SoFo Culinary Fest 2008

For those of you heading down to the SoFo Culinary Festival 2008, we've got a new interactive map to help you plan your culinary route before you get there.

We've started working with CODEVISA, and should be making some pretty exciting announcements with them soon. As a start, we've created this new interactive map. It contains the relative location of all of the restaurants participating in the festival.

What's so special at the SoFo Culinary Fest 2008?

Well, Sofo is a super 'fest' held since 2004 in summer and in late November. It is estimated that nearly 120 thousand people attend each edition of the culinary festival, says Marisol Dieppa, director of CODEVISA, a non-profit organization that promotes economic development in Old San Juan where they operate nearly 80 restaurants, from small cafes to 'fine dining'.

What's to eat?

Well, to start there will be five thousand fresh oysters which have been brought in from Japan, as well as hundreds of crocodile chicharrones. In addition there will be German sausages, zarzuelas, ceviches, risotto, roasted Turks, paellas, lo mein, arañitas, hummus, and snails.

And that's just a sample, which is exactly what most of the chefs will be preparing. Almost all of the participating restaurants will be giving away mini portions of their star dishes and new cocktails on the street in front of their premises.

And to drink?

You'll be able to choose from a Blue Cheese Martini (Tantra), Sake Martini (J Taste), Mojito enamorao (Raíces), Peach Mojito (The Parrot Club), Pineapple Mojito (Fratelli)... Blue Cheese Martini (Tantra), Sake Martini (J Taste), Mojito enamorao (Estate), Peach Mojito (The Parrot Club), or a Pineapple Mojito (Fratelli). The 'mojito' is definitely the new 'in' cocktail, and SoFo will be the place where bartenders will be launching new drinks created just for SoFo.

What else?

Well you should know that the Teatro Tapia will serve as you central source for information when you arrive. If you have any questions, that's where to head. There will be nine stages spread out along the "Culinary Route". Two will be in Plaza Colon, three along Forteleza street, three along Recinto Sur, and one in Plaza Arturo Somohano. Finally, parking will be available in Estacionamiento Covadonga, Estacionamiento de la Puntilla, Estacionamiento Doña Fela, and Estacionamiento Paseo Portuario.

Sal! pa' SoFo

Starting Thursday, June 5th CODEVISA and Old San Juan will celebrate its 11th Old San Juan Culinary Fest. This year, they will be presenting the largest gastronomic festival in Puerto Rico. With the participation of 40 restaurants, the festival will include not only the south part of Calle Forteleza but also a zone of 6 streets where the 40 restaurants are located.

In addition, the festival will offer eight different stages where there will be a variety of musical presentations. No matter whether you prefer Cuban, Brazilan, Puerto Rican, or just plain Jazz, there will always be some music to your liking somewhere. The highlight of the musical performers will be a presentation by the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra. They will perform at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday June 6th in Plaza Colón.

During the festival, the "código de orden público" or Public Order Code will be lifted. That means that you'll be able to carry open containers of alcohol, while walking down the streets of Old San Juan. "Woo Whoo," he says in his best Homer Simpson impersonation.

A partial schedule for some of the key activities for Sal! pa' SoFo follows:

Thursday, June 5th:

• 6:00 p.m. - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Honorable Jorge Santini, Mayor of San Juan
  Fortaleza Esq. O'Donnell
• 7:30 p.m. - Flair Show, Sr. Manuel Picón, National Bartending Champion
  Plaza Arturo Somohano

Saturday, June 7th:

• 6:00 p.m. - Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra
  Plaza Colón

Sunday, June 8th:

• 4:00 p.m. - Waiter Races (Carrera de los Mozos)
  Plazas Colón and Arturo Somohano
• 6:00 p.m. - Benny's Balloon
  Demonstration of the confection of balloon figures
  
• 6:30 p.m. - Mini Chef
  Demonstration of plates prepared by children
  From Chef Rita Rosado de Sweet Cow and Rita's Cuisine
  

Repeat Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Oquendo

Parques Nacionales Invests $20 Million

In many ways, the National Parks Company (La Compañia de Parques Nacionales) is the ugly step sister to the Tourism Company (La Compañia de Turismo). I say ugly sister because the National Parks Company works very hard to promote tourism for the island, but receives only a small fraction of the attention, press, and credit for the success of the tourism industry in Puerto Rico.

Well according to a recent study conducted by Estudios Técnicos, the National Park System generates approximately $94.5 million annually for the local economy and provides more than 1,000 jobs. The top two park properties generating the biggest impact are the Centro Vacacional Boquerón in Cabo Rojo ($10.1 million annually) and the Zoológico Dr. Juan A. Rivero Cubano in Mayaguez ($7 million annually). In today's economy I believe that represents a significant contribution and therefore a bit more respect. Well the good news, is that they are not going to be resting on their laurels.

La Compañia de Parques Nacionales (CPN) has announced that they will be investing $20 million in 2008. The investments are split between opening new properties and improving existing properties. If you would like to familiarize yourself with all of their existing properties, then I'd invite you to visit our exclusive map we built for Parques Nacionales. First let's introduce the new properties.

Parque Nacional Laguna Condado

In August, the CPN plans to open a new park on two acres of land surrounding the Condado Lagoon. The new facility will offer gazebos, kayak and row boat rental, concession stands, and a building that will serve as a center for marketing and reservations for the CPN.

Parque Nacional del Karso

With over 3,800 acres in the Rio Tanamá Valley, this new park will be located in Arecibo, Hatillo, and Utuado. This land was previously a tobacco farm, and the CPN has indicated that they are already in the process of declaring the land officially a national park.

