Home Sweet Home

I made it! I'm back in good old Edmonton, and surprisingly, I'm quite pleased to be here. The drive went well, Mary was relatively well behaved, and only cried a little bit. I'm surprised that I am so happy to be home, even though the house smells like cats, and is a bit of a disaster area. Not to mention that the cats had barfed on both my bed, and on the couch. Sigh.

I still miss Puerto Rico terribly, and Moustapha even more. I really wish that I hadn't left him behind, and to be honest, I am a little jealous that he is still there, and I am here. So, with that in mind, I've decided to make lists about my trip.


Things I liked about P.R.

1. The weather, of course.
2. The beach.
3. The incredibly cheap beer.
4. The wonderfully friendly people.
5. The upbeat, tropical, Spanish music.
6. The fun of trying to make myself understood when speaking to the friendly people who speak no English.
7. Iguanas! Sunning on the side of the road.
8. The rainforest.
9. The sound of the birds singing in the palm trees.
10. Mornings relaxing in the sun, by the pool, with a book.
11. My husband.
12. People selling birds at the side of the road. How neat is that?

Things I didn't like

1. The obnoxious tourists (not all American, I imagine, but that New York accent grates on me like you wouldn't believe)
2. The bugs that I never saw but have left horribly itchy little welts all over my arms and legs.
3. The never ending noise.
4. The fact that I don't speak Spanish got a little frustrating, in spite of the good-naturedness of the people there.
5. It's freaky expensive there.
6. It's filthy. Seriously. There is rotting garbage everywhere.
7. Dead Iguanas! Squished at the side of the road!
8. Scrawny stray cats and dogs everywhere.
9. Puerto Ricans seem to have no qualms about slapping their children in public. I try not to judge other parents, but honestly...when your 2 year old is having a melt down in the restaurant, winding up and slapping her on the mouth is not going to get her to stop crying any time soon, am I right?
10. The traffic is insane. Everyone drives everywhere, and they drive like maniacs. To cross the street is to take your life in your hands.
11. There are Policia everywhere, but there is also crime and drug deals going on out in the open, often right in front of the cops. What's up with that?
12. It's scary. The government is corrupt, it's full of crime, in some parts of the island it is a third world country, but generally only where the tourists don't go. The people there are chafing under U.S. rule, there is graffiti everywhere about freeing Puerto Rico from the American terrorists and such. I wouldn't want to own property there, I would be afraid that something might happen. To be honest, a lot of the Americans who do own property there are selling it so they can get out of the country in a hurry.

So there you have it. My impressions of Puerto Rico, abbreviated and off the top of my head. I have some pictures that I will get around to posting in the next couple of days.

For now, I am just so happy to be home, to see my nasty, shedding, vomiting, poorly behaved cats, and to be with my miserable, whiney, screaming, bratty, beautiful, loving, perfect little girl in my messy, smelly, falling apart little home. After seeing the way that people live on that island, I have a new appreciation for what I have here.