WE ARE SHARING THE 3-BEDROOM SUITE at Casa Aramana with Otto and Helgor from Dusseldorf and Michael from Scranton, but it is like having the place to ourselves. The Germans are napping and Michael is off to the beach. This is a perfect location for tonight since Gabriel will be collecting us in the morning, but I’ve booked a place in Old San Juan for our return. It’s just more convenient to the tourist sites.
Gabriel
While we were waiting for Gabriel at the Walgreens — Casa Aramana is on a gated street and it was raining — Danny regaled us with his right-wing, racist politics until Gabriel arrived. A Puerto Rican from Brooklyn is evidently a dangerous combination! Gabriel, on the other hand, seems nice. He’s a big guy, easily six feet and two bills. His English is pretty good and he has guided throughout the Caribbean. His driving makes me a bit uncomfortable, sitting in the front seat as I am, but we think everything will work out fine.
Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo
Our first stop was Secret Place #1 where we began to rack up Puerto Rico’s endemic birds like the PR tody and PR lizard cuckoo. Connie shared her hit list of birds with Gabriel and my orders are to photograph anything with feathers until told otherwise.
Green Mango
Other Secret Places followed, like friends Pépe and Fela’s hummingbird feeders, where Fela provided wonderful carrot cakes. Today’s total — 53 species and eleven lifers including more than half of Puerto Rico’s endemics — but two moonless hours listening to coqui frogs failed to produce a PR screech owl sighting, only his call.
Connie and Gabriel and "Here-acane" damage
As we circled the island counter-clockwise, Gabriel told us about the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, “Here-acane” in his accented English. Most of the damage was done in the mountainous areas but the tropical vegetation has returned with a vengeance. The power outages were the greatest inconvenience — Gabriel was without power for 7 weeks! No light, no electricity to run the well pump, no gasoline. FEMA is not a term used in polite Puerto Rican company.