Villas del Sun Bay

Finally, in the first construction of a center for vacation in 38 years, the CPN will invest $10 million in the construction of 50 villas on the grounds of Sun Bay beach. Each villa is planned to sleep six persons and is expected to cost $109 per night, which is the standard rate for any of the villa rentals in any one of the CPN's vacation centers. The construction, which already has all of the permissions for the development, is expected to be completed in two years.

Renovations

As mentioned above, the CPN also plans on renovating three of their existing vacation centers. First, he CPN will be investing $2 million in their top producer, the Vacation Center Boquerón in Cabo Rojo. In total the vacation center has 335 villas and cabañas. In addition, the CPN will also be investing $700K in renovating the 24 cabañas in the Vacation Center Monte del Estado in Maricao. They will also be investing $3 million in renovating the beach and Vacation Center Punta Guilarte in Arroyo. And in two final investments, the CPN will be renovating the camping grounds ar Cerro Gordo to the tune of $2.5 million and they will also be investing a cool million in renovating the collection of animals in the Zoo in Mayagüez as well as building a new veterinarian clinic. I hope they mean they'll be buying some new animals or mating them, and not conducting like genetic mutation experiments to create new animals. I'd hate to see it become the Zoológico Dr. Moreau. On the other hand that would surely pack'em in. Hmm....

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: jasonsager

Embassy Suites Reinaugurates Casino

For those of you who like to partake of the gaming tables or the slot machines, then maybe you'll have to schedule a trip to Isla Verde to check out the newly reinaugurated facilities at the Embassy Suites Hotel. The renovations are estimated to have cost around $6 million.

So what can you expect from the changes? Well, first of all the casino now features the money-less system that have been implemented in many other casinos on the island. Of course, the new "Ticket In-Ticket-Out" system applies to the money swallowing machines, which had to be replaced to implement the new system. The casino now has 328 slot machines available for your money feeding pleasures. However, I don't know about you, but I'll miss the physicality of feeding the money into the machine.

With 7,000 square feet, the casino now features new carpet and decoration, and a little bit of Big Brother. The gaming tables now feature a video monitoring system which records the bets of the players. Of course, this is for the "benefit" of the players, as the system will grant points to players for the bets they place. These points will be redeemable for prizes, including nights in the hotel, food, and memorabilia from the casino. I can just hear some husband in the future explaining to his wife why there is an unexplained charge to the credit card: "Yes I know honey, I lost $1,000 at Black Jack, but I won this nice T-shirt. (He says grinning nervously)"

According to the general manager of the hotel, Luis Arellano, they plan on investing $2 million more in the hotel. The plans include improving the decoration of the hotel, replacing the sofa-beds in the suites, and installing new LCD plasma televisions in the rooms. The hotel also plans on opening two new restaurants in 2009.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Lady AnnDerground

Puerto Rico: Gastronomic Capital of the Caribbean

The Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association (PRHTA) recently announced their plans to make Puerto Rico the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean with "Saborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza (Savor Puerto Rico)." According to the PRHTA, the event will showcase the best talents of the Puerto Rican kitchen. In other words, this is yet another of these exclusive dining experiences created to stimulate tourism, like SOFO and the Culinary Festival in the Convention Center. This dining extravaganza will be held April 5th and 6th on the grounds of the Balneario de Carolina.

Essentially this is an activity which features "fine-dining" organized into event. The idea here is to charge, in my opinion, an exorbitant price to sample fine food and beverages. But I'll let you be the judge, I for one, can't afford the prices of any of these gastronomic festivals, so I really don't know if they are worth the money or not. But just from the outside, it looks pretty expensive.

During this extravaganza, there are three main activities. Each of the activities, por supuesto, features probably some of the best food available on the island and probably unlimited wine and beer. However, on average, the cost is $100 per person. Now, I'm not a complete zero to the left when it comes to dining out, but I don't think I've ever spent $100 on just myself. Maybe the most might have been spent is $60 or $70. Of course I'm not talking about throwing back a half a dozen or a dozen or more drinks, now that could certainly add up, but to tell you the truth, those kind of drinking days are long gone in the highlights of my youth.

I guess the novelty and value is in the opportunity to try and taste a little bit of everything. And if you get there at opening time, which is 11:00 a.m., and you stay till closing time, which is 6:00 p.m., I guess you could really get two meals out of the experience plus an afternoon of unlimited drinking. If that's your plan, then I'd definitely go for it. If you do go, drop a comment and let us know what you thought.

Besides the fine dining and drinking, the event will feature seminars, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting sessions, food and beverage tastings and children’s cooking classes. The children's cooking classes are extra though. Or maybe these are really just "cuido de niños" in disguise. Yeah, honey let's hit the extravaganza, dump the kids at the "cooking classes" and go party by ourselves. Woo hoo!

One nice twist to this event is that part of the funds generated by Saborea will be used by the PRHTA Educational Fund to provide training and certification for new people in the hospitality industry and for employees who are already working in this sector.

Cavernas de Camuy reopened

After the tragic death of a tourist in early January, the Compañia de Parques Nacionales (CPN) announced that the doors to the Parques de Cavernas, the popular tourist attraction, were reopened on February 15th.

According to Ramón Nieves, Direcvtor of the CPN, the park was reopened after an investment of approximately $150,000. Included within this investment was the purchase of hardhats for visitors, an all terrain vehicle that will serve as a ambulance for the facility, and the purchase of a defibrillator. In addition, the investment provided for the rehabilitation of Espiral Cueva. Espiral will substitute Cueva Clara, which was the location of the fatal accident. Espiral was closed after the pass of Hurricane Georges in 1998. Cueva Clara is scheduled to reopen in June 2008.

