San Juan Deli

San Juan Deli

Diving Board - "How do you remember all those details, Mel?" I asked a friend who has already seen half of the world. "It is incredible, Abhi! You'll be surprised to see how much you remember when you travel a lot and alone".

This is based on my notes and memory. The conversations may not be the same exact spoken words, however there is absolutely No exaggeration. 

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Tickets – check. Hostel - booked. Planning… hmmm not quite there yet. Just before I started planning, my friend bailed out on me. My sincere thanks to Brijesh Patel for not coming. With you not being there, it was possible to do all the crazy things and meet interesting people.

Five days before the trip I discovered that it was sitting on a house of cards. I had booked hostel room from Oct 25th - Nov 2nd instead of Dec 25th - Jan 2nd. After frantic internet search and few phone calls later, I was lucky enough to find a place in the suburbs. It was close to a train station. I didn't want to rent a car for the entire seven days of my stay. I would need it only to travel outside San Juan. That meant I would have to rely on a transport system that even locals do not trust!  

Home

I arrived in San Juan on the Christmas day. The airport was not busy. I took a cab from airport to my host's place. The cab driver hardly knew any English. I had to call my host and get the cab driver on phone for directions. They chatted in Spanish. Sounded like everything was sorted out. The driver was a good man. Being a US territory, Puerto Rico follows US system of freeways and exits. But lanes and cars are smaller. All shops and restaurants were predictably closed. The area I would be staying at was mostly a business locality. I saw a lot of clinics and closed restaurants.

"HOLA!! Abi? Abby? I am Yolanda. Sorry I only know hmm little little English". Yolanda is 36 year old lady, short, curly hair, cute face but with a manly, loud laugh! She is my host. She is sweet and she looks sweet too, so when you hear her laugh for the first time the sound and the visual won’t fit together. She usually rents out her rooms to students who come to San Juan to learn Spanish in one of language academies in Old San Juan.

"Since students are low on budget and my place is close to train station and also in a safe area it works out pretty well for them and me too." "How does it work for you?", I ask. She tells me that she is unmarried and stays alone. This gives her an opportunity to mingle with people around the world.

"I have met hundreds of people in past few years". Fact check - Yolanda has 4,500+ Facebook friends!  

The house had a living room, kitchen, a study room (common to all occupants) and four bedrooms. Out of which one guest bedroom was behind the house and had a separate entrance. She gave me the guest room in the back and explained me the rules for locking / unlocking the main gate, house and my room.

"Extra guest is $25 per night”, she winked “HA HA HA!!” I wish I got lucky enough to spend those extra $25. I said in my mind.

She introduced me to a Kazakh girl who was staying in the same house. She studies at Syracuse  University but she was in San Juan for a month to learn Spanish. She looked Korean / Japanese.

"Hi! I am Abhi, nice to meet you".

"Nice to meet you too. I am Elena". She was sitting on a couch. She was tall. Pretty face, pretty hair 22 something, but seemed reserved. She retreated back to the couch, folded her long, spotless legs. She then picked her laptop and started watching a video with her elbow resting on the side of the couch. It was difficult to keep eyes off her beautiful hair falling over the bended elbow. She was clearly disinterested in any kind of conversation. Yolanda was super excited. She asked me ten questions within five minutes. It was a total contrast of personalities. 

'Hey, what is the plan for tomorrow?’ I sent a text while Elena, Yolanda and I were walking to the nearest Domino’s for dinner. All other restaurants were closed. I started wondering while having pizza and conversing with the two ladies, that if Elena was socially challenged. I couldn't pronounce her name correctly after few tries. "People must learn to pronounce at least names right", she said bluntly. It was first couple of hours of my stay and I had already started disliking her. I didn’t want to judge her right away though. And I am glad I did not because what I was going to find out about her after five days was not so pleasant.  

I was checking my cell phone for any reply. Nothing so far. "We are in Condado area. Planning to go to distillery and the forts. May be we can go together or meet for lunch. The cell phone reception is bad here". I got a reply to my text message before I went to bed.

The Do's and Don'ts

It is important to be aware of what's happening 'around' you and 'with' you when you are on a foreign land where people speak unfamiliar language. Some general tips for solo travellers -

 1. Before you venture out, write down the address of the place where you are staying along with at least two landmarks. There is possibility that someone you ask for directions may not know one of the landmarks. If they don't know both, then either you screwed yourself or you are asking the wrong person.

2. Write down the train / bus number, what stop to alight at, and also the stops before and after your destination so as to get ready or to know if you have missed yours. I kept a small diary, where I would write down all these things.

3. Observe 'how' locals do stuff.

4. Do not let cell phone battery drain out completely until you come back to your room.

5. Always keep a paper with some phone numbers handwritten like - hotel number, cab services, anyone you know in that city etc. Never keep this piece of paper in your wallet.

6. Always keep some change. Number 5 might be completely useless if you do not have change. Don't keep this change in your wallet.

7. Strike conversations with locals and ask them where do they usually eat and have fun. Give preference to the suggestions form the people who are alone, students, hawkers, fellow travellers on bus / train. Places that tourists visit can be abundantly found on Yelp, Tripadvisor etc. Be different.

8. While dealing with strangers - Talk, smile, exchange experiences and then… move on. Know them but don't try to know them too well.

9. It is okay to travel with strangers. But, make it clear what you want to do and stick to it. If you try to accommodate them, it will slow you down.

10. Always let your host or your hotel or your close friends know what your plan for the day is, not details but something brief. Eg. "Hey, I am going to NASA space center and plan on taking a cab. Will see you late night". This helps - for safety and for getting additional travel tips.

11. Do not skip breakfast.

To friend or not to friend

Next day early morning, I met Yolanda and asked her for places to visit and directions. She was very helpful. She asked me to be careful with my camera equipment. "Don't remove it while traveling, Ok? And show me the pictures you click in the evening, HA HA HA!!"

"Yes, sure thing!"

I headed out and bought a $15 weekly pass to travel on buses and train at the train station.

Yolanda recommended that I visit the Condado beach before heading to Old San Juan. Condado is a tourist area adjacent to Old San Juan. The main street that goes through this area is almost parallel to the water body and houses nice restaurants and 4-5 star hotels. This place is busy with tourists who come from all over the world. Most of them were couples or families. I had to make a bus connection to reach there. The bus arrived after a long 40 minutes wait! It travelled through narrow roads and welcomed people from different walks of life. It was like being in any small Indian town with names of the shops changed to Spanish. Roads were busy on a week day morning.  

I alighted at a stop close to the beach. It was a little late in the morning, almost noon. I started walking after having a big breakfast. All the hotels in Condado have a private beach. It was bright, sunny and there was a nice sea breeze.

Condado has a very urban beach. It is flanked by hotel buildings and condos. Nevertheless, it is beautiful! Azure water and sunlight bouncing off the waves, heavenly! Men, women, kids and their grandparents, all were enjoying the Caribbean warmth and the cool breeze.

I clicked some pics under the harsh sun. I sat on the beach for some time to relish the calmness. I checked the time and realized that I shouldn't be sitting there for too long. I had to be at Pier-2 in half an hour. I had absolutely no idea where it was! I asked a street side vendor for directions and bus routes. I rushed. While I was travelling, some conversations ran through my mind -

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"When are you going to Puerto Rico?" my friend asked me.

“Dec 25^th to Jan 2^nd. Why?”

"Oh, some of my friends from work are going there during the same time, may be you can plan some trips together", he said to me.

"Dude, Sightseeing with strangers? I am not going there to ruin my vacation. It’s okay for one or two days but for seven days? Not really! And how well do you know them?“ I asked him blankly. He introduced us over an email anyways.

It was not until his friends asked me where I was staying, that I realized I had booked the hostel for wrong dates! Ok, so they deserved some attention for the act of kindness. I had sent them a text on the Christmas evening while going to Domino’s.
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I managed to reach Pier-2 just in time. The ferry was preparing to leave in few minutes. I met the two girls. One was quiet and the other was talkative. One would think twice before doing anything, the other would throw herself into the situation. I wondered how they travel together. In the first few minutes of the conversation I learnt that one of the girls is from Chennai and the other is from Pune. It is called stepping on an axe. I started shaking my head. I wondered how we would travel together!  

We were headed to the Bacardi distillery. I think I manage to go along well with people, but since I prefer not to count chickens until they hatch, I decided to talk less, listen more and be as much observant as possible. The chat was getting boring after a while. I was relieved when they met one of their other co-workers from work.

Bacardi is branded and marketed as Puerto Rican rum. There is a lot of history to this place that served as Bacardi HQ. One has to take a 10-15 min boat ride from pier-2 to Catano. The boat rides cost a dollar for round trip. There are taxis on the other end that will charge $4-$5 for one way. 

