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Our town called Utuado is about half an hour south of Arecibo, home to the largest observatory in the world. I was told by a friend that many Puerto Ricans believe very strongly in intelligent existence outside our solar system; a belief that I understand is shared by many in Latin American cultures. Although I…

It’s three years into his term as mayor and he’s right on time. Roads badly in need of repair are getting fixed around here. The one-lane road outside our farm had holes so large you could set up tables for four people quite comfortably. Living in the countryside you learn quickly how to perfect the…

When pondering whether to do laundry in the tropics, one must carefully consider not what the meteorologist reports to you, but what the sky tells you. If the pretty lady with the elaborately painted nails, four inch heels, in the skirt hiked up to here tells you there is no rain in the forecast, assume…

On our way home from the home of friends one day, we popped over to pay the wife’s sister and her husband for a visit. Miguel, “Miguelito” directs me to the back of their property where I find Lucilla, dressed in shorts and a tee shirt, drenched in sweat, machete in hand, hacking away at dead…

This was originally written in 2010 and so it might seem a little dated. High up on the list of discussions for drunken philosophers anywhere in the world is politics. My doctor tells me nearly every time I see her, "Never engage a Puerto Rican in a discussion about politics." Generally I am not one…