Festival del Tinglar

On Saturday, the town square in Luquillo hosted Festival del Tinglar.  It's a celebration of the sea turtles that nest in the beaches along the northeastern shore this time of year.  Like the other festivals, this one was flooded with artisans.  I bought a stained wood burning of a coqui that will look great in my next living room (where ever that may be).  Outside of the artisans and pincho stands, there were several tents with information about conservation efforts in the Northeast Ecological Corridor.  Unfortunately, I didn't spend much time in the tents since my Spanish is still pretty rusty.  But they did a nice job of having a variety of interactive displays and activities for kids to learn about the animals in their own backyards.  Community support is so important to achieving conservation goals.  Outreach programs like this one help build awareness within the community, encouraging them to feel a deeper connection to their environment.

We spent a few hours at the festival and then had a couple beers at Boardriders.  All day different bands played on a stage at the festival, and we were sticking around to see the headliner, Cultura Profetica, a Puerto Rican reggae band.  To be honest, I didn't really feel like staying for the show.  I was tired and it was getting cold, windy, and threatened to rain.  But I didn't really have an option.  I was at the mercy of our driver and the rest of the group.

No one really knew when the band was supposed to take the stage.  In true island fashion, everyone had a different answer.  We wandered back to the town center as they finally started their sounds check.  That was when the shit hit the fan.  The winds picked up and crazy gusts started blowing the rain sideways.  What was once a sea of people quickly became huddled masses as people took refuge under tents and umbrellas.  Crew members covered the giant amplifiers with plastic bags, and I wondered if they would have to cancel the show.  I was just thankful that I had at least brought my rain jacket.  Finally, the rain calmed down and the show started.  Although I didn't understand any of the Spanish lyrics, I actually really enjoyed show.  I was glad that we stayed, soaking jeans and all.