The complex is located on a sprawling land. The visitor center is designed to resemble a bat, which is a Bacardi logo. Two giant wind turbines towards the East end catch your attention. Everyone over 18 yrs of age is given two free drink tickets. One can try any of the Bacardi spirits. The tour operates every half an hour. We boarded a tram that took us to the entrance of a building. This tour is guided and it's free! Tour guides will explain you the process of rum making and history of Bacardi as a company as well the Bacardi family. You can smell aged rums, look at the memorabilia of Bacardi family, old logos, photos etc. It's easily an hour-long tour. Back in those days, there was no such thing as company 'logo'.  As Bacardi's business started growing, they needed some kind of identification on their bottles to differentiate their product from other ordinary spirits. There was small bat colony inside the early buildings where they would make rum. That's how the logo originated. Towards the end of the tour, in an impressive room, a bartender will demonstrate how to make Mojitos and tell you an amusing history of one of the most popular cocktails worldwide - Rum & Coke.

We looked for some souvenirs in the gift shop. I didn't want to buy anything though. It would mean carrying additional weight to the San Cristobal fort. I was content traveling with a camera bag, a bottle of water and a map. 

Everyone was very hungry after the tour. We decided to get some food on the opposite shore – Old San Juan. As the name suggests it is the old town. It's been there since past five centuries or may be more. It is the place where most of the touristy fun happens. Restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, clubs, party buses, party boats, street food, toy vendors, art houses - you name it and it's lined up on those narrow very-European cobblestoned streets. We must have been back to Old san Juan around 4 PM.

The two girls were vegetarian. They had some trouble ordering food, but unlike others they at least knew what they wanted. The chef accommodated their requests very well. I got invited to Arecibo Observatory and Camuy caves over lunch/ dinner. I didn't mind sharing gas and car rental, I said yes. 

I was on my way to San Cristóbal Fort. It was perfect Caribbean vacation weather. Cool breeze, clear skies, slant golden rays, and festive atmosphere. I love places with character. San Juan definitely has a lot. One will not feel alone in Old San Juan. This place holds your hand and walks with you. You smile for no reason. 



San Cristóbal is a mighty piece of architecture. It rises more than 125 ft from sea level. If I were an enemy attacking it, I would have felt disheartened and gave up the thought of entering the six-layered fort full with narrow lanes and dungeons. It may not be as charming as the El Morro fort that I visited after few days but it is very beautiful indeed. You can catch the glimpse of El Morro and the magnificent ocean from San Cristóbal. The sight of evening moon made my day!

Statue of Columbus

I saw a small neighbourhood tucked between the road that connects El Morro and San Cristóbal and the seashore. I thought it would be great to go down there and stand on the rocks facing the limitless mass of water. Turns out that it was the worst idea I could have ever had!

I passed an elevated plaza with a small market place inside it. There were fountains on both sides of the stairs. In front of the plaza was a tall statue of Columbus. I stopped there few seconds to admire the art and the great man. I guess I missed the goofy smile on his face. He probably knew that after few days I would solve a problem and simultaneously create another one right here, under his nose!

I called it a day.

As soon as I entered the gate, I was greeted by Yolanda's carefree laughter. It dissolved most of my tiredness. As I was entering her living room, she asked me if I have dinner plans. I told her I had late lunch and some snacks. I thanked her for her hospitality. Elena and me ignored each other like two high-headed kings.

Nature, science and In-the-pickle

I tried to call the girls in the night, but the call didn't go through. We hadn't decided about time and place to meet the next morning for the Camuy caves trip. I text them. There was no reply before I went to sleep…. and no reply after I woke up.

I still decided to get ready and leave as fast as I could because I knew that the meeting point will be definitely somewhere in Old San Juan. On my way, my mind was busy making alternate plans in case this plan falls apart - take a one-way cab to the caves? If I can take cab to caves then why not take cab to Culebra Islands? Rent a car? Just hang out at El Morro? Make friends with strangers? My thoughts were interrupted with their phone call.  

The girls changed location twice as I was traveling. It wasn’t surprising. All the feminists reading this are free to take a pot-shot at me but I think women can’t make up their minds quickly when it comes to deciding on time and location for anything. It was annoying because of the sparse public transport. Finally, I was told that my pick point would be Catano. If you remember one has to take a ferry ride from Old San Juan pier to reach there. Excellent choice!

Finally, I was picked and we started our hour to hour and half trip to Camuy caves. I restrained showing my displeasure about the pickup point. After all, the ride was a favour on me. They told me that it's difficult to drive in San Juan's traffic and that Catano is on the way to the caves. It made me feel much better. I took a deep breathe and swallowed the vexation.

Puerto Rican landscape is picturesque. The island is an irregular rectangle of 160 km x 90/100 km. They have small hills, tiny mountains and lush green forests over which pretty clouds stop by before heading towards the North America. I was savouring the view from the back seat.

People in the countryside are religious, down to earth, friendly and welcoming. Being a US territory, it follows the interstate system of roads. The speed limits are posted in MPH but there is no mile marker; they have kilometer markers. That is a bit weird.

I had a good conversation with both the girls. The usual stuff - life in US, job, family and so on. It never got boring. I was getting some confidence that I might get along with my co-travelers.

Amidst all the talking, fortunately we soon realised that we were heading in the wrong direction. We had lost our way to the caves!

After getting help from four non-English speaking islanders, wasting 45 minutes, witnessing some extra ordinary manoeuvres that would put rally car drivers to shame and cursing other drivers, we were back on the correct route. Turns out that our GPS is screwed up. The maps wouldn't load right and GPS would lose connectivity far too often due to dense trees and winding roads. Somehow, we reached! Tip for traveling within Puerto Rico – Print online maps before the trip to compare with the GPS route. 

We bought our tickets and waited for the tour to begin. We were already an hour behind the schedule due to confusion over the pickup point and bad GPS. A multi-car shuttle took us down the serpentine and steep concrete slopes to drop us in front the cave entrance. There are two huge and impressive chambers inside Camuy caves and that's about it. I didn't feel it was as majestic as the Natural Bridge Caverns in TX or the gigantic Carlsbad caverns in New Mexico, not even close. There was a lot of tourist activity but no focus on conservation. I honestly felt that we could have done without it. 

It was a hot-humid day outside. We were off to the next destination - Arecibo Radio Telescope Observatory. It is one of its kind radio observatory that exemplifies man's effort to find out more about his existence and the Universe's origin. Spread over 1000 sq ft., it was built on depression. The curvature, a giant disk of perforated aluminium of which the electromagnetic waves bounce off and an antenna sitting on 900 ton trusses supported by three tall and giant pillars that stand approx. 300 feet. This antenna collects waves for scientist and students all across the globe. Scientists at Cornell chose this spot in 1960's because it was far from human civilization so that there is less interference for the interacting radio waves. It is the largest single dish radio telescope of the world by a big margin. (Well, until 2016. Chinese are catching up very 'FAST' (look it up)) Must visit for a science student! 

Soon after it began to rain. Two colours dominated the landscape - grey and green. It was placid. Time didn’t seem to have any relevance. The scenery was cut from a National Geographic’s travel magazine and pasted on the terrain. We hung around for a bit in the science museum inside the visitor center and took off as soon as it stopped raining. 

I was thinking about the one big screw up that I had in this trip. I didn't rent a car. I knew it might not be easy to get around without car but I didn't know that it would be practically impossible to go around the island using public transport. I decided to go home and check for rental availability. We had late lunch-early dinner (again) at a local restaurant in Catano, discussed next day's trip and chilled.

I was very comfortable with the two girls by now. I had become friends with – Deccan Express and Kathakkali.

I was very keen on visiting the Culebra islands on the next day. I won't say much about these islands. If you do some cursory Internet research, you will very quickly understand why they can be aptly and modestly described as heavenly! I wanted to go there the next day. But, I just found out that the ferry for Culebra leaves from Fajardo, which is 55 miles from San Juan. If you are lucky, it might take you only 4.5 hours to get there after changing a number of buses (if they run) and knowing exactly where to go for next connection. Remember, there are no signs and people do not speak English. 

KT and DE were planning to go to Viesques Islands for which the ferry leaves from the same place. But since the ferry timings didn’t match, we couldn't go together.

I had got a text from Yolanda while we were on our way back. She had asked me if I would be interested in meeting a Japanese guy who shall be staying in one of her rooms for few days and that if I can plan trips with him. I gave her a definite yes. I asked her to give my phone number to him and told her that I am going to make a trip to either Viesques or Culebra for sure. I'll leave early in the morning. I didn't know how it was going to happen, but something in me made me type that text. I realized that my battery is low. 