The Parque de Cavernas provides employment for 61 people and receives approximately 150,000 tourists annually.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: d&e

San Juan selected as top alternative Spring Break destination

The popular travel website Orbitz has selected San Juan as one of the top ten alternative destinations during spring break (typically for arrival 3/1/08 to 4/15/08). Ahh yes, Spring Break that traditional rite of passage for drunken college students to survive and return with wild and crazy stories. Well as you might expect, if your planning a family vacation and you're looking to take in some fun in the sun, then choosing any popular beach town in Florida, like Ft Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, Miami, and you're likely to have a different vacation than you expected.

Spring break may be synonymous with college kids and party scenes, but there's a also a large segment of the market that is traveling with younger kids on break, as well as those going spring skiing or simply looking to escape the cold," said Heather Leisman, Senior Director of Merchandising at Orbitz. "Our Insiders have picked some great places to avoid the crowds and enjoy a memorable vacation."

Top 10 Alternative Spring Break Destinations

1. San Francisco, CA
2. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
3. San Diego, CA
4. San Juan, Puerto Rico
5. San Antonio, TX
6. Tampa, FL
7. Seattle, WA
8. Reno, NV
9. Austin, TX
10. Tucson, AZ

Well, I'm not sure everyone on the "insider" list got the same message. Because, you know, alternative does have another popular interpretation. And since San Francisco shows up as number one on the list (and it is not known for being terribly warm in March), I think this might actually be the top ten alternative lifestyle destination, which is probably something most families wouldn't want to experience in their family vacation either! And I have heard rumors that San Juan is a very popular travel destination for people with alternative lifestyles, so who knows what this list is...

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: icanteachyouhowtodoit

Trump Plans Puerto Rico Golf Complex

In an amazing show of confidence for project development in Puerto Rico, "The Donald", Mr Apprentice himself, announced last Friday a partnership to build a $600 million golf complex. The complex, which will be called The Trump International Golf Club Puerto Rico, will be developed with local construction company Empresas Diaz Inc.

The project will be located on a 1,000 acre plot joining up with the current Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, It will include include 500 residences. The first 56 villas, to be sold at prices starting at $1.4 million, will include access to a private jet, a yacht and limousine service.

Developers plan to improve the Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, and open a new clubhouse before March 17, when the 36-hole course hosts the Puerto Rico Open, a PGA Tour event.

Considering the severe blow the development industry is suffering through with the debacle at the Paseo del Caribe project, this is a huge announcement. It should help calm potential investors in other projects and if leveraged correctly enable local officials to close some additional deals.

Analysis

Wow, $1.4 million a pop, with private jet, yacht, and limousine service. We're definitely talking normal people here. We're also not talking about local people either, maybe a few, I guess. Unless these are the most expensive time shares, ever, we are talking second or third houses for these high rollers.

So whenever the spirit moves them, they are going to zip down to their Trump International Golf Club house for a few rounds of golf and some tanning on the beach. While they are here, they might want to eat, shop, and perhaps party a little. Where are they going to take care of these things? Well there meet these needs. Something tells me that if you pay $1.4 smackaroonies you don't shop at Outlet stores, so I guess the Belz Factory Outlet World won't do. As for fine dining, well with the exception of the resorts in the area (like the Gran Meliá Puerto Rico), to my knowledge, the north east of Puerto Rico is not known as a mecca of fine cuisine. Same goes for nightclubs as well.

So there are really only two conclusions. It's probable that a small cottage industry will emerge around this community to cater to the discretions of these new "residents", which I'm sure will happen on a small scale. But what is more probable, these new "residents" will have to truck themselves into San Juan to satisfy their interests.

OK, so they've gotten their fill of golf, sand and sun, and they jet off of the island to their regular fabulous lives. Now what? Who'll be taking care of these villas? I don't know, maybe this is something that people who live the lifestyle of the Rich and Famous already know about, but somebody has to keep these places in order. So maybe the project will provide some kind of service that keeps the place in order in expectation for the owners. Yeah, more menial jobs that no one wants. Can you hear the teenagers shout out across the land, "Oh please yes, I want a career in lawn maintenance." In many ways, this represents one of Puerto Rico's biggest challenges. As tourism grows in importance to the future economy of Puerto Rico, how can we sustain the Gross Domestic Product by replacing high paying manufacturing jobs with lower paying construction and tourism supporting jobs?

Coqui Water Park

El Conquistador Resort and Golden Spa has announced the opening of the new newest addition to the resort, a water park. The new water park, which is estimated to have cost $12 million features a 9,000 square foot infinity pool, an 8,000 square foot lazy river, a 253 foot double inner tube slide, high speed slides, a 26 foot flume body slide, and a kiddie pool and slide. (Note: the links feature virtual movies of the water slides; the link will open in a new window. I did some link hacking to bring these to you without having to navigate to the El Conquistador web site, but if you'd prefer the full marketing experience they are available here, which as has a really nice layout of the park in PDF format.)

The park is said to have been inspired by the the neighboring El Yunque Rainforest. The design of the park aims to blend rainforest design elements with state-of-the-art water ride technology. For example, the water park's main tower is called Torre de Yocahu, which is El Yunque's God of Good. The three water slides are called "El Gigante Dormido (Sleeping giant)", "Huracán (Hurricane)", and "Marohu (Taino God of Clear Weather)".

