Puerto Rico

Last summer I went to Puerto Rico to visit my brother. My brother is a helicopter pilot in the Coast Guard who lives in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, which is a rural town on the opposite side of the island from San Juan. Staying in Aguadilla instead of San Juan provided for a true experience of another culture, and I would say it was my first true anthropological experience. Aguadilla is filled with Spanish speaking Puerto Ricans. Besides the people in the Coast Guard and the occasional student, no one speaks English. I was lost in translation many times while I was down there. This trip was my first time outside of the states, and it was very different being the minority. I would say that I experienced a little bit of culture shock when I was in Puerto Rico. I definitely felt a little rejected by the Puerto Rican people and experienced a feeling of loss of familiar surroundings. The experiences I had in Puerto Rico were some of the best times I’ve ever had. The beaches were beautiful, the water was crystal clear, and the temperature always stayed in the lower 80’s, upper 70’s. While I was in Aguadilla, I spent most of my time on the beaches, snorkeling around reefs, and exploring the rural side of the island. The beaches seemed to always be busy, and the festive atmosphere made for a really good time. Food at the beaches was inexpensive. Local people would make food and sell it for very cheap. A plate full with chicken kabobs, potatoes, and a roll would cost only four dollars; however, if you ventured to find fast food or a restaurant the prices were the same as they would be in the states. I truly got to see the Puerto Rican culture on the beach. The Puerto Rican foods and playing of only raggaeton music gave the beaches that Hispanic feel. After staying in Aguadilla for a couple of weeks, we went to San Juan for a couple of days until my departure for Atlanta. San Juan is definitely the Americanized portion of the island. Everyone there speaks English, and the prices of everything is just as you would find in the states. However, the Spanish influence on San Juan makes the city a site to see. During the day we would tour the city, but at night the real fun would begin. Along with exploring the city, we took a trip to the rainforest. I had no clue that Puerto Rico had a rainforest so it was definitely a nice surprise. We hiked on the trails, swam down the rapids, and jumped off the cliffs as we went up and descended down the forest. It was definitely a great way to end my trip. Some concepts from class that I recognized were culture shock and ethnocentrism since I looked at the Puerto Rican culture from my culture’s point of view. All-in-all, my first true anthropological experience was a great time, and I will definitely go there again if finances permit.