Globe Trekker (1994) s15e01 Episode Script
Puerto Rico
1 FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY SUBARU.
AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK, WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF "GLOBE TREKKER.
" IT'S PART OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BUT IT ISN'T A STATE.
KNOWN AS THE ISLAND OF ENCHANTMENT, IT'S A JEWEL IN THE CARIBBEAN THAT BOASTS SUN-KISSED BEACHES, DRAMATIC MOUNTAINS, A RICH COLONIAL HISTORY AND GREAT MUSIC.
WHERE AM I? [DRUM ROLL.]
PUERTO RICO! LOCATED AT THE HEAR OF THE CARIBBEAN, PUERTO RICO IS AROUND 100 MILES LONG BY 40 MILES WIDE, WITH A POPULATION OF SOME 4 MILLION.
FROM THE HISTORIC CAPITAL, SAN JUAN, I TRAVEL EAS TO EL YUNQUE'S RAIN FOREST BEFORE CATCHING A FERRY TO BEAUTIFUL VIEQUES ISLAND.
HEADING BACK TO THE MAIN ISLAND AND THEN TO ARECIBO'S OBSERVATORY AND THE CAMUY CAVES, I END MY TRIP AT A NATIVE FESTIVAL IN JAYUYA.
PUERTO RICO! [SPANISH GUITAR MUSIC PLAYING.]
AI YI YI-YI YI YI-YA! ARRIVING IN PUERTO RICO'S CAPITAL, AT FIRST SIGHT, IT COULD BE ANY ONE OF A DOZEN U.
S.
CITIES, BUT IN FACT, IT'S THE SECOND OLDEST COLONIAL SETTLEMENT IN THE AMERICAS.
FOUNDED IN 1521 BY THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS AS A MILITARY STRONGHOLD, THE CITY, BLESSED WITH AN EXCELLENT HARBOR, WAS ORIGINALLY NAMED BY THE SPANISH RICH POR OR, PUERTO RICO.
SOON, HOWEVER, THE NAME PUERTO RICO WAS BEING USED FOR THE ENTIRE ISLAND, AND THE CITY BECAME CALLED SAN JUAN.
[MEN SING IN SPANISH.]
.
THE OLD CITY OF SAN JUAN IS A GRID OF ABOUT 45 BLOCKS OF COBBLESTONE STREETS.
IT CAN EASILY BE EXPLORED BY ONE OF THESE TROLLEY BUSES.
THEY RUN DAILY FROM 8AM TO 10PM THROUGHOUT THE WALLED CITY, CONNECTING ALL THE MAJOR SITES, AND BEST OF ALL, THEY'RE FREE.
THE FREE RIDE AROUND THE COBBLED STREETS IS A GREA INTRODUCTION TO THE DELIGHTS OF OLD SAN JUAN.
THE BEAUTIFUL COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE HAS BEEN REALLY WELL PRESERVED, BUT HAPPILY, IT'S NO JUST AN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM PIECE FOR TOURISTS.
FULL OF LOCAL LIFE, IT'S GO A GREAT PUERTO RICAN AMBIANCE.
[SINGING IN SPANISH.]
IN THE 1540s, TO PROTEC SAN JUAN AND ITS HARBOR, THE SPANISH BEGAN BUILDING ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL FORTS ANYWHERE IN THE NEW WORLD, THE CASTILLO SAN FELIPE DEL MORRO, MORE USUALLY KNOWN JUST AS EL MORRO.
BENEFITING FROM ITS STRATEGIC LOCATION AND MASSIVE, VIRTUALLY IMPREGNABLE STONE WALLS, EL MORRO WAS CONSTANTLY EXPANDED OVER THE CENTURIES TO DEFEND SAN JUAN FROM ATTACK BY SPAIN'S ENEMIES.
EVEN SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, SCOURGE OF THE SPANISH ARMADA, COULD NOT BREACH THESE DEFENSES.
IN 1595, HE SET UP HIS FLEE OF 22 SHIPS JUST OUT HERE, BUT HIS CANNON WERE NO MATCH FOR THE STURDY WALLS OF EL MORRO, AND DRAKE, WHO WAS CONSIDERED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A PIRATE AROUND HERE, SUFFERED HIS FIRST AND ONLY DEFEAT.
HE DIED SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
EL MORRO'S WALLS WERE BREACHED EVENTUALLY, HOWEVER, WHEN IT WAS SUCCESSFULLY ATTACKED DURING THE BRIEF BUT DECISIVE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR OF 1898.
FROM THEN ON, PUERTO RICO BECAME A COLONY OF THE USA.
IN ITS LONG HISTORY, PUERTO RICO'S ONLY BEEN INDEPENDENT FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 3 MONTHS.
THIS IS THEIR CAPITOL BUILDING, PUERTO RICO'S SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, BUT THE STATUES OUTSIDE ARE NOT PUERTO RICAN LEADERS.
THEY'RE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS.
ALTHOUGH NOT A U.
S.
STATE, PUERTO RICO IS IN THE U.
S.
COMMONWEALTH.
THIS ALLOWS PUERTO RICO CONTROL OVER ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS BU NOT FOREIGN AFFAIRS OR DEFENSE.
IT'S VERY MUCH THE U.
S.
THAT CALLS THE SHOTS HERE.
AS ONLY AROUND 30% OF AMERICANS ARE SAID TO HAVE PASSPORTS, THE FACT THAT PUERTO RICO IS U.
S.
TERRITORY IS GOOD NEWS FOR U.
S.
TOURISTS, WHO'VE BEEN COMING HERE IN DROVES FOR DECADES.
[PIANO PLAYING.]
IN THE 1950s, WHEN CASINO GAMBLING WAS ILLEGAL IN MOS OF THE U.
S.
, PUNTERS FLOCKED TO THE CARIBE HILTON TO FLASH THEIR CASH IN THE CASINO AND SOAK UP THE CARIBBEAN SUN.
[SINGING IN SPANISH.]
.
IT WAS RIGHT HERE AT THE HOTEL BAR IN 1954 THA PUERTO RICO'S NATIONAL DRINK IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY BARMAN RAMON "MONCHITO" MARRERO.
BARTENDER, HIT ME.
MADE WITH PINEAPPLE JUICE, COCONUT CREAM AND RUM BLENDED WITH ICE, THE PERFECT PIÃA COLADA IS SURELY THE DEFINITIVE TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN.
MMM.
NOW SOMEBODY PINCH ME.
BACK TO REALITY.
THE DRINK AND SERVICE HAS A RELAXED PUERTO RICAN VIBE, BUT THE TIPPING CULTURE IS ALL AMERICAN.
15% TO 20% IS EXPECTED.
OYE.
ECONOMICALLY, BEING PAR OF THE U.
S.
HAS BENEFITED PUERTO RICO, BUT NATIONAL PRIDE AND A DESIRE TO BE IN CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY HAS LED MANY PUERTO RICANS TO CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE.
AT THE SANTA MARIA MAGDALENA CEMETERY, LAST RESTING PLACE OF MANY FAMOUS INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS, I MEE RAFAEL CANCEL VAZQUEZ, WHO'S ACTIVE IN THE MOVEMENT TODAY.
IS THERE AN IDENTITY OF PUERTO RICO, OR IS I JUST PART OF THE U.
S.
? NO, I WOULD SAY THERE'S 2 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IDENTITIES, PUERTO RICAN AND UNITED STATES.
HERE IN PUERTO RICO, FIRST, THE MAJOR ONE IS OUR LANGUAGE.
OUR FIRST LANGUAGE IS SPANISH.
WE'VE HAD IT FOR OVER 600 YEARS.
OUR MUSIC.
WHEREVER YOU GO IN THE WORLD AND YOU MENTION PUERTO RICO, PEOPLE THINK ABOUT SALSA.
YEAH.
IT'S PART OF OUR IDENTITY.
PEOPLE DANCE.
PEOPLE ARE VERY FESTIVE.
MUSIC, YEAH.
FUN ATTITUDE.
DEFINITELY FUN ATTITUDE.
WHEREVER YOU GO IN PUERTO RICO, THERE'S ALWAYS MUSIC.
SO, IS THERE AN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT GOING ON? YES, THERE DEFINITELY IS, AND ACTUALLY I WOULD SAY THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT WAS IN 1868.
WHEN WE WERE PART--A PART FROM SPAIN, A COLONY FROM SPAIN, THE PUERTO RICANS WANTED TO BE INDEPENDENT FROM SPAIN, BUT THEN WHEN THE U.
S.
CAME IN 1898, THE MAJORITY OF PUERTO RICANS WERE PRO-INDEPENDENCE.
AND EVEN THOUGH NOW IN 2010 WE'RE A MINORITY, BUT STILL, THERE IS--THERE'S A STRONG INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, I WANT INDEPENDENCE FOR THE ISLAND.
I THINK WE WOULD BE WAY BETTER OFF IF WE WERE ABLE TO CONTROL OUR COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH OTHER NATIONS AND WE DIDN' HAVE TO ABIDE COMPLETELY BY U.
S.
REGULATIONS, WHICH TAKE CARE OF U.
S.
INTERESTS, NOT NECESSARILY PUERTO RICO INTERESTS.
THERE'S A WELL-KNOWN SAYING HERE THAT AFTER A COUPLE OF DRINKS, EVERY PUERTO RICAN IS PRO-INDEPENDENCE, BUT IN REFERENDUMS OVER THE YEARS, LESS THAN 5% OF PUERTO RICANS HAVE ACTUALLY VOTED FOR IT AND IN FACT, MANY PEOPLE WANT THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF BECOMING EVEN CLOSER TO THE UNITED STATES AS THE 51st STATE.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DEPENDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP US DURING ALL THESE YEARS.
WE BELONG TO THEM, THEY BELONG TO US.
PUERTO RICO'S NOT DIFFERENT.
IT'S DIFFERENT, AND IF WE'LL BE A PART OF AMERICA, WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITY AND DIFFERENT, UM OH, MY GOD, HOW DO YOU SAY IT? IT'S CLEARLY THOUGH THAT PUERTO RICO IS BETTER OFF BY ITSELF, INDEPENDENT.
PROBABLY CLOSER TO UNITED STATES.
WE SHARE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON RIGHT NOW THAT I THINK FROM THE STANDPOINT OF OUR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FUTURE, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO GO.
I'M SURE WE CAN DO WITHOUT THEM.
[LAUGHS.]
EVENING IS NOW UPON US, AND IN PUERTO RICO, THAT MEANS GETTING READY TO PARTY.
TO GET CHANGED, I HEAD TO MY HOTEL, DA HOUSE.
SE IN THE HEART OF THE OLD TOWN, IT'S A COMPARATIVELY INEXPENSIVE BUT FUNKY BOUTIQUE HOTEL WITH AROUND 25 ROOMS.
IN THE RECEPTION AREA, THEY SHOWCASE THE WORK OF LOCAL ARTISTS, AND THE ROOMS ARE FUNCTIONAL, CLEAN AND EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE.
AND THIS IS A GUAYABERA.
