Thoughts on Rincon

We are having trouble finding an internet connection, so I can’t post until we do. For the most part there is internet wherever we go, but we are currently in the rainforest and there is no internet.

We spent a couple of days in Rincon, on the west coast of the island, and loved it. I really jive with this place, mainly because it’s total surf culture. It reminds me of being back home near the beach, and the area is reminiscent of Mexico, with lots of expatriots who have transplanted to the area and surf and drink tons of beer. I can do without the drinking, and the thought of being drunk in this heat is completely unappealing, but the area is cool.

We stayed at Dos Angeles, a guest house that was just right for our purposes. It was about a 5 minute walk to the beach, the guy who owned it was from Jersey and was really cool, and they had a pool. Say no more. We arrived in the afternoon and got settled, then took a walk to the beach. I had been to Rincon about 15 years before, but needless to say, I don’t remember a thing. I really wanted the kids to have a chance to surf, but the waves were rough, and there were not a lot of kid friendly beaches. It really is a surfer’s area.

I recall surfing a place that was a former nuclear reactor called Domes, and it was really close by. We looked out at the surf and the waves were rougher and bigger than I thought they would be, so surfing was going to be a bit of a chore. We would have to locate a board first.

We were hungry and tired, plus it was cooking hot, so we had a dip in the pool and then went to get some food. There is a local Puerto Rican restaurant called the Red Flamboyan that serves PR food. We all had a local dish called Mofongo, which I had never heard of. Apparently it’s a very common PR dish, so we all got it. The dish is made with plaintains that are chopped up and molded into a bowl with butter and spices. Soup or stew is then poured in, and it’s really good. We got chicken, pork, and fish, and unfortunately, the fish made some of us sick. Not in the usual way, but more on that later.

We went to the local bakery and got some chocolate cake, and I was stuck by how afforable food was, almost cheaper than back home. Plus, it’s a community so you get that local feel, which I like. The busy season is Christmas to Easter, so we were hitting shoulder season, and you could feel the heat. It must be much milder during the winter, when all the Americans come. It’s like the east coast Hawaii, or Mexico. Cheap flights out of NYC.

All in all, I really liked Rincon, mainly because it’s all surfed out. People go there for one reason, to surf. Even I managed to get through my trepidation and fear (for my life) and surf, and it sure felt good. The water felt just right, cool but warm enough so that I thought I could have surfed for several hours, but more on that later, as well.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.