One drawback to the new waterpark though. It is only open to exclusively to hotel guests. Hmm, I think I'll go out on a limb and say that this policy will change. It seems like a lot of money to have sit mostly unused during the non-peak times of June, July, and August. Even if they do open it to the public, it will still remain rather pricey. Tickets for children 2 - 12 will be $14.95, and those 12 and over will pay $19.95. For Familia Don Dees we're talking roughly $90, sans gas, tools, and food for a day at the water park. In these recessionary times, that seems like a lot of money to cough up when compared to a quick dip in the nearest beach. Park hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A different view of travel to Puerto Rico

I came across a nice little article from Anne Banas, a staff writer for SmarterTravel.com. I find here article refreshing because it offers, if you will, a different perspective of Puerto Rico than we usually accept. In her column "Escapes Under $500", she illustrates that, depending on where you live in the United States, it is possible to enjoy a nice four night stay in Puerto Rico for a very reasonable price. With luxury resorts like Palmas and El Conquistador (among many other really nice hotels), I'm afraid there is a general perception that Puerto Rico represents an expensive vacation. (And for just a few dollars more, you can visit can take a ferry to Blue Beach in Vieques, which is shown here...)

In the article, Banas points out the valuable new campaign by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. The re-new Puerto Rico NOW promotion gives travelers $250 back upon check out, this is the same promotion used last year by the PRTC. To qualify you must:

• stay for four nights
• select a participating hotel (*)
• use the PRTC booking engine at gotoPuerto Rico.com
• travel before April 30th, 2008
• Book the trip before Jan 21st.

There are some limitations to the offer, however. It is only cash back on purchases within the hotel of food and drinks. Which, looking at the list of hotels, $250 in food and drinks shouldn't be difficult to attain. A couple of breakfasts, a lunch or two, and one night eating in the hotel should do the trick.

* Participating hotels include the Caribe Hilton, El Convento, Holiday Inn San Juan, Radisson Ambassador, San Juan Marriott and the Normandie Hotel in the San Juan metropolitan area; the Gran Melia and the Wyndham Rio Mar in the northeast; the Howard Johnson in Porta Caribe in the southern region, and the Rincon Beach Resort and Western Bay in the west in Porta del Sol.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: sandcastlematt

Historic Lighthouses of Puerto Rico

In a way, this post picks up where one of my most impassioned posts left off. While I have some great news and information to share, let me get this off my chest first. If, as Mr. Jose Luis Vega and hundreds of others state, we have the talent to manage the restoration of the Fortin San Jeronimo, why aren't we using that talent to save the seven (yes, there are six more beside the Guánica Lighthouse) that are, according to some lighthouse enthusiasts, in danger of being lost forever?

It enrages me when we selectively choose when to claim our pride about being Puerto Rican. While we consistently claim our patrimony, how can such an obvious part of that patrimony (the beacons of safety for mariners) go so completely ignored and abused? I call upon us all to accept the challenge to take control of this situation and restore, preserve, and honor our patrimony represented in the lighthouses of Puerto Rico.

As part of DóndeEs.com' s commitment to preserve our heritage, we've created a new custom map that includes the locations and information for the 16 lighthouses of Puerto Rico. We hope that it will serve to raise awareness about the plight of lighthouses that are in need of repair and will stimulate interest in those that have been restored and stand as shining examples of our true patrimony.

Although one thing I'll confess right now there are some drastically conflicting information onthe Internet on the status and condition of the lighthouses, so the information contained here is a compilation, but bound to be somewhat incomplete. I hope to personally try to visit most of these in 2008 and verify for myself the state of this irreplaceable pieces of our history.

Lighthouses of Puerto Rico

The first lighthouse made in Puerto Rico was atop El Morro in 1846. In 1869 a proposal was approved that would establish 14 other lighthouses to create what was known as the "Plan of marine lighting system". This plan is documented in a nice graphic (provided at left, fyi, larger image if clicked on) will illustrates how each of the lighthouses would provide 360 degree coverage of Puerto Rico and provide protection for captains no matter what direction they approached. In the end, 16 lighthouses were built, with most of them finished between 1886 and 1900.

The lighthouses which are open to visit on a daily basis and easily accessible are (if you follow the link to the custom map, switch to Satellite mode and zoom in close for a excellent view of all of these lighthouses):

• Punta Morrillo, Arecibo (1898)
  
• Punta Higuero, Rincón (Restored 1922)
  
• El Morro, San Juan (1846)
  
• Cabo San Juan, Fajardo (1880)
  
• Los Morrillos, Cabo Rojo (1882)
  
• Punta de las Figuras, Arroyo (1893)
  
• Punta Mulas, Vieques (1896)
  

Doomsday Lighthouses

According to the article ("The Doomsday Lighthouses of Puerto Rico", Lighthouse Digest of February 2002) written by the Lighthouse People, Bob and Sandra Shanklin, there are eight lighthouses which are in grave danger of being lost completely and forever. Doesn't that word shock anyone else, forever. Luckily, one which they list as endangered, Punta de las Figuras in Arroyo, has been restored and is part of the Centros Vacacionales at Punta Guilarte, which is managed by the Compañia de Parques Nacionales. In what follows, is our hall of shame, the six lighthouses still in desparate need of our loving care and attention (status summarized from article):

• Faro de Isla Culebrita, Culebrita (1886) - This lighthouse was heavily damaged in Hurricane Georges. Most of the actual light part of the light house was lost, but the walls still seem strong.
  

• Puerto Ferro, Vieques (1896) - According to photographs and accounts by the Lighthouse People, this lighthouse is "in very bad shape". While at one time caught up in the Vieques bombing range controversy, it seems that this structure is indeed quite endangered.

• Caja de Muertos, Ponce (1887) - Although not in very good shape, Caja de Muertos Lighthouse was in the best condition of any we consider belonging on the "Doomsday List." The lantern room was rusty and in terrible shape, with no original lens, just a plastic optic.
  

• Faro de Guanica, Guanica (1893) -As I mentioned before, I saw first hand the sad shape of the Guanica Lighthouse. It is in terrible shape, much the same as Culebrita and Point Figuras. Walls standing and the tower, with piles of rubble inside, and only a part of the lantern room remaining. A photograph of the current shape of this lighthouse is available here.
  

