Puerto Rico, Day Four

Once again, I headed out early - this time to the Luis Munoz Marin airport to observe CBP (Customs and Border Protection) process arrivals. Most of the process is pretty routine, but it's still cool to watch. Passports these days are sophisticated; they have a readable chip that includes a photograph and bio data. The CBP officer scans the passport and then takes a digital photo of the traveler for comparison, using face recognition software. Awesome. The morning went by really quickly and before I knew it, it was time to meet R for our final adventure in Puerto Rico.

The El Yunque National Forest is amazing, even in the drought that Puerto Rico is currently suffering. It wasn't as drippy as I expected, but beautiful nonetheless. The visitor center is entirely outdoors, which I thought was a stroke of genius. I was hoping to see some wildlife while we were there, but no such luck - just lush green landscapes. Poor us.

In a tower overlooking the rain forest.

Because we got to El Yunque fairly late (it's a bit of a drive from San Juan), we didn't get to spend as much time as I wanted to exploring the hiking trails. Next time!

The next day we got up and went in search of a leisurely breakfast. We first checked the menu at the beautiful ocean-view bistro at the hotel but instead of having breakfast we had a good laugh at the prices ($14 for oatmeal?). We moseyed down the street until we found a great little local place that allowed us a table right next to the open window, just steps from the ocean. Paradise in Puerto Rico.

You can bet we'll be back!

Puerto Rico, Day Three

I rose early and headed into the heart of San Juan for my consultation with USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). What an interesting morning - I had an great conversation with an officer about rampant document fraud, and then was able to observe two interviews that were conducted in order to confirm the validity of relationships. I can already tell I'm going to love this kind of work. :)

R picked me up after the consultation and we headed out to see old San Juan. In Spanish: me gusta mucho Old San Juan. We spent a few hours roaming about the Castillo de San Cristobal and the Cementerio de Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis. I love cemeteries, so I had a grand old time while R waited patiently, probably wishing he were somewhere else.

The streets of old San Juan.

Christopher Columbus, doing his discovery thing.

The view from the Castillo.

Looking toward the city.

Is it just me, or does this look like an Andrew Wyeth painting?

A stiff wind, to be sure.

I really love this view.

The castle offered really amazing vantage points.

This was inside of one of the buildings, and is my favorite photo of the day. I'm seriously considering having it enlarged and framed.

An overview of the cemetery.

I was really struck by the amazing statuary.

The flag and the sea.

I particularly like this photo.

A last photo of the juxtaposition of the headstones and the wide open ocean.

We really had a marvelous time and loved our visit to the old city. We had lunch at a little place near the Columbus statue and enjoyed walking around taking in the view and the history of the place. We're already making plans to return.

Puerto Rico, Day Two

Sunday in Puerto Rico. R and I rose early and looked out over the city. While I don't like to drive in congested areas, city scapes are lovely to look at from a distance. Over our balcony we saw quite a few people running along the sidewalk, so we decided to do as the locals do and forced ourselves into our running shoes and set out. What I love about running in an unfamiliar town is that it serves two purposes - you get some exercise and you get to see what the neighborhood is like. It was already very warm, even early in the morning, and the humidity was pretty high, so we didn't run very long - that's going to take some acclimating. It was a great view of the ocean, though, and we ran at a leisurely pace, discussing our options of what to do for the day. We had heard about Ponce from Destinos during language training, so after a quick shower and breakfast, we headed out.

The drive took about two hours from San Juan and we got to Ponce around 11:00 in the morning. We immediately headed to the Plaza Las Delicias to check out the lion statues. The city is named for Ponce de Leon y Loayza, the great-grandson of the Juan Ponce de Leon that is perpetually seeking the fountain of youth in everyone's memory. "Leon" in Spanish means "lion," and the Plaza Las Delicias has a colorfully painted lion on each corner. I was surprised at how small the square was, and the fountain in the center wasn't working, so I came away a little disappointed.

Next we visited the Parque de Bombas, which is a little museum devoted to the firefighting days of yore. You can't miss the museum on the street; it sports a pretty unique look.

I wonder what Señor Ponce de Leon would think of these fellows?

The Cathedral of our Lady of Guadeloupe is also located on the square and, it being Sunday, a mass was being held while we were in the area. We were resting on a bench near the fountain when we heard a beautiful voice singing a hymn in Spanish. It was coming from the cathedral, and since the side doors were open and I could see there was room on a pew immediately inside, we went in to listen. After the woman finished her song, the priest began his sermon, but I couldn't hear very well. It didn't really matter, though, because when I'm in any Catholic church in the world, I just sit quietly and think of my mom. It's my own private communion with God. We stayed through the mass, standing respectfully when others stood, making a donation when the offering basket came by, bowing our heads when a prayer was said. It was lovely. Out of respect I didn't take a single photo.