A few minutes later, I got a call from Carlos while I was waiting for the food. I got his contact through one of my friends in Houston when I was frantically searching for places to stay. I had emailed him before leaving Houston but he never replied. He was out of town spending time with his family and now he was back. He called me within couple of hours of getting back to San Juan. I was excited! This phone call could be my ticket to the islands. My excitement died soon after he told me that he is tied up at work and cannot give me ride. I told him that it would be great to know someone who might be able to help. He said he would call me back. I was worried that my battery might get exhausted. He called me after few tensed minutes. 

Carlos probably called ten people within those few minutes. He not only tried finding a ride for me, he actually looked for someone willing to give me their car and he gave me some leads on things to do. He had already checked the availability of tickets for bioluminescence and lighthouse tours. Nothing worked out due to heavy tourist traffic coming into San Juan. However, one of his friends promised him that he would put me on the top of wait list. If someone cancels I can definitely get in. I wasn't too optimistic because generally travellers do these activities in groups and they plan it much ahead of time. I didn’t know how to thank him. We decided to meet at pier-2 in 45 minutes. I narrated this small episode to DE and KT. They were hopeful that the situation would sort out.

I was back on the ferry. I was awed by the sense of hospitality that Carlos offered. He picked me from pier 2. 

Carlos is small size guy in his late 30s. He looks very composed, modest and smiles. His English is good so we can communicate comfortably. He works with an environmental watchdog as analyst. He tells me he loves his job. It's chill, good paying and allows him to work with nature and conserve it. He drives a full size SUV that looks very big on the small Puerto Rican roads. He is divorced. He politely turned down my dinner invitation. He had to be with his daughter for dinner. 

There are two streets in San Juan that are flanked by car rental companies. One is near airport and the other is near Condado. One will find all the rental companies on these streets, you name it - National, Budget, Avis, Enterprise etc. Some of you might find it unbelievable but this is a true statement - Carlos drove me to each and every car rental location in San Juan. But, I was so jinxed that nothing was available even for a day. He dropped me back at old San Juan. I didn't understand how to thank him. I poorly managed. 

I started walking down the streets with no purpose. There was a plethora of thoughts running through my mind right now. I was feeling annoyed at myself because I overlooked the car issue. I made a very wrong and uninformed assumption that I will get a rental if and when I need it. At the same time, I was thinking about what I just experienced. I knew Carlos through one unanswered email, two brief phone calls and then one and half hours car ride through the busy arteries of San Juan. I agree that nothing worked out, but did he leave any option unexplored? He certainly did not. Why would someone help a stranger to this extent? How many of us would come back from a long drive after seeing your family, pick someone you don't know and then go to each and every car rental you know in your town while your loved one is waiting for your company? These little experiences re-establish our faith in the goodness. It was inspiring.

I stopped at a small plaza. I sat on the stairs beneath Columbus’s statue to keep my camera and lens inside the backpack. My cell phone had only 3-4% battery left. I switched it off and kept in the bag. I didn’t know what the time was. I hardly ever wear a watch. I asked a tall lady sitting two steps above me for the time. “It’s time to party!” She laughed. I did too. “9:15 PM.” She then said politely. “I was just messing around.” She probably thought that I was mad at her given my weary look. “No, you are good. I am too tired to react.” 

“Did you have a long day?”

“Yes, I did and it’s not over yet.”

“I went to the caves. Just came back. I have to have dinner before the last bus leaves for the train station.” 

“You must hurry.”

 "Yes. Do you stay around here?"

"No, I wanted to take a break from my hectic schedule. I live on the west end of the island. I come to old San Juan whenever I want to get away. My job is very demanding. I have to work on weekend sometimes. Where are you from?” 

“Houston.”

“Really? I have been there, I loved it. I share an unusual bond with Houston.”

Ten minutes later, we were sitting in a nearby restaurant.

I realized we don’t know each other’s name. “What’s your name by the way?” She smiled. “Oh yea, we forgot to introduce each other formally!”

I name her Monte Carlo.  

We had conversation over our meal. Monte Carlo has some sense of fashion. She likes big things - earrings, rings, bags. She is HR professional, in her mid forties, extremely skinny, very brown and tall. She looks thirty because of her skinny appearance. She told me she runs and sleeps a lot.  She is very outgoing and outspoken. But, she is sensitive to other's needs and helpful to others. She has a 22 years old son who is very much into surfing and yoga. According to her one of the best surfers she knows. Monte Carlo might be right on this one. The beaches near west Puerto Rico are known for their tall waves. It's a surfer's paradise. If one does the math right, it is implied that she got married at a very young age. The fact that she is alone and wants to get away suggests she must be a divorcee. We talk more and I find out that she is. The divorce broke her. She wasn't the earning member but now she would have to earn for her son and herself. So, she joined school with her family's help and picking odd jobs. She had struggled a lot and come a long way! Monte Carlo told me she had a boyfriend from Houston. It was a long distance relationship. She gave him a surprise by visiting Houston only to find out that he was married. It shattered her to pieces. According to her, everything cruelly danced in front of her eyes when she learnt that I am from Houston. Her Houston connection was not so pleasant one. But she liked the city. “In big cities like Houston, people are not lazy like they are over here. They want to move forward in life.”

"Did you plan your trip before coming here?"

"Yes and No. I knew where I am staying and where I want to go but don't know how. I didn't rent a car. I want to go to Culebra tomorrow but I will think about it tomorrow morning. How about you?"

"Wow, beautiful place! I have been there many times. I just want to hang out in San Juan. People from my town are really old school and prejudiced. I cannot stay in their company for long time. I need breaks. But, I don't know where to stay. This was an unplanned trip."

She told me that if I have to go to Culebra or Viesques, I have to reach pier by 6:30 AM in the morning. I was losing all the enthusiasm. I switched ON my cell phone and text Yolanda to tell her that if I am going out, I shall call the Japanese guy at 5 AM. If I don't, I am not going. Monte Carlo and I kept talking about food, weather, US, India, Puerto Rico, culture etc. But, I was getting restless. 

"What if I find you a place to stay and you give me and my friend a ride to Culebra?"

She laughed, "I think you are getting too impatient. I don't want to spend more than $60-75 per night. If I don't find anything tonight, I will drive back." 

"I am serious. You can stay with me in my room if you don't mind. It has two twin size beds. Just pay me $25 but only if you can give me a ride to the pier tomorrow." I said blatantly without any second thoughts.  

It was almost 10:30 PM. A little back and forth about the logistics. Questions, doubts, answers. She agreed. Trip was on! I turned ON my cell phone again send a quick text to Japanese guy. Yolanda had given me his number.

Monte Carlo was extremely bad with directions. My cell phone died. I couldn’t see any maps. The only important landmark I knew was the train station close to my accommodation. After several stops and asking directions to cops, twice, we reached the bungalow at about 11:45 PM. It was supposed to be a 15-17 minutes ride.

"I am extremely tired", Monte Carlo yawned. It was alarming. "We have to get up in another 4.5 hours", I replied. She smiled, "Yes, I know. I don't know how?" "I set an alarm. I’ll wake you up when I am done." She agreed. I took a shower and came out of the bathroom. Monte Carlo was staring at me. I looked at her. She was sitting against the wall on her side of the room. Her long legs folded upright. The only light was coming from the bathroom and falling in the space between our beds. I had kept the bathroom door open. Monte Carlo didn’t react when I looked at her. She was watching my each and every move. I hooked my phone and camera battery to their chargers and quietly went to the bed. She was still watching me. It was little annoying. "I thought you were sleepy", I said very calmly. "Yes, I am. But I am tired to a point where I cannot sleep. I am wondering why you allowed me to stay with you for a night?” She chuckled. “Why you ask that?” “Do you want anything from me?” “No, do you want to give me anything?” “Yes, $25” she laughed. “Didn't anyone tell you that San Juan is dangerous place? What if I take away all your stuff while you are sleeping? What if I am a serial killer?" Monte Carlo was back to her randomness. I didn't want to start any discussion that will take up a lot of time. "I have never met a serial killer before, so I don't know how to identify them. But, I do know from common sense that serial killers don’t print business cards and they do not use a credit card and driver's license with the same name as printed on that business card. And do you know that statistically speaking female serial killers typically kill people they know as opposed to make serial killers who don't know their victims? You don't know me and I don't know you either. So.... who should be more scared?” I smiled. Monte Carlo laughed, "How do you know that?" 
"Ok, I am sleeping now. Good night! And please wake up tomorrow!"

