Puerto Rico OVERVIEW
It will come as a shock but Puerto Rico has been ranked the happiest place on Earth. Suffering poverty a great deal, lacking a reliable structure of public services and a trustworthy government, not to mention identity crisis resulting from the beneficial affiliations with the US being countered by the implicit need for independence, average Puerto Ricans were surely looking for their country's name further down the list, and whoever did the research obviously put a smile on their weather-beaten faces. Experts believe that the dumb-striking result should rather be attributed to high conformism than conscious life satisfaction, but... let's give it a thought.
There's something about Puerto Rico that makes it magical. And it's not about the world-class Playa Flamenco or the laid-back ambiance of sparkling Rincón (although the brilliance of water and quality of surf here have few rivals). The secret lies in the multiple forces that come to dwell on a single territory and create a patchwork of elements that is simply irresistible, from the cosmopolitan spirit of contemporary America and awe-inspiring Caribbean vistas, to remarkable colonial cities and tiny fishing villages where life goes on pretty much as it has for ages. Add to it the splendor that springs from winning the Miss Universe pageant a record five times, and you start suspecting there's a grain of truth about the ranking.
San Juan is a pearl in itself, mixing exquisite historic value with a sizable dose of pulsating modernity. Here you can gamble away your wife's pearl necklace at a top-notch casino and, as you wander along the kaleidoscopic streets of the Old Town, believe it was only a bad dream. If you find it hard to part with your camera on holiday, be sure that here it's going to be a hell lot more difficult. For party lovers, there's more than enough room to throw some shapes in lively Ponce with fiestas unraveling every night of the week, and for nature buffs there's no better place to traverse than El Yunque, a tropical rainforest that simply escapes description, to later relax on a boat that will take you around the lustrous Lago Dos Bocas to one of the many restaurants for remarkable lakeside dining.
While parts of it may be overrun with soul-destroying developers, alluring artistry is extremely easy to be found here, no matter what canons of beauty you consider appealing. Look for it everywhere... in the bucolic charm of mountainside Adjuntas, in San Juan's Historic Cemetery that overlooks the sea, or in a fruit vendor greeting you with a cheerful
'hola'.
There's a truly unique asset to Puerto Rico - its peoples. They stick together. The greet each other
con un abrazo
(with a hug) and readily strike up conversations with strangers. And although you may disapprove of over-exaggerated hand gestures, you will appreciate their warm disposition and ability to be utterly happy against all odds.
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