Puerto Rico, my heart's devotion!

“Puerto Rico, my heart’s devotion! Let it sink back in the ocean…” Some of you may recognize that line from the beginning of the song “America” in the musical West Side Story. It is a great song, but I can assure you that I do not want Puerto Rico, a small Caribbean island, to go anywhere!

I recently travelled to Puerto Rico for nine days to visit friends and attend the Comparative and International Education Society conference. It took about 15 minutes for me to fall in love with the windswept island, the sound of the waves crashing, and even the constant chirp of the Coqui frog. I will admit that I did not really know much about Puerto Rico before I visited, but while I was there, I learned a little of its fascinating history.

First I will tell you a little bit about the conference since that was the supposed “educational” part of the trip. Well-known researchers in my field came together to share what they have learned in their research. There were hundreds of presentations every day, and I chose to attend presentations that dealt with education in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union, peace education in areas of conflict, and Shadow Education. I won’t tell you all that I learned because it would be too long, but if you have any questions, please ask me!

Okay, so the conference was interesting, but I learned a lot more just walking around the island, touring the historical sites, and meeting people. Below is a map of the Caribbean. I didn’t realize how close Puerto Rico was to Florida!

The island is actually a territory of the United States with commonwealth status. Puerto Ricans are American citizens, and their Chief of State is the President of the United States. Although they are under the President’s rule, they do not get to vote for the president in elections, only Republican and Democratic primaries. However, they do get to vote in local elections for their governor and other local leaders. There are some political parties in Puerto Rico looking to make it the 51^st state. (Actually, there are groups in Washington that want DC to be the 51^st state! I wonder if we will ever add more states…)

One of my favorite places was the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a Spanish fort built in the 1500s. Puerto Rico was a territory of Spain until the United States claimed it during the Spanish-American War in 1898. It was used as an American fort until 1961, when it was preserved as a National Park and museum. Situated on a piece of land jutting out into the water, the wind swirling around the fort was surprisingly calming to me. Atop a hill and with clear views of water on three sides, I can easily see why it was a strategic location for a fort.  My favorite part about walking around the fort was the view of the ocean, the bay, and the island. See the picture below for the unforgettable view. You can almost imagine what it must have been like during its heyday, perhaps envisioning some pirate-looking ships in the distance.

 

                  This is a view of the fort.

                                                                                   This is a view from the top of the fort.

El Morro displays the Flag of the United States, the flag of Puerto Rico, and the Cross of Burgundy flag which was used by the Spanish armies in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.

This is a typical street in Old San Juan. It is easy to forget that you are still in the United States! The architecture in the old sections of the city are clearly Spanish, and so beautiful!

Okay, I needed a picture of the beach here. I spent a lot of time on the beach and in the ocean... SO RELAXING! I recommend Puerto Rico to anyone!