May be she forgot that she had given me her business card in the restaurant and it was by pure luck that our server placed her card and ID card on the table in such a way that I could conveniently read it within few seconds.

Blissful retrospection 

It wasn't too difficult to wake up Monte Carlo. I called the Japanese guy and asked him to be ready. I finally got a chance to meet him early morning. "Hi I am Wang".

Me and Wang started conversing. After a brief stop at a breakfast place just before leaving San Juan, we began our journey. Monte Carlo was driving. "Are you from China?", I asked Wang. "Yes." "Oh, Yolanda told me you are Japanese!" "Yes, she got confused". "Where are you coming from?” "San Jose". "Software engineer?" I asked him looking at his geeky t-shirt that told a coding joke. "Yes, I am". "I have always met an Indian or Chinese person that most of the time was either a engineer or doctor." Monte Carlo interjected. Conversations continued.

Wang has slightly elongated face unlike other Chinese people. He wears black thick-framed glasses. He is a bit reserved and takes time to understand humour. He is a light traveller and had a small backpack. He was carrying just enough for the trip. His iPhone saved the day for us. His cell phone maps were working. With Monte Carlo's direction sense, we would have come back to the same place in San Juan after circling the island.

We reached the pier and literally ran towards the ticket counter. The morning breeze was very humid. It was chaotic, crowded and there was a long queue. Only looking at it made my eyes sore, forget getting into the line and reaching the counter. I looked at the time. It was 6:45 AM of a weekday. Someone told me that we are lucky to stand in the queue. Usually tickets get sold out online (and others through 'connections'). The mention of the word 'connections' made me feel at home and hopeless.

It seemed there were two different queues. Commotion everywhere. I stood in one queue and asked Wang to stand in other one. Monte Carlo was socializing in Spanish language. The queue was moving at snail’s pace. There was no chance we would get tickets to Culebra. They were limited. The tropical sun was coming up fast and mercury of my frustration was rising higher.

A finance professional from Boston, standing next to me called his hotel and enquired about Culebra tickets. He told me he is not interested in going to Viesques and might find some alternative. Fifteen minutes later, he pulled out of the queue with his travel mate. I asked him if he has made alternate plans. “No, I am getting in the cargo ferry for Culebra.” My frustration level peaked at that moment.

Suddenly, a familiar face appears from the crowd with a bright smile. “Hey! Didn’t expect to see you here! You got a ride?! Did you get your tickets yet?” DE asked. “No, working on it! And yes, got a ride!” I introduced her to Wang and Monte Carlo. She and KT were going to Viesques and had zip-lining plans later in the noon.  I was not disappointed when they told us Culebra was all booked. No brainer. We decided to hangout together till afternoon. We three would be staying back and getting back to pier to catch the evening ferry.

I slept all the way to the islands. There are cabs that take you can to different beaches (playas) at a very nominal charge per person. As soon as we reached the waterfront I added ‘towel’ to the list of “forgot to bring” items. The last, lucky towel in the souvenir shop had my name written all over it.

Sun was on the top. It was a hot and a lot humid, but serene, peaceful, beautiful day. The vastness of a sea has a very profound effect on man. Every crushing wave attacks the tall buildings around us. The buildings of ego and pretense. The buildings inside which sadness, joy, secrets, fears and ambitions take shelter. They fall, brick by brick, wall by wall. Every crushing wave dispels the sounds in the foreground to the background.  Sea and the sky provide us with a magnificent canvas to draw our thoughts on. The sea does it effortlessly and effectively like a skilled surgeon. It cuts you to reveal the you, to you. And the sound of the waves act like an anesthesia. They become the sound of our thoughts. You bleed but you don’t feel it. I like sea.

I sort of remember what I was thinking about. I was contemplating about the next year. What was in store for me in the next year? What was I doing here with a bunch of strangers? Do they have any purpose in my life? Is it merely a coincidence? I didn’t have an answer. I was not even looking for one. I was busy frolicking with the sea breeze. I looked at my shadow. I thought it was luckier than me. How easy it was for it to lay on the sand, hug the Earth, be a part of it and feel all its beauty and love. It knew my questions but it still decided to be mute. My shadow, my part, is unhelpful and careless. I started gazing at the waves again. There were some overnight campers at other end of the beach.

“What about lunch?” Someone asked. The sound broke the shell I was in. Voices came back to foreground and sound of the waves hid in the background. We went to a restaurant by the promenade. DE and KT had to leave in an hour to catch the ferry to be able to do zip-lining. Monte Carlo’s half-baked mind ordered her to have some rum cocktail. Hot and humid weather, insufficient sleep and sipping alcohol under the sun created perfect recipe for headache. She started giving Wang and me, a headache over her headache. I was not happy with that. She started incessant requests for one more night’s stay at my room. I was disinterested because I didn’t want to put up with her randomness and irritatingly offbeat behaviour. She was not a bad person. But, I felt she had some negative energy around her. I realized that since morning no matter how hard I tried, her every gesture and word was pissing me off. It could have been just me. I kept telling myself that without her, there would have been no Vieques trip on cards. But, the selfish devil inside me told me that her purpose has ended. I decided to get rid of her. 

Getting rid of our ride means taking a cab back home. But, I was okay spending money and I was pretty sure Wang was not stingy, just had to convince him. In the meantime, Monte Carlo’s phone died. She was really good with short conversations. She got herself a charger from a villager. I asked him if they have any hotel rooms or if they allow someone to rent out their place. He said yes. 

We swam in the ocean after lunch. It was a heavenly feeling! Floating on the water was distressing. I wished my sister was there. She would have loved it. It was amusing watching people sitting on the beach. Wang came swimming to me with his underwater camera. Monte Carlo was on the shore. She was feeling terrible because of the headache. One could see the pain on her face. “Hey Wang, I don’t want Monte Carlo to stay in my room tonight.” “Why?” “I think she is a liability with all the antics she does”, I said. He just said “Okay”. “Are you okay going back in a cab. It will be close to $100 and we can share. If you are then just say ‘yes’ to whatever I say to her.” He reluctantly agreed. When I went back to the beach, I checked my messages. I told Monte Carlo that Yolanda is not happy with guest and that she is cranky woman. I felt a little bad. Wang looked at me and nodded in agreement. I suggested her that staying at the island village could be her option. Wang looked at me and nodded again. “Are you trying to get rid of me?” She asked. It took me by surprise. I hadn’t expected that. “No, we just don’t want you to stress out.” “I will come to San Juan anyways and find a place to spend a night. Staying with villagers is not at all safe.” I agreed with her. It was a bad idea for lone traveler. I hoped that I don’t get any more requests from her regarding convincing my landlady. “Did Yolanda really say that? She seems very nice.” Wang was a little bemused. “I never messaged her.” “Oh okay” Wang liked to keep his responses simple and direct. Pain was dripping from Monte Carlo’s forehead in the form of sweat.

Moonshine families and end to randomness

Wang and me had an interesting company in the cab that we took to the jetty. A pure, big Puerto Rican family, consisting of a New Yorker and his pale white fiancé, his cousins, aunts and uncles, and three beautiful girls. “We are not Mexicans. We are of Caribbean, Spanish and Indian heritage. I don’t hate Mexicans, but when people come to Puerto Rico, they think we are Mexicans. For God’s sake, we have a different culture. We even have different kind of music”. Ricardo kept rambling. The cab was moving on signal-less narrow roads. The only question I had asked him was which part of Puerto Rico is he from. He gave me his family history. But, he was entertaining. His aunts and cousins were even more entertaining! It was a gregarious, loving and a happy family. Apart from Ricardo and his girlfriend, no one knew English, but the entire family exuded warmth and comfort. You could sit with them, watch them interacting with each other, try to communicate with them and fail, but you would never get bored of their company. “How are you doing?” He asked the three quiet girls sitting in the back. One of the girls smiled and nodded. She meant “Good!” “Where are you from?” “Belgium.” “Are you sisters?” “Yes, triplets” She said with a pretty and complicated movements of her lips and looked away. Wang and I looked at each other. No wonder they looked so much alike. The three gorgeous Belgian sisters were perfect eye candies. The only thing that could compete with their pulchritude was the sunset over Caribbean. I preferred the sunset. I could indulge in it without being a moral offender. 

The ferry was getting late. Sophia was standing there with her other friends, smoking. Women with untied hair and smoking carelessly look sexy in the golden hour. Wang and me had a good chat with her for about five – ten minutes. “Here, try this” Ricardo came up to Wang. “What’s this?” “Come on, it’s not poison.” Wang tried the drink. One could tell by the disgusting look on Wang’s face that he had tasted something awful. “Here, do you want to try this?” He asked me. I said yes just to show him that I accept challenges. It was a terrible idea. My mouth, throat and stomach were on fire! “It is moonshine. We make it in our backyards. Pretty strong stuff! If you want to see how we spend New Year, you should visit my village. We drink the moonshine all night long and dance with our family.” His aunts were laughing at both of us. 

