she's had since she's been here.  The group started at the Marina and rode north and onto the Domes trail near the Spanish Wall.  Cyndi said the horses had plenty of spirit and they were able to do a lot of galloping, but her favorite part was riding on the beach, I don't blame her, I get jealous every time I see a group pass me by on the 413, knowing they will soon be on the sand watching the sun fall into Desecheo as they mosey along the shore.

We also went to a waterfall in San Sebastian.  It was a little hard to find the trail, but some nice Sebastianos told us where to go.  The hike toward the fall is pretty easy, maybe 10-15 minutes, definitely worth the trip.  It's not a huge, gorgeous waterfall, but nice enough.  There's a nice pool below and plenty of spots to jump from, also a water cave if you're feeling real adventurous.

We went to a great party while Cyndi's mom was in town, (thanks Rosa!), and experienced our first pig roast.   Also met some great people, other bloggers, blog readers as well as neighbors, the house was 5 minutes way from ours.  It was a nice evening and a great chance for Cyndi's mom to see what a friendly town Rincon is.

We also went up to Rincon Pottery, the studio owned by our friends, Nick and Miri, for the first time.  Beautiful ceramic art, functional, looking forward to having more space so we start collecting,  thanks for the tour Miri.  The drive to the Rincon Pottery studio is a nice slice of the part of Rincon we don't get to see enough.  Beautiful hillside homes on large lots with amazing views, brightly painted houses with all types of fruit and decorative trees and more manicured landscaping than we see in Puntas.

We finally had breakfast at The English Rose and it definitely lived up to it's billing.  Hanging high above Tres Palmas, the restaurant patio has a beautiful view of the ocean and the surrounding hillsides.  The food was not overly expensive and the best we've had since coming to Rincon.  Kicking ourselves for not trying it sooner.

While on the subject of restaurants, another great one is El Fogon de la Curva, a pig roast/fresh fish (yes, those are their specialties) bar and grill on the way out of Rincon, at the curve toward Anasco.  It is attached to a fish market where the owner will filet whichever fish he has caught that day (and still has left) for you.  The Dorado is fantastic, but goes quick, I tried the Parrotfish and it was very good as well.  But the restaurant is cheap and delicious, a nice combination.

The weather has been incredibly hot this week and the waves very small, so the dogs have been coming with us to the beach.  I picked the hottest week of the year to start painting the house, but at least it's not raining.

Rincon Surfing

I haven't written too much about surfing here in Rincon, but the great surf here is one of the reasons we're here and one of the reasons Rincon is such a special place.  The story usually begins with the 1968 World Championships that were held here in Rincon, which was then barely a blip on the Puerto Rican map, but from there the town has grown in small spurts to what it is now; a sleepy surf town where mostly East Coast surfers come down during the surfing season, December -April, filling up the guest houses and surf schools as well as the line ups at most of the local surf spots. 
     The reason Rincon draws so many surfers is because it has beaches that face 2 directions so that swells coming from the north, bring waves to the northern beaches and south swells bring surf to the southern beaches, leaving very few days where neither side has had decent waves this season.  But Rincon isn't the whole story, Aguadilla and Isabella just 30 minutes north offer more beaches and world class waves without the hype.

     Cyndi and I came here to surf, although neither of us surf.  I've  body surfed all my life at beaches in southern California, but never brought a board in the water with me.  Cyndi started paddling a big soft board a year before we got here, but never got too serious about actually standing up on it.  Since we arrived here in Rincon, Cyndi has taken 3 surfing lessons and goes out almost daily, but has yet to feel the thrill of standing up through a wave.  She is determined and loves just being in the water so eventually her day will come and when that happens, I don't think I'll ever be able to get her out of the water.  I haven't taken any lessons, but I went out on a big softboard for the first time about a month ago and felt pretty comfortable, but a little out of breathe after 30 minutes of paddling.  Since then our friend sold me a nice epoxy longboard that I've taken out once, but need more I'll have fun with it.
     But listening to surfers talk, it's amazing the respect and awe they have for the sport and love they feel everyone should feel.  Most of our surfing friends are so encouraging about getting us on a wave and everyone has words of advice, it does seem like a cliche but they "live to surf".  I've seen a 60 year old man come out of the water grinning like a teenager and kids talking to each other about swells and currents and tides as knowledgeable as a TV weatherman (probably more so).  I usually tend to dismiss the hype of this type of thing and I know I'll never be as fully immersed in surfing as many, including Cyndi have become, but I also admit that I'm looking forward to my day on a wave, when my legs are strong beneath me and the surf is rolling before me and surfing's mystery comes  a bit closer into focus.

Randomness Rincon Notes

A few random thoughts...

Uno, our "foster" dog is too sweet to give away, Cyndi's waaaay too much in love with him and I'm developing a little crush on him myself so I think we have 3 dogs now.....

We added a pet adoptions page to our 413 geek site, just because we hear of all sorts of puppies being droped off at people' houses and what can we do?  Not much, but if anyone sends a pic and contact info we'll put it up there....

We've had a lot of luck with renting "La Olita", our downstairs studio, despite the water being turned off from time to time and roosters at 5:30 am, the guests seem to have really enjoyed their stays, $55/night, what's not to like?

Had a really bad dining experience at Brumas Bar and Grill, a restaurant on the curve toward Anasco, we only went there 'cause the fish restaurant we wanted to go to was closed for a private event, but what a waste of $50...

I decided that cooking with coconut milk is pretty cool, add it to rice and veggies for a soupy curry with a little lime and mint, it's pretty rich, but sooo good...

We went to The Best of the Fest, a screening of a film from last year's Rincon International Film Festival.  The movie called This is a Robbery was a funny documentary about a 91 year old bank robber and was pretty good, definitely gets me interested in what we'll see from this years event....

Last Saturday we helped install some trash cans at the Black Eagle Marina with the Surfrider Foundation, thanks to all those that helped, hopefully they'll get used and picked up regularly by the city....

Fernando of Villa Orleans put a post on his blog about a group coming to Rincon this summer to prepare to excavate the shipwreck off the coast of Rincon.  Seems there's a group looking to build a maritime museum filled with what they find.  How cool would that be?

Cyndi's still working on standing up on the surfboard, she's tenacious, I even went out yesterday, but it was too blown out, I'm was having problems just paddling out, she seems pretty comfortable, maybe just afraid to commit to the wave...


A 90 lb Wahoo was caught off the coast a few days ago, great pictures provided by our friend Pablo...

The surf contest on Saturday and Sunday at Domes was packed, we went Saturday for a little while and couldn't believe how many people were on the beach, cool to see thankfully only once a year...

I guess there's a Haiti fundraiser at the Pool Bar on Friday night, our friend Yaro will be playing some music, check rincon.org TAR member events for a posting soon...

We're enjoying Rincon as much as ever, even more so as we meet more people and become more integrated in the fabric of the community, it's a special place, salud to those who recognize that!