Diving at Desecheo

I came down to Rincon in the first place to teach diving. Now in addition to being a PADI Instructor, I am a USCG Master Captain. I take the dive boat out for Taino Divers which is a first rate ticket out to Desecheo Island. We also dive our inshore reefs which can offer great diving. I took the above picture at a site called Cuavos at Desecheo.

While Desecheo is closed to the public for hiking and camping diving and snorkeling is permitted. The temperatures are never lower than 80F in the winter and the visibility can run over 150 feet on most days. Its a great site and one of the must dives in Puerto Rico. Recently Sport Diver Magazine did a series of articles about diving in PR and at Desecheo. You can check out what they saw here.

As the winter advances I'll blog a good bit more about diving and snorkeling here.

Bonfire on Steps Beach

Late yesterday afternoon, Thanksgiving day, we Lemontreers decided to take a drive over to Steps Beach to watch the sunset. Rincon is famous for sunsets and Steps Beach is considered to be one of the best places to watch the sun set as water cascades up on beach and swirls around the concrete steps that have given the beach its name.

We hadn't been there long when these folks showed up and started collecting palm fronds, dead wood and cracking bamboo poles to create a huge bonfire pile.
And as we watched, the pile grew and grew as they found more and more dead wood and bamboo to add to the pile. They had a lot of energy and excitment about the prospect of the bonfire and it showed in their rising pile.


As the sun began to set, they finished up, congratulated themselves and headed home to get their hotdogs and marshmallows and favorite beverages. We were treated to a spectacular sunset behind the "Steps" of Steps Beach and even saw the famous green flash as the sun set in the west. What a spectacular way to end a Thanksgiving day here in our little bit of paradise.

Dia del Pavo

Thanksgiving '08 in Rincon. Many people here do not have ovens or have families so large that cooking the bird is just not practical. We participated in the great morning trek to our local panaderia, EC Bakery where we and a good many others had their order in for the Thanksgiving special. It consists of: Turkey, rice with peas, sweet potato (batata), flan, bread, coke. Bella added home cooked cranberries and skillet cornbread. We had previously purchased a pumpkin pie from Sam's Club. The picture above give a taste of what was to come inside.



The line was long and sadly I had forgotten the receipt. So we waited a bit for the EC folks to assemble our order... Meanwhile this fellow was picking up three, yes three turkeys for his family gathering of 50.



Well, spirits were high and nobody pushed or jostled. It was all nicely done. On the way out I met this lady bountiful with her family's meal.



At home, Bella and I and our oldest son Hamilton sat down for our meal. After the meal in our post pavo stupor we rest. Later on, Hamilton tells me he will get together with fellow graduate students and head out for a party and then tomorrow to the beach.

We are mindful of and thankful for our blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The day before Thanksgiving

This may not seem like the kind of image that comes to mind on the day before Thanksgiving. At least not to the many who come from "up north" or "the mainland. " I saw today that it was in mid 40's and cloudy in NYC but here it was in the high 80's with not a cloud in the sky and with many kids on the beach.

I remember when we lived in the city that on the day before Thanksgiving we would always take the kids over to the Upper West Side for the pre-parade "Inflation." Typically it was cold, raw really... and after all the excitment of watching the ballons come to life, we all were delighted to get back on the cross town bus and head for home. We would get up and go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade too, but the inflation was what we never missed.

Here, Thanksgiving is not a tradition that is as fully observed. It is however, a holiday and we on the Isla know how to do holidays... any of them. Here it means being grateful for family and friends, food and a party. Say... not too different from back in the States but without the Pilgrims and Indians.

Tomorrow we here at the Lemontree will sit down together and enjoy our Puerto Rican flavored holiday.

The Light... its all about the light

I made this photograph early one morning looking down our road 429. Initially what caught my eye was the filtered light coming through the branches of the foliage which crowds in on the road. I exposed one frame, rechecked my settings, and the woman... the "gleaner" walked into the shot. She made this picture. She regularly comes down the road, sometimes alone and often with her older daughter. They collect aluminum cans that are on the roadside or in bins or are left neatly tied up on the fences in plastic bags to facilitate their collection.

We usually think of tropical light as harsh and contrasty as it is from the late morning to late afternoon. The colors are saturated and the whites brilliant. The tropics also have softer light in the early morning with soft oranges and yellows. The later afternoon and early evening will see a bit of pink, color the clouds, and then, of course; our blazing sunsets.

If you like photography or just enjoy the morning with its softer and cooler air you will love our winter dry season. The air is clear and its a wonderful time to walk on the beach or just slowly prepare for the day.

Steps Beach

This picture is of the "steps" at Steps Beach. The concrete steps gave their name to the surfing and snorkeling beach back in the 70's. When the swell is in as it currently is the surf at steps can be epoch and not suitable for newer surfers or those just interested in fun size waves.

