Puerto Rico is a beautiful island under the dominion of The United States of America, even though not entirely. Its capital is San Juan, and to be honest, the first time I flew there, I had no idea where I was going. I imagined it as a small town. The first time I laid eyes on the town, through the airplane window, the sight left me with an open mouth! Perhaps the fact that, in the exact moment when I had thrown a glimpse through the window, I spotted another airplane heading directly toward us, added to the impression… Can you imagine the feeeling…? Thankfully, it made a swift turn. Finally, I could enjoy a glance at the town. San Juan is tremendous, as are most towns that have been divided into old and new parts. The town is surrounded by the beautiful beaches where latino girls promenade in very slender swim-suits.

I’ll try to acquaint you with the island of Puerto Rico, without giving away too much!. It's best for you to see it for yourself. If you are unsure as to where Puerto Rico is, grab a map and follow these directions: First, find Florida. Then, smoothly descend southward until your finger points to Cuba. A bit lower, to the right, you can see Haiti and The Dominican Republic. The nearby island, right below, is Puerto Rico. Bought several hundred years ago from Spain, Puerto Rico has become a dominion of The United States, but has never lost a dash of Europe nor a certain autonomy. Old town architecture reflects it best, since you have a feeling you walk through old part of Split, or any Dalmatian town in Croatia, or Spanish town naturally. From everything that I have seen, and believe me I saw a lot, this island is the best combination of South-American and European culture, as well as being the biggest South Caribbean island. One doesn’t have to be shrewed to figure that out. Although I have little knowledge of the Spanish language, translated, Puerto Rico means ‘rich port’. A bit of an odd name for this island, since it hasn’t always been that way. The island used to carry the name San Juan, and Puerto Rico was the capital. Why it is reversed now...I am not sure. There are two American jungles in Puerto Rico, one is named El Yunke. Those who enjoy astronomy, exploration of the universe, or the study of extra terrestrials, will find Porto Rico associative to the greatest telescope on Earth, “dug in” the heart of the island, known to the public as the place where a James Bond movie was filmed. I must admit I have tried to arrange a visit to that grandous edifice several times, but to no avail. There will be other opportunities…

Naturally, one runs into certain unavoidable icons of the American culture. First, there are big cars, typical American models, SUVs, and pick-up trucks that use the gas of four average European cars. There are massive shopping malls, where one should be on a vacation to have enough time to peer into every single shop. There is another, unfortunately, typical American thing that has become one of the national symbols, obesity. You can’t believe your eyes while looking at the people, young and old. What makes it worse, children around the age of 7 or 8 are already obese, making it almost impossible for them to grow into healty adults. I am not being subjective, the latest research, done one year ago, had shown that Puerto Rico is number one among countries having an obese population. However, here’s a good statistic for all bachelors. The situation is the following: The female-male ratio on the island is 5:1!!! You see, it is fairly easy for a guy to find a girl. Even some of my friends that I thought of as lost causes, were able to spend some time with the women! The women seem to be very friendly and starting a conversation is easy, especially if you are from Europe. ;-)

I am not being subjective, last research made a year ago had shown that Puertorico is number one in countries with population obesity issue. However, here’s a good statistics for all bachelors and those who feel free and who had fantasized about touching just once those gorgeous latino bums that leave not a single male indifferent. I know I wasn’t! Situation is the following. Male-female ratio on the island is 5:1!!! In the favour of women! If we add to it a fact the 30% of men are heterosexual, you see that here is really easy for a guy to find a girl, mate, ‘one night stand’, whatever, even some of my friends I thought of as lost cases! Women are very open-minded. Starting a conversation is easy, especially if you are from Europe. ;-) And since it is always sunny, it’s warm even when it rains, they don’t have much clothes on, so not much is left to fantasize about. Well, at this very moment I must tell you about the night life because these two things are inseparable.

I must tell you about the night life! San Juan and the old town kernel are made for evening risings, especially if you have a romantic dinner with a loved one in mind. There is no way to dash one’s hopes there. All the restaurants have that 'special feeling.' The location of the restaurants append to that, I dare to say, sublime entourage, in a small narrow street, where latino music emerges from the dark, and delicate smells fill the air… I think our local girls would be in heaven, since, as much as I have noticed, they like when men with dark complexions and slick black hair approach them. This seems to be what is quite common here, in Puerto Rico… but obviously there is something more to it …

Ahh, everything sounds so lovely and admirable, but there are always things that irritate you. The first thing on that list is the incurable slowness of the vendors in any shop or in any snack-house you step into. They just do not seem to care, keeping a slow pace. Here, has been one of the most absurd cases in my experience. I went into Subway to get lunch, there were three people in front of me. You would expect that a line of three people would be moving quickly, especially since there were three girls behind the counter. Well, that’s not how it was…. They keep talking to each other, as if no one was in the shop. Finally, its my turn, and not one of them knows English?! Hello!? I know this used to be a Spanish territory, but for a few centuries now it’s a U.S. dominion and they don’t speak a word of the State’s official language! It took me a couple of minutes to get a grip. It turned out OK, though, becuase the cool thing was that none of them had ever heard the Croatian language. To them it seemed a bit exotic, and it was such a joy to drop off a juicy comment in the Croatian language that nobody understood!

I hope I have managed to describe at least a bit of the Puerto Rican atmosphere. I'm sure my fascination with this island is obvious. I offer a very warm recommendation to those of you who have read this. Should you decide to go to the Caribbean islands, this island is ‘a MUST' to visit. You can fly to Puerto Rico directly from Europe. If you prefer cruises, you must fly to Miami, Florida first. Puerto Rico itself is a main port for major cruisers who navigate through the South Caribbean . If you have some extra time and money and like what you have seen and read, then go for it! Click on the photos and judge the magic for yourself. Feel the pleasure!