I began my morning on August 6th by waking up early enough to enjoy an exquisite breakfast at our hotel, Hacienda Tamarindo, and my last couple of hours in Vieques. A couple of friends and I gained the motivation to make a 20-minute walk from the hotel to see Black Sand Beach, which had been mentioned by Mark (one of the kindest people I have ever met) and Natalia, as a must-see spot. It was worth the hike!
In comparison to the main island of Puerto Rico, Vieques felt like a whole other world. I faced the challenge of not wanting to leave.
We then took a ferry back to the main island, and once back, we made our way to Loiza. Our first stop was at Raul’s house, where we watched him create a Vejigante mask from scratch out of a coconut. During this experience, his family made a series of unique cultural dishes and offered freshly diced papaya, covered in a sweet cinnamon glaze.
Our next stop was Samuel Lind’s house, a popular artist in the area. We were given a tour of his home and got to experience his thought process on each individual piece, first-hand.
Our last event of the day was a nearby Bomba class. We were immediately introduced into such an energetic environment which in my opinion, was a wonderful way to end the day.
On this day, we faced many ups and downs, as there are with everything else in life. I experienced a wonderful start to the morning, but between the heat, dehydration, and mosquitoes that would not stop attacking my legs, I lost all energy. It was only until I entered the dance floor, that joy and gratefulness came flowing back. It is crazy how quickly our days can switch around. “In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” – Ecclesiastes 7:14
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