Travel Guide

Obama - Nuevo Presidente de Puerto Rico

A sense of geographical and cultural displacement may greet visitors to Puerto Rico. You may find yourself asking yourself “am I in Latin America, the USA or the Caribbean?” As if that were not confusing enough as a set of options, the stone fortifications (the oldest on US administered territory) and beautiful colonial architecture of the historic part of capitol San Juan inject a healthy dose of old Europe into the mix.

To help orient yourself around this cultural and political confusion a few points are worth remembering. Puerto Rico is a self-governing Commonwealth or dependency of the United States. Its head of state is the US President and issues like defense and currency are the direct responsibility of the United States government, but domestic issues are dealt with by a locally elected Governor and legislature. The 4m Puerto Ricans living on the island are slightly less numerous than those living in the United States proper. The island is Spanish speaking and 80% ethnically white European in origin as a result of a Spanish extirpation of the indigenous Taino population (who suffered a similar fate in neighboring Cuba) following the European discovery of Puerto Rico by Columbus in 1493 (or by Martín Alonso Pinzón a year earlier depending on the historian you read). A smaller percentage (about 8%) of the population share the Afro-Caribbean ethnicity (mostly descendants of African slaves brought to the region by a range of European powers) that pre-dominates in many of the Caribbean islands.

Today, the relaxed colonial charm of Old San Juan contrasts with uninspiring resort developments in the more modern part of the capitol, that are however close to some inviting beaches. It appears that tourists in the resort section of San Juan are perhaps a little older and rounder than average and are perhaps a different group to those who venture into the verdant heart of the island to explore Puerto Rico’s natural beauty.

The Hampton Inn in San Juan’s resort district has very comfortable suites and is a fairly priced hotel. The Hampton Inn is close to the grisly cultural curiosity of a cock-fighting stadium (an activity that remains legal in Puerto Rico).

As the longest exposed mountain range on the planet, the Andes could hardly be described as unobtrusive. They provide arguably the dominant physical demarcator of the territories of South America - the countries of Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia and Venezuela are all significantly shaped and bounded by these mountains.

The South Andes largely delineate the border between Chile and Argentina. When the highest mountain range outside Asia abruptly truncates a seemingly endless expanse of flat Pampas, the scale of the peeks is compellingly impressive. But arguably it is colour, not size that is the most striking feature of these mountains. The Andes are the canvass on which yellows, browns, purples, blues, greens, blacks and whites create the most glorious array of visual delights. Experiencing the Andes by plane, bus, horseback or on foot is a journey into one of nature’s most vibrant art exhibitions.

Plaza De Mayo, Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is one of the world’s most evocatively named capitals. The name alone can make people feel a kind of dreamy longing for some essential quality that the city embodies. What that essential quality is, however, can be very difficult to pin down.

It took me some time before I began to get any distinct sense of Buenos Aires or the collective pulse of the 13m people who call it their home. Other great Latin American cities derive their character from their geography (the mountains and beaches of Rio De Janeiro, the Andes of Santiago, the Amazon of Manaus) or their history (the odd mix of castles, crumbling facades and communism that defines Havana). Yet with Buenos Aires, the defining feature of its geography is the lack of defining features. It is possible to travel hours and hours in multiple directions from Buenos Aires and encounter only the seemingly endless (actually 750,000 sq km) expanse of plains that the Pampas is famed for. And as for history, the city has been largely rebuilt since the beginning of the 20th century, so the heritage of a city formally founded in 1536 is difficult to see traced on its architecture.

But perhaps the physical shapes described by the city’s geography and buildings are the wrong place to look for its essence. Within a few hours of walking the streets, I felt my footsteps lighten and a song on my lips. I think next time I return, I will look for that essence of Buenos Aires in dance - in particular the forms described by its Tango.

Yes, that really is a guy surfing a waterfall

The Cachoiera do Toboga, Parati, Brazil is a natural cascade providing high speed thrills similar to those at custom-built fun parks.

The Toboga waterfall is a popular spot for families to gather and picnic, splash around in the cool waters at the foot of the falls or try some high speed water-sliding. A strikingly impressive form of water-sliding at these falls takes the form of effectively surfing the falls (an activity that it should be emphasised is expressly prohibited by signs on the way to the falls). Boys and men stand at the top of the cascade, steady themselves and then run at high speed before sliding down the falls on the soles of their feet.

Impressed as I was by the balance, skill and confidence of the waterfall surfers, I was not tempted to join their ranks (a variety of images involving the potential loss of my two front teeth were too easily suggestible to me). Instead, I tried the option that most people choose - water-sliding in a seated position as if strapped in an imaginary toboggan.

Climbing up the falls proved to be quite a challenge in itself. In addition to trudging uphill against the current, the smooth rock is highly slippy. However, I soon realised that my main barrier to climbing was too much caution as a result of a fear of physical danger - something I am guilty of whenever introducing my body to new challenges such as waterpark rides in Caldas Novas or river rock sliding in Brotas. Once I climbed with confidence, I made sure and rapid progress.

Impossibly slippy as I found the rock on the way up, it appeared to have developed an unexpected friction when trying a descent. Each time I tried to launch myself down the cascade, I came to an embarrassing stop after only a couple of metres. Taking pity on the sad spectacle I was presenting, one of the local teenagers came to my rescue. He pointed me to a better launch pad and just as I as settling myself comfortably into the indicated spot, gave me a huge, unexpected shove and sent me hurtling down the falls. Careering down the falls at a velocity much greater than the dignified descent I had planed, I flew off the edge to a violent and invigorating splash down. This is a LOT of fun.

One of the islands around Parati

Parati (or Paraty - the spelling changes!) is a beautiful Portugese colonial style city on Brazil’s South East coast.

Parati is well served by buses from both Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The journey to Parati along the Costa Verde (Emerald Coast) from Rio De Janeiro is especially beautiful - dramatic mountains, verdant tree cover and blue-green ocean compete with one another for the ability to inspire. On witnessing the delights of this area, Amerigo Verspucci famously remarked “Oh God! If there was a paradise on earth, it would not be very far from here!”

A world heritage site, Parati is thought to have been founded at around 1670 to serve as a port for the gold being extracted in nearby Minas Gerais. Parati’s historic centre remains largely as it was in Parati’s early decades and dogs sleep contentedly in the middle of cobblestone streets that are free from cars.

Time in Parati can be whiled away eating gorgeous seafood, ambling through the historic centre, sun-baking on the beach, visiting local waterfalls or island hoping on one of the many boat services. The island hopping options are highly recommended - for just R$20 (about 6 Euro or US$8) a boat will transport you to 4 local white sanded islands, to which you can swim on-shore. Of the local waterfalls, Cachoiera do Toboga is particularly worth checking out - its used as a natural waterslide and is an exhilarating free fun ride, 9km from Parati’s historic centre.

If staying in Parati, the Misti Chill hostel is highly recommended. Another website with useful information about Parati is available by clicking here.