Why We Love Puerto Rico

Things to like about Puerto Rico: Los Amigos Lechónera, beautiful vistas driving down PR-52 from San Juan, unobstructed view of sunsets, empanadillas from our favorite road side stand and being recognized by the owner, the sound of waves breaking outside the apartment, pelicans diving on the reef for food, ocean breezes, coquis, boat tailed black birds, Medalla beer, the weather. Things to dislike: Drivers on the autopista (4-lane highway) must have been trained in NYC. Things that are interesting and / or strange: San Juan, being touristy, is bi-lingual and all signs and billboards are in both Spanish and English and the people mostly speak both languages. Once you get away from San Juan, it's all Spanish from the road signs and advertisements to the people. Like going to a different country. Highway markers and distances are always given in kilometers, but speed limits are posted in MPH. Like any other place, people in the big city are always in a hurry and sometimes a bit detached, but when you get out in the country, people take life a little slower and are always friendly. We passed a funeral procession today in which the hearse was like a Cadillac pick up truck with the coffin in the open bed on the back and surrounded by flowers. The family car was followed by a "music" car with huge speakers on the roof blasting out music (the deceased's favorite?). Kind of a variation on a New Orleans Jazz funeral? Driving here is totally different from driving around the San Juan area. Here, on the small two lane roads, stop signs are mere suggestions, driving on the right is only required when you are meeting another vehicle otherwise you drive on the best side of the road. When a person pulls out of a side road or driveway and you slow down because they are practically in your lane, that is an implicit agreement that they may proceed. Narrow roads sometimes require drivers to get out and negotiate which one has the right of way and will proceed where two cars cannot meet.