IT'S A TRADITIONAL FRUIT PICKER'S SHIRT, HENCE ALL THE POCKETS, AND IT'S IDEAL FOR WEARING OU TO A MOJITO PARTY, WHICH IS GOING ON JUST UPSTAIRS.
[SALSA MUSIC PLAYING.]
AFTER DANCING THE NIGH AWAY AND DRINKING A FEW TOO MANY RUMS WHILE I'M ABOUT IT, THE NEXT MORNING I FINALLY DRAG MYSELF OUT OF BED AND HEAD DOWN TO SAN JUAN'S HISTORIC SANTURCE MARKET.
MAN, THIS REALLY IS A CITY WHERE THE MUSIC NEVER SLEEPS AND THE RUM IS QUITE POTENT.
LUCKY FOR ME, THIS BEING PUERTO RICO, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ANTIDOTE.
THE COFFEE HERE IS EXCELLENT.
IT'S SMOOTH, AND IT'S A GREAT RESTORATIVE.
BUT I'M NOT HERE JUST FOR THE COFFEE.
I'VE COME IN SEARCH FOR A CIGAR THAT'S A WORLD RECORD HOLDER.
HOW YOU DOING? IN 2007, PATRICIO PEÃA BECAME THE PROUD HOLDER OF THE SOMEWHA BIZARRE RECORD FOR ROLLING THE WORLD'S LONGEST CIGAR.
BEFORE TAKING ME TO SEE IT, HE WANTS TO PASS ON HIS ROLLING SKILLS, BUT MY COFFEE HASN'T KICKED IN YET, AND I'M NOT A GOOD STUDENT.
YOU JUST CUT OFF THE EDGES? YEAH.
JUST THE EDGE, YEAH? YEAH.
YEAH? SO YOU CUT OFF THE ENDS.
OK.
THEN COME AT IT LIKE THIS.
REAL TIGHT, RIGHT? PULL OUT ALL THE SLACK, YEAH? CUT IT.
CUT IT.
NOT MY.
.
NOT YOUR FINGER? HERE, LIKE THIS.
AND THE YEAH.
OH, NO.
DID I CUT OFF TOO MUCH? YEAH.
OH, NO.
[LAUGHS.]
OK, SO THEN YOU GET OIL? IT'S LIKE GLUE.
OH, THIS IS GLUE? YEAH.
IT'S--NO, NO.
YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT IT? NO.
YOU'RE GONNA SMOKE IT.
NOTHING A GLUE CAN'T FIX? OK.
OH, I SEE.
DO YOU COVER ALL OF THEM LIKE THAT? YEAH.
OH, OK.
CUT IT.
CUT IT.
ANDHEY.
YEAH.
ALL RIGHT.
THAT IS FUN.
CAN WE SEE THIS THING? YOU HAVE IT HERE? YEAH.
THE WORLD'S LONGEST CIGAR.
YEAH.
YEAH? CAN YOU SHOW ME? TAKE MY CIGAR HERE.
YEAH.
IT WAS RIGHT HERE AT THE MARKET THAT PATRICIO AND HIS TEAM TOOK ALL OF 3 DAYS TO ROLL THE 135-FOOT-LONG RECORD-BREAKING CIGAR.
THIS IS IT HERE? YEAH.
OH, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PIPE.
THIS IS CIGAR.
WOW.
THAT IS RIDICULOUS.
YOU THINK YOU'RE EVER GONNA SMOKE IT? [LAUGHS.]
NO.
NO? YOU.
I'M GONNA SMO-- HA HA.
YEAH, RIGHT.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE TO ROLL THIS? 9 PEOPLE MORE.
9 PEOPLE PLUS YOU, SO 10.
YEAH, 10.
WOW.
WELL, YOU'VE DONE IT, MY FRIEND.
CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU.
[LAUGHS.]
YOU'VE MADE YOUR MARK.
PUERTO RICAN CIGARS HAVE A VERY LONG HISTORY, TOO.
WHEN COLUMBUS FIRST ARRIVED IN THE AMERICAS, HE WAS AMAZED BY THE SIGHT OF THE NATIVE TAINO INDIANS SMOKING LEAVES.
JUST AS TOBACCO WAS UNKNOWN IN EUROPE UNTIL 1492, SO, TOO, WERE EXOTIC PUERTO RICAN FRUITS LIKE PINEAPPLE, GUAVA AND PAPAYA.
IN TIME, ALONG WITH SLAVES, THE SPANISH BROUGHT OTHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM AFRICA, SUCH AS MANGO, WATERMELON, AND PLANTAIN.
TODAY, ENJOYING PUERTO RICO'S DELICIOUS FUSION CUISINE-- PART NATIVE CARIBBEAN, PART AFRICAN, PART EUROPEAN-- IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT COMING HERE.
THE SEAFOOD IS SUPERB, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER GREAT LOCAL SPECIALTIES TO TRY OUT, SUCH AS LECHON, WHOLE BARBECUED PIG.
BARBECUES HAVE BEEN POPULAR HERE FOR CENTURIES, AND THE WORD ITSELF COMES FROM THE NATIVE TAINO WORD BARABICU MEANING "AN OPEN FIRE.
" I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY OU PUERTO RICO'S DELICIOUS CUISINE MYSELF, AND I'VE FOUND A GUIDE WHO'S TAKING ME TO HIS FAVORITE LOCAL EATERY.
SOMETHING APPEARS TO HAVE GO LOST IN TRANSLATION, HOWEVER, AND IT LOOKS LIKE MY DREAMS OF DINING OUT IN STYLE ARE GOING TO BE DASHED.
SO WHAT IS IT CALLED, NOW? IT'S CALLED EL FAROL.
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST PLACES HERE IN PIÃONES.
YEAH? AND THEY DO A LOT OF TYPICAL PUERTO RICAN FRITTERS, WHICH IS FRIED CRITTER? NO.
YEAH, JUST ABOUT.
YOU SEE, THIS IS-- OOH, THAT LOOKS GOOD.
THIS IS ALCAPURRIA.
THIS IS MASHED PLANTAINS WITH--YOU COULD HAVE A CRAB MEAT IF YOU WAN TO TRY ONE WITH CRAB.
YEAH.
THAT SOUNDS REALLY GOOD.
PARA ME DOS ALCAPURRIA DE JUEYES.
SO THE FIRST IS A PLANTAIN MASHED UP? IT'S MASHED UP WITH SPICES.
YOU PUT A LITTLE BIT OF OIL IN IT.
IT'S FRESH.
IT ALL HAS TO BE FRESH.
HE MAKES A LITTLE BOAT ON IT.
HE MAKES A LITTLE CANOE ON IT, THEN HE PUTS SOME CRAB.
OH, I SEE.
AND HOW LONG DOES IT COOK? IT SHOULD TAKE AROUND MAYBE 15 TO 10 MINUTES.
OH, OK.
THERE HE GOES.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT.
FEASTING OVER HERE.
THANK YOU.
JUST SET THE WHOLE THING HERE.
YEAH.
OH, YES.
GRACIAS.
LET'S SEE.
LET'S GET-- HERE YOU GO.
IT'S THE LOCAL BEER.
YES.
MEDALLA.
CHEERS.
SALUD.
SALUD.
AHH.
MMM, TASTY.
I CAN'T IMAGINE IT'S VERY HEALTHY, BUT-- PUT JUST A LITTLE SPICE ON IT.
THE SALSA PICANTE.
OH, MY GOSH.
THIS IS GONNA BE HOT.
[LAUGHS.]
WHOA.
GOOD KICK.
I PUT TOO MUCH ON.
I PUT THAT SALSA ON.
NOW I KNOW WHY THEY DANCE THE SALSA AROUND HERE.
YES, SIR.
THAT IS HOT.
THEY'RE GOING, "PHOO! LET'S DANCE IT OFF.
IT'S HOT.
" [SPEAKS SPANISH.]
THE SWEET PLANTAIN, AT THE END, YOU GET A-- GETS A NICE LITTLE SWEET KICK AT THE END.
YEAH, IT'S GOT A KICK.
IT'S TIME TO LEAVE SAN JUAN AND GO SEE THE RES OF PUERTO RICO.
FIRST I'M OFF TO EL YUNQUE.
LUIS IS GOING NEAR THERE, TOO, AND IS TAKING THE SAME BUS, BUT IF HE'S LOOKING FOR GOOD COMPANY, HE'S OUT OF LUCK.
AHH.
I GOT A BELLY FULL OF BATTER AND BEER, AND IT'S TIME FOR ZAY TO GET SOME Z's ON THE WAY TO EL YUNQUE.
HELLO.
HELLO.
ONE LEGACY OF THE USA'S HUGE INFLUENCE OVER PUERTO RICO IS THAT THE CAR IS KING AND PUBLIC TRANSPOR IS VERY LIMITED.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS AND NOT MANY BUSES.
I'M LUCKY THIS ONE'S GOING MY WAY, BUT SADLY, TRAVELERS OFTEN HAVE NO CHOICE EXCEP TO HIRE A CAR.
LOTS OF LITTLE BEACHES AROUND HERE, LIKE LITTLE PONDS AND--REALLY GREAT.
ALL THAT HEAVY BATTER AND BEER HAS MADE ME SLEEPY, AND WITHIN MINUTES OF GETTING IN MY SEAT, I'M FAST ASLEEP.
WHEN I WAS A KID, I USED TO COME HERE.
THERE WERE BEACHES.
THERE'S PONDS AND EVERYTHING, AND LOTS OF FUN ALL DAY, ANDAND YEAH, OK.
FROM SAN JUAN, MY JOURNEY TAKES ME 30 MILES EAST TO ONE OF PUERTO RICO'S STAR ATTRACTIONS, EL YUNQUE NATIONAL FOREST.
EL YUNQUE'S NAME COMES FROM THE NATIVE TAINO WORD FOR THE AREA, MEANING "WHITE LANDS," A REFERENCE TO THE USUALLY CLOUD-COVERED MOUNTAINTOPS.
ONE OF THE BEST-PRESERVED RAIN FORESTS IN ALL OF THE CARIBBEAN, EL YUNQUE IS HOME TO OVER 240 SPECIES OF TREES AND A LO OF RARE WILDLIFE.
I CLIMB UP TO A TREETOP OBSERVATION POIN WITH LOCAL GUIDE ROB RIOS TO SEE IF WE CAN SPO THE HIGHLY ENDANGERED PUERTO RICAN PARROT.
WHOA.
WE ARE HIGH UP HERE.
YES, WE ARE.
AND WE'RE SECURE FOR SURE? FOR SURE.
YOU'RE SECURE, AND WE'RE AT THE HEIGH OF WHERE THE BIRDS FLY.
I'M JUST GONNA ADMI IT'S A LITTLE BIT SCARY.
I'M ON THIS TINY, LITTLE PLATFORM HERE, HANGING ON TO BRANCHES THAT HAVE FLEXIBILITY.
YEAH.
BUT YOU'RE COOL WITH IT.
YOU DO THIS ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME.
PLUS, YOU'RE SAFE, AND WHAT BETTER THAN BEING UP HERE? YEAH, I KNOW.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY LOVELY.