• Isla Mona, Mayagüez (1900) - The lighthouse on Mona Island is abandoned, and there are several modern beacons to take its place. This lighthouse is the only metal tower lighthouse in Puerto Rico. We have heard that the man who built the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel himself, designed it. It is in terrible shape, and most likely will not be restored or stabilized due to its remote location.
  

• Los Morrillos, Cabo Rojo (1882) - While this lighthouse was listed in bad shape in 2002 in the article, the municipality of Cabo Rojo restored it again and now looks like the leading photograph at the top of the post, which was from May 2007 and it looks like it is in pretty good shape.
  

Five beaches awarded exclusive Blue Flags

This week five beaches in Puerto Rico were awarded Blue Flags from the Foundation of Environmental Education. The five beaches are now available in a custom map on DóndeEs.com. The beaches receiving the distinction are: the Seven Seas in Fajardo, Escambrón in San Juan, the La Monserrate in Luquillo, Punta Salinas in Toa Baja, and the Carolina public beach.

The Blue Flag is a voluntary and exclusive eco-label awarded in 2007 to more than 3300 beaches and marinas in 36 countries across Europe, Morocco, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and the Caribbean.

The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development at beaches and marinas through publicly awarding sites that meet strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services. A few of the issues covered in the criteria include cleanliness, provisions for waste and recycling, zoning of activities, and environmental education activities for a variety of people. The program has also recently started a voluntary scheme for private boat owners called the Individual Blue Flag, which boaters can fly if they have signed and agreed to follow an environmental code of conduct.

The criteria involved with the obtaining the distinction are:

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND INFORMATION

• Information relating to coastal zone ecosystems and natural, sensitive areas in the coastal zone must be displayed
• Information about bathing water quality must be displayed
• Information about the Blue Flag Programme must be displayed
• Code of conduct for the beach area must be displayed and the laws governing beach use must be easily available to the public upon request
• A minimum of 5 environmental education activities must be offered

WATER QUALITY

• Compliance with the requirements and standards for excellent bathing water quality
• No industrial or sewage related discharges may affect the beach area
• Monitoring on the health of coral reefs located in the vicinity of the beach
• Compliance of the community with requirements for sewage treatment and effluent quality
• Algae or other vegetation should be left to decay on the beach unless it constitutes a nuisance

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

• A beach management committee must be established to be in charge of instituting environmental management systems and conduct regular environmental audits of the beach facility
• The beach must comply with all regulations affecting the location and operation of the beach (coastal zone planning and environmental legislation)
• The beach must be clean
• Waste disposal bins/receptacles must be available on/by the beach in adequate numbers, regularly maintained and emptied
• Facilities for receiving recyclable waste materials must be available on/by the beach
• Adequate and clean sanitary facilities with controlled sewage disposal
• On the beach there will be no unauthorised camping or driving and no dumping
• Regulation concerning dogs and other domestic animals on the beach must be strictly enforced
• All buildings and equipment of the beach must be properly maintained
• Sustainable means of transportation must be promoted in the beach area

SAFETY AND SERVICES

• An adequate number of lifeguards and/or lifesaving equipment must be available at the beach
• First aid equipment must be available on the beach
• There must be management of different users and uses of the beach so as to prevent conflicts and accidents
• An emergency plans to cope with pollution safety risks must be in place
• There must be safe access to the beach
• The beach area must be patrolled
• A supply of potable drinking water must be available on the beach
• A minimum of one Blue Flag beach in each municipality must have access and toilet facilities provided for disabled persons
• Map of the beach indicating different facilities must be displayed

Río Mar Beach Resort & Spa reopens casino

As part of a $35 million dollar investment in the hotel, Wyndham Grand Resorts recently announced the completion of the first of many renovations in the Río Mar Beach Resort & Spa. With an investment of more than $5 million, the hotel announced that they were reopening their casino, which is called "Club Bahia".

The renovations include first, new interior decoration from Tishman Hotel Design. The casino, which features 7,000 square feet of space, now includes 170 new slot machines that incorporate the concept of casinos without money ("Ticket In-Ticket Out"). This concept allows players to purchase a ticket which will serve as the player's wallet as they go from machine to machine consuming and, hopefully, accumulating money electronically. The ticket eliminates the need to deal with changing money, carrying around your money, and exchanging your money for cash. Although, if the player is lucky enough to walk out with his shirt still on his back, he'll still need to exchange the ticket for money.

Additional changes to the casino include 12 new tables for BlackJack, Roulette, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, and Hold'em Poker. And finally, get this, new chairs. Yep, no more funky bean burrito scented chairs anymore. They have also renovated the bar with new 50" plasma (or as we say here plama) television monitors.

Other changes planned as part of the $35 million dollar investment include remodeling the 600 rooms, improvements in the spa, the golf club house, and finally the restaurants. Future plans for the hotel include developing a time-sharing complex at an estimated cost of $300 million. The project will be located on an estate consisting of 26 acres purchased by Wyndham Grand Resorts.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Jeff Kubina

21st Annual Hospitality & Tourism Convention Expo

Speaking of conventions, the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association (PRHTA) is hosting their annual convention this week from October 3rd until the 5th. The convention will be held this year, for the first time, in the Puerto Rico Convention Center.

As taken from the event brochure: "The theme of this year’s convention is Teamwork Makes It Happen. The island’s tourism and hospitality industry has one common goal,that of furthering Puerto Rico’s standing as a grand tourism destination. Reaching that goal takes work and dedication on the part of all members of the industry, from a taxi driver working the night shift at the airport to the general manager of a luxury resort. It cannot be done by one person alone: teamwork makes it happen."

Tired of the $75 Gala Culinary Festival Price Tags?

