Thanksgiving in Rincon Puerto Rico

Thanksgiving morning we saw a spectacular sunrise. The sun had its golden and pinkish halo as it rose above the horizon in the East. The day was quiet, as the waves gently caressed the beach. What an incredible way to begin a very special day.

We spent Thanksgiving with family and friends, talking and enjoying each other's company. We ordered the Oferta de Accion de Gracias from EC Bakery. They cooked a fabulous pavo (turkey) for us along with arroz con gandules (rice with peas), batata (incredibly delicious sweet potato), and flan. To this Puerto Rican inflected menu, we added a pumpkin pie, cornbread dressing and cranberries.

We also played music, a traditional activity in Puerto Rican households. Families gather around and those that play instruments, play! I played the cuatro and tiple and Ted the bongo and everyone else joined in also with claves, bells, guiro or seed pods. We sang and played and laughed and played some more. What a joyous time together.

Two of our guests were from Columbia and so we discussed with them the origins of Thanksgiving and our gifts from those steadfast pilgrims who came to the new world seeking freedom of religion and liberty. No other country has been founded on such basic beliefs. And though, the first Thanksgiving was held many years prior to the founding of the country, Thanksgiving continues to this day as the most important celebration of our freedoms and historic past. We all agreed, God Bless America.

Gallos (Cocks) Exhibition in Rincon, PR

This past Saturday, we passed by a very local establishment that is a favorite with the locals for sitting with a beer and talking with your friends and catching up on local gossip. On Saturday, they were having a very exciting event for Puerto Ricans who raise cocks and like cock fighting...the training of the gallos (cocks) for the upcoming season. In the photograph above, you see the gallos waiting for their turn in the small arena.

Here in Puerto Rico, Gallos Fighting or Cock Fighting is a revered and honored tradition. Cocks are raised and nurtured and trained for battle in the coliseum. Cock fighting means to be alive. Almost every town has its own Gallistico or arena for cock fighting.
We struck up a converation with this boy who proudly showed us his family's gallos. The white are believed to be the most beautiul and yet the more varied and darkly colored are thought to be more aggressive. To be good in the arena he told us, great plumage is important along with a strong heart and a "go after the other guy" attitude.

















This man is the time keeper and counter. In this training exhibition, he counts how many times each gallo strikes the other. In the other photograph, you will see what looks like a orange rubber anklet. This is to protect the cocks from each other during this training. In the coliseum, they have more combative gear.







Yes, this is two gallos in the arena. They were really, really fast! I took a lot of stills but as the gallos weren't still, they are difficult to see. In this one, you can see them with their heads together. As I watched I was reminded of the bullfights I had seen in Spain and the coliseum in Rome.

Fortunately, my camera has a movie feature, so I shot about 30 seconds of one of the combats. The combats last three minutes. You will hear the shouts and excitement from the crowd. This is a betting sport and we were told that high spirits and high bets prevail when the gallos meet in the coliseums or gallisticos.

Rincon Puerto Rico is home to beautiful sunsets

A picture is worth a thousand words and almost daily Rincon lives up to its reputation as being home to beautiful sunsets! We were out grilling hamburgers by the ocean last night and look what a sunset we saw...simply breathtaking.




For this photograph, I simply turned the camera upwards towards the sky and captured this exquisite color-filled sky. When I am given the gift of seeing such a sky, I feel truly blessed.

Brown Pelicans have returned to Rincon, PR

What a happy day! The Brown Pelicans have returned to Rincon Puerto Rico. We awoke today to the weather front that had moved in overnight, covering the western coast with dense clouds and rain and....the arrival of the brown pelicans! I quickly grabbed my camera. In the photo above, you are able to actually see some of this bird's coloring and the enormous wingspan. From his light underside, he is most likely a younger bird. The bird sitting on the water is older as his head coloring is much darker.


The Brown Pelicans will dive, capture their fish and then momentarily sit on the water. Then suddenly, as if directed, all take off and swoop around again for another dive.

In this photo I managed to capture a pelican diving head first into the water for a fish, a satisfied bird sitting on the water, and one taking off after his meal! Notice the enormous splash as the pelican hits the water. They hit with a lot of force and almost always get their fish! Spectacular to watch.
Note: To see more detail in the photographs, if you click on them they will come up in another window and be a little larger.

Demonstration for Workers in Viejo San Juan, PR

Last Friday found us again in Viejo San Juan. Once we arrive, we like to take a walk and always take a camera in case we see something about which we would like to blog or remember. This demonstration was beginning in Plaza de Armas, Viejo San Juan's main plaza or square. The workers are protesting the termination of about 17,000 workers from the government payroll. I moved in really close to them for the photographs and they seemed quite pleased for me to be shooting them, along with the other news media photographers. As a slight aside, please note the blue cobblestones on the street. Those cobblestones are said to have been used as ballast in ships that came to San Juan from Spain centuries ago. The cobblestones are very thick, quite blue and beautiful in the sunlight.


They marched through the streets to a platform set up a block from La Forteleza, the govenor's residence. As the Governor was the one to do the terminations, the demonstration was directed at him. The demonstrators were not allowed any closer to the residence. While loud and stident in their voices and speeches, the crowd was law abiding and respectful of property and those of us watching them. We on the Island take our politics and our political views very personally and public demonstrations of those views are acceptable and expected.