IT'S A CLEAR DAY AND BEAUTIFUL.
THIS IS WHAT THE BIRDS SEE ALL THE TIME.
ALL RIGHT, SO, ONCE YOU'RE UP HERE, WHAT DO YOU DO? ALL RIGHT, WE GET OUR BINOCULARS.
FIRST YOU WANT TO DO IS YOU WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOCALIZATION TO SEE IF YOU HEAR THE BIRDS VOCALIZING WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT TO FLY OUT.
YOU HEAR ANY RIGHT NOW? NO.
THEY MUST BE EATING RIGHT NOW.
AN HOUR LATER, AND WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN A SINGLE PARROT.
WHAT'S THE BEST TIME TO COME UP HERE? WHEN THEY FIRST COME OUT.
THAT'S WHEN THEY FIRST WAKE UP AND THEY'RE GONNA GO GE THEIR FOOD.
YOU CLIMB THIS TREE IN THE DARK? WITH HEADLAMPS.
THAT IS NUTS.
YOU GOTTA CHECK YOUR HEAD.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
IT'S A SHAME WE DIDN'T SEE ANY PARROTS BUT NOT AT ALL SURPRISING, AS EVEN HERE IN THE PUERTO RICAN PARROT'S LAS REFUGE, THEY'RE EXTREMELY RARE.
ONLY AROUND 50 OR SO ARE THOUGH TO REMAIN ALIVE IN THE WILD.
IN ORDER TO TRY TO BUILD UP THE WILD POPULATION, A CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED HERE IN EL YUNQUE AS MARISEL LOPEZ-FLORES EXPLAINS.
WE PUT THEM IN HERE, AND WE ALLOW THEM TO HABITUATE HERE, TO STAY HERE AND TO FIND A MATE.
YOU NOTICE SOME FLIRTING GOING ON.
PECKING AT EACH OTHER'S BEAKS.
THERE YOU GO.
YOU THINK, OK, LET'S PU THESE 2 TOGETHER WE PUT THEM HERE.
WE CHECK FOR THEIR GENETICS.
IF THE FEMALE OR MATE THAT THEY FIND IS NOT VIABLE, LIKE, THEIR TESTICLES ARE DAMAGED OR THEIR OVARIES ARE DAMAGED, WE SPLIT THAT PAIR AND WE FIND ANOTHER MATE TO THEM.
SOMETIMES THEY CAN' LAY ANY EGGS BUT THEY'RE GOOD FOSTER PARENTS.
THEY'RE GOOD MOM AND DAD, AND THEY WILL RAISE THE BABIES, SO IF THAT HAPPEN, THEN WE'LL ALLOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY CAN BE GOOD PARENTS.
THIS IS A LOT OF SIMILARITIES TO THE HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH.
ONE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARROTS AND HUMANS, HOWEVER, IS THAT YOU CAN'T TELL JUS BY LOOKING AT A NAKED PARRO WHETHER IT'S MALE OR FEMALE, AND SO TO CHECK WHICH BIRDS TO TRY TO PAIR OFF AND TO CHECK THEIR FERTILITY, PROJECT VE ANTONIO RIVERA HAS TO OPEN THE BIRDS UP.
[PARROT SQUAWKING.]
OH, THERE YOU GO.
[SQUAWKING WEAKENS.]
THIS IS A GAS ANESTHESIA? YES.
SO THIS IS A PARROT THA HASN'T REPRODUCED IN A WHILE, SO NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO CHECK OUT THE SITUATION.
THERE'S DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, BASICALLY.
WE HAVE PAIRS THA HAVE BEEN FIRST IN THE PAS AND FOR SOME REASON HAVE STOPPED BREEDING.
WE HAVE OTHERS THAT PRODUCE INFERTILE EGGS.
WE HAVE OTHERS THAT HAVE EGGS THAT DON'T GO TO TERM, DON'T DEVELOP WELL.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT PROBLEMS THAT THEY MAY HAVE, THAT WE TRY TO LOOK AT.
THIS IS THE MUSCLE OF THE LEG HERE.
MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S THE AREA WHERE I'M GOING TO GO IN.
OK.
NOW I MAKE THE INCISION JUST BEHIND THE TIGHT HERE, OK? MM-HMM.
THERE SHOULD BE JUST A LITTLE BLEEDING.
NOT MUCH.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW IS I'M GOING TO GO IN AND PUNCTURE THE AIR SAC.
JUST TRYING TO PUNCTURE IT? YES.
OK.
THE SCOPE IS VERY HELPFUL, BECAUSE IT LET US GO IN.
SO NOW EVERYTHING YOU'RE PUTTING IN HERE WE CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.
EXACTLY.
SEE, IF YOU LOOK HERE, IT'S A BIT CLOUDY.
WHEN THEY GET INFECTIONS, THE AIR SAC BECOMES CLOUDY, OK? THAT IS THE HEART DOWN THERE.
YOU SEE IT BEATING THERE? SURE DO.
PUMPING.
YES.
HE'S A LITTLE SCARED, HUH? WELL, THEY HAVE A VERY FAST HEART RATE.
THEY COULD BE RESTING AND HAVE 300 BEATS PER MINUTE WHAT? QUITE DIFFERENT FROM US.
OH, THERE WE GO.
WE'RE DEALING HERE YOU SEE THE PROBLEM? GOT A FEMALE, AND SHE'S VERY BEAUTIFUL.
OK, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S A FEMALE? THAT'S THE OVARY.
LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL THAT OVARY IS.
THAT THING IS THE YELLOW BODY, AND THAT'S WHERE SHE OVULATED BEFORE, OK? ONE EGG CAME OUT OF THERE.
SO EACH OF THESE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY HOLD AN EGG? EXACTLY.
OH, MY GOSH.
SO, SO FAR WE SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH HER.
YES.
THIS BIRD IS GOOD FOR BREEDING.
SO HER REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY HEALTHY.
SHE JUS HASN'T FOUND THE RIGHT GUY YET.
SHE'S PICKY.
EXACTLY.
WE HAVE TO FIND HER A GOOD MALE, BASICALLY.
MM-HMM.
JUST PUTTING A STITCH HERE TO CLOSE THE SKIN.
YEAH.
I'VE GOT A JACKE THAT NEEDS SOME MENDING.
CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THAT, PLEASE? [LAUGHTER.]
YOU'RE VERY GOOD AT SEWING.
SHE LOOKS GOOD, YOU SEE? SHE LOOKS GREAT.
THE FUTURE OF THE PUERTO RICAN PARROT SEEMS TO BE IN GOOD HANDS.
ONCE SO NEARLY EXTINCT, ITS NUMBERS ARE NOW GROWING YEAR ON YEAR.
ALL RIGHT.
THERE YOU GO.
WAKEY, WAKEY.
EGGS AND BAC-Y.
FOR ME, I'VE GOT A LO OF PUERTO RICO STILL TO SEE, SO IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.
FROM EL YUNQUE, IT'S JUS A SHORT HOP TO THE POR OF FAJARDO, FROM WHERE I BOARD A FERRY TO THE ISLAND OF VIEQUES.
SITUATED LESS THAN 10 MILES FROM THE MAIN ISLAND OF PUERTO RICO, VIEQUES IS BLESSED WITH SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
AT JUST 20 MILES LONG AND 4 MILES WIDE, VIEQUES WASN'T A PRIME TARGE FOR THE EARLY SPANISH COLONISTS, AND IT WAS ONLY IN THE EARLY 19th CENTURY THAT THEY BUIL FORTS LIKE THIS ONE TO TAKE THE ISLAND UNDER THEIR CONTROL.
SOON AFTERWARDS, AS IN THE RES OF PUERTO RICO, THE AMERICANS REPLACED THE SPANISH AS THE NEW COLONIAL OVERLORDS HERE, AND SINCE WORLD WAR II, THE U.
S.
MILITARY HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON THE ISLAND.
DURING WORLD WAR II, THE U.
S.
NAVY DECIDED TO USE THIS ISLAND AS A WEAPONS TEST SITE.
2/3 OF VIEQUES WERE LOCKED OFF FOR MILITARY USE, A SITUATION WHICH, DESPITE PROTESTS, PERSISTED UNTIL 2003.
NOW THE MILITARY HAVE WITHDRAWN, AND THOUGH PARTS OF THE ISLAND WILL NEVER BE SAFE FOR HUMAN HABITATION, OTHER PARTS ARE BEING RECLAIMED.
AT BEAUTIFUL CHIVA BEACH, WHICH WAS UNTIL RECENTLY OFF-LIMITS TO ISLANDERS, I MEET UP WITH MITSUKA BERMUDEZ, WHO WAS ONCE ACTIVE IN THE ANTI-OCCUPATION MOVEMENT.
MITSUKA, YOU WERE HERE LIVING ON THE ISLAND DURING THE MILITARY OCCUPATION, YEAH? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? IT WAS LIKE BEING IN A BATTLE ZONE, BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVE BOMBING HERE IN VIEQUES.
JEEZ.
WAS THAT SCARY? YEAH.
THEY HAD, LIKE, 2 BASES, AND THE CIVIL PEOP-- PART WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
SO, DID THEY STOP BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE PROTESTING, THEN? WELL, AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED ONCE.
THEY MISSED A TARGET, AND THEY HIT THE OP1-- IT'S AN OBSERVATION POINT-- AND THERE WAS A LOCAL GUARD THERE, AND HE WAS KILLED.
SO ALL PUERTO RICO GOT TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, STARTED THIS CASE AGAINST THE NAVY HERE IN VIEQUES.
YEAH.
THAT'S UNNECESSARY.
THEY'RE JUST PRACTICING, AND PEOPLE ARE LOSING LIVES.
YEAH.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DIED OF CANCER.
CANCER? OF CANCER HERE.
FROM THE CHEMICALS THAT WERE LEFT OVER AFTERWARD.
EXACTLY.
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE.
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
YEAH.
HOW ELSE CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT? YEAH.
YOU THINK YOU'LL EVER FORGIVE THEM? SURE.
YEAH? AS LONG AS THEY'RE GONE.
AS LONG AS THEY STAY-- WHEREVER.
[LAUGHS.]
IRONICALLY, AS A RESUL OF VIEQUES BEING USED FOR PRACTICE BOMBING, THE ISLAND ESCAPED OVER-DEVELOPMENT, AND TODAY THE FORMER MILITARY ZONE IS A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE AND A PROTECTED FEDERAL NATURE RESERVE.
IN ORDER TO TRY TO RESTORE THE AREA TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE, MITSUKA RUNS A LOCAL INITIATIVE TO RESEED PREVIOUSLY INACCESSIBLE BEACHES WITH NATIVE FLORA.
ALL RIGHT, LUZ, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? WELL, WE ARE TRYING TO RECOVER THE NATURAL ECOSYSTEM IN VIEQUES.
THE NATURAL ECOSYSTEM YEAH.
THE ORIGINAL ONE.
THE ORIGINAL ONE.
THIS IS UVA PLAYERA IN SPANISH.
IT'S A BEACH GRAPE, AND THE SCIENTIFIC NAME IS COCCOLOBA UVIFERA.
