Salinas, Puerto Rico May 1-4, 2006

Sailboat | Voyages | Log

The land of mojo sauce Anchored in Salinas Bay Behind sunken sailboat A charm of its own Publico with clever door handle Publico's are a cross between a bus and a taxi Energy conservation in action Ray imitating Jami Oliver in the galley Gourmet egg salad Ray hauling our laundry back to the boat When Ray went to pick it up it was Laid out over the fence to dry, no clothes line Cruiser's headquarters Restaurant, Internet service, and watering hole Fifty cent coffee and six dollar dinners Ray and his old amigo David Ray and David met in PR in the 70's Cruiser's Central on the south coast Salinas is cruiser's central on the south coast of Puerto Rico, and Cruiser's Galley is cruiser's headquarters. Can you believe fifty cents for a cup of coffee with unlimited refills? Salinas, with its sunken boats and run down houses doesn't look like much on the surface, but once the cover is pulled off, it opens to a very friendly village of locals and cruisers. The pace is slow; the restaurants are excellent, and the people greet you with a smile on their face. What a pleasant surprise. The numerous restaurants are among the cleanest I have ever seen, and I don't mean in Puerto Rico; I mean anywhere. As a bonus, Salinas is famous for its mojo salsa. Among the run down houses, we see a woman sweeping the road in front of her house. She will know. She will know who can do our laundry. Her name is Ester, and she walks us down the street and around the corner to her friend Gladis, who agrees to do our laundry. We do not know the price but are assured it will be fair. We are to return at 6:00 PM to pick it up. She needs all day since she will have to hang it outside to dry on the fence. Another adventure in the land of cruising. These interactions with the locals are always the most interesting experiences. After dropping off our laundry, we walk into the town of Salinas about a mile away. It is blistering hot, void of tourist attractions, but good for exercise. Rather than walk back, we take a "publico." A publico is a van, a cross bettween a bus and a taxi, which sits and waits until they get a sufficient number of people to make the trip worth while. The highlight of the trip was seeing the engenious lever the driver had rigged to open and close the door without leaving his seat. Ray recalled that David, an old friend of his, was working temporarily in PR. Talk about full circle. They met in the early 70's when both were working in PR. David from the UK and Ray from the US. Both returned to their respective countries and jobs but remained friends over the years. Coincidentally, David was back in PR on business, and of course Ray is here with me. We meet David in Caguas, home of Caguas Expressway Ford, for dinner and he and Ray had a jolly time catching up on life events. Tomorrow morning we head for La Parguera, further along the southern coast. Previous | Next