It's embarrassing, but I'll admit it anyway: somehow, the entirety of my knowledge of Puerto Rico, before I randomly decided to come here due to a variety of factors not really having much to do with Puerto Rico itself, was limited to the song (I think it's called "America," though it's sung by Puerto Rican characters) in West Side Story that starts out: "Puerto Rico...my heart's devotion....let it sink back in the ocean." And even then, aside from the info on hurricanes and horrible heat and high birth rates imparted in the rest of that strange song's lyrics, I had pretty much no knowledge distinguishing Puerto Rico from any other Caribbean island. How is that possible? Especially when this place is SO FANTASTIC. So far, at least. I mean, check out the capital city of San Juan, for lord's sake!:
Full disclosure: The colorful houses in that second-to-last picture are actually apparently a slum that is a chronic epicenter for local and international drug trafficking, so of course we have to concede that all is not what it at first may seem to an ignorant traveler such as me. But most of Old San Juan is truly, brilliantly gorgeous and full of character, and people who have spent far longer here than I seem to agree with that, at least.
See, this is not good for me: If it's being thrown in my face that there is somewhere as beautiful as San Juan that I had NO IDEA about, how many other amazing places have I not yet even heard of? This planet is the work of a life-time, for sure....