MARINE TURTLES USE THIS KIND OF VEGETATION TO MAKE THE NEST.
OK.
THE SOIL IN MANY FORMER MILITARY AREAS IS STILL CONTAMINATED WITH HARMFUL CHEMICALS.
EVEN TODAY, MANY AREAS OF THE ISLAND ARE STILL CLOSED OFF, AWAITING DECONTAMINATION.
BUT HOPEFULLY, WITHIN A FEW YEARS, ALL OF THE ISLAND WILL SOON BE CLEARED FOR ACCESS, LIKE CHIVA BEACH.
ALL RIGHT.
I THINK THIS IS READY.
DID A GOOD JOB.
GOOD JOB.
[LAUGHS.]
THAT LOOKS FANTASTIC.
YOU ARE READY TO DO THE NEXT.
LOOK AT OUR NEW ADDITION.
OK, I'LL DO THE NEXT ONE.
AS THE ISLAND GRADUALLY OPENS UP, VIEQUES IS BUILDING A GROWING REPUTATION AS AN ECO-TOURIST DESTINATION.
IN PARTICULAR, HORSE RIDING IS A POPULAR PURSUIT.
ALL ACROSS VIEQUES, YOU NOTICE A LOT OF ELEGANT HORSES THAT SEEM TO BE STRAY.
I MEET UP WITH ELIZABETH BERN FROM VIRGINIA, WHO HAS A LARGE HERD OF PASO FINO HORSES.
I NOTICE THESE ARE ALL BRANDED.
IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THEF AROUND HERE? UM, WELL, YES AND NO.
UM, MAINLY, AS YOU SEE, THERE'S HORSES ROAMING ALL OVER THE ISLAND.
EVERYBODY THINKS THEY'RE WILD, BUT THEY'RE ALL OWNED, SO IT'S MAINLY JUST A FORM OF SHOWING YOUR OWNERSHIP OVER A HORSE.
SO THE HORSES WE'RE SEEING ON THE STREET, THE SIDE OF THE STREET, ARE ACTUALLY NOT WILD, BUT THEY'RE OWNED? JUST LAZY OWNERS.
YEAH, LAZY OWNERS.
YES.
LAZY HORSEMANSHIP.
LAZY HORSEKEEPING, WE MIGHT CALL IT.
SO PEOPLE WILL HOP THE FENCE AND RIDE THEM, OR YEAH, THAT HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME.
YEAH.
IT'S MORE LIKE, "OH, I SEE A HORSE I WANT TO RIDE.
I'M GONNA GO FOR IT.
" DOES EVERYBODY RIDE HORSES HERE? FOR THE MOST PART, YEAH.
AND WHERE ARE WE GOING TODAY? LONG AS YOU'RE ON A HORSE, YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH GO ANYWHERE YOU WANT.
NICE.
WELL, LET'S DO IT.
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PASO FINO HORSE? WELL, PASO FINOS, THEY HAVE A VERY DEFINITIVE STEP.
THEY HAVE A--PASO FINO LITERALLY TRANSLATES TO "FINE STEP.
" THE PASO FINO BREED ORIGINATES FROM ANDALUSIA, SPANISH JANNET, AND BARBS THAT WERE BROUGHT OVER BY COLUMBUS ON HIS SECOND VOYAGE, AND THEY WERE BRED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SMOOTH 4-BEAT LATERAL GAIT.
THEY ALWAYS WALK LIKE THAT? FOR THE MOST PART, YES.
THEY HAVE A VERY NATURAL GAIT, EVEN BABIES STRAIGHT OFF THE GROUND.
AND THEN THERE'S KONA.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
NOT SOWING THAT COCONU FOR YOU.
HA HA HA.
[KONA BARKS.]
AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
AROO.
ANOTHER GREAT THING ABOU VIEQUES IS THAT YOU CAN STAY OVERNIGHT IN STYLISH LUXURY AND YET STILL BE ECO-FRIENDLY AT THE SAME TIME.
UNUSUALLY FOR SUCH A SWANKY HOTEL, THE HIX ISLAND HOUSE, AMONGST OTHER ENERGY-SAVING MEASURES, HAS NO AIR CONDITIONING.
VIEQUES IS BLESSED BY COOLING WINDS, AND THE HOTEL MAKES THE MOST OF THIS.
EACH MAIN ROOM HAS ONLY 3 WALLS WITH ONE SIDE OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS.
ALL THE WATER USED HERE ISN'T FLUSHED AWAY INTO DRAINS, BUT FLOWS STRAIGHT OUT TO WATER THE GARDENS AND FRUIT TREES.
IT'S AN INTERESTING CONCEP FOR A HOTEL NOT TO HAVE A FOURTH WALL.
IT DOES HAVE AN OPTIONAL SHUTTER THERE FOR STORMS.
AH, SO OPEN.
I LOVE IT.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOU THE HOTEL, I MEET UP WITH THE ARCHITECT AND OWNER, JOHN HIX.
IT'S QUITE A PLACE YOU HAVE HERE.
WHAT INSPIRED THIS WHOLE OPEN ONE-WITH-NATURE FORMAT? WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS TO GIVE CONTRAST TO OUR CLIENTS' EXPERIENCE, SO IF THEY'RE LIVING IN A MANHATTAN APARTMENT OR IN SUBURBIA, WHEN THEY COME DOWN HERE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY LIVING IN NATURE AND BEING IN NATURE AND FEELING NATURE.
ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENS HERE IS THAT WE HAVE THIS TRADEWIND THAT'S CONSTANTLY BLOWING AND KEEPING INSECTS AWAY AND KEEPING YOU COOL AT NIGHT, AND YOU'RE EXPERIENCING THE CARIBBEAN, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE INSTEAD OF BEING IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ENVIRONMEN IN A SEALED-OFF RESORT.
DEFINITELY GET THAT FEELING THAT YOU'RE ONE WITH NATURE.
IN THE '70s, THE CONCRETE GOT A BAD RAP, BUT YOU USE I AND CELEBRATE IT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHA THE BAD RAP IS THAT--I THINK IN LONDON, AS AN EXAMPLE, IT GOT VERY MILDEW-Y AND BLACK, IF I REMEMBER, ALONG THE THAMES, BUT HERE, I WANT TO INTEGRATE THE BUILDINGS INTO THE LANDSCAPE, SO THEY AREN' PAINTED AND SHOUTING OUT.
I GOT TO ASK YOU THIS.
WHAT'S PEOPLE'S TAKE ON THE WHOLE OPEN OUTDOOR SHOWER? THEY LOVE IT.
DID YOU ENJOY THAT? YEAH.
IT'S LIBERATING.
YEAH, EXACTLY.
AT FIRST, YOU'RE LIKE, "I WONDER WHO'S WATCHING," THEN YOU'RE LIKE, "WHO CARES?" AND IN MY CASE, NOBODY WOULD WANT TO.
[LAUGHTER.]
FROM VIEQUES, I RETURN BY FERRY TO FAJARDO BEFORE DRIVING 80 MILES OR SO TO THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND TO VISI THE CAMUY RIVER CAVES NATIONAL PARK AND THE ARECIBO RADIO TELESCOPE NEARBY.
I SET OFF REALLY EARLY IN THE MORNING ON A LOVELY DRIVE ACROSS THE ISLAND THROUGH PUERTO RICO'S LUSH LANDSCAPE.
WE'RE GOING UP TO THE CAMUY CAVES.
AN EARLY START TODAY, BECAUSE IF IT RAINS IN THE AFTERNOON, IT GETS VERY DANGEROUS.
THE WATER GETS TRAPPED THERE, AND THEN IT CAN FLOOD US OUT.
THE CAMUY RIVER HAS ERODED THROUGH THE REGION'S SOF LIMESTONE TO CREATE HUGE SINKHOLES IN CAVES.
A RENOWNED ADVENTURE DESTINATION, IT'S THE THIRD-LARGEST UNDERGROUND RIVER SYSTEM IN THE WORLD.
I MEET UP WITH ROSSANO BOSCARINO, WHO'S GONNA GUIDE ME THROUGH CAMUY'S COMPLEX UNDERGROUND NETWORK OF RIVER CAVES.
WE HAVE ALL THESE STREAMS COMING TOGETHER.
WE COME IN THE ANGELES, THE PIEDRAS, RIO CRIMINALES.
3 RIVERS.
THEY JOIN, AND THIS IS THE LIMESTONE, AND THIS IS WHERE THEY SINK AS A SINKING RIVER.
SO WHEN IT RAINS UP HERE STRONG, THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.
FLASHFLOODS OCCUR LIKE ONE FOOT PER MINUTE.
THEY ONLY COME IN THE AFTERNOON? UH, USUALLY FROM 3:00 UP.
BUT WEATHER PATTERNS ARE CHANGING.
WE'VE HAD A FEW EARLIER ONES, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ASSUME THE WORST.
THE FEAR OF GETTING CAUGH BY AFTERNOON RAIN MEANS WE CAN'T DELAY.
BUT EVEN SO, I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO RAPPEL DOWN INTO THE 250-FOOT-DEEP SINKHOLE THAT LEADS TO THE RIO ANGELES.
ROSSANO GIVES ME A QUICK RUNDOWN.
THIS IS THE RAPPEL RACK.
WITH THIS, WE CREATE FRICTION SO WE COULD GO DOWN SAFELY.
NOT FALL.
WE'LL BE GOING DOWN 250 FEET.
THAT'S LIKE A 25-STORY BUILDING.
OK? ONLY 3 STEPS.
THAT MEANS THIS IS SO EASY, EVEN A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT.
THE FIRST ONE IS GET IN POSITION, WHICH CONSISTS OF SPREAD YOUR LEGS, LAY BACK, AND HAVE FUN.
I'VE SAID THA BEFORE.
IF YOU'RE AWAY FROM THE WALL, YOU CAN SEE WHERE TO PUT YOUR FEET, SEE? AND YOU NEED TO GET PERPENDICULAR TO THE WALL, OK? DON'T GET TOO PERPENDICULAR, LIKE 90 DEGREES.
LIKE, "OH, MY GOD.
" TORSO'S GONNA BE FORWARD, AND YOU'RE GONNA GET IN THE SHAPE OF AN "L.
" OK.
SECOND STEP AND THIRD STEP WILL BE NATURAL, BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING, IT'S LIKE, "DO I PUSH? I PULL? DO I LOWER? DO I SQUEEZE? OH, MY GOD, I'M GETTING CONFUSED.
" JUST DO IT.
IT WILL BE--IT WILL HAPPEN.
TIME'S MOVING ON, AND WE NEED TO HEAD UNDERGROUND.
TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE SINKHOLE LEADING INTO THE ABYSS, WE HAVE TO CROSS BY ZIP LINE.
HERE I GO! WHOA-HO-HO-HO! WHOO-HA-HA! DON'T LOOK.
[GIGGLES.]
AH.
HEE HEE.
UHH.
[IMITATES MICKEY MOUSE.]
I'M GONNA TALK LIKE MICKEY ALL DAY NOW.
THAT WAS THE EASY BIT.
THE 250-FOOT DESCENT TO COME IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT THING.
