A day in Caguas

"Ancestral Africana," installation by Samuel Lind, at the Botanical Gardens in Caguas.

The thing about Puerto Rico that's so interesting to me is that it is such a small island, but each area and town are vastly different. Within an hour's drive in any direction, you might find yourself in a city, at the beach, in the mountains or some other atmosphere.

On Wednesday we traveled to the area of Caguas. Starting at the Caguas Tourism Office, we prepared for a museum walk, La Ruta del Corazón Criollo. Our friendly tour guide explained how Caguas is a center of arts and culture, with many museums, three of which we would see: Museo Del Artes Populares (folk art), Museo Del Tobaco and El Museo De Arte De Caguas. From there we took a short drive to the Botanical Gardens so see a sublime sculptural installation by Samuel Lind (whom we had the pleasure of meeting in his home studio last week). 

From there we drove high up into the mountains of Caguas, to the community of San Salvador. The landscape is one of the most beautiful one can find on earth (I regret not being able to take proper pictures). We were welcomed to the Community Museum of San Salvador for a presentation and a tour of their space. Their collection consists of various items collected from the community with the intention of preserving the culture and history of San Salvador.