Tuesday, June 12, 2007

I'm SO Going Back!!

Hello there!! I am back and fully detoxed. Yeah. That was fun. You know, I never understood why folks chose to get wasted to the point of suffering the next day. I still don't, except that it's funny to read what you wrote the next day. My body is starting to love me again. I've been all organic and water and fresh produce to her for the last 2 days. I owe her. Big time.

Puerto Rico was great!! There was perpetual salsa in the air. There was so much sabor in everything: the way people walked, the cadence of their speech, the music (of course) and the food. I am completely enamored of Borinquen. There were brown people everywhere. Beautiful brown people. Thick brown people. I felt so at home not to be among folks who are afraid to eat. There was lots of enjoying of life going on on that little island paradise and I am so going back. I don't know why I'm so drawn to Latin America, but it's in my soul somehow. I felt so at home. Many of the sentiments were similar to my feelings in Argentina (though, not too many brown people there -- story soon to follow). I loved every moment I was there, even when I was working like a slave on my birthday and sh*tting my brains out 2 days later. (TMI? Meh, too late.)

The food was awesome. My first stab at mofongo was horrid, but I quickly learned that it was because I chose the first restaurant poorly. The rice and peas were off the CHAIN!! Yum, yum all the way around. I don't think I ever had room for dessert. I can't think of one sweet thing I ate...except for my birthday cake, which was delectable. And the fruit, dear God. I'll show pics later. (I'm sorry. I'm just lazy right now.)

The best part was the inter-generational social circle: the dance floor. I was so amazed to see 18 year olds and 65 year olds dancing salsa side by side. Each night there was a different salsa band at the hotel. The locals come to the hotels to dance, especially towards the end of the week and the weekend. Salsa crosses generational lines like nothing I've ever seen. Sure there was a viejo verde or two, but for the most part, it was just a love for the music. Everyone felt it. Everyone dances it. Everyone. I was in heaven.

I'm back to the real world now and longing to go back. I have a call in to a travel agent to schedule a group trip back there for the end of November. It would be so much fun with the folks I love. I hope we get a good group to go. Email me if you're interested. I think there's an email addy for me in the profile. If not make it all public in the comments.

I'm making lentils and sausage (chicken sausage) for dinner and I'm starving. I hope it's done, because I am certainly ready to eat.

Have a good night all and, if you haven't eaten yet, buen provecho!

Chau.

8 comments:

Andy said...

YAY!! You're back, and you LIVED! :-)

Glad it was such a fun trip... um, I mean job-related travel task. Yeah, right. That's it. Work related. Uh-huh.

Welcome home, hon!

Anonymous said...

Are you using my recipe for lentils and sausage or do you have your own? If you do, please send it to me. I love lentils and sausage.

You know, I've been to Puerto Rico and I felt like I belonged there. The people are magnificent. It's the kind of place that I love, where the culture of the place smacks you in the face and they make no apologies about it.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Lex, it sounds like a fantastic trip! I love Latin culture, too. There is an aliveness and joy that often seems lacking in stateside America, especially the white bread communities.

And the food is divine.

A very happy belated birthday to you, and a beautiful year.

katrice said...

We're glad to have you back! Savor those memories as long as you can. By November you'll be ripe for another go at it.

House-hunting will probably pre-empt our ability to go, but don't think we won't try.

Lex said...

@ Andy

It WAS hard work. Seriously!

@ Debbie

It was inspired by your recipe, my dear.

Culture with no apologies. Well said.

@ Heart

Thank you so much! I want to go to Cuba next.

@ Katrice

House-hunting? You goin' somewhere?

EsLocura said...

I can't believe you were in my neck of the woods and no one told me ... damn I knew I should have posted a comment earlier.

jali said...

Sounds like soooo much fun.

I think I'd like to hang with the cool kids so I'll let you know.

Anonymous said...

hey where did you stay. I was discussing with my friends where to vacation this year and Puerto Rico came up. Was it a hotel with a beach?