OH, MY GOSH.
THIS IS NUTS.
UH, MY HEART RATE'S JUS GOING CRAZY.
I'M SWEATING.
SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
I'M ACTUALLY A LOT MORE SCARED THAN I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE.
THIS IS NO JOKE.
WHOO-HOO-HOO.
AH.
THIS IS GORGEOUS.
AH, IT'S AN ADVENTURE.
OH, HO-HO.
MAN, I THOUGH I WAS GONNA PASS OUT.
STARTED TO GET LIGHTHEADED HALFWAY THROUGH.
MY LEGS ARE NUMB.
[SCREAMS.]
SO HOW DID I DO? OH, PRETTY GOOD.
YOU'RE FIGHTING GRAVITY.
I WAS FIGHTING IT.
I SAW YOU AT ONE POINT, YOU HAD, LIKE, THE DEATH GRIP.
[CHUCKLES.]
DIDN'T WANT TO LET GO OF THAT ROPE.
YEAH.
BUT THAT'S NORMAL.
BUT YOU DID REAL GOOD.
SOME PEOPLE, FIRST TIME THEY GO DOWN, THEY PEE ON THEMSELVES.
DON'T PEE.
THERE GOES THE FOREST, OH.
SO WE'RE GOING INTO THE CAVE NOW.
GOING INTO THE CAVE.
GONNA GET WET, WILD, AND DIRTY.
ALL RIGHT.
HEADING INTO THE MOUTH OF THE CAVE GOUGED OUT OF THE ROCK BY THE UNDERGROUND RIVER, IT LOOKS PEACEFUL ENOUGH, BUT IT WOULD BE NO JOKE TO GET CAUGHT DOWN HERE AFTER A TROPICAL DOWNPOUR.
IT'S VERY SLIPPERY.
THIS ONE.
IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE PLUNGE AND SWIM OUR WAY IN AND OUT OF THE CAVERN BEFORE THE AFTERNOON RAIN ROLLS IN.
THE BATS ARE AT HOME HERE, BUT FOR US, THE CAVERN IS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO HANG ABOUT.
UNLIKE BATS, WE CAN'T CLING TO THE CAVERN ROOF TO ESCAPE A FLASHFLOOD.
FINALLY, WE MAKE IT BACK TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, AND IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE.
JUST A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE CAMUY RIVER CAVES, PUERTO RICO'S UNUSUAL LIMESTONE LANDSCAPE IS ALSO HOME TO THE COUNTRY'S MOST FAMOUS SCIENTIFIC INSTALLATION.
IT'S PUERTO RICO, JIM, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT.
THE ARECIBO RADIO TELESCOPE WAS BUILT BY THE AMERICANS DURING THE COLD WAR SPACE RACE IN 1963.
SCIENTISTS WANTED TO CONSTRUC AS LARGE A DISH AS POSSIBLE TO MONITOR THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE AND THE UNIVERSE BEYOND.
THE SIZE OF THE DISH WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN I NEEDING TO MOVE, AND SO THIS SITE WAS CHOSEN SPECIFICALLY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A VAS LIMESTONE SINKHOLE WHICH WAS COVERED OVER BY THE DISH FROM RIM TO RIM.
HALF A CENTURY LATER, THIS MASSIVE RADIO TELESCOPE IS STILL AT THE FOREFRON OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
I'M GIVEN A TOUR BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARECIBO OBSERVATORY-- MIKE NOLAN.
THE ARECIBO OBSERVATORY IS THE LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE IN THE WORLD.
IT'S ALSO THE MOS POWERFUL RADIO TRANSMITTER IN THE WORLD.
WHAT KIND OF STUFF ARE YOU TRANSMITTING OUT TO SPACE? WE TRANSMIT RADIO WAVES MAINLY TO LOOK AT THE ATMOSPHERE AND TO LOOK AT THE PLANETS.
THEY'RE MICROWAVES.
TURNS OU IT'S THE SAME AS YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN, AND RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE POWER SUPPLY FOR ONE OF THOSE RADARS, SO WE MAKE 2 MILLION WATTS OF RADIO WAVES.
IT TAKES A LOT OF ELECTRICITY, AND WE GENERATE THESE RADIO WAVES TO SEND OUT AT WHATEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT DAY.
AND HOW DO YOU MONITOR THAT? WELL, WHAT WE DO, ACTUALLY, IS WE TRANSMIT OUR SIGNAL, WE TURN OFF THE TRANSMITTER, AND WE TURN ON THE MOS SENSITIVE RADIO RECEIVER IN THE WORLD, WHICH IS RIGHT NEX TO IT, AND LOOK AT THE ECHO THAT COMES BACK FROM WHATEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT.
ONE REASON ARECIBO DOES THIS IS TO PHOTOGRAPH AND TRACK THE ORBITS OF ASTEROIDS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE IT'S JUS POSSIBLE THAT ONE DAY, AN ASTEROID MIGHT BE ON COURSE FOR A CATASTROPHIC COLLISION WITH PLANET EARTH.
BUT HAPPILY, ARECIBO HASN'T FOUND ANY ASTEROIDS THAT THREATEN THE END OF THE WORLD JUST YET.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRS GOOD ONES WE GOT.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE.
SPACE POTATO I CALL IT.
IT'S ABOUT 6 KILOMETERS ACROSS, AND THIS IS A PICTURE THAT WE TOOK ON EACH OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT DAYS, AND WE TOOK THIS WHEN IT WAS 10 MILLION KILOMETERS AWAY.
SO YOU'VE PROVEN YOU CAN CAPTURE IMAGES OF THINGS OUT IN SPACE.
$24 MILLION QUESTION--IF THERE'S LIFE OUT THERE, WOULD YOU CAPTURE THAT AS WELL? ONE OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES WE DO DO AT THE OBSERVATORY IS TO LOOK FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, MOLECULES IN OTHER GALAXIES.
AND WE HAVE, IN FACT, DETECTED THE KINDS OF MOLECULES THAT FORM LIFE, WHAT WE CALL PRE-BIOTIC MOLECULES, IN OTHER GALAXIES OUT IN THE UNIVERSE.
THAT'S EXCITING.
IT IS EXCITING.
IF LIFE DOES EXIST ELSEWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE, THEN JUS MAYBE, ON SOME DISTANT PLANET, IT'S ADVANCED AND INTELLIGENT.
IF ALIENS DO EXIST, ARECIBO WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE THE FIRST PLACE ON EARTH TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
REMARKABLY, SIGNALS RECEIVED HERE FROM OUTER SPACE ARE BEING MONITORED BY THE SETI PROJECT OR SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE.
UP UNTIL NOW, OF COURSE, NO ALIEN TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN DETECTED, BUT SURPRISINGLY, PERHAPS, MANY SERIOUS SCIENTISTS ARE CONVINCED THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE.
SOMEWHERE.
BACK TO EARTH, AND IT'S TIME FOR THE LAST PART OF MY JOURNEY THROUGH PUERTO RICO.
I'M HEADING UP INTO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, AND FROM ARECIBO, MY ROUTE TAKES ME PAS THE COFFEE TOWN OF MARICAO BEFORE I END MY TRIP AT A NATIVE FESTIVAL IN JAYUYA.
MARICAO IS RENOWNED AS THE HOME OF PUERTO RICO'S BEST COFFEE.
THE ALTITUDE, CLIMATE, AND FERTILE VOLCANIC SOIL IN THE REGION MAKE IT PERFEC FOR COFFEE GROWING.
EACH YEAR, TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE COFFEE HARVEST, THE TOWN PUTS ON A PARTY.
TRADITIONALLY, THIS WAS TO THANK THE PLANTATION WORKERS FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK DURING THE YEAR, BUT TODAY, EVERYONE'S WELCOME.
IT'S A LO OF FUN, AND THE COFFEE'S GREAT.
[SINGING IN SPANISH.]
MARICAO WAS ONCE KNOWN AS EL PUEBLO DE LAS INDIERAS-- THE TOWN OF INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
DURING THE SPANISH CONQUEST 500 YEARS AGO, TOWNS THROUGHOU THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVIDED A LAST REFUGE FOR PUERTO RICO'S NATIVE TAINO PEOPLE AS THEY FLED FROM THE CONQUISTADORS.
25 MILES EAST OF MARICAO, IN THE TOWN OF JAYUYA, I'M ENDING MY TRIP AT ANOTHER FESTIVAL WHICH HONORS THE TRADITIONS OF THE TAINO.
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
I MEET UP WITH ELBA ANACA LUGO, A LEADING LIGHT OF TODAY'S TAINO INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT, WHO EXPLAINS WHY IT IS THA THE FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPANISH DISCOVERY OF PUERTO RICO.
WE DON'T CELEBRATE.
WE COMMEMORATE.
ITS SIGNIFICANCE IS VERY SAD FOR US, BECAUSE THEY CAME TO KILL OUR PEOPLE, TO STEAL THE GOLD, TO DESTROY EVERYTHING, SO THAT'S WHY WE DON' CELEBRATE IT.
WAS THERE RESISTANCE, OR DID YOU GUYS JUST GIVE IN? WELL, WE ARE NOT EXTINCTED.
WE ARE JUST DISSEMINING.
AND THE TYPE OF SOCIETY, COLLECTIVE SOCIETY, WE USED TO LIVE, WE-WE HAD TO CHANGE I BECAUSE OUR LIVES WERE IN DANGER.
RIGHT.
SO WE CONSIDER EVOLUTION AS PART OF OUR LIVES, BUT OUR ESSENCE IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY, AND THE MODERN WAY IS THE ADAPTATION TO OUR LIVES.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE WITH THE FUTURE GENERATIONS IN ORDER TO LET THEM KNOW WE ARE HERE.
WE-- THE TAINO IS ALIVE.
[FESTIVAL MUSIC PLAYING.]
ONE KEY FEATURE OF TRADITIONAL TAINO CULTURE WAS A CEREMONIAL BALL GAME CALLED BATU.
A SIMPLIFIED DEMONSTRATION IS BEING PUT ON FOR THE CROWD, AND I'M INVITED TO TAKE PART.
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
APPARENTLY YOU HAVE TO TRY TO KEEP THE BALL IN THE AIR, BUT WITHOUT USING YOUR HANDS OR FEET.
SHOULD BE INTERESTING.
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
THIS PLACE HAS IT ALL, A VIVID HISTORY AND GREA NATURAL BEAUTY, BUT ITS GREATES RESOURCE IS ITS PEOPLE.
EVERYONE I'VE MET SEEMS GENUINELY INTEN ON TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR CULTURE.
I BELIEVE THAT WITH A FAIR WIND IN THEIR SAILS, PUERTO RICANS COULD SOON BE LEADING THE WAY IN ECO TOURISM.
IN THAT, I WISH THEM WELL.
BUENAS SUERTE, PUERTO RICO.
STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL "GLOBE TREKKER" EXTRA.
FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY SUBARU.
AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK, WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF "GLOBE TREKKER.
" YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOU THE SERIES ON OUR WEBSITES.
