Tag Archives: Puerto Rico

Going Forward?

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We MAY be going forward a little with the deal in PR. I searched for the Dept of Natural Resources on the Internet and found their main site, but I could not find a way to locate anyone (the ‘contact us’ form has a broken link), so I searched a little more and found a blog by a man who actually works there! I left him a comment on his blog that we were in need of help and a signature to get going on the process and he set about helping us! That is a start! 

Apparently we need to send a letter to the San Juan office with the details and copies of deed, survey, blue prints, etc. All of which…we have none of.  So I emailed the request to Carlos, the lawyer, and then called Awilda, the current owner, to let her know the plan. She said she would call Carlos, and Britton will as well.

Awilda also said she talked with another lawyer and that lawyer will try and contact the Dept as well to see what is going on. I don’t even know what type of document it is that we are waiting on. Awilda seems to think the delay has to do with this being an election year, and therefore there is anxiety in who will be the new leader (governor, I assume?) Things work so differently there.  Hopefully this is a little nudge forward. We’ll see.

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Coffee Zone in Puerto Rico

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I saw the following article on the Internet today. This is really similar to what Britton and I would like to do there in Puerto Rico. I wonder how difficult it is to become a “Coffee Zone Certified Hacienda”?  There is even one in Lares, which is the city we will be in…hmmm.

New Coffee Zone Warmly Welcomes Visitors

Puerto Rico is a popular tourist destination with much to offer travelers who choose to explore this exotic country. Ever mindful of the fact that tourism is a major source of income for the country, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) has announced that ten historic coffee plantations will receive certification by the Department of Agriculture and the PRTC to form a new tourism concept that will be known as the “Coffee Zone”.


Puerto Rican Coffee Berries

These ten haciendas are located in the towns of San Sebastian, Jayuya, Ponce, Adjuntas, Lares and Las Marias. The objective of the new Coffee Zone is to draw attention to this thriving local industry that generates around 60 million dollars annually, while at the same time promoting the ever increasing interest in agrotourism. Visitors will be introduced to the daily way of life on a plantation, as well as being able to enjoy a host of activities such as hiking, walking and bird-watching in the lush mountainous regions where the plantations are situated.

Coffee in Puerto Rico is graded and certified in line with international standards and is exported to different parts of the world as well as supplying the needs of the island. The selected coffee plantations are eager to participate in this new concept and to welcome tourists to their plantations, thus the PRTC will be highlighting the Coffee Zone in upcoming tourism promotions. The selected and certified plantations are Café Bello and Sagra in Adjuntas; Anna Coffee Estate, Hacienda Gripiñas and Hacienda San Pedro in Jayuya; Café Laredo in Lares; Palma Escrita/La Casona in Las Marias, Hacienda Buena Vista and Hacienda Patricia in Ponce; and Hacienda El Jibarito in San Sebastian.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company, which has been in operation since 1970, supports the development of the Puerto Rican tourism industry by evaluating tourism facilities and establishing standards of quality. With offices and representative on the United States mainland, Canada, Latin America and Europe the PRTC actively markets Puerto Rico as a tourism destination. Certainly Puerto Rico is a country of great natural beauty and the new Coffee Zone will no doubt encourage more people to enjoy what this fascinating country has to offer.

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Phone call with Carlos, the lawyer in PR

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I called Carlos. 

 

Basically he doesn’t know how long it will take for the department of natural resources to do their part. (all the rest is hear-say)

 Carlos hasn’t told Alwilda yet.  Then he went off on “he doesn’t know how long she can wait”. 

BK: well she doesn’t really have a choice does she?

Carlos: They may need to sell it to someone who has the cash upfront.

BK: Why would someone buy a property that isn’t titled correctly?

Carlos: It would be the same kind of deal that it was when she bought it.

BK: What kind of deal is that?

Carlos: A cash deal

BK: Well I don’t know many people that have that much cash, is there someone else waiting to buy an un-titled/not properly titled property?

Carlos: You would be surprised, that is how we do things in the rural parts

 

Which comes back to, if a bank can’t buy it because it is missing something or there is a problem with the title I don’t see how anyone would want to buy it (unless of course they didn’t know).  Makes me wonder if Alwilda even ‘owns’ it!?!

 

I suggested that we could talk to Alwilda and maybe work something out until the bank financing goes thru and he said that is something that “she would have to decide”.
It’s tough working on something like this that you have no idea how to influence from 2000 miles away.  

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Pollo Frito

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Puerto Rico is not known much for its food, although if it stuck to the more traditional fare, it could be. The staple dish is rice and beans, there is sofrito (flavorful sauce), piraguas (shaved ice), pasteles (kind of like tamales but with yucca root -casava- instead of corn meal), mofongo (we ate at a restaurant called Mr. Mofongo and thought that was great!) and pinchos (chicken on a stick with a piece of french bread on the end). They also have tacos and burritos and other foods you would think would be like Mexican food, but they are all deep-fat fried. And of course, pollo frito! I have never seen so many fried chicken fast food restaurants! They are everywhere. And then we noticed what it did to many of the people. Most of the teenagers were in pretty good shape, but after about 20-25 years old, a LOT of them ballooned big time. So Britton (and my) code phrase for an extremely overweight person is pollo frito. Anyway, now you know the code, so its not so much of a secret.

The reason I get off on to this subject is that I want to raise chickens in Puerto Rico for their eggs, and maybe their meat. I do not think I could kill a chicken, so Britton would have to do that part. But I am sure the chickens would live better than most of the chickens in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). They would be free-range and eat all the grains, bugs (big, yucky bugs I hope!) and fallen fruits. But I don’t want to wait…After going to the county fair this weekend with Britton and our niece, I think I may have Britton convinced to let me have a laying hen/chicken or two in our backyard! I think it would be good practice. Plus Schnoodle needs help eating all these grasshoppers! I just hope that there aren’t foxes, skunks, weasels, etc that will eat them here or in PR. I am still worried about Callie for that same reason. Still no sign of her. Maybe she’s on summer vacay….

Here’s a video of Noodle trying to help rid us of the grasshopper take-over, but I think she is playing more than working!

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