So your buddy, your pal, MC Don Dees has a little tip for you all. Recently the staff at DóndeEs.com attended the annual Sales and Marketing Association convention and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce convention where we learned something surprising. While we're accustomed to attending conferences and participating in after hours open bars, leave it to Puerto Rico to take it to the next level. In both of these recent conventions, most of the leading alcoholic beverage companies had booths. However, not only did they have booths, but they offered free drinks as well!

However, different from these two previous events, entrance into the exhibition floor of the PRHTA convention is not free. There is a $20 fee, but don't lose interest yet. On Wednesday the convention is sponsoring the PRHTA Culinary Master Food Competition. During this competition, for the price of admission into the exhibit hall, you can taste foods prepared by the island’s up-and coming student chefs from PRHTA’s member culinary schools. This event approved of by the PRHTA and co-sponsored by the American Culinary Federation. So for $20 you get free drinks, plus a food prepared by professional chefs. Not bad, huh?

On Thursday the convention is hosting the Buen Provecho Competition. Once again, take advantage of free drinks and witness this competition. Featuring regional foods and some of the very best in island cooking, this competition will include dining establishments from around Puerto Rico where they will present their specialties. So with a beer in hand, sample the dishes, then compare your favorites with those of the judges. Sweet!

TRADE SHOW EXHIBIT HOURS
Wednesday, October 3
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 4
2:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

The PRHTA is an island-wide trade association which represents, protects, promotes, educates and informs its more than 500 corporate members, who together directly and indirectly employ more than 45,000 men and women throughout Puerto Rico. As the voice of Puerto Rico's hotels, restaurants and all other segments of our island's tourism industry, we are committed to helping our members achieve their key business objectives.

Beach Clean-up of Fortín San Juan de la Cruz

The United States National Park Service is sponsoring a clean-up of the Fort Saint John of the Cross (Fortín San Juan de la Cruz, better known as el Cañuelo). The fort, probably the least visited and least well known of all of the Spanish foritifcation of San Juan, is located on the Islas de Cabras in Toa Baja. The clean-up is scheduled for Saturday 29th from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The fort was originally built in wood in 1610. Due to its location at the entrance of the San Juan bay, and in front of the Fort San Felipe del Morro, across the bay, it provided a strategic point to create a crossfire for any invading ships entering the bay, filling a gap in the artillery coverage. It is said that, at one time, there was a huge chain crossing from El Morro to El Cañuelo that was stretched during attacks to provide a physical barricade across the bay entrance.

The fort also guarded the mouth of the Bayamón River on the other side. The fort played an important role during a Dutch attack to the island. At that time it was burnt to ashes. However, the Spaniards rebuilt it in the 1670s.

The square fort is about 80 feet (24 m) per side, with one guerite (garita in Spanish). Originally built on a rocky islet, nearby Isla de Cabras (Goat Island) was artificially expanded to incorporate it.

Although difficult for tourists to find, the site features fabulous views of Boca Vieja Cove to the west and San Juan Bay to the east. The fort interior is closed to the public, but one can walk around its walls. Isla de Cabras is connected to the main island by a short bridge.

WikiCommons Creative Commons Contributor Today: Carlo Giovannetti (a.k.a. Thief12)

Cockfighting vacation package

When it comes to bad publicity, Puerto Rico often suffers many self induced black eyes. Sometimes it just seems that we just can't control ourselves in our attempt to soil our reputation. However, recently Whoopi Goldberg attempted to sully our reputation in comparing the actions of suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick with cockfighting in Puerto Rico. How dare she! Doesn't she know that Puerto Ricans are the only ones who can embarrass us in front of the world?

Thanks to Literanista for bringing this to our attention, because like most stupid celebrity shit, I hadn't really bothered to look at the details of this latest smear of Puerto Rico.

Take a look for yourself:


So, let's look deeper into this latest incident of Puerto Rico bashing to see what we can find. First, of course it is absolutely beside the point that it is incredibly cruel to the gamecocks who are breed and killed in the cockpit. And it is entirely pointless to mention that the Humane Society of the Unites States lists these social ills resulting from cockfighting:

Cockfighting not only spawns unconscionable animal abuse, but it is also a magnet for other social ills including narcotics sales, illegal firearms possession, illegal gambling, public corruption and human violence. In fact, a quick glance at the police blotters on the pages of local newspapers in Puerto Rico shows several violent incidents—including at least one homicide—connected to cockfighting events in 2007 alone.

Sadly, many who attend cockfights make the events a family affair—bringing young children along and exposing them to inordinate animal cruelty. This exposure can dull the sensitivity of children to animal suffering and normalize violence. And studies have shown that children who grow up in a climate of violence are more likely to perpetuate such behavior against others—both animals and people.

Because, second, in the end what Michael Vick is accused of and admits he is guilty of, is illegal in the state where he resides. It even carries a felony charge. In fact it is even illegal to attend a dog fight, let alone breed dogs, organize fights, and sponsor gambling on dog fights. While in Puerto Rico, cockfighting remains a legal activity since 1933 and it is likely to remain so if Puerto Rico politician's have their say. The Puerto Rico legislature recently approved a bill establishing it as a "cultural right" of islanders.

"There are many people who enjoy this sport and we are not going to allow any group of people to come here and prevent that right," said Carlos Molina, a pro-statehood lawmaker who introduced the bill. "The sport does no damage to anyone."

So there you have it. Just as 18th and 19th century landlords believed that slavery was their cultural right, the "sport" of cockfighting does no damage to anyone...although it does quite a bit of damage to the chickens...but no humans are harmed in the practice of the sport. Well unless someone gets their arm ripped open by a postizas — an ice pick-shaped artificial spur made of hard plastic or metal that are placed on the feet of the gamecocks to puncture and mutilate the opposing bird.