The return journey was great. People were singing Christmas songs. It reminded me of our school and society picnics where everyone would sing together. I didn’t understand the language. I realized how much I was missing. But, even in India, who does that now days? I wished I could jump in between with two lines of “Dum Maro Dum” or “O haseena zulfonwali”. Ah! Someone sing with me, please! 

While waiting for ferry at Viesques

“I don’t think I can drive. I am too tired.” Wang and me came back to the reality called Monte Carlo. “I don’t want to take any risks. Plus it’s raining.” Wang said. “Okay, I will drive.” I didn’t have any option. As if I was born to take risks. It was raining and we had to stop twice to get some air. But, turns out that the tire pressure indicator is malfunctioning. I hoped her fuel indicator doesn’t malfunction.

We reached home around 9:30 PM. The Coqui frogs were keeping everyone awake. We thanked Monte Carlo. She looked at us with some hope. I tried not to prolong the good-bye session. Everything went well. We were hungry. “Ahbi! Are you back?” Yolanda welcomed me. She got a new, small refrigerator for my room. “You asked me about water and then I realized that you might need a refrigerator to keep it cold. So I bought one. I was waiting for you to get back.” That was so wonderful of her. After quickly lending her a helping hand to move it, both of us immediately walked to a Chinese place for dinner. We discussed the trip and the day. 

Birthday Boy

“I came here to celebrate my birthday”, Wang said after few quiet moments. “That’s great! When was it or is it coming up soon?” I enquired. “Tomorrow” Wang said while looking at his food. Seemed like I was more interested in his birthday than him. “Oh… okay… that’s wonderful! We can go out tomorrow.” There was a lively pub right across the street. We decided to check it out. We went inside dressed shabbily and with tired faces. Interestingly, they let us in. Everyone was smartly dressed. We got some looks. After all this part of the suburb was a business district. One will not expect a brown and a yellow guy in a plain, soiled t-shirt, shorts and flip flops. We decided to come back next evening. Next day, early morning I realized that I have to go back to the pub no matter what. I had forgotten my card there. We hadn’t even noticed the name of the place.

Today was going to be a very relaxing day. The only thing I had planned was visiting the El-Morro, San Sebastian church, stroll around the cobble-stoned streets of old San Juan and do some people watching. I was planning to join to DE and KT for a hike through El Yunque rainforest the next day. I had to look for a cab driver too who could take me to Fajardo. I had given up the idea for looking into cars or even calling the rental companies to inquire if someone’s cancelled their booking.

Danielle, Yolanda, Wang, Elena

I heard Yolanda’s voice while leaving the house and thought of stopping by to say good morning. “Good morning! Are you in a hurry?” She asked as soon as I entered the living room. “Not really”, I said, “Nothing is planned, why?” “Can you leave after five- ten minutes? Wang just woke up and it’s his birthday. We will sing happy birthday to him.” She said with a contagious smile. I had almost forgotten my conversation with Wang from last night! “Yes, of course! I can.” I wondered how she knew about it though. Waiting for him in the same room as Elena was not a pleasant experience. I looked at Elena to acknowledge her presence. We said hi to each other, in our minds. I was still trying to figure out why I dislike her. She was never nice to me but so wasn’t I, but she was never bad to me either and nor was I. I was talking to Yolanda and Danielle, Elena’s friend from the language academy, about my Viesques adventure and upcoming rainforest trip. As usual, Yolanda was more excited than I was. Wang had just woke up. Yolanda requested him to come to the living room. She had bought a small cake for him. It surprised him. 

Everything was so nice that morning. I asked the same question to myself that I had a day before – What is this all supposed to mean? I am on an unknown land, celebrating birthday of someone who is practically a stranger. And it was making me happy! I wished Wang and we planned to meet at majestic El Morro in the evening so that we can travel back together and then spend night at the pub we had been to last night.

I took off. I had brunch at a cool looking colourful Jamaican café at Old San Juan. I was almost 11 AM by the time I reached there. Old San Juan has plethora of restaurants offering different cuisine for travellers all around the world. A man sitting next to me told that San Juan is his favourite destination. It didn’t surprise me. He would make trips every three months out of Miami just to go there to relax from his busy schedule. I wish I could. I was already in love with this tiny island. I spent some time talking to him and then went for a walk.

I went to the Cathedral de San Juan. It was the second time that I had felt so peaceful inside. I loved the stain glasses and decorations. I decided to stop again later in the evening just to see how the church looks when it is dark outside. A wedding was in progress. There was a lot of positive energy flowing around me. I remembered my mother’s constant whining about me not ‘selecting’ a girl. I knew I was going to Mumbai in the beginning of next year (2013. Yes I did and for the records I failed my mother again). I saw my mother in Jesus’s statue. Her stretched hands appealed me to get married. All the peace vanished. I jumped out of my seat and took a random turn. I came across a small park (el Parque de las Palomas) by The La Capilla del Cristo. The park was full with old people, young couples, kids, moms and dads, siblings and many pigeons. I took some random pictures and secured a bench under a tree from where I could see most of the park. I kept my backpack at one end of the bench and took a nap. It was easily one of the best naps ever. No plans, no directions, no baggage. The day had been sailing smooth so far, but not as exciting as I would expect. I had read about La Perla when I was doing travel research. There was a sudden rush of energy inside me. “Let’s do it”, I said to myself. 

Almost on the edge

La Perla is supposedly a shabby and dangerous place. It is infested with mafia and drug dealers. How dangerous? - You may ask.  If you get in trouble there and call 911, the operator will ask you to leave all the valuables right there, apologize to 'the people' and leave that place ASAP. Cops don't go inside this walled community which sits between San Sebastian and El Morro below the 'road level’, adjacent to the sea. In short – 911 won’t work here. There are two entrances to La Perla, through an old cemetery and one narrow opening on the road that goes from San Sebastian to El Morro. The second entrance is not so obvious for visiting travellers. I located the second one. I put my camera in my backpack and stood near a point overlooking the deserted houses. I could see the main, narrow street and closed doors. That place becomes noisy at night - I heard. 

Narrow entry to La Perla

I looked heavenwards and started descending the stairs. There were few benches at the end of the stairs under a big tree. I saw two men in dirtiest clothes walking on the street. They were staring at me all the time. I sat on a bench before venturing further. It was indeed a creepy place, a ghost town, literally. Only structures, no people! May be they were high and hungover from the previous night. Those who were not, most probably were killed in brawls or mafia-war. I stopped thinking and started walking. I had barely passed two deserted houses and suddenly - "What brings you here?" Flip! The voice that came from the back stunned me for entire four seconds. I was ready to get shot at! Surprisingly the person was speaking in English. He was muscular, in his 30s. May be 5'8" - 5'10". I could see the smoke trail that he had left behind as he approached me.

"Nothing", I had gathered my senses back. "Just taking a walk. How can I reach the rocks?" I asked innocently.

"You know where you are?" I shook my head, "No". "This is a dangerous place my friend, you must go."

"If it is dangerous, what are you doing here?" I asked and then slapped myself in my mind.

"Alright, my friend, I live here and I work in a restaurant close to this place. You should get this straight..." His voice became sterner with every word he spoke. I thought a slap on my face will become an eventuality and it could be a fitting climax to the scene. "...this is a DANGEROUS place and you should get your a** off here, if you don't want to get robbed, kidnapped or shot at.  Enjoy your vacation and go back, it is that simple!"

"Okay, sir, thanks and bye". I left. That was certainly a bit less exciting than what I had thought. At least I tried. May be next time.

Deserted street inside La Perla

I kept walking towards west on the same road. I passed a huge playground before I reached the magnificent Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, in short, El Morro. I had two hours to enjoy its company. The breeze was getting stronger and cooler with every passing minute. 

El Morro is an impressive fortress that took 200 years to build. It is a UNESCO site. It protected the North America for centuries. It is beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

“I am done, where are you?” Wang’s text message read. He was waiting for me on the main level. It was his birthday. I better not be late. 

Wang waiting for me on the main plaza inside El Morro

Fiction Street  

“Let’s have dinner, I am hungry.” I said “Oh, I already ate.” “No worries”, I said. We walked out of the fort and shared some things that we saw that day. I realized there were certain things I hadn’t seen. We stopped at a small restaurant / pub near Yolanda’s house where I grabbed a quick bite.

