Ah, Puerto Rico, at last! Gorgeous, noisy, humid and wild. We are determined to taste and savor all week long. This is not a place for “sipping” – this is a guzzler’s paradise.

Our first coup has to do with meat. We reserve a mysterious bag of pork (“lechon”) to be picked up in the local graveyard between 5:30 and 7:00 AM. This roasted pig is legendary and we resolve to get a hunk of it as quickly as possible. “Extra skin” was our only request. It was even more and succulent than we imagined — only the greasy paper bag with the name “Elissabeth” was left as evidence.

We are staying in a fabulous little hotel called Amistad – small and comfortable, with a lovely overgrown patio in back plus several communal porches and decks. Guests are welcome to use the kitchen. Strong coffee is served each morning at 8:00. The little library and beautiful tiled pool (top photo), more for dipping than swimming, are unexpected delights. It is impossible not to relax in this atmosphere of friendship and comfort.

And you can’t beat the sunsets at Al’s.

More soon!