PROGRAMS FROM THE "GLOBE TREKKER" SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD, AND ARE NOW ON DEMAND AT GLOBETREKKERCHANNEL.
TV MUSIC FROM THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE ON CD.
YOU CAN ALSO ORDER THE NEW "GLOBE TREKKER" ANNUAL, FEATURING INFORMATION ON FESTIVALS, EVENTS, AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
TO ORDER "GLOBE TREKKER" PRODUCTS, CALL 888-565-0361 OR VISIT THE WEBSITE, WWW.
GLOBETREKKERTV.
COM.
HELLO.
[INAUDIBLE.]
.
THE BEST PART ABOUT IT IS THEY MEET YOU AT THE DESTINATION WITH YOUR BAG SO YOU CAN ENJOY THE RIDE HANDS FREE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'LL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.
ENJOY! THANK YOU.
FROM KAIVIENG, I'M CYCLING 75 MILES OR SO DOWN THE EAST COAS OF NEW IRELAND, AS FAR AS THE SMALL TOWN OF LIBBA.
HAPPILY, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST ROADS ANYWHERE IN THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA ISLANDS AND IT'S PERFECT FOR BIKING.
IT'S ALMOST DEAD FLAT, IT'S COMPLETELY SMOOTH.
THERE'S ALMOST NO TRAFFIC AND THE SCENERY IS WELL AS YOU CAN SEE GEORGOUS.
[GRUNTING.]
I THINK SOMEBODY FORGO TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS HILL! HOPEFULLY IT'S THE ONLY ONE, CAUSE IT'S REALLY STEEP.
WHOO, AT LEAST THE VIEW'S NICE FROM UP HERE.
AFTER A FEW HOURS BICYCLING, I STOP OFF IN THE SMALL VILLAGE OF [INAUDIBLE.]
TO MEET KATHY YAUB.
BIZARELY, SHE'S LOCALLY RENOWNED FOR HAVING TAMED SOME HUGE FRESHWATER EELS.
HELLO.
OH HELLO! DO YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND KATHY? YOU'RE SPEAKING TO HER! OH GREAT, YOU'RE JUS THE GIRL I'M LOOKING FOR.
[BOTH TALKING AT ONCE.]
THAT'S AN UNUSUAL NAME.
IT IS.
PRONOUCE IT AGAIN? ZAY.
ZAY, MY NAME IS KATHY.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
YOU HAVEN'T GO ANY FISH ON YOU HAVE TO? I HOPE NOT, WHY WOULD I HAVE FISH ONE ME? WE LOWER THE MOUTH BY POURING THE FISH OIL.
MY SENCE OF SMELL IS LIKE A DOG.
OH REALLY? WELL NOW IS YOU'RE CHANCE TO FEED AN EEL.
SEE WHAT SHE DOES? UH-HUH.
SHE'S POURING OUT THE FISH OIL AND SPREAD IT OUT ALL OVER.
OH, LOOK, LOOK THERE'S ONE RIGHT BY HER FEET! OH MY GOSH.
THAT IS SCARY! [LAUGHS.]
.
AREN'T YOU SCARED OF THESE THINGS? I AM SCARED, OH LOOK HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE! WOW.
ARE YOU NO SCARED OF THESE GUYS? AREN'T THEY KNOWN FOR BITING? NO.
AND IF YOU TOUCH IT.
HOW DO I TOUCH IT? FROM THE FIN DOWNWARDS.
LIKE YOU WOULD DO WITH A CAT OR A DOG.
WATCH THE HEAD, BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD COMPENSATION IF YOU GET BITTEN.
YOU DON'T COMPENSATE MY LOSS OF HAND? OK, OK, I'M FRIGHTENED, I'M FRIGHTENED! HE'S COMING UP TO MY LEG.
THEY LIKE TO BE STROKED AND THEN YOU CAN FEEL THEM.
OH, IT'S SLIMEY! VERY, VERY SLIMELY.
WHOA, THIS IS SCARY! YOU CAN PICK THEM UP.
I CAN PICK THEM UP? YES.
DO I WANT TO PICK THEM UP? YOU'RE A BIG BOY, YOU CAN! PUT YOUR HAND OUT.
YEAH? AND LIFT IT FROM THE WATER.
OH, MY GOSH, I DON' KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS.
WOW, THAT THING IS VISCIOUS! SOMETHING'S TELLING ME THIS IS CRAZY TO DO THIS.
IT'S NOT CRAZY, BELIEVE ME.
WHOA, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE! THE OTHER ONE'S RIGHT UNDER IT.
OH VISCIOUS LOOKING THING! DON'T GET MY LEG! [LAUGHING.]
SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! MY HEARTS POUNDING RIGHT NOW.
[INAUDIBLE.]
OH YEAH, THAT'S WHEN HE LIKES TO BE PICKED UP? OH, OK, THAT'S MY CUE TO LEAVE.
I'M GONNA QUIT WHILE I'M AHEAD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UNTIL MODERN TIMES, SHELL MONEY WAS THE ONLY FORM OF CURRENCY USED IN THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA ISLANDS AND TODAY IT'S STILL EXPECTED AS PAYMENT A BOTH WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS.
LUCKILY FOR ME, THE OWNER OF THE GUEST HOUSE WHERE I'M STAYING TONIGHT, DEMAS KOVAVU, IS ALSO A VERY AMEANABLE LOCAL CHIEF.
IN RETURN FOR THE CUSTOMARY PAYMENT, HE'S AGREED TO STAGE A CERIMONAIL PERFORMANCE TO SHOW ME HOW THE MASKS ARE TRADITIONALLY WORN.
[CLANGING.]
[LOUD RATTLING.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THIS AMAZING DANCE CEREMONOY IS APPEARENTLY CALLED "THE MALLIGAN" AND IS UNIQUE TO NEW IRELAND.
KINDA JUST GOING WITH THE FLOW AT THE MOMENT.
I'M NOT SURE WHA I'M SUPPOSED TO DO.
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THIS BIT RIGHT HERE WAS A WELCOMING, IS THAT RIGHT? THE MASK, THE BIG EARS.
YEAH, BIG EARS WELCOME EVERYBODY.
THAT YOU ARE WELCOME HERE, YOUR STAY WILL BE GOOD AND NOBODIES GOING TO HURT YOU.
SO THEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO TRY AND LOOK AFTER YOU FOR YOUR STAY HERE.
H-MMM, THANK YOU.
AH, THERE'S MY BAG! IS THIS WHERE I'M STAYING? [YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THANK YOU.
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THANK YOU.
GO AND FIND A PLACE FOR YOU TO SLEEP.
THIS IS GREAT! BYE!
AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK, WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF "GLOBE TREKKER.
" IT'S PART OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BUT IT ISN'T A STATE.
KNOWN AS THE ISLAND OF ENCHANTMENT, IT'S A JEWEL IN THE CARIBBEAN THAT BOASTS SUN-KISSED BEACHES, DRAMATIC MOUNTAINS, A RICH COLONIAL HISTORY AND GREAT MUSIC.
WHERE AM I? [DRUM ROLL.]
PUERTO RICO! LOCATED AT THE HEAR OF THE CARIBBEAN, PUERTO RICO IS AROUND 100 MILES LONG BY 40 MILES WIDE, WITH A POPULATION OF SOME 4 MILLION.
FROM THE HISTORIC CAPITAL, SAN JUAN, I TRAVEL EAS TO EL YUNQUE'S RAIN FOREST BEFORE CATCHING A FERRY TO BEAUTIFUL VIEQUES ISLAND.
HEADING BACK TO THE MAIN ISLAND AND THEN TO ARECIBO'S OBSERVATORY AND THE CAMUY CAVES, I END MY TRIP AT A NATIVE FESTIVAL IN JAYUYA.
PUERTO RICO! [SPANISH GUITAR MUSIC PLAYING.]
AI YI YI-YI YI YI-YA! ARRIVING IN PUERTO RICO'S CAPITAL, AT FIRST SIGHT, IT COULD BE ANY ONE OF A DOZEN U.
S.
CITIES, BUT IN FACT, IT'S THE SECOND OLDEST COLONIAL SETTLEMENT IN THE AMERICAS.
FOUNDED IN 1521 BY THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS AS A MILITARY STRONGHOLD, THE CITY, BLESSED WITH AN EXCELLENT HARBOR, WAS ORIGINALLY NAMED BY THE SPANISH RICH POR OR, PUERTO RICO.
SOON, HOWEVER, THE NAME PUERTO RICO WAS BEING USED FOR THE ENTIRE ISLAND, AND THE CITY BECAME CALLED SAN JUAN.
[MEN SING IN SPANISH.]
.
THE OLD CITY OF SAN JUAN IS A GRID OF ABOUT 45 BLOCKS OF COBBLESTONE STREETS.
IT CAN EASILY BE EXPLORED BY ONE OF THESE TROLLEY BUSES.
THEY RUN DAILY FROM 8AM TO 10PM THROUGHOUT THE WALLED CITY, CONNECTING ALL THE MAJOR SITES, AND BEST OF ALL, THEY'RE FREE.
THE FREE RIDE AROUND THE COBBLED STREETS IS A GREA INTRODUCTION TO THE DELIGHTS OF OLD SAN JUAN.
THE BEAUTIFUL COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE HAS BEEN REALLY WELL PRESERVED, BUT HAPPILY, IT'S NO JUST AN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM PIECE FOR TOURISTS.
FULL OF LOCAL LIFE, IT'S GO A GREAT PUERTO RICAN AMBIANCE.
[SINGING IN SPANISH.]
IN THE 1540s, TO PROTEC SAN JUAN AND ITS HARBOR, THE SPANISH BEGAN BUILDING ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL FORTS ANYWHERE IN THE NEW WORLD, THE CASTILLO SAN FELIPE DEL MORRO, MORE USUALLY KNOWN JUST AS EL MORRO.
BENEFITING FROM ITS STRATEGIC LOCATION AND MASSIVE, VIRTUALLY IMPREGNABLE STONE WALLS, EL MORRO WAS CONSTANTLY EXPANDED OVER THE CENTURIES TO DEFEND SAN JUAN FROM ATTACK BY SPAIN'S ENEMIES.
EVEN SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, SCOURGE OF THE SPANISH ARMADA, COULD NOT BREACH THESE DEFENSES.
IN 1595, HE SET UP HIS FLEE OF 22 SHIPS JUST OUT HERE, BUT HIS CANNON WERE NO MATCH FOR THE STURDY WALLS OF EL MORRO, AND DRAKE, WHO WAS CONSIDERED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A PIRATE AROUND HERE, SUFFERED HIS FIRST AND ONLY DEFEAT.
HE DIED SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
EL MORRO'S WALLS WERE BREACHED EVENTUALLY, HOWEVER, WHEN IT WAS SUCCESSFULLY ATTACKED DURING THE BRIEF BUT DECISIVE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR OF 1898.
FROM THEN ON, PUERTO RICO BECAME A COLONY OF THE USA.
IN ITS LONG HISTORY, PUERTO RICO'S ONLY BEEN INDEPENDENT FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 3 MONTHS.