Yolanda stays on a very quiet street.Everyone who stays on that street rather neighbourhood, pretty much owns a car. Still, one would hardly see someone driving or walking. A presence of a white SUV with an idling engine right outside her house caught my attention. Someone switched the inside lights off, the moment we turned at the corner. It might have been a coincidence. No one was visible because of the headlights. I didn’t pay much attention.

It was close to 8 PM. Wang and I decided to go out around 10:30 PM. I rested and then got ready. Unbelievably, The car was still there! This time the headlights were off. I could see outline of two people but I absolutely had no idea who it was. I didn’t say anything to Wang. What if they were watching over the house and waiting for an opportunity to rob it? Negative. They won’t stay at the same place for more than two hours. Moreover, when Wang and I returned from Old San Juan, no one was at home. They had already passed the golden opportunity. May be one of their neighbours? May be someone waiting for Yolanda? Empty mind is devil’s workshop. I deliberately stopped thinking. It was none of my business.

The first thing I did at the pub was to enquire about my credit card that I had left on the previous night. I had checked the card activity online. Nothing fishy had happened. I ordered drinks for Wang. “Beautiful women!” He exclaimed. I nodded my head in agreement. “Cheers!” Our eyes were lit like Christmas lights. “Let’s talk to them”. “They know Spanish only and we know English only.” “It’s okay, let’s try.” “You go first” I told him. I didn’t want to embarrass myself. “Hey, how are you?” One of the girls looked back at him, smiled thinly and turned a deaf ear to him. I have to admit that it was rude and disrespectful for a man who was celebrating his birthday. I felt very bad for him. But, from my past experiences I know that Californians are over confident and over smart. I should have expected that. “Okay, I am not trying anymore!” Wang declared.

I tried to persuade him to come to El Yunque the next day. He didn’t budge. I won’t mind travelling with him again. He was a nice and calm guy. The best thing about travelling with him was he didn’t have any expectation. He was very upfront about what he wanted to do and what he didn’t. But that also meant that he wouldn’t do anything spontaneously. Also, he was not stingy. He would do things he wanted and buy stuff he wanted as long as it is reasonable for the price. We stayed at the pub for a good one and half hours. “Alright I am ready to go back.” I was not. “I checked online, there are four more pubs that we should check out. But, we will have to walk for 15 minutes to the next intersection.” I said. The idea clearly didn’t go well with him. He thought it is unsafe to do that. “We can walk through the neighbourhoods, it’ll take longer but it is safer.” “Hmm, no dude” “Come on, dude! That’s so un-cool for a Californian!” “Are you going?” “Yes” I said. If I want to do it, I will.

I wished him again and said good-bye. He was planning to leave early morning the day after. I thought I would be too tired from the El Yunque trek to meet him the next night. I started walking to the area I had seen on Google maps. I remembered that I had to make a left on the next major intersection. I didn’t remember the name of the street. For the first time during that trip, I was going out without any back up. It was close to 12.15 AM. Only Wang had a vague idea about my location. I treaded alone half past midnight on a lonely street. I deliberately walked on the darker side of the walkway so that I don’t get noticed easily. I don’t know if that was a good idea. There were open sewers, an occasional car and barking dogs somewhere at distance. I hoped a pack of street dogs doesn’t find me. A sight of a cop car made me feel a bit safer. I passed a loud house where three drunk people were fist fighting with each other, literally. It was a complete contrast to the life inside the Condado area. I had already come too far to go back. I made a right based on my best judgment and kept walking until I reached a place where I saw a bunch of people hanging out on the streets. Yes, this is it.

That small intersection had four to five pubs lined across from each other. I didn’t want to take out my cell phone to click pictures in San Juan suburb, in front of bunch of strangers. I switched it off to conserve the last bit of battery. People were curiously watching me. I am so sure that it was extremely rare for an Indian guy to be seen in that part of the town, if not impossible. I felt exotic!

I entered a random, small club that was playing Pitbull. It was very loud. There weren’t as many people as I expected to be there. “Why so less people?” I tried to keep it as simple as possible for the college girl. “Party begins in San Juan after 1 AM. You are too early!” “What time do the clubs close here?” “Depends, some close at 4 and some at 5 in the morning.” That was the true San Juan nightlife away from all the supposed ‘cool’ places in the tourist district.

Guys and girls came in groups. They stayed in groups. There was an occasional flirting and dance requests. But, the girls didn’t mind. Most of them denied, some of them laughed it off. Very few guys got lucky. The music was some Spanish-language pop. There was no rowdiness. I had expected some, after witnessing the fist fights on my way. I liked few songs which I “Shazam’d”. I walked to the next one. Again, curious faces looking at me. I hated it. This club had excessive amount of women. No one checked my ID at the entrance of any club. I made my way through the women dominated crowd. At every step, the perfume would smell different. I was aware of the next day’s trek. I ordered coke. The bartender wasn’t too happy. He thought I am a freeloader. When I gave him a five-dollar bill, he handed me the whole coke bottle. I told him I wouldn’t need it all. He can just pour some in a glass without any ice.

I started talking to a short girl next to me. She spoke a little, simple English. “What you doing here?” “I am tourist.” “No, here, here. Club.” “Just trying to relax.” She laughed. “This… gay club!” No wonder there were so many women around. I didn’t mind sticking around for a longer. I forgot the name of that girl. Her girlfriend showed up in less than five minutes. I do remember her name.

The short girl murmured in her partner’s ears. She was clearly the ’girl’ and her partner was the ‘dude’. Her partner introduced herself to me. She had rough hands. Her facial lines were prominent with sharp nose. But, she was pretty. Mostly because of her hair and her composed attitude. “This is a relaxed place. We come here almost once every week since there are so many of ‘us’ around us. We don’t feel comfortable between pretentious people from the Condado and Old San Juan area.” She kept talking. “How did you meet each other?” I tried to get personal. “Through common friends. It’s been three years now and it’s going wonderful so far.” The short girl smiled. She knew enough English to understand that she was being loved. Hunterwali had toned body. She is an Army veteran. “I served in Army for five years. It was very challenging but I loved my job. Puerto Ricans have their own identity. I feel they are disconnected with the mainland. Some people even hate it. But, there are economic and social benefits, which overpower the feeling of dislike. I feel very American, may be because I served in Army.” She was the first person I met in this entire trip who perceived herself as an American. On all other occasions I felt that Puerto Ricans are disconnected from the US. It was due to language, culture and the way of life. They take pride in their Spanish, Indian and Carribean heritage, as Ricardo explained.

“Is your family okay with your gay relationship?” I was getting too close but I had learnt that Hunterwali loved to talk. “Not in the beginning. But then what can I do about it and what can they?” She said carelessly. “I stay alone now. It doesn’t matter. But, I love my family and they love me. Especially my brother, he is very close to me. Things between us are getting pretty good now.” She smiled and looked at her partner. I asked her for any suggestions to spend New Year’s Eve. She suggested me to go to any hotel in Condado. That’s what Yolanda and Carlos had told me. I was very much interested in going to the country side and spending a night there. But, neither did I know anyone nor I had a car.

It was close to 2:30 AM. I had to be back now. I had to get up in four hours to go to El Yunque. I took the same route to get back instead of experimenting. The roads were lonely. Streetlights stood tall to keep watch. Their light intercepted by trees and cars created a shadow mid air. An occasional car pierced the silence and raced past me during the 25 minute walk. It was cool but still humid. My footsteps disturbed the sleep of a street dog. The house with the three fighting people was quiet. No coqui sound. San Juan was sleeping.

The longest day and fragments of life

I somehow managed to wake up at 6 AM. The cab driver was supposed to pick me up at 6:30 AM. He was on time. I walked to the street by the metro station where he had parked. “Good Morning sir!” He greeted me with a happy face. I added a dollar to his tip. “Good morning Jesus!" It was an unusual name. I had a slight headache due to little sleep. It was best to sleep for next hour before I reach the resort and have some breakfast. The car halted for few minutes. It disturbed my sleep. There were two accidents, both involving three cars on either side of the freeway. That was a creepy coincidence. 

The familiar smiles again greeted me at the resort. "Have breakfast before we leave. We might not find anything to eat in the forest." "Yes, I have to, for sure. I am hungry and sleepy." I told Deccan Express about the previous night's outing. The plan was to take the duo's rental car to El Yunque. Thank God, this time we didn't get lost.

El Yunque national forest is spread over 28,000 acres. Some rare species found here can’t be found anywhere in the world. Be prepared to get wet! It was humid and warm when we reached there. 

