An American Abroad
I hadn't lived in Puerto Rico very long before I asked someone where the nearest public library was. I was met with a puzzled look. Well, there are libraries in universities, I was told. There's the Puerto Rico National Library, which contains the … [Continue reading]
I'm lucky. I've had the privilege of international travel. That's something that's been denied to much of the world's populace. Some people are denied the pleasures of travel by law. My American passport is powerful talisman that allows me to … [Continue reading]
On March 29 of this year, a friend messaged me at 8:00 in the evening to say she was locked in at the Santurce Air BnB she'd rented. Literally locked in. She'd misunderstood her host's key instructions and now found herself unable to open the gate … [Continue reading]
During a chance meeting with a survivor of the Pulse nightclub massacre of 2016, I learned that there was a monument to the victims here in San Juan. That made sense, since a 23 of the 49 people slain that night were Puerto Rican. I've been involved … [Continue reading]
I've been hosting family and friends recently. When my son Josh and his girlfriend Jessica came to Puerto Rico for a visit last weekend, we went to the Toroverde Nature Adventure Park in Orocovis, a community perched high up in the mountains in the … [Continue reading]
There's no neon sign outside of El Batey. No neon signs inside either. And praise be, no TV. The windows have bars, not glass. The floor is uneven and rank. The place is open late til 3:00 or 6:00 or whenever. The bartenders will play Iggy Pop on the … [Continue reading]
On my last night in Peru, I wandered the length of Avenida Jose Larco from the sea to Parque Kennedy. I started at the Larcomar shopping plaza, a handsome Miraflores shopping complex perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific. … [Continue reading]
I'm fascinated by the glimpses I get of people as they pass by me on buses, trains, and subways at night. There's a freeze-frame view of another human who inhabits the same planet I do and then that person is gone from my gaze forever. The people are … [Continue reading]
During my stay in Lima, I fell in love with Miraflores, Barranco, and the Parque de la Reserva. However I felt less passionate about the Plaza de Armas, the main square in the center of Lima. Though the Cathedral Basilica of Lima, the Municipal … [Continue reading]
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