Travels in the 2nd half

C.O.P.I. Last week I wrote about Piñones and Loíza as places to visit for sun, sand and great food. However, these towns are also home to artisans and artists carrying on many Afro-Puertorican traditions. They are wonderful places to explore this aspect of the artistic history of the island. C.O.P.I. – The Corporacíon Piñones se Integra (C.O.P.I.) serves many roles in Piñones. Its headquarters, on Calle Arturo Schomburg, just east of bridge from Isla Verde, is a place where visitors can rent bicycles and kayaks to explore the beaches and mangrove forest of the area. After hurricanes Irma and Maria, C.O.P.I. was a base for the distribution of food and needed materials in the area, and as an advocate for the residents of the community.   Bomba class It is also home to Majestad Negra, a folkloric dance company that specializes in bomba , a traditional Afro-Puertorican dance style. The music for bomba is provided by a group of drummers playing barriles, drums ma...

NOTE - As I was writing this post, the Puerto Rico Tourism Comapany (CTPR) the official governmental touristic agency, announced that they were not giving Piñones and Loíza "tourist area status" and will not provide funds to help develop the tourism industry in these two towns.   A year after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Puerto Rico’s tourism industry has begun to recover. The tourist areas in San Juan are open for business, and most of the hotels and restaurants are back. But what is it like outside the metropolitan area? On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, The Amazing Ms. D and I spent time in the towns of Piñones and Loíza. These towns, northeast of San Juan are areas that are historically Afro-Boricua. In the 1600’s the Spanish ordered that African descendants who had escaped enslavement in the British Caribbean colonies were to be sent to this area for settlement. This kept them away from most of Puerto Rico’s enslaved populations, and placed them in an ...