We got a map from the visitor's centre and started our hike to the El Yunque peak. I wished it didn’t rain too hard. I was worried for my camera. The hike was becoming tiring for me because of insufficient sleep and headache. People from different age groups were hiking on that trail which is categorized as 'difficult'.

From 5-year olds to 65-year old couple, everyone was taking their own time. I was contemplating about the differences in perception about recreational physical activities and sports between India and Western countries. We, Indians, need to stop being over-protective about our kids and ourselves.

I got lost in my own thoughts. I had to always fight with my mother before going for treks until I stopped asking and started ‘informing’ about my plans. That was in addition to those painstakingly long hours to convince others to join. Many memories from those glorious days were coming back. Soon after, the sky darkened. The white lightening smashed on the ground with an ear-splitting thunder. Shock waves from it shook each and every tree and blew my cap. I hurriedly kept my camera inside my backpack. It started pouring in no time. The big drops were hammering delicate leaves. The shorter grass succumbed to the authority of the murky water.  Sound of raindrops falling on the dense forest was echoing all around me. “Where are you?” I heard someone’s voice. “Yes, I am here, coming.” I replied. Leaving footsteps on the muddy ground, I was on my way to the top of the mountain. It had never smelt so moist. 
“Hello, Abhi, Where are you?” I heard DE’s faint voice. “Yes, I am here, coming.” My senses came back to reality. I was missing Monsoon treks from college days.

The view from the top was mesmerizing. One could see the pacific coastline far away. There was literally no visible boundary between the azure water and the sky. Fascinating. I felt blessed. It started to drizzle just before we started descending. I packed my camera. It was little bit more annoying because I got reminded that I had lost my lens cap while climbing. We visited a waterfall which was further downhill after descending. Getting back to the car was so much fun, Oh boy! 

The trek exhausted us. We were very hungry. We decided to stop at convenient place on our way back to grab some food. Empty stomach and sore body was making everyone slightly irritated. It was one of those things. I was having evil fun by pulling DE’s leg just to see her get more irritated. We reached the resort just after sunset. I called the cab driver for a pick up. I quickly transferred all the pictures that I had of Deccan Express and Kathakali to their USB drives and then I was ready to say good-bye to both the ladies.

Following a small good-bye session, my cab left. “Sir, I have a request. Can we stop by at the hospital? One of my customer’s daughters is very sick. They need a ride back. But only if it is possible. I know you have rented the cab.” The driver was polite. “No worries.” I said. The driver took his son with him. “He doesn’t want to stay at home.” “Do you go to school?” I asked him. He nodded nervously. “What did you learn today?” “Doctor”, was his reply. We picked the father and his pretty 20-something daughter. “So, you are tourist”, the father asked. “Yes” I said. “What do you do and where are you from?” I told him. All he had to say was “Oh, okay.” He thanked me out of obligation when he alighted the taxi. “This guy was mad at the hospital staff because they didn’t attend his daughter for more than three hours at the emergency centre.” “That’s sad, what happened to her?” “Frankly, I think she got sick due to swimming in the sea under harsh afternoon sun. People fall sick, no big deal. If one has money doesn’t mean that one can have priority in the emergency room.” Driver kept talking. I was not interested after two-three minutes in to conversation.

Sitting in the back seat of the van and staring out at the dark landscape, I was thinking about the ‘good-bye’. Deccan Express and Kathakali had helped me enormously. I think it would have been very expensive for me, if not very difficult to get around the island. Looking back, it is not about the rides but the company and the memories. I was going to be missing all the bantering, laughs and the coordination. I shared some of the best moments and sights of my life with them. I hadn’t planned it. Life gave it to me and I took it. I was happy. I am happy. There are givers, takers and givers-takers. Givers don’t expect anything back. Takers don’t care to give. Givers-takers give and take only so much needed to take and give. I always strive to be the giver. But, in past few days someone else gave me something that I couldn’t return. I felt the burden. My shoulders, neck, head, hands, feet - everything started hurting even more after that thought. I closed my eyes for a nap.

It was difficult to walk after getting off the cab. I wasn’t so hungry but still ordered some appetizers and a soup in a somewhat upscale restaurant on my way back. I was shabbily dressed. T-shirt, shorts and shoes covered with mud.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the neighbourhood when I came back. I unlocked the main gate. It screeched open. I didn’t see Yolanda’s car. No one was at home. Lights were off. My dirty shoes were making a peculiar sound. I was walking like a zombie at this point. The silence was making the night even more unbearable. Just when I was about to unlock the room; an eerie scream sunk my heart. “Shit! F***!” My lips made up those words. Hair at the back of my neck stood up. My heart started beating faster. It was so unexpected and sudden. Nothing had scared me so much in the recent time. I looked around, but there was no one. I didn’t know how to react.  Was this a prank? “NOO No… you HAVE to listen to me…” It took me few moments to fathom what was happening.

Someone was in the house, talking on the phone. The window adjacent to my room door was open halfway. I avoided making any kind of noise and tried to listen to the conversation. It was Elena! “You don’t understand my problem. My parents don’t want me to do it, specially my father. He will kill me if I go back. I can’t stay here for a long time and I cannot take him with me either.” 

Disapproval of a relationship, that’s what it was. In a minute’s time everything seemed to make sense. Her quietness, her being secretive of her activities, the mysterious car parked outside the house for hours together. I listened to the conversation for few minutes. She was finding it hard to breathe. I was afraid that she might choke. She was in terrible pain. I could easily tell. I was a mute witness. There was absolutely nothing I could do to help except for wiping off this incident from my memory and acting normal every time I see her for next two days. I quietly unlocked the door and retreated to my room.

I somehow changed and jumped in the bed. I was too tired to sleep. I kept tossing and turning for at least an hour. First half of my day was physically and mentally tiring. I hadn’t had enough sleep and then I trekked. Second half was rather emotional and the last one was emotionally disturbing. Again, unknowingly but on this occasion, unwillingly, someone’s life became a miniscule part of my life. But, they don’t know this. 

Just when my mind gave up thinking, the light attachment hanging by the ceiling came crashing on the floor… Great! Cherry topping on the chocolate cake!

Blind to luck

Next morning I made 'a way' through the shards of glasses lying all over the small room to go to the restroom. They were everywhere. I went to see Yolanda to inform her about it. Her eyes popped out and a face palm. She was embarrassed by it. "I am so sorry Ahbi! Are you okay? I will come to clean the room." Later she came with a broom and cleared everything. 

"How was your trip to rainforest?" Elena’s face flashed in front of my eyes for a second or two when she asked me that. I had realized in few days that Elena was kind of close to Yolanda. "It was awesome! The ocean looks amazing from the top. I wished I had driven around the island." "What are you planning to do tonight?" Yolanda asked me. "May be I'll go to the Condado hotel for the New Year, dance and gamble." "Good for you!" "You?" "I have organized an event, so I have to be there, you see away from family..." "…And boyfriends!" I interjected. "HAHAHA!!"

My day started after that entertaining laughter. I forgot all that had happened before that. 31st and the first of Jan was going to be relaxing. I wanted to get back to Houston on first itself but the cheapest tickets were all for the red-eye flights. All the flights after 9 AM were extremely expensive. It would have been hard for me to get a cab after a busy 31st night. Also, I didn't know if I would get to party and if yes how much! So it was safer to be on a flight on the morning of 2nd instead. I didn't have anything on mind. I thought of all the places that I have missed out. I had pretty much covered everything in Old San Juan. I decided to walk around Yolanda's neighbourhood. It was quiet. It was a business district after all. I had lunch at a really small local cafe. There were some shops selling branded clothes. Nothing cheap or even good for the high price tags.

I came back in the afternoon and went to Old San Juan. That place is always lively, festive and refreshing! All I did was walk around, sit and watch people and click some pics. Everyone was in equilibrium with the atmosphere. No one was in a hurry, no one was angry, no kid was crying, no upset couples. Streets were lit up with smiles. I joined them. It was time to go back, rest and come back later. I had dinner on my way back. I had to leave again so that I can get back to Condado area before the buses stop operating.

"Split?" "Hmm, yes, split" "That's twenty." "Hold." "…And Eighteen." "Hold." The dealer busted.

I won on both the bets. It was probably 2:00 AM. I was to the farthest right of the dealer on a black jack table. I had made $360 in an hour's time. "You are learning, aren't you?" "Yes, I am." I smiled confidently.

There’s a simple rule to leave black jack table - Make sure you have won at least one time more than you have lost. I violated it.

I didn't put money on the table for the next round. I was taking a break. A drunken old man sitting opposite to me lost this game. "Hey, you! You should play. You are f***** ruining this table." I tried to keep calm. I knew I shouldn’t have stopped but the language offended me. "If I don't want to play I will not. You don't have to tell me, okay?” I had hard time keeping my voice low.