A lost opportunity?

This has got me thinking... Since their is such a lust for these bloodsports (dog and cock fighting), maybe Puerto Rico is losing out on a big niche market. Maybe we could even create a special custom map identifying the location of all 108 Club Gallistica around the island. I can imagine now someone creating a vacation package for bloodsport enthusiasts that includes:

• Round trip airfare to San Juan
• Six nights in the best hotels in Isla Verde
• Transportation to and from 5 different Club Gallisticos around San Juan
• A $50 bet match coupon good towards your first legal betting experience
• An 8x10 color photograph with your favorite champion (rooster).

Imagine the possibilities...in a recent article from ABC News:

Andrew Robertson, a 19-year-old Canadian vacationer who attended the Saturday cockfights at Club Gallistico with college friends, said he found the pastime intriguing.

"It's kind of like watching two boxers in the ring," said the Montreal resident. "Of course, the boxers don't die at the end of the fight, but you can still see some similarities."

Thanks for staying home this winter!

There is a new report being picked up by many newspapers and appearing in blogs around the United States that the Caribbean is suffering from a decline in tourism. According to the report, U.S. tourists are tired of the turquoise waters and white-sand beaches of the Caribbean. All I have to say is Hallelujah! As a resident of Puerto Rico, I have to admit that I'm tired of sharing our warm weather and beautiful beaches with tourists. I mean really, it's about time we got to enjoy them all to ourselves. I'd say it makes perfect sense that everyone living in Boston, New York, Michigan, and other notoriously wicked winter locales would prefer staying home in February than coming to lay on the beach and have the warm waters of the Caribbean lap at your toes. I say, more power to you, someone has to endure those freezing mornings and shovel all that snow. I'm glad they prefer those activities instead of hiking through El Yunque, it only means less tourists on the trails.

I guess the thinking goes that once you've swam in the bath water warm waves in San Juan and dipped into the cool mountain streams of El Yunque after a hot afternoon of hiking in January, there is nothing else to do. I guess for us locals it's our gain that they haven't heard about the world class surfing on the east coast, the twenty-some golf courses, the horseback riding on the beaches, or the 14th century architecture and history spread out all over the island. Man if U.S. tourists learned about all of the different experiences available in Puerto Rico, they'd want to come back and then we'd have to share it with them.

While I am a resident I wasn't always. I grew up in Indiana, where the winters are bleak and sometimes the cold never breaks for weeks or months at a time. I remember one Christmas Eve going out to visit friends and the temperature was 70 degrees below 0, with the wind chill factor included, of course. Still, the wind was so strong and the cold so sharp that when you stepped outside it literally took your breath away. I can only imagine someone suggesting to me at that time...."Hey let's beat these winter blues and head down to the Caribbean!" I'm sure my response would have been, as I was gasping for air under three layers of clothes: "No way man, we were just down there last year and I'm getting used to this numb feeling in my hands and toes!"

So to all those people who prefer scraping ice off of your window everyday before and after work, I say, "Thank you!" Thanks for enduring the brutal task of shoveling two feet of snow off your driveway so you can go and buy some milk. Somebody has to live in these inhospitable places during the winter, I mean it's not like you can just pick-up and fly somewhere with 80+ degree weather all year round and thaw out for a while. I guess that's what happens after too much cold, you just stop remembering how glorious it feels to run around in a swimsuit drinking a beer on the beach. For that, I'm thankful, it just means less crowded beaches and more beer to go around. Poor, poor pitiful me!

Flickr Creative Commons Contributors Today: shelms & eMuse Tess Heder

All aglow in Vieques

As we mentioned last week, we now have access to a new set of satellite images and this, por fin, also includes Vieques, the little girl island. Once again, I'd like to point out that the images are not as good as San Juan's, but they are good enough to make anyone who's never been to Vieques, really, really want to go. Like someone I know whose name rhymes with John Jees, jeesh, that guy hasn't been hardly anywhere in Puerto Rico.

If you'd like to get some background about La Isla Nena, then the place to start is with the plaza in Vieques. Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera is the central plaza in downtown Isabel Segunda. With Culebra and Vieques, we've started a new initiative to include a description of each municipality in the location (pushpin) of the central plaza of that municipality. Now for those keeping score at home, that's two down, seventy to go. At this rate, we'll be finished sometime next year...

Unless you're camping the place to stay is probably Martineau Bay Resort & Spa. However, as we mentioned here previously, that might have to wait until they finish their renovation. While there are plenty of other places to stay, you're probably not going to go to Vieques for the accommodations, chances are you'll want to head to Vieques for the adventure. And as you'll see below, Vieques is nearly unmatched in the Caribbean. Here are a few of the adventures to seek while you're there:

• Mosquito Bay - Bahía Mosquito is a large bay on the south coast of Vieques. It is an impressive example of a bioluminescence that glows to life after dusk. When you jump into the bay after dark the water you begin to glow with the millions of dinoflagellitic bioluminescence. The best way to witness the magic is to take one of the local bio-bay tours offered by local tour companies. While you can reach the bay on your own, you'll need a four wheel drive and plan on being extra careful as you make your way on the dark and bumpy dirt road. Don't miss the collection of photos available on Flickr. Just click on the "Flickr" tab in the bubble.
  

• Balneario Sun Bay - As the only public beach, Sun Bay is probably the most popular beach on Vieques. In addition, as part of the group of beaches administered by the Compañia de Parques Nacionales it offers the best facilities of any beach in Vieques, including picnic tables, fire pits, a huge parking lot, drinking fountains, trash cans, bathrooms, and lifeguards on duty during daylight hours. With an enormous stretch of white sand lined with palm trees and medium waves, the Sun Bay beach is one of Puerto Rico's hidden treasures.

