On the morning of January 7th, 2020 I woke up as usual and checked my phone. I noticed my WhatsApp group of “Chicas Boricuas” was unusually active for 6am. “Lo sentiste” (Did you feel it); “Loca, yo estoy en un noveno piso, estoy asustada” (Girl, I’m on a 9th floor, I am scared); “Vente ‘pa casa para que no estes sola con la nena” (Come to my house so you’re not home alone with your daughter). That’s a small sampling of the texts between my friends in the early morning after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. I could feel their fear from their texts, in my home in Washington, DC. I immediately checked my Facebook feed which was flooded with a multitude of posts from friends and family about their experience that early morning. In order to share my thoughts on traveling to Puerto Rico after the earthquakes, I need to share the human side, from the perspective of my family and friends on the ground.
Everybody from the southern coast from the island has been affected in one way or another. “Then you see my town, Guayanilla and its neighbors Guánica, and Yauco and that’s something else,” says my aunt Carmen. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to get back to we were. But like we say in the south “yo no me quito” (I am not leaving).” She would like to see a more centralized system to figure out which businesses are open in the south as many are working with limited hours.
Chef Jorge Rivera, the owner of Chef Creations in Ponce, Puerto Rico says that they are currently open only for lunch due to the damages of the town center of Ponce where his restaurant is located. “The business owners of the neighborhood are getting together to see what’s the best way to move forward and continue to operate,” says Jorge.
The past few years have been challenging for Puerto Rico: an economic crisis, a devastating hurricane, an ousted governor, and now earthquakes. From the outside, it can seem like a frightening place, especially when the media has the tendency to focus on the images of destruction. I totally get it, news about corrupt politicians get the view and comments. There are plenty of articles about the destruction and corruption. However, I want to talk about something else. I want to share the stories of those who are behind the scenes in the hospitality business, making an honest living and aiding the economic growth of the island.
I recently co-hosted a fundraiser at a Puerto Rican owned restaurant called High Street Café. The owners, Manuel and Karla Iguina lent their space and food to raise funds for ConPRmetidos, a Puerto Rico-based non-profit that is providing direct assistance on the ground since 2012. The director of the program, Isabel Rollán said something very impactful at our event: “For those who want to help Puerto Rico, the best way you can do it is by visiting us and supporting our local businesses.”
During and after the string of earthquakes, I started to reach out to my small business owner friends and acquaintances, many of them I met while producing The Dining Traveler Guide to Puerto Rico. All of them talk about the challenges they are facing with their businesses given the latest crisis. When I reached out to Sylvia DeMarco, owner of Finca Victoria in Vieques and The Dreamcatcher in San Juan for her perspective, she apologized for not getting back to me sooner, but she was dealing with a flurry of cancelations. Sadly that has been the norm with many of the people I’ve spoken to.
During my trips after Hurricane Maria, I got to hear Sylvia’s story and many others. How they reinvented themselves after the Hurricane or how they took large bets and expanded their business because they believed in Puerto Rico. So many of them were finally crawling out of the red after Hurricane Maria and now they have the deal with the constant threats of earthquakes. The past two years these business owners experienced growth and were gearing for the high tourism season which begins in January. Now they risk seeing all their efforts go backward due to the current situation.
Carmen Portela is the co-founder of local tour operator Local Guest. Her company had three large group cancellations after the news of the earthquakes. “We’re a small tourism enterprise that works with local communities and entrepreneurs,” says Carmen. “Tourism is our livelihood and these difficult times have brought trip cancelations that affect our entire ecosystem. We invite travelers to keep their traveling plans since our island is eager to welcome you.”
“Puerto Rico is eager to welcome you” is a recurring phrase I hear from people throughout the island. Even those who are not directly involved in the tourism business have shared the map that Discover Puerto Rico shared to highlight where the damage is concentrated. The earthquakes, although felt all the way in San Juan, were very centralized on the southwest coast of the island. There is no damage in other tourist-friendly areas such as Rincon, San Juan, Dorado, Luquillo, Fajardo, Vieques, and Culebra.
Some business owners such as Paulina Salach Antonetti, owner of The Spoon Experience, a food tour company in San Juan see a disconnect between what you see in the news versus the reality across the island. “If you’re looking at the news from outside of Puerto Rico, you may be shocked by the headlines and the heart-breaking images,” says Paulina. “Our hearts are with our neighbors in the South who have been through so much. If you’re wondering if you should visit Puerto Rico after the earthquakes, please do! Perhaps you feel guilty about enjoying yourself while others are suffering, please know that the island as a whole (most of which has been unaffected by the quakes) needs and appreciates your business.”
I agree with Paulina. I sometimes see a contrast between the disaster porn we see in the news and the reality on the ground. I was confused when I saw all these images of destruction but at the same time, I also saw my friends and family going out to the beach, hanging out at bars, or going on family outings to the countryside. Don’t get me wrong… there is a lot of work to do in Puerto Rico, however, there are many positive things happening that are hidden in the news. Many are in the hospitality business and many are being led by women.
Chef Erika Sanchez recently opened the restaurant Wicked Lily in Condado, a busy tourist area. She wants to hold the leaders accountable for the current situation. “There is no major disaster in Puerto Rico worse than our “leaders” and politicians,” says Erika. There is no earthquake, storm, or hurricane that can destroy our economy and tourism greater than the politicians with their incompetence and badly played games. Puerto Rico is open for business and the world needs to know not to be afraid, we, the people are still the same, ready to welcome them, and show our enchantment!”
Not to be biased, but this is what I love about mi gente the most. The resiliency. I think it would be easy for me to have a different perspective if I only read the news and not know the people. But when you sit down and talk to people who could comfortably be living anywhere else on the mainland and yet you see them operating their businesses, making it happen and growing the economy at the micro-level. It is easy to see the mismanagement and corruption in and judge as if it doesn’t happen in the rest of the United States. But I encourage you to look beyond the headlines and talk to the Puerto Rican people. Ask questions! Puerto Ricans love to talk!
Many people ask me “if I can’t travel to Puerto Rico after the earthquakes for whatever reason, what else can I do to help?” Here are a few organizations that I have personally volunteered with and witnessed their great work on the island: ConPRmetidos, Friends of Puerto Rico, and World Central Kitchen.
My work schedule prevents me from traveling to Puerto Rico right now as much as I would love to return and help. A recent visitor shared her perspective with me. “Puerto Rico is absolutely open for visitors; in fact, they’re relying on those visitors more than ever,” said Cara O’Donnell, who recently returned from spending a few days in San Juan. “I heard from so many people who were surprised we were still planning to go after news of the earthquakes, but most of the island isn’t affected at all. The entire island is relying on visitors to boost its struggling economy.” If you’re asking yourself “should I travel to Puerto Rico after the earthquakes?” I hope that these stories of real people, people who have been directly affected by these events can inspire you to visit la isla del encanto.
