Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.

After almost 2.5 months of country visits, the start of my official christmas holidays took place in the so well know Coffee Zone (Zona Cefetera) of Colombia. It was not explicitly a hard core tuorism trip, I simply joined Javier (my b-friend) to visit his family, stay that once again was enough to experience so beautiful landscapes and get closer to nature and farm- life for a while!

RAIN FOREST EXPERIENCE, EL YUNQUE - Puerto Rico was the longest visit I had, and due to that (but also because my body was screaming for it!) we did dome tourism the last weekend of november. One of the destinies was the Caribbean National Forest, known as El Yunque. Get its name from an Indian spirit Yuquiye, which means "Forest of Clouds", that gave the mountain that dominates the 28,000 acre of tropical forest. With over 240 species (26 species are found nowhere else) of trees and plants, give reason to the government of Puerto Rico to spend a great deal of moneymaking to preserve floral species and animals that are on the verge of extinction. The total area is 11,270 ha (75% of Puerto Rico virgin forest is here).

El Yunque is the rainiest of all the National Forests with up to 240 inches per year. More than 100 billion gallons of rainwater fall on the Forest per year. The climate is frost-free and ranges in moisture from semi-desert to rain forest conditions within very short distances. There are strong easterly trade-winds and cool weather is normal at the higher elevations.

LOOKING FOR A BIT OF SUN - This same "tourism" weekend it was of course mandatory to go to the beach and get a bit of sun. On an island, it seems to be quite obvious that you could find sun everywhere, but specially this weekend the weather was terrible! Luckily on sunday we managed to go to a beach (actually a close one) where the weather was very good and enjoyed a couple of hours of sun.

And to star talking about San Juan, let´s take the most beautiful part of it - THE OLD SAN JUAN (Viejo San Juan).

This is a 465-year-old neighborhood originally conceived as a military stronghold. Its 7-square-block area has evolved into a charming residential and commercial district. The streets here are paved with cobbles of adoquine, a blue stone cast from furnace slag; they were brought over a ballast on Spanish ships and time and moisture have lent them their characteristic color. The city includes more than 400 carefully restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial buildings. The Old San Juan attracts many tourists, who also enjoy the gambling casinos, fine beaches, and tropical climate. More tourists visit San Juan each year than any other spot in the Caribbean. A leisurely foot tour is advisable for those who really want to experience this bit of the Old World, especially given the narrow, steep streets and frequently heavy traffic.

REGGAETON - From all cars we went my favourite no doubt was the so called "HIJOS DE BORINQUEN" (sons of Borinquen) that was a place with non-stop regaeton! Well, not that this is difficult to find in Puerto Rico! Reggaeton is a rythm that was born in Puerto Rico and that slowly has transformed Puerto Rico, that time ago was the capital of salsa, into the homaland of Raggeaton. If you have heard about Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Don Omar, Hector & Tito, Loony Tunes ... then you know what I mean. Reggeaton means party, mean "perrear" as they call it, dancing very sexy and tight, singing about sexual, personal and social, sometimes random issues in a direct (many times aggresive!) way - but that all reflects the culture and reality of a generation of people in these country and whole LatinAmerica. Reggaeton is a life style, is guys and girls dressing with long shiny neck chains, braslets, caps, huge trousers ... vert similar to rap or hip-hop style. But beyond all that in my opinion reggeaton has such a catchy rythm and sound that no matter the context around the song, you just feel like dancing it and enjoying. I was told Reggaeton was born in a town called CAROLINA near San Juan, where we also had the opportunity to pass by, however I did not enter or researched more about it :( If you are willing to get some Reggaeton songs, just let me know, I have enough in my lap top.

BACARDI, 151, CUBA LIBRE AND OTHER STORIES - Puerto Rico´s most famous rum worldwide in Bacardi. Being not a beer person, the introduction into the "cuba libre" (cocktail/drink composed by coca-cola/pepsi, some lemon juice and rum) culture was pretty much easy, althought I never exagerated. When we went out, OR SIMPLY at home a cuba libre was always inviting, it was just needed the buy the "person dosis" as I call it of BACARDI (2.5 USD) and a bottle of coke. NOW, HERE COMES ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT WARNING FOR PEOPLE THAT GO FOR THE FIRST TIME TO PUERTO RICO! your friends will invite you most probablt for a shot of a rum called 151. DO NOT TAKE IT! It is horribly strong and seriously disgusting! It made me almost sick and for sure drunk. Well, they do it as a "foreigners" joke, they will tell you is as soft as Bacardi, and that you can´t leave the country without drinking it ... and well, the rest you know! Now you are warned!

Beer is anyways also very famous. The Puerto Rican most common beer is called MEDALLA and you can get the small can for 1.00 USD.