Other times, this is the premiere snorkeling beach. The reef comes up to a couple of feet and it is an easy swim to the right from your entry point. The reef is home to huge Elkhorn coral, turtles and a wide range of reef fish. On several days when I was leading dive tours we encountered dolphins coming in close. On another day I had two new diving students and what should loom up was a huge Manatee. Not every day occurrences but the reef is rich. We rent snorkel gear here at the Lemontree or you can rent from a local dive shop.

Not a snorkeler or diver...this beach is great just for lying out in the sun and long walks along the shoreline. The palms come right down to the beach too so there is always shade to sit under and read a good book or take a nap.

You can check out a short video here from our friends at Villa Orleans.

Gift from the sea

We recently had a rather spritual response from one of our guests to our thread on living by the sea. Here it is:

"Living by the sea it is difficult to escape the humbling peace of God's creation. The sounds of the gentle waves and the salty breeze are like His whisper in the conscience calling one back from the world's vanity."

There is no doubt that for many a seaside experience promotes reflection. When we allow ourselves to enter into the sphere of the seaside the basic rhythms and elemental quality of the sea seems to open up a window on our relationship with creation however defined. Perhaps it is to nature, or other people. Perhaps to a part of our own being which has not been acknowledged.

In the mid 50's Ann Lindbergh, the wife of the aviator Charles Lindbergh wrote a wonderful meditation of life and love. The book "Gift from the sea" might be the perfect book to bring with you to the seaside... or perhaps to prepare you for you time away.

The photograph above if from the collection Sea of Memories. You can see the entire collection here.

Surf City here we come...

We thought we would continue with the surf theme today as the swell seems to be of interest to many who are considering a trip. This picture of two surfers ready to enter the water at Domes Beach is typical of the scenes on the northern facing surfing beaches. These beaches are about 15 minutes north of the south facing beaches near the Lemontree. When the surf is in, many of our guests go up to these beaches to check out the sights, get into the water or just chill out.

The names of our surfing beaches are lost in the purple haze of the 60's and 70's when they were named. How about: Deadman's, Pistons or Indicators. Check this out for a map of our surf beaches.

Of course, if surf is not for you, there is plenty else to occupy your time.

The swell is in

This morning we awoke to "the swell." It was well forecast and on schedule as it built in strength overnight. This swell will be with us through the weekend. During the winter months the swells come in from the northwest as large cold air fronts exit the US and make their way south. The fronts create huge waves but by the time they reach us they are the perfect size for surfing. In fact because Rincon is located on a point... one side of which is northwest facing and the other south facing the waves wrap, diminishing in size as they move further south around the point.

You can check out a surf cam for the Puntas here and the surf report for all of the major surf breaks in the area as well.

Since Rincon is a small town of many beaches, for surfers, this means a wave size for every skill level. For lookers, it means an opportunity to cruise the many beaches for great action and to watch the surfers catching the waves. On some beaches it is possible to do body boarding. On still others you can swim and bob in the water and enjoy walks along the waters edge.

At the Lemontree, the arrival of the first swell of the Winter session is always welcome. This one has coincided with the coming of cooler air, in the mid 80's at mid day and the mid 70's in the evening. This morning of the first big swell, the breeze is fresh and tinged with energy. In the distant past, someone told me that the good feelings one has at the beach are due to the "negative ions" that are thrown off by the incoming surf. What ever it is, the sound and peaks of the water and the change in the air mark the beginning of our winter here.

Living by the sea

At the Lemontree one lives by the sea. You awake and go to sleep to the sounds and sights of the waves. Bella Jane and I have been discussing what it means to "live by the sea," and from those discussions, we began a "seaside" project. We decided to write guests of the Lemontree as members of a community of individuals who chose to spend time by the ocean. We asked them to participate in our new endeavor by sharing the feelings or moods that the seaside experience evokes. From time to time in this blog we will share some of the responses.

The following poem was provided by a guest who is a college professor. As a mature woman, with a husband who was disabled by a stroke, she and her husband and two caregivers spent time with us by the sea.

Untitled

As I pick up sea glass, its jagged edges smoothed and rounded by the ocean,

I feel the waves doing the same thing for me.

I feel less sharp, less ragged, less harried.

My perspective enlarges with the horizon, my soul and body seem more in synchrony, and I leave the water feeling clean and refreshed.

Sea of memories, sea of dreams

West Gallery has chosen to represent me for my first photographic exhibition. This morning Bella and I met the gallery assistant from West Gallery which is handling my photographs and we hung a solo show of 25 images in the lobby of Rincon of the Seas. The lobby is spacious and the perfect place to show my work. The hotel is a large inclusive destination resort and the show, will be up for the holidays, which means that plenty of people will see the photographs.

