As you may remember, we were worried about the black chicken before we left for Puerto Rico. She was not moving much, wasn’t eating, and had some problems “going to the bathroom”. We thought she might be egg bound, but weren’t sure. Before we left she was walking around again, but her tail feathers were down. While we were gone in Puerto Rico my mom came over and fed the chickens and Kitty. She said the black one was walking around and greeted her at the greenhouse. Well, when we got back, she was laying on her side with her feet sticking out to the other side and her eyes were all glazed over. When we would pet her or pick her up, she would awaken, but wouldn’t move or sit on her feet. I had a feeling that if she wouldn’t even sit on her feet anymore she was probably on her last leg so to speak.
The Black Chicken in Happier Days
This morning Britton went out to feed them and she was stiff and dead. It feels silly to mourn a chicken, but we feel bad that we couldn’t do anything to save her. At least she didn’t die while Mom was watching them…she waited until we got back to pass away. Well Black Chicken AKA Pepper we’ll miss you, you were a nice chicken and we wish you well on your way to wherever chickens go when they die.
We arrived back at DIA in Denver at about 8:00pm to cold weather. We were just starting to get used to the time difference, so it felt like it was 11pm to us (Puerto Rican time) -the weather difference was easy to get used to! 🙂 The flight was uneventful, but as we went from Puerto Rico to Miami and then Miami to Denver we saw a definite shift in people, and we knew we were back in plain, sterile, straight (roads) and fairly uneventful Colorado.
We were trying to describe the difference of Puerto Rico and Colorado to people. It’s kind of like being in a dream world and then waking up in boring reality (or Greality -Greeley- in our case). Another way to describe it is going to Toon Town (PR) in Roger Rabbit and back to the regular world, or going back to the black and white part in the Wizard of Oz after seeing the Emerald City (Colorado is very drab right now with virtually no color and Puerto Rico is just covered in color and life). It is an awesome difference where there is something new and unknown around every corner, but I suppose it is also nice to have a boring routine to go back to as well- like warm water in the sinks and showers, and where time actually means something concrete and not vague.
Our last few days in Puerto Rico we met up with Nick and Miri again after trying to see another movie that the theatre accidentally forgot to start (again time is something very vague there). We also met with Dios Dado and he took us to Lago Dos Bocas near Utuado and we took the free boat ride across the lake.
Orocovis town center plaza
He then drove us to Orocovis where we had Longostino (sp?) for lunch. It was real criollo Puerto Rican food, and very good. Orocovis is the dead center of the island.
Now that we are back, it is bittersweet. We were just starting to get the swing of that lifestyle and now we have to readjust. We still have a lot of pictures and stories that we’ll post in the coming days though. We left on pretty good terms with Awilda, all things considered, and we still may buy it. In Puerto Rico, you never know anything for certain.
This has been such an adventure. Its been filled with drama, suspense, action and relaxation all mixed in together.
On Saturday night we tried to go out salsa dancing. A snap right? Wrong. We went to Mayaguez because it is the biggest city on the west coast, but no one knew of any salsa clubs, or dance clubs in general. So, instead we went to the Holiday Inn and Tropical Casino and lost $17 dollars on roulette and slots (big spenders I know!), and then went to the Mayaguez mall to walk around. Later that evening we watched a movie called “Taken”. It was fun and with subtitles in Spanish. Unfortunately for me when the villain Russians would talk, the subtitles were in Spanish and I didn’t know what was going on unless I asked Cassie to translate them.
We stayed at home yesterday instead of going boating. I think since we pulled back from the deal Alwilda didn’t want to bother her daughter Lilly to take us boating. So we hung out and just slept in the hammock, read and ate a bit of food. Mid-day we started to hear some noise from across the bridge. Sounded like a party?
Cassie being the adventerous type wanted to go and check it out. So after some coaxing she talked me into it. I knew that I wouldn’t understand much of what was said, but hey…why not?
We (Cassie) talked to some of the local folks (who they call jibaros or country people). Apparently every Sunday they have this fair right at the bottom of the bridge. We were wondering what this little shack was used for…well…its for selling beer! This is where the locals come to sell their horses, cars and whatever else might be around. They kept running the horses up and down the street. It was kind of cool, I could imagine that this was most likely going on for 100 years or more? Of course without the cars; but the horses and beer were most likely present. We went for a walk out on the road and found some ‘morir y vivir’ (dying and living plants). These are so fricken cool! I didn’t know plants could do this. When you touch them they shrivel up as if they are dying, then come back a few minutes later. Its some kind of defense mechanism so they dont get eaten.
We have decided to spend the few remaining days of our vacation on the beach and eating good food. We drove into Rincon. We stopped in at the Tamboo Tavern for lunch. Cassie didn’t like her fish wrap too much, but I enjoyed mine and the rest of hers 😉 Then we went to the beach and just laid there for a few hours. It was sunny with a sprinkle of rain. It felt really good.
Well, we have been pretty busy these last few days. We went to San Juan with Awilda to help her deliver some pasteles, pick up yuca and other supplies and talk with Carlos, the lawyer in charge of the property proceedings. While at the meeting with Carlos, Britton asked Awilda for the deposit back and…after delaying and trying to put it off, she finally wrote out a check a day later after he asked her again about three times. It is a great weight off our shoulders, but I am sure that the weight has now been placed firmly on hers. But really, I think we have been pretty patient considering we gave the money over a year ago with nothing to show from it…They can’t sell the property and don’t know when they can. Soon, it is alway soon, they say, but never is. Paso a paso (step by step).
So we are still in line if we are interested in purchasing it at some unforeseen moment in the future, but we are also now free to look without worrying about getting our money back, and she is free to look for a buyer who can buy it without a properly filed title. (Good luck!)
After that drama and awkwardness, we decided to get together with Dios Dado, the man we met on the airplane on the way in. We met him in el centro de Lares at the famous Heladeria where they have a variety of ice cream flavors including rice and beans! As we were trying to find a parking space some dude in a big ol’ pick up truck backed right into us and then ran off! Luckily it only left a minor scratch in the front fender where the rental car was already scratched. Hopefully the rental car people don’t notice. Crazy drivers, seriously!
After enjoying our ice cream and hearing a history lesson about the area from Dios Dado (who is very knowledgeable and a former history teacher), we followed him up to Arecibo to park our car in front of one of his friends’ house. They invited us in to have lunch. I think that was the best meal we have had since we have been here, and we have had some tasty food. They fixed up some habichuelas, arroz, ensalada, tostones, chuletas de cerdo, jugo de naranja and quesitos! It was awesome. I now know what really good Puerto Rican food should taste like. It is a lot different than the vegan versions that Awilda has served.
After telling chistes, talking about antiques, and telling travel stories, we headed off to some of the north coast beaches. Dios Dado took us to Arecibo, Manati, Barceloneta, and Vega Baja. It was a windy day and the waves were high. We saw an old abandoned mansion that Britton says would be great for playing paintball (they call it “Gotcha” here). It was an awesome day. Thanks Dios Dado!
Even the trees are dancing!
Later that evening we drove back “home” through the fog and rain. It was kind of cool knowing we were basically driving through a cloud at the top of the mountain. Sometimes I think about that part in “Batman” where his cave mansion appears after a curve in the road on a foggy night. That’s how it was last night. Anyway, it has been a very interesting trip so far, and there is more to come! Stay tuned…