Surprisingly, others were okay. Dealer didn't react. After few rounds, I was ready again. Another forty five minutes and I was down to $30. May be old man was right. "What time do you guys close?" I asked the dealer.  "At 4, sir." I took break for one more round. This time, to go to the restroom. 

Quit? All in? Get more cash? Wait for few more rounds? I hated it. I had already spent $250 that night even before I came to the casino. I had taken a cab ride from Condado to the club and then a ticket to get inside the plush club, which was not exceptional. They had a small dance floor, average drinks. Everyone was dressed well. I believe just because it was another 'cool' club to spend your new year’s eve at. All the prettiness was packed in a pretentious wrapping that was glittering in the disco lights. I might have talked to few people. But I left that place after midnight. The casino was owned by the same hotel. Anyways, I had to make a quick decision - more cash or quit? It was almost 3 AM. I checked my wallet to see if I have some cash to tip the dealer. I had just enough. The dealer looked at me with tilted head. "All in." $30 is not at all a big amount. But, it was all about trusting intuition and fear of bad judgment. Bad judgment is a step before failure.

My luck was riding on a magical horse from Arabian Nights! I won. Then I won again. And again. I kept placing bigger bets. $400 – It was time to leave but I stayed back. Greed remains poor. I was too late to realize that the horse was now dead! I lost. Then I lost again. And again. I tipped last $10 to the dealer and left the table. “Happy New Year!!”

“Can you stop at a convenient ATM location?” I asked my cab driver, Chavez. “You gonna see some bitches ma man?” “What? No. I don’t have cash to pay you.” “No no no… I can take you to ma bitches man. It’s New Year. All so ‘tight’.” He was speaking incomprehensibly. His nervous system was romancing with Mary Jane. I looked away and closed my eyes. 

"Can you drop me to the airport on Wednesday morning?" "Yes, sir. Just call me." I took his number.

Evaluating things in life

I woke up to the sound of the ceiling fan. I looked at the window. The day was bright. It was the first light of New Year for me. Only the thought of it refreshed me. I went to see Yolanda. She was sitting with one of her friends. The chatting stopped as I entered the living room. "Hola! Happy New Year!!" She gave me a warm hug. "How was your party last night? I asked. "Tiring."

Yolanda would always pause. Then, in her mind, she would translate the Spanish response in English, possibly in two-three words and then say it loudly with a smile. "How was the party last night?" - bulging eyes, open ears, lean a bit forward -> stand straight, look at a far away object -> translate inaudibly -> Smile -> "Tiring".

Elena entered the room. "Happy new year!" She greeted me. "Same to you". "Will anything be open today?” I asked Yolanda. "No restaurants open today, try Burger King." It was a kilometre away. "Can you please check if the Chinese restaurant is open and the pizza place too? Text me and I will get something for myself."

Elena said. ‘Really? You can see me now, when you need something!’ I said in my mind. It was a typical woman thing to do. "Okay." I couldn’t say no. I showered and went to Burger King. Luckily, it was open. "Both places are closed. I can get you something from Burger King", I text Elena. "No, Thanks :) I'll manage." 

Few hours later, I found myself on the San Juan beach. I was done with packing and had nothing to do. The public transport started working after 1 PM.

I was sitting by the ocean. The sun was hiding behind the dark clouds on the horizon.  It splashed an orange liquid on the far away water. Few ripples of birds created a lyrical aberration on the dark blue skies. I forgot I had camera with me. I took it out rather too late. No flash, No light, No tripod.

I received a happy New Year text from Sophia. It was a pleasant surprise. I had forgot about her. I had once invited her friends to join me in Old San Juan. But, it was far for them. They didn't have a car.

I took few steps towards the water to get a shot of the waves. I saw a big fat wave breaking merely 20 ft from me from the view finder. I hurriedly backed off to save my white pants from getting wet. I collided with a poor lady standing behind me. I couldn't balance myself because my feet got stuck in the sand. I fell down, back first. She somehow managed to escape the fall. She offered me her hand. I wiped the semi-wet sand from my backpack.

"Thanks!"
"Is your camera okay"?
"Yes, it is!"
"Are you a professional?"
"No", I smiled.

Somewhere, in our minds, we have a curious fascination for strangers. We like them.  We like to know who they are, what they are, where they come from and where they want to go. Meeting new people never gets old.

Jackie is 44. She is marginally oversized for her height. She has a pretty smile. She tells me that she works out everyday for three hours. She couldn't convince me though. She loves herself.

"I used to work for law enforcement until I met with an accident. I was on bed for several months. I didn't like my job. I hated the crime all around. I hated the fact that I have to deal with bad people, drug addicts and violent teenagers." "You look fine to me now. You did an awesome job of recovering from the worst accident." I was fuelling her ego. It is easy to get people like her to talk that way. "So what do you do now?” I asked her. "I am looking for a new job. I am registered with the employment agency."

Jackie likes to work out because it instils some confidence in her. When she looks at the weighing scale every week, it gives her a feeling that she can do something in life. It is interesting to see how different people find solace in something that might seem so mundane or unusual to certain people. The way we all were brought up, boosting confidence is directly associated with passing exams, certifications, salary hikes, new position. (I have talked with people for whom dumping partners and one-night stands qualify as self-respect boosting activities!).

"Any luck with finding a job?" "Not yet. But, I am trying hard." "What do you do in your spare time?" "I write blogs." "Oh how cool! What's the website?" Jackie was hesitant about sharing any details.

That was quite unusual for two reasons. One - Anyone who has a blog wants it to reach more people. Two - For someone who is on the border of having supreme confidence and narcissism, it was odd.

I dig deeper with more indirect questions. "Frankly, Abi, I don't think the blogs are for you." "And what makes you think so?" I am perplexed. However, considering all the experiences I have had in this trip, I was prepared for something amusing. "I was very active in the BDSM scene of San Juan in my heydays. I still love it. I blog about it on Tumblr. I put pictures, videos, quotes, you see, on my blog. But, I have started writing about fitness and health now." I was not shocked but I wasn't expecting it either. I smiled while maintaining an eye contact to carry a normal conversation. "I wasn't expecting that.” I admitted it to her. "When I would tell people they would judge me. Guys would look at me differently. That's why I was hesitant. Thanks for not expressing the shock and surprise on your face." "It’s okay Jackie. I can understand". I didn't want to judge her.

Here was a woman in her mid-forties, unmarried, no kids, no support from her family who was wanting to change her life. She probably got carried away with the new found independence and rebel sex practices and then lost her family's support. I didn't want to ask her all the history. We all need to draw line somewhere. "Can you send me my pictures?” I asked her. She had taken some on her iPhone while we were on the beach. I had asked her to click my picture, but she was too afraid to hold my camera. She said, "It is expensive, What if I drop it?" I insisted but she didn't budge. It was quite annoying. "Of course I will transfer. What's you email ID? I will also send you the link to my blog. Tell me your feedback." "Okay, I will."

I wanted to go to Old San Juan to do some people watching, as usual. I said good-bye to Jackie. I was thinking about her life while in the cab. Knowing that she was jobless, she was right in her own sense about not holding camera. “What if I drop it?” Strangers make us think. We can pour our heart out to them. We can talk to them about our failures without the fear of being judged. They act as fissures for the secrets, lies, and emotional moments. Yes, we love strangers.

I walked on the streets. Every step I took made me forget my interaction with Jackie. Puerto Ricans flocked streets of San Juan. They were playing with their kids, spending time with their partners, eating, drinking and dancing. I got wet in the merriment around me. I felt content. I went back to room and finished little bit of packing. Gladly, I had a good night’s sleep. Next morning was going to be exciting.

... just before I fell

We visit fascinating places in our lives. They marvel us with their beauty, people, culture or sheer craziness or all. Then we talk about how different it is from what and where we have been living, and how we should change the way we approach and enjoy life. But the fact is, you don't have to consciously make any effort. The change has already taken place.   

abhi! 

Oct-13

P.S - The cab driver who dropped off on new year's eve didn't answer my calls. I somehow managed to book a cab. It was an early morning nightmare. 

I lost contact with Ricardo.

Deccan Express is working on her MBA. She might have made half a dozen trips, treks and ran several half marathons since then.

Kathakkali is busy with her leadership, spiritual and running group. 

Yolanda is still hosting people at her place. She loves every bit of it.

Sophia is in school. She will graduate soon and actively searching for jobs. 

Wang just came back from Italy, France and China tour; all refreshed to start his own company. 

Jackie is homeless now. I hope she is doing fine where ever she is.