The collection consists of photographs organized as a set of threads themed around the seaside, flowers and the underwater realm. You can get a sense of the show here. I have been working on these images for a couple of years, especially the underwater pictures. I have had the opportunity to shoot underwater in my capacity as a dive instructor and boat captain for Taino Divers. Most of the land based images were made with a Leica using the wonderful lenses that are available for this camera.

If you are in Rincon or western Puerto Rico through Christmas, you can catch the show! Images are offered for sale through the hotel or directly at West Gallery,787 805 0850, and the Lemontree. Oh, we also have many of these images and others in the suites at the Lemontree.

Chance of rain... 50%???

Often visitors, in anticipation of their upcoming trip to Puerto Rico, will begin to check the weather internet sites. Often they find that probabilities of rain are given for every day! Does this mean that they won't be able to be out in the sun because of rain? Will their holiday be ruined by raindrops?

Let me take a stab at this weather probability stuff for Puerto Rico. Today, Weather Underground showed a probability 50% for rain in western PR. What does this really mean? Does it mean that for half the day we will have gray skies and constant rain like one might see in the northeast US? Well, in a word, "no." It is 3pm now and all day the sky above the Lemontree has been blue with not a cloud in the sky. The radar map at 3pm, above, shows a light patch of rain in the south of Puerto Rico.

This is the tropics and during the rainy season (we have two seasons: rainy and dry) we do get rain, typically in the afternoon sometime between 2pm and 4pm. The rainfall which can be heavy or light and lasts for a only brief time and then moves off, leaves the air feeling clean and a little cooler. The rain pattern can also be patchy...believe it or not, we have seen it rain on the beach and not rain five feet away on the Lemontree! During the dry season which runs from late November to late spring or early summer, it's a very rare day when any rain appears in the sky. So the 50% chance of rain from Weather Undergound really means that somewhere in western Puerto Rico and some time in the afternoon for about a 1/2 hour there might (50% chance) be some rainfall! Whew!

A trip to the Mayaguez Mall

Today, Bella and I went to the mall. The reason was for me to buy a pair of long pants. The only ones I have that fit are short and I felt that from time to time there are occasions when a fellow really should present himself in long pants. So we went to Marshals. Actually for many guests the mall does a good job. The Mayaguez Mall is the third largest mall in Puerto Rico and has a Borders, Sears, plenty of specialty shops and it is a great venue for people watching.

Now the video clip above found on You Tube will give you some of the flavor of the experience. Its not Nordstrm's but it is fun.

Doing the Merengue

OK, this is not an actual picture of Bella and I last night doing the Merengue. But it is a little like the picture I have in my mind. Sort of. Last night we were invited to a 25th anniversary party for some friends. It was a local, family only party, held at an outside salon de actividades. The food was wonderful, the cake fab and the beer... too many to remember.

Now, Bella and I can dance the waltz, polka, cha-cha, slow dance and what ever the gyrations of the moment are however Latin dancing... was new ground. Fortunately we had plenty of great models to watch and copy. The groom and his bride were most enthusiastic about introducing us to the pleasures and exertions of the Merengue. They were so good they could make us imagine we were as sexy as we remember being. Sadly, my hips just don't seem to rotate like they used to. What I lacked in skill I like to think I made up in enthusiasm. Best of all no one laughed. This morning a late start, and my knee has gone out on me... so much ice and rest. Bella, that vixen, was bustling around like like she did as graduate student. If you want to know a bit more check out this link.

To Old San Juan

One of the great things about Puerto Rico... and Rincon is that you can get to nearly any part of the Isla without a problem. Today, Bella and I were in Old San Juan. She to continue her musical studies of the Tiple, a traditional Puerto Rican stringed instrument and me... to photograph and just enjoy the city. San Juan is the oldest capital city in the hemisphere and was founded over 500 years ago. The city is walled and the streets are medieval in character. The trip over takes about 2 1/2 hours and most of the driving is on interstate grade roads.

Mandevilla in the morning

Each day when I wake up and go out into the courtyard, the mandevilla plant greets me with new bright yellow flowers. This tropical viney plant thrives on the salt air and breezes here at the Lemontree. When I put them in four years ago, I wondered how they would fare here and they have absolutely thrived. They had grown thick across the trellis between the two cottages and a few weeks ago we cut them completely back to just the bark. Whenever I cut something back I always wonder, "will it come back?" Well, today the tropical mandevilla are again green, lush and covered with yellow flowers. Spectacular to see and such a feeling of life and exuberance. They thrive on what the Lemontree offers...gentle breezes and tropical climate year round! This is a picture Ted took of one of the blooms in the soft morning light.

Sunset

Several days ago I made this photograph from our deck... looking south across Anasco Bay. It was later in the afternoon, just prior to sunset. Because the Lemontree is south facing, during the late fall and winter we see both sunrise and sunset. The day was quite warm, with highs in the low 90's. In the evening, Bella and I look forward to unwinding, talking and letting the evening go where it should. Tomorrow, we look forward to a trip.