By the time the mass ended, it was time for lunch. We went in search of the Museo de Arte de Ponce, which got great reviews on TripAdvisor. We ate a little lunch (which included a delicious cupcake), and then wandered through the museum. The price was exceptional (five bucks), and the collection was really impressive. I loved that it was just the right size - it wasn't so big that I was overwhelmed, but it was big enough to offer a large variety of artists and artistic periods. Well done, Ponce!

I'm embarrassed to say I don't know who the artist is for this painting, but I remember it was a biblical scene. It was really well done, trust me.

We drove back to San Juan over the central mountain range - and what a twisty, narrow road that was. There weren't any shoulders on the road, and nearly every curve offered a little restaurant/bar (although where you'd park is beyond me (hence no photos), and the thought of drinking and then driving on that road is terrifying). The bamboo plants were huge - upwards of 60 feet, and it was like a rain forest in the clouds. I'm glad we got a chance to see it, but I'm also glad I don't have to drive that road again.

Puerto Rico, Day One

We arrived in Puerto Rico, dragging our two cats along with us. We had made arrangements at a pet-friendly hotel so we hurried through the car-rental paperwork and headed straight to the Vanderbilt Condado to let them out of their carriers. Unfortunately, we arrived at 1:30 and check-in wasn’t until 4:00, so we drove around and eventually found a park that we thought they might like. We parked and dodged through traffic to cross the street, jostling poor Calvin and Seamus along the way. Of course, we had only brought one harness and leash, so we were forced to keep Seamus confined while we sat on a bench, unzipped Calvin’s miniature prison cell and strapped him into the harness. We clipped the leash on and set him down. He was completely freaked out and cowered. We said soothingly, “Look, Calvin!  It’s a park! You’re in the fresh air! The ground isn’t moving! And bonus – there are chickens roaming about!” (This is actually true. There were indeed feral chickens roaming about the park in the middle of San Juan.) Calvin, however, was not impressed. Nor would he be moved – he just laid there, glancing anxiously about. We tried the same routine with Seamus who, if possible, showed even less enthusiasm than his brother. What could we do? We sat there a few more minutes feeling sorry for the felines and finally decided that we’d go back to the hotel and beg for mercy from the check-in staff. By that time it was nearly 3:00, so we figured luck might be on our side. The staff took one look at our grumpy expressions, took one whiff of the fear pheromones being exuded by the cats, and took pity on us. Our room was suddenly miraculously ready, and we hurried up to the 12th floor. R and I let the cats out of their carriers and immediately went out on to the balcony to look at the city view.

Calvin and Seamus immediately hid under the bed.

The Vanderbilt has a really nice piano bar that reminded me of 1940s movies – very elegantly appointed with leather and brass and tropical vegetation. Before dinner we enjoyed a drink there (R had an amazing rum from Guatemala, and I had the best mojito on the planet) while sitting by the window and gazing at the beautiful ocean view.

We had dinner in the hotel and then wandered outside into the evening. A Spanish children’s program was being projected onto a huge screen in a park-like setting right next to the hotel, and there were vendors selling food and ice cream, and lots of families enjoying the festive atmosphere. Spanish was floating in the air and drifting all around me, leaving contrails that I could almost see. I caught phrases here and there and snatches of conversation.

And suddenly the combination of the dark, deep ocean, the warmth of the sea breeze, the explosion of color in the flowers and buildings and clothing, together with the lyrical language around me made me catch my breath. I contrasted that moment to where I was a year ago, to where I was 10 years ago, 30 years ago. Life moves a fraction of an inch at a time and suddenly a year has gone by and you’re miles from where you were, both figuratively and literally. You don’t feel the change from one minute to the next. It doesn’t seem possible that it’s really you, little you from a small town in Wyoming, standing in a park in Puerto Rico on a summer evening listening to Spanish swirl around you.

But it is. It really is.

Now if only the cats would come out from under the bed. 

That's a wrap

For our last day in DC, R and I woke late, ate a leisurely breakfast of blueberry pancakes and mimosas, and then walked into DC for a visit to the National Gallery. We love walking those five miles!

We passed the Pentagon and the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove (an undiscovered gem of a place, if you ask me - shady pathways and views of Columbia Island Marina - and by pushing a button on a kiosk you can hear Lady Bird Johnson describing why the grove was created), and then crossed the Washington Memorial Bridge.

