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November 8th, 2009 – At Sea, 18 29N, 065 56W
by Herb McCormick
One week ago today, on a sweltering Sunday morning, the crew of Ocean Watch stepped ashore from their berth in the center of Old San Juan after a tidy, but steamy, passage from Miami. With the exception of Texan Michael Reynolds, our current scientist in residence, we’re all Northern boys, and some of us were dealing with the searing heat a bit better than others.
One of our favorite treats and rituals after an ocean trip is a big breakfast ashore, and on the muggy run from South Florida food had been a low priority, so we were all famished. On the recommendation of the newspaper reporter who greeted us, we ambled up the street to a diner called the Café Mallorca. Church was just over and the place was humming, with lots of locals among the customers, which is always a good sign. We had to wait for a table, but it turned out to be worth it. There were lots of neighborhood characters about, as well as plenty of perspiring gringos waiting to board their cruise ships, so the street scene and people watching was highly entertaining.
Once seated, we ordered coffee and juice, and Michael asked for a serving of papaya, as did I. But something was lost in translation; Michael got his fruit, and everyone else their orange juice, but the waiter brought me a tall papaya smoothie instead. I took one long gulp and thought: Good golly. It was tall, cool, pink, icy and wonderful. Actually, all things considered, it was the most delicious, refreshing concoction I ever tasted. And it set the tone for almost everything that transpired thereafter, for it’s no exaggeration to say our visit to Puerto Rico, like that memorable shake, was just one pleasant surprise after another.
Today, the voyage of Ocean Watch resumed after a week’s hiatus, bound for the lower Caribbean and points south. Like, way south. Joining the permanent crew for the immediate stretch to Brazil are Jen Price and Rick Fleischman, seasoned Alaskan cruisers and friends of skipper Mark Schrader. Rick and Jen are fine, experienced sailors, and it’s good to have them aboard as we head across the Equator and on to South America.
But first, let’s recap our adventures in Puerto Rico.
Our slip at Pier One, on what might be termed Cruise Ship Row, was centrally located and very convenient, but it was also tucked well into the bay, which meant that it was humid and airless. So while the skipper returned stateside to visit his dad and attend to business, Dave Logan, David Thoreson and I decamped to the air-conditioned ambience of a local hotel called the Casablanca. All was well until the city’s water main broke and the taps went dry. However, the owners of the Casablanca also managed another place around the corner called Da’House, which is not the name of a rap song, but which did have a cistern and running water. So we kept our rooms in the Casablanca and were given keys to second rooms at Da’House. Having two suites in one town was a novel experience: It was like having a vacation from our vacation. I mean, we had a place in the city, and a place in the city. I can’t recommend it highly enough and will seriously consider booking multiple rooms a few blocks apart for all future travel.
Those travels will definitely include a return trip to Old San Juan. From the historic fort at the harbor entrance; to the charming, blue-cobblestone streets; to the colorful and distinctive Spanish architecture; to the fun, endless pubs and restaurants; to the backbeat of the salsa and samba drifting down the alleys and serving as a permanent soundtrack; to the friendly, engaging locals, visiting Old San Juan was a fantastic experience, and one we’d be more than happy to repeat down the line.
But that goes for all of Puerto Rico.
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| Nilda Aponte, director of the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, served as host for the crew’s visit. |
Our host for the visit was the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, and a contingent of students and faculty, including director Nilda Aponte, paid a visit to Ocean Watch at the beginning of the week. Then, a couple of days later, we rented a car and drove out of the city, bound for the school’s laboratory, facilities and docks on the 22-acre island of Magueyes, right off the coastal town of Parguera on the island’s southwest coast.
Stepping off the launch and onto the island was rather rattling: In the 1930s, well before the place was bequeathed to the university, Magueyes was a zoo, and today, the legacy of those bygone times are the several hundred iguanas that literally have the run of the place. Associate director John Kubaryk gave us a tour of the island, which serves as a research institution with a graduate program in marine sciences for about 65 students at any given time. It was the Day of the Iguanas, all right, and frankly, it freaked us all out.
However, we were lucky enough to be at Magueyes on the afternoon that
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| Hundreds of Iguanas have the run of the island of Magueyes, right off the coastal town of Parguera. |
Roger Hanlon, a senior scientist at the Marine Biological Lab at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, was in attendance. Roger’s main focus of study is the camouflage properties of octopi and certain species of fishes, and we were lucky enough to sit in on his fascinating presentation on the subject to the students at the college.
The next day, we did some fieldwork of our own. Under the direction of dive-master Milton Carlo, we embarked on a drift dive on a site called Media Luna (Half Moon) Reef. Milton explained to us that in 2005 almost 70% of the coral in much of the Caribbean was lost after a bleaching event that caused catastrophic damage over widespread areas. The exact cause remains unknown.
“It’s very sad,” he said, “to dive and see places where coral that was alive and beautiful existed not so long ago.”
The highlight of the underwater tour was a beautifully lit coral garden in the latter stages of the dive. The color and variety of the fan-like coral was exceptional. “Those are the gorgonian corals,” said Milton. “Many scientists think they’re the future of coral because the constant movement of the water washes away the sediments and algae.”
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| The color and variety of the fan-like coral was exceptional. |
On the way back to San Juan, we stopped for a sangria tasting at the small factory that Nilda Aponte’s father, Fido, founded, and which Nilda and her sisters run to this day. Then it was off to Rincon, on the northwest coast, which has become a surfing mecca and the scene of a recent world championship event. Unfortunately, we caught it on a relatively flat day, but there were still a few riders seriously shredding. Plus, a long swim in the crystal clear waters made it well worth the stop.
Back in San Juan, we learned that the port authorities needed our slip on Pier One for an incoming cruise ship. Luckily, local sailor and marina developer Thomas Cordero – whose love and knowledge of the waters surrounding Puerto Rico is unmatched – arranged for us to dock at the world-class facilities of the Club Nautico de San Juan, a mere two miles away. As with everyplace else in San Juan, commodore Ralph “Agie” Vincente, dockmaster Israel Diaz, and sailing program director Jose “Yoyo” Berrios treated us like royalty. When we asked what the fee for the dockage would be, Yoyo said, “It’s taken care of, my friends.”
Okay, so here’s my mea culpa. Truthfully, when I learned we were stopping in Puerto Rico, rather than nearby St.
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| Rincon, on the northwest coast, has become a surfing mecca and the scene of a recent championship event. |
Thomas, I was fairly disappointed, as I have a lot of good pals in the U.S. Virgin Islands and am much more familiar with the lay of the land. But after a week on P.R., with a fresh appreciation for the mountains, coastline, fishing, sailing and culture – but especially for the fantastic people – we have to say this highly underrated destination has been a highlight of our ramblings thus far. So, thank you Puerto Rico. We can’t wait to come back.
Early this morning, Dave Logan and I returned to the Café Mallorca. We’d beaten the church-going crowd, and settled down to a table by the window. Outside, a manic, enterprising gentleman who looked like a Puerto Rican Frank Zappa, right down to the wild eyes and the clipped beard, was waving cars in and out of parking spots for tips, and putting on quite the show in the process. He was wearing brand new Nikes that were getting a good workout; the entrepreneurial, unauthorized valet parking business must be very good. Dave and I had a chuckle at his antics.
Of course, we both ordered a papaya smoothie, thus ending our visit to San Juan precisely as it began. Then, with the sweetest of aftertastes to our entire Puerto Rican affair, we paid our bill, caught a cab back to the boat, and sailed out of town.
- Herb McCormick with photographs by David Thoreson
This crew log submitted by Iridium OpenPort and Stratos
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