• Fortin Conde de Mirasol - This impressive fort was the last Spanish fort built in the New World. Built around 1845, the fort was neglected until the Puerto Rico Institute of Culture repaired it and installed a museum.
  
  Situated on a prominent hill that overlooks the town of Isabel II, the Count Mirasol Fort is a typical example of the XIX century Spanish fortification system. Construction on thr fort began in 1845 by order of the Governor of Puerto Rico at the time, Don Rafael de Aristegui y Vélez, who was also known as "The Count of Mirasol". The main purpose of the Fort was to offer a safe place from where the Spanish government could maintain control of the island and defend it against enemies on neighboring islands.
  
  Due to a lack of budget on the main island of Puerto Rico, the fort was never finished and was never used as an element of defense against the neighboring islands. However, the fort gained historic significance as a political center for the execution of those who were against the Spanish administration and its interests.

• Faro Punta Mulas - The Punta Mulas lighthouse was built by the Spaniards in 1895 to 1896. It was partially destroyed when the Americans attacked Puerto Rico on 1898. It was magnificently resotred in 1992 and stands as a welcome sight for anyone riding the ferry to get to Vieques.
  
  El Faro Punta Mulas is now a small museum, which exhibits a collection of artifacts and photos of the island's history, the natural history of the coast, and marine time history.
  

• Beaches - What would any island in the Caribbean be without beaches, just a rock in the middle of the ocean I guess. According to many, however, there are few beaches on any island in the Caribbean that exceed the beauty of those in Vieques. Some of the more popular beaches include:
  
  
• Green Beach - Is actually a series of small, disconnected sandy areas running south from Punta Arenas (Sandy Point), makes sense right? Since it faces west, it's perfect for capturing picturesque sunsets. Green Beach features the best land-based snorkeling on the island of Vieques. The shallow water reef at the south end of the island is the place to go.
• Playa Medi Luna - You'll find Half Moon Bay directly east of Sun Bay. While still part of the Sun Bay balneario complex, it is physically separated. In a quiet bay, the soft waves and shallow water make it perfect for children.
• Playa Navío - About a half of a mile past Playa Media Luna you'll find Playa Navío, the third member of the Sun Bay balneario complex. While more isolated and usually nearly deserted, it is Sun Bay's best snorkeling site. Less protected than its neighbors, the waves pound against the shore making it dangerous for children but great for boogie boarders.
  

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Alejandra Quintero Sinisterra

¡Por Fin! Culebra desde el cielo

We are ecstatic to announce that Google, TeleAtlas, and DóndeEs.com now have significantly improved satellite images of Culebra. If you had checked Culebra in Google Earth or Google Maps merely a couple of weeks ago all you would have seen was a green blob in the middle of the water. You could tell that it was Culebra shaped, but you couldn't see any of the beautiful beaches. While the images of Culebra aren't as sharp as the ones available for San Juan, we can now enjoy their splendor.

I have to confess, I've never actually been to Culebra. So you know I'm just talking out of my back side, but I've heard it has the most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico. Well the best I've been able to do so far is visit Culebra via DóndeEs.com. In honor of that "trip", I'd like to announce the availability of a new collection of pushpins (points of interest, POI) for Culebra.

• Plaza de Recreo de Culebra - The Plaza de Recreo de Culebra in Culebra is located right on the water at the ferry dock. A welcome shade as you wait to depart on the ferry back to Fajardo.


• Culebrita Island - Open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset, the beaches and marked trails of Culebrita Island are open to the public, but the National Wildlife Service recommends that you stay on marked trails and do not enter closed areas.
  
  With fabulous beaches on the west and the north inlet, the island is definitely an adventure so don't forget to bring sunblock and water because there are no facilities on the island.
  
  The Culebra Lighthouse, which was established in 1886, is still operational, although it is currently closed until renovation is complete. The lighthouse is owned by the Municipal Government of Culebra.


• Flamenco Beach - Located on Flamenco Bay on the north side of Culebra, Flamenco Beach is a great beach. The beach has bathrooms available as well as camping, with water. Camp sites are available by reservation only. Flamenco Beach is the only camping area in Culebra that is open to the public.


• Cayo Luis Peña - The south and north beaches of Cayo de Luis Peña are open daily sunrise to sunset. Please observe the no fishing zones on the south, east, and north that are part of the Canal de Luis Peña Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources Nature Reserve. The Cayo offers no facilities, so be sure to take plenty of sunblock and water.
  
  Playa Tamarindo, which is part of the Cayo Luis Peña Natural Reserve is a great area for snorkeling and swimming.


• Many other wonders of nature, including the way off the beaten path Cayo Norte, the popular boating Bahía la Pelá, and the surfing hotspot Brava Beach.
  
  

Flickr Creative Commons Contributors Today: bvincent and culebrense

Abre Courtyard by Marriott en Aguadilla

Marriott International Corporation, owners of the chain of hotels Courtyard by Marriott, has announced that their new hotel planned for Aguadilla will be open in November. The hotel will open on November 17th, just in time for the 2007-2008 high season on the island. This is the third Courtyard by Marriott hotel to open in Puerto Rico.

According to Carola Padilla, Director of Sales and Marketing for the new hotel, the hotel was built with an estimated $17.5 million. Built on the grounds of the old Ramey Air Force Base, specifically where the hospital used to be, the hotel will feature 152 rooms. 141 of the rooms will be regular rooms and 11 will be suites, including a penthouse suite.

The new hotel will also feature a casino, Internet service in the rooms, three meeting rooms with a total capacity of 225 people, a spa, two restaurants, and a multiple floor parking garage. Additional amenities include a pool with a snackbar and a minigolf course.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: shanathalas