THIS IS THEIR CAPITOL BUILDING, PUERTO RICO'S SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, BUT THE STATUES OUTSIDE ARE NOT PUERTO RICAN LEADERS.
THEY'RE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS.
ALTHOUGH NOT A U.
S.
STATE, PUERTO RICO IS IN THE U.
S.
COMMONWEALTH.
THIS ALLOWS PUERTO RICO CONTROL OVER ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS BU NOT FOREIGN AFFAIRS OR DEFENSE.
IT'S VERY MUCH THE U.
S.
THAT CALLS THE SHOTS HERE.
AS ONLY AROUND 30% OF AMERICANS ARE SAID TO HAVE PASSPORTS, THE FACT THAT PUERTO RICO IS U.
S.
TERRITORY IS GOOD NEWS FOR U.
S.
TOURISTS, WHO'VE BEEN COMING HERE IN DROVES FOR DECADES.
[PIANO PLAYING.]
IN THE 1950s, WHEN CASINO GAMBLING WAS ILLEGAL IN MOS OF THE U.
S.
, PUNTERS FLOCKED TO THE CARIBE HILTON TO FLASH THEIR CASH IN THE CASINO AND SOAK UP THE CARIBBEAN SUN.
[SINGING IN SPANISH.]
.
IT WAS RIGHT HERE AT THE HOTEL BAR IN 1954 THA PUERTO RICO'S NATIONAL DRINK IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY BARMAN RAMON "MONCHITO" MARRERO.
BARTENDER, HIT ME.
MADE WITH PINEAPPLE JUICE, COCONUT CREAM AND RUM BLENDED WITH ICE, THE PERFECT PIÃA COLADA IS SURELY THE DEFINITIVE TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN.
MMM.
NOW SOMEBODY PINCH ME.
BACK TO REALITY.
THE DRINK AND SERVICE HAS A RELAXED PUERTO RICAN VIBE, BUT THE TIPPING CULTURE IS ALL AMERICAN.
15% TO 20% IS EXPECTED.
OYE.
ECONOMICALLY, BEING PAR OF THE U.
S.
HAS BENEFITED PUERTO RICO, BUT NATIONAL PRIDE AND A DESIRE TO BE IN CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY HAS LED MANY PUERTO RICANS TO CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE.
AT THE SANTA MARIA MAGDALENA CEMETERY, LAST RESTING PLACE OF MANY FAMOUS INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS, I MEE RAFAEL CANCEL VAZQUEZ, WHO'S ACTIVE IN THE MOVEMENT TODAY.
IS THERE AN IDENTITY OF PUERTO RICO, OR IS I JUST PART OF THE U.
S.
? NO, I WOULD SAY THERE'S 2 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IDENTITIES, PUERTO RICAN AND UNITED STATES.
HERE IN PUERTO RICO, FIRST, THE MAJOR ONE IS OUR LANGUAGE.
OUR FIRST LANGUAGE IS SPANISH.
WE'VE HAD IT FOR OVER 600 YEARS.
OUR MUSIC.
WHEREVER YOU GO IN THE WORLD AND YOU MENTION PUERTO RICO, PEOPLE THINK ABOUT SALSA.
YEAH.
IT'S PART OF OUR IDENTITY.
PEOPLE DANCE.
PEOPLE ARE VERY FESTIVE.
MUSIC, YEAH.
FUN ATTITUDE.
DEFINITELY FUN ATTITUDE.
WHEREVER YOU GO IN PUERTO RICO, THERE'S ALWAYS MUSIC.
SO, IS THERE AN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT GOING ON? YES, THERE DEFINITELY IS, AND ACTUALLY I WOULD SAY THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT WAS IN 1868.
WHEN WE WERE PART--A PART FROM SPAIN, A COLONY FROM SPAIN, THE PUERTO RICANS WANTED TO BE INDEPENDENT FROM SPAIN, BUT THEN WHEN THE U.
S.
CAME IN 1898, THE MAJORITY OF PUERTO RICANS WERE PRO-INDEPENDENCE.
AND EVEN THOUGH NOW IN 2010 WE'RE A MINORITY, BUT STILL, THERE IS--THERE'S A STRONG INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, I WANT INDEPENDENCE FOR THE ISLAND.
I THINK WE WOULD BE WAY BETTER OFF IF WE WERE ABLE TO CONTROL OUR COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH OTHER NATIONS AND WE DIDN' HAVE TO ABIDE COMPLETELY BY U.
S.
REGULATIONS, WHICH TAKE CARE OF U.
S.
INTERESTS, NOT NECESSARILY PUERTO RICO INTERESTS.
THERE'S A WELL-KNOWN SAYING HERE THAT AFTER A COUPLE OF DRINKS, EVERY PUERTO RICAN IS PRO-INDEPENDENCE, BUT IN REFERENDUMS OVER THE YEARS, LESS THAN 5% OF PUERTO RICANS HAVE ACTUALLY VOTED FOR IT AND IN FACT, MANY PEOPLE WANT THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF BECOMING EVEN CLOSER TO THE UNITED STATES AS THE 51st STATE.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DEPENDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP US DURING ALL THESE YEARS.
WE BELONG TO THEM, THEY BELONG TO US.
PUERTO RICO'S NOT DIFFERENT.
IT'S DIFFERENT, AND IF WE'LL BE A PART OF AMERICA, WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITY AND DIFFERENT, UM OH, MY GOD, HOW DO YOU SAY IT? IT'S CLEARLY THOUGH THAT PUERTO RICO IS BETTER OFF BY ITSELF, INDEPENDENT.
PROBABLY CLOSER TO UNITED STATES.
WE SHARE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON RIGHT NOW THAT I THINK FROM THE STANDPOINT OF OUR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FUTURE, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO GO.
I'M SURE WE CAN DO WITHOUT THEM.
[LAUGHS.]
EVENING IS NOW UPON US, AND IN PUERTO RICO, THAT MEANS GETTING READY TO PARTY.
TO GET CHANGED, I HEAD TO MY HOTEL, DA HOUSE.
SE IN THE HEART OF THE OLD TOWN, IT'S A COMPARATIVELY INEXPENSIVE BUT FUNKY BOUTIQUE HOTEL WITH AROUND 25 ROOMS.
IN THE RECEPTION AREA, THEY SHOWCASE THE WORK OF LOCAL ARTISTS, AND THE ROOMS ARE FUNCTIONAL, CLEAN AND EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE.
AND THIS IS A GUAYABERA.
IT'S A TRADITIONAL FRUIT PICKER'S SHIRT, HENCE ALL THE POCKETS, AND IT'S IDEAL FOR WEARING OU TO A MOJITO PARTY, WHICH IS GOING ON JUST UPSTAIRS.
[SALSA MUSIC PLAYING.]
AFTER DANCING THE NIGH AWAY AND DRINKING A FEW TOO MANY RUMS WHILE I'M ABOUT IT, THE NEXT MORNING I FINALLY DRAG MYSELF OUT OF BED AND HEAD DOWN TO SAN JUAN'S HISTORIC SANTURCE MARKET.
MAN, THIS REALLY IS A CITY WHERE THE MUSIC NEVER SLEEPS AND THE RUM IS QUITE POTENT.
LUCKY FOR ME, THIS BEING PUERTO RICO, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ANTIDOTE.
THE COFFEE HERE IS EXCELLENT.
IT'S SMOOTH, AND IT'S A GREAT RESTORATIVE.
BUT I'M NOT HERE JUST FOR THE COFFEE.
I'VE COME IN SEARCH FOR A CIGAR THAT'S A WORLD RECORD HOLDER.
HOW YOU DOING? IN 2007, PATRICIO PEÃA BECAME THE PROUD HOLDER OF THE SOMEWHA BIZARRE RECORD FOR ROLLING THE WORLD'S LONGEST CIGAR.
BEFORE TAKING ME TO SEE IT, HE WANTS TO PASS ON HIS ROLLING SKILLS, BUT MY COFFEE HASN'T KICKED IN YET, AND I'M NOT A GOOD STUDENT.
YOU JUST CUT OFF THE EDGES? YEAH.
JUST THE EDGE, YEAH? YEAH.
YEAH? SO YOU CUT OFF THE ENDS.
OK.
THEN COME AT IT LIKE THIS.
REAL TIGHT, RIGHT? PULL OUT ALL THE SLACK, YEAH? CUT IT.
CUT IT.
NOT MY.
.
NOT YOUR FINGER? HERE, LIKE THIS.
AND THE YEAH.
OH, NO.
DID I CUT OFF TOO MUCH? YEAH.
OH, NO.
[LAUGHS.]
OK, SO THEN YOU GET OIL? IT'S LIKE GLUE.
OH, THIS IS GLUE? YEAH.
IT'S--NO, NO.
YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT IT? NO.
YOU'RE GONNA SMOKE IT.
NOTHING A GLUE CAN'T FIX? OK.
OH, I SEE.
DO YOU COVER ALL OF THEM LIKE THAT? YEAH.
OH, OK.
CUT IT.
CUT IT.
ANDHEY.
YEAH.
ALL RIGHT.
THAT IS FUN.
CAN WE SEE THIS THING? YOU HAVE IT HERE? YEAH.
THE WORLD'S LONGEST CIGAR.
YEAH.
YEAH? CAN YOU SHOW ME? TAKE MY CIGAR HERE.
YEAH.
IT WAS RIGHT HERE AT THE MARKET THAT PATRICIO AND HIS TEAM TOOK ALL OF 3 DAYS TO ROLL THE 135-FOOT-LONG RECORD-BREAKING CIGAR.
THIS IS IT HERE? YEAH.
OH, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PIPE.
THIS IS CIGAR.
WOW.
THAT IS RIDICULOUS.
YOU THINK YOU'RE EVER GONNA SMOKE IT? [LAUGHS.]
NO.
NO? YOU.
I'M GONNA SMO-- HA HA.
YEAH, RIGHT.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE TO ROLL THIS? 9 PEOPLE MORE.
9 PEOPLE PLUS YOU, SO 10.
YEAH, 10.
WOW.
WELL, YOU'VE DONE IT, MY FRIEND.
CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU.
[LAUGHS.]
YOU'VE MADE YOUR MARK.
PUERTO RICAN CIGARS HAVE A VERY LONG HISTORY, TOO.
WHEN COLUMBUS FIRST ARRIVED IN THE AMERICAS, HE WAS AMAZED BY THE SIGHT OF THE NATIVE TAINO INDIANS SMOKING LEAVES.
JUST AS TOBACCO WAS UNKNOWN IN EUROPE UNTIL 1492, SO, TOO, WERE EXOTIC PUERTO RICAN FRUITS LIKE PINEAPPLE, GUAVA AND PAPAYA.
IN TIME, ALONG WITH SLAVES, THE SPANISH BROUGHT OTHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM AFRICA, SUCH AS MANGO, WATERMELON, AND PLANTAIN.
TODAY, ENJOYING PUERTO RICO'S DELICIOUS FUSION CUISINE-- PART NATIVE CARIBBEAN, PART AFRICAN, PART EUROPEAN-- IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT COMING HERE.