We passed the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument, walked along the mall and took in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, which includes a "wish tree" donated to the city by Yoko Ono. In front of the tree is a supply of pencils and paper tags (including strings for tying to the tree) for visitors to write their wishes. Along with many others, I suspect, I wished for peace in the world. Read more about the tree here.

The National Gallery never disappoints. Even if I've seen some of the collection before, I love being in the same room within breathing distance of world-renowned artists:

Mr. van Gogh, I presume.

Renoir - R told me his family tried to complete a jigsaw puzzle of this image
when he was a kid, but gave up. "Too many blues and greens." :)

Not your typical Toulouse Lautrec.

You've just got to love this lady and her crazy talent and moxie.

Albert Bierstadt, my favorite!

We took the metro back for an early dinner at our favorite Irish pub in Pentagon Row (I had Guiness and beef stew - how could I not?). 

And now, R and I are enjoying a nice glass of wine before tackling last-minute packing for the adventure to come.

The Federalist - quite apropos.

Pack out

Our little apartment in Arlington is now devoid of anything that belongs to us. Except for the clothes that will be packed into suitcases early Saturday morning, all of the meager possessions that we used to make the generic corporate housing feel like "home" are gone. Hurray! The movers arrived at 9:15 a.m. and were gone just over three hours later. Marvelously efficient.

If we come back to DC in the future, I don't think we'll stay here in Crystal City. It's (very) close to the metro, which is convenient, and there are restaurants on 23rd Street that we've enjoyed, but the apartment itself is in need of remodeling. Our intention is never to come back to DC long term, but additional training is always a possibility, depending on the post, so I can't rule it out entirely.

The great news is that the efficiency of the pack out allowed us time to take in a Washington Nationals game! We had terrific seats, the weather was overcast, the beer and hot dogs were great, and the Nats won!  Perfect.

We're certifiable dorks, it's true. 

Is it just me or do these two logos look eerily similar?

FSI, I knew thee well

I did my final out-processing at the Foreign Service Institute (at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center) today. Normally on such occasions, we tend to say the parting is "bittersweet." Not so in this case; although my time at FSI has been mostly informative and fun, I'm completely ready to move on to post and put my training to use.

Spanish took its toll, but I loved ConGen. Every day I would come home from school and think, "I chose the right profession." I love the thought of helping U.S. citizens abroad and even of being "on the line" and conducting visa interviews. We should probably check in about two years from now and see if I still feel the same. :) I learned a lot, but surely have much more to learn. For now, I'm excited about the work that lies ahead.

A few memories of the FSI campus:

The room where the Flag Day ceremony took place.

Flag Day with a few of my colleagues. Oh, my, how young they all are. :)

Me and Ben, right after A-100.

The campus in spring.

The statue of Ben Franklin is located just outside of where I was in A-100. It represents Franklin's role in US diplomacy.

Many was the time my Spanish classmates and I would walk the 1-mile loop around campus, speaking only in Spanish, praying that we would achieve the necessary score in our evaluations.

Another view of the campus. Beautiful all year round, but especially in the summer.

Memorials close to home

This morning R and I rose early and walked to the Pentagon Memorial. It's a somber reminder of 9/11 outside of New York, and honors the 184 people, aged 3 to 71, who died when terrorists took control of American Airlines Flight 77 and flew it into the Pentagon. It's a beautifully simplistic design - each person is represented by a marble bench, with the benches arranged in such a way that when you read the name engraved on the bench you are facing either toward the Pentagon (signifying the person was in the building at the time of the attack) or away from the Pentagon (signifying that the person was on the plane).

The date and time the plane hit the Pentagon.

We continued our walk and went to the Air Force Memorial, about a mile away. I love this memorial. It's so dramatic, and perfectly represents the Air Force. From www.airforcememorial.org:

The Memorial itself is 270 feet high and appears to be soaring. Its array of arcs against the sky evokes a modern image of flight by jet and space vehicles. At the same time, it enshrines the past in permanent remembrance of the pioneers of flight who came before, and pays homage to those of the future.

And from Wikipedia:

The three memorial spires range from 201 feet (61 m) to 270 feet (82 m) high and appear to be soaring; its array of stainless steel arcs against the sky evoke the image of "contrails  of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they peel back in a precision 'bomb burst' maneuver." Only three of the four contrails are depicted, at 120 degrees from each other, as the absent fourth suggests the missing man formation traditionally used at Air Force funeral fly-overs. 

If you look closely, you can see a jet taking off from Reagan National Airport.
(Toward the bottom of the clouds on the left side.)

Teeny tiny Washington Monument on the left.

It almost looks like the ocean. Or space.

High Flight
John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
- Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

John Denver's version.