Angel's Light

As he swept away the blue plastic tarp to allow me into his humble home, the brilliant white light of the sun punctuated his already animated face and a contrasted view took hold. Angel would not allow me to leave the San Juan village of La Perla until I had seen the inside of his home.

After landing at the San Juan airport, I took an intended detour to the conference so that I could see the real Puerto Rico, not the glossy and pristine one that fills the hotel brochures and travel magazines. Like many islands, the have-nots out number the haves by ten-fold or more in Puerto Rico. It is an all too familiar theme: Posh, gated, travertine covered resorts built in tropical settings where guests are blind to the real living circumstances in many areas of the island and never see the areas where the wealth never "trickles down". I vowed long ago not to be one of those tourists.

The La Perla district is one of the poorest and highest crime neighborhoods in all of Puerto Rico. It was originally constucted as an encampment for the slaves whom built and maintained the San Cristobal Fort that sits just above. To say that strangers are not welcomed in La Perla is a bit of an understatement. Shortly after entering the village, it became clear to me that most residents prefer that their village remains somewhat unapproachable. That was until I met a few young children and, then, Angel Rodriguez. Angel's charm and animation captured my heart. He is extremely proud of his home and has put great effort into its exterior as compared to most other residents in La Perla. I speak very little Spanish (the Italian version) but I believe that he explained to me he wanted the exterior to "feel Californian". Angel dreams of all things California.

But seeing the exterior of the house was not enough for me, according to Angel, and he would not let go of my arm until I went inside. He opened the door, swept away the blue tarp that acted as a screen door and stepped in. As I followed him in, my eyes and camera immediately focucused on is face bathed in the reflected light. And, my eyes adjusted allowing me to see the remainder of the interior that was so sparsely equipped that it defied the expectations I had set for myself outside. It was interesting to note that two academic certificates were practically the only things adorning the walls. But Angel was a gentlemen and he was rightfully proud of his home. He said that it has housed him well and that it was very comfortable. The only remorseful thing he said to me in very broken English is that he is "surrounded by crazy people".

After I left Angel's home, he shouted down the street to me "hasta la vista, baby, you come back, baby". I then set about to take a few more pictures but I ran into a most difficult man. I have learned in parts of Harlem and the Bronx that you are welcomed until you are unwelcomed so, I put the kit back in my pack and headed up the one lane road and through the gates that once locked the prisoners within. Thirty minutes later, I was at "Poshtopia" where resort guests were unaware of their surroundings and the other end of island life..

There are other shots of the day here. This story may take on better context if you have time to see these images. I shot nearly 300 images in La Perla and have yet to look at most of them. I have had to dramatically downsize all of these images due to the internet speed here and the lengthy uploads. But, they will still give you a taste of my experience.

I return home on Saturday morning and hope to be back on the grid a bit this weekend.