THE SEAFOOD IS SUPERB, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER GREAT LOCAL SPECIALTIES TO TRY OUT, SUCH AS LECHON, WHOLE BARBECUED PIG.
BARBECUES HAVE BEEN POPULAR HERE FOR CENTURIES, AND THE WORD ITSELF COMES FROM THE NATIVE TAINO WORD BARABICU MEANING "AN OPEN FIRE.
" I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY OU PUERTO RICO'S DELICIOUS CUISINE MYSELF, AND I'VE FOUND A GUIDE WHO'S TAKING ME TO HIS FAVORITE LOCAL EATERY.
SOMETHING APPEARS TO HAVE GO LOST IN TRANSLATION, HOWEVER, AND IT LOOKS LIKE MY DREAMS OF DINING OUT IN STYLE ARE GOING TO BE DASHED.
SO WHAT IS IT CALLED, NOW? IT'S CALLED EL FAROL.
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST PLACES HERE IN PIÃONES.
YEAH? AND THEY DO A LOT OF TYPICAL PUERTO RICAN FRITTERS, WHICH IS FRIED CRITTER? NO.
YEAH, JUST ABOUT.
YOU SEE, THIS IS-- OOH, THAT LOOKS GOOD.
THIS IS ALCAPURRIA.
THIS IS MASHED PLANTAINS WITH--YOU COULD HAVE A CRAB MEAT IF YOU WAN TO TRY ONE WITH CRAB.
YEAH.
THAT SOUNDS REALLY GOOD.
PARA ME DOS ALCAPURRIA DE JUEYES.
SO THE FIRST IS A PLANTAIN MASHED UP? IT'S MASHED UP WITH SPICES.
YOU PUT A LITTLE BIT OF OIL IN IT.
IT'S FRESH.
IT ALL HAS TO BE FRESH.
HE MAKES A LITTLE BOAT ON IT.
HE MAKES A LITTLE CANOE ON IT, THEN HE PUTS SOME CRAB.
OH, I SEE.
AND HOW LONG DOES IT COOK? IT SHOULD TAKE AROUND MAYBE 15 TO 10 MINUTES.
OH, OK.
THERE HE GOES.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT.
FEASTING OVER HERE.
THANK YOU.
JUST SET THE WHOLE THING HERE.
YEAH.
OH, YES.
GRACIAS.
LET'S SEE.
LET'S GET-- HERE YOU GO.
IT'S THE LOCAL BEER.
YES.
MEDALLA.
CHEERS.
SALUD.
SALUD.
AHH.
MMM, TASTY.
I CAN'T IMAGINE IT'S VERY HEALTHY, BUT-- PUT JUST A LITTLE SPICE ON IT.
THE SALSA PICANTE.
OH, MY GOSH.
THIS IS GONNA BE HOT.
[LAUGHS.]
WHOA.
GOOD KICK.
I PUT TOO MUCH ON.
I PUT THAT SALSA ON.
NOW I KNOW WHY THEY DANCE THE SALSA AROUND HERE.
YES, SIR.
THAT IS HOT.
THEY'RE GOING, "PHOO! LET'S DANCE IT OFF.
IT'S HOT.
" [SPEAKS SPANISH.]
THE SWEET PLANTAIN, AT THE END, YOU GET A-- GETS A NICE LITTLE SWEET KICK AT THE END.
YEAH, IT'S GOT A KICK.
IT'S TIME TO LEAVE SAN JUAN AND GO SEE THE RES OF PUERTO RICO.
FIRST I'M OFF TO EL YUNQUE.
LUIS IS GOING NEAR THERE, TOO, AND IS TAKING THE SAME BUS, BUT IF HE'S LOOKING FOR GOOD COMPANY, HE'S OUT OF LUCK.
AHH.
I GOT A BELLY FULL OF BATTER AND BEER, AND IT'S TIME FOR ZAY TO GET SOME Z's ON THE WAY TO EL YUNQUE.
HELLO.
HELLO.
ONE LEGACY OF THE USA'S HUGE INFLUENCE OVER PUERTO RICO IS THAT THE CAR IS KING AND PUBLIC TRANSPOR IS VERY LIMITED.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS AND NOT MANY BUSES.
I'M LUCKY THIS ONE'S GOING MY WAY, BUT SADLY, TRAVELERS OFTEN HAVE NO CHOICE EXCEP TO HIRE A CAR.
LOTS OF LITTLE BEACHES AROUND HERE, LIKE LITTLE PONDS AND--REALLY GREAT.
ALL THAT HEAVY BATTER AND BEER HAS MADE ME SLEEPY, AND WITHIN MINUTES OF GETTING IN MY SEAT, I'M FAST ASLEEP.
WHEN I WAS A KID, I USED TO COME HERE.
THERE WERE BEACHES.
THERE'S PONDS AND EVERYTHING, AND LOTS OF FUN ALL DAY, ANDAND YEAH, OK.
FROM SAN JUAN, MY JOURNEY TAKES ME 30 MILES EAST TO ONE OF PUERTO RICO'S STAR ATTRACTIONS, EL YUNQUE NATIONAL FOREST.
EL YUNQUE'S NAME COMES FROM THE NATIVE TAINO WORD FOR THE AREA, MEANING "WHITE LANDS," A REFERENCE TO THE USUALLY CLOUD-COVERED MOUNTAINTOPS.
ONE OF THE BEST-PRESERVED RAIN FORESTS IN ALL OF THE CARIBBEAN, EL YUNQUE IS HOME TO OVER 240 SPECIES OF TREES AND A LO OF RARE WILDLIFE.
I CLIMB UP TO A TREETOP OBSERVATION POIN WITH LOCAL GUIDE ROB RIOS TO SEE IF WE CAN SPO THE HIGHLY ENDANGERED PUERTO RICAN PARROT.
WHOA.
WE ARE HIGH UP HERE.
YES, WE ARE.
AND WE'RE SECURE FOR SURE? FOR SURE.
YOU'RE SECURE, AND WE'RE AT THE HEIGH OF WHERE THE BIRDS FLY.
I'M JUST GONNA ADMI IT'S A LITTLE BIT SCARY.
I'M ON THIS TINY, LITTLE PLATFORM HERE, HANGING ON TO BRANCHES THAT HAVE FLEXIBILITY.
YEAH.
BUT YOU'RE COOL WITH IT.
YOU DO THIS ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME.
PLUS, YOU'RE SAFE, AND WHAT BETTER THAN BEING UP HERE? YEAH, I KNOW.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY LOVELY.
IT'S A CLEAR DAY AND BEAUTIFUL.
THIS IS WHAT THE BIRDS SEE ALL THE TIME.
ALL RIGHT, SO, ONCE YOU'RE UP HERE, WHAT DO YOU DO? ALL RIGHT, WE GET OUR BINOCULARS.
FIRST YOU WANT TO DO IS YOU WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOCALIZATION TO SEE IF YOU HEAR THE BIRDS VOCALIZING WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT TO FLY OUT.
YOU HEAR ANY RIGHT NOW? NO.
THEY MUST BE EATING RIGHT NOW.
AN HOUR LATER, AND WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN A SINGLE PARROT.
WHAT'S THE BEST TIME TO COME UP HERE? WHEN THEY FIRST COME OUT.
THAT'S WHEN THEY FIRST WAKE UP AND THEY'RE GONNA GO GE THEIR FOOD.
YOU CLIMB THIS TREE IN THE DARK? WITH HEADLAMPS.
THAT IS NUTS.
YOU GOTTA CHECK YOUR HEAD.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
IT'S A SHAME WE DIDN'T SEE ANY PARROTS BUT NOT AT ALL SURPRISING, AS EVEN HERE IN THE PUERTO RICAN PARROT'S LAS REFUGE, THEY'RE EXTREMELY RARE.
ONLY AROUND 50 OR SO ARE THOUGH TO REMAIN ALIVE IN THE WILD.
IN ORDER TO TRY TO BUILD UP THE WILD POPULATION, A CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED HERE IN EL YUNQUE AS MARISEL LOPEZ-FLORES EXPLAINS.
WE PUT THEM IN HERE, AND WE ALLOW THEM TO HABITUATE HERE, TO STAY HERE AND TO FIND A MATE.
YOU NOTICE SOME FLIRTING GOING ON.
PECKING AT EACH OTHER'S BEAKS.
THERE YOU GO.
YOU THINK, OK, LET'S PU THESE 2 TOGETHER WE PUT THEM HERE.
WE CHECK FOR THEIR GENETICS.
IF THE FEMALE OR MATE THAT THEY FIND IS NOT VIABLE, LIKE, THEIR TESTICLES ARE DAMAGED OR THEIR OVARIES ARE DAMAGED, WE SPLIT THAT PAIR AND WE FIND ANOTHER MATE TO THEM.
SOMETIMES THEY CAN' LAY ANY EGGS BUT THEY'RE GOOD FOSTER PARENTS.
THEY'RE GOOD MOM AND DAD, AND THEY WILL RAISE THE BABIES, SO IF THAT HAPPEN, THEN WE'LL ALLOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY CAN BE GOOD PARENTS.
THIS IS A LOT OF SIMILARITIES TO THE HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH.
ONE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARROTS AND HUMANS, HOWEVER, IS THAT YOU CAN'T TELL JUS BY LOOKING AT A NAKED PARRO WHETHER IT'S MALE OR FEMALE, AND SO TO CHECK WHICH BIRDS TO TRY TO PAIR OFF AND TO CHECK THEIR FERTILITY, PROJECT VE ANTONIO RIVERA HAS TO OPEN THE BIRDS UP.
[PARROT SQUAWKING.]
OH, THERE YOU GO.
[SQUAWKING WEAKENS.]
THIS IS A GAS ANESTHESIA? YES.
SO THIS IS A PARROT THA HASN'T REPRODUCED IN A WHILE, SO NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO CHECK OUT THE SITUATION.
THERE'S DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, BASICALLY.
WE HAVE PAIRS THA HAVE BEEN FIRST IN THE PAS AND FOR SOME REASON HAVE STOPPED BREEDING.
WE HAVE OTHERS THAT PRODUCE INFERTILE EGGS.
WE HAVE OTHERS THAT HAVE EGGS THAT DON'T GO TO TERM, DON'T DEVELOP WELL.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT PROBLEMS THAT THEY MAY HAVE, THAT WE TRY TO LOOK AT.
THIS IS THE MUSCLE OF THE LEG HERE.
MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S THE AREA WHERE I'M GOING TO GO IN.
OK.
NOW I MAKE THE INCISION JUST BEHIND THE TIGHT HERE, OK? MM-HMM.
THERE SHOULD BE JUST A LITTLE BLEEDING.
NOT MUCH.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW IS I'M GOING TO GO IN AND PUNCTURE THE AIR SAC.
JUST TRYING TO PUNCTURE IT? YES.
OK.
THE SCOPE IS VERY HELPFUL, BECAUSE IT LET US GO IN.
SO NOW EVERYTHING YOU'RE PUTTING IN HERE WE CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.
EXACTLY.
SEE, IF YOU LOOK HERE, IT'S A BIT CLOUDY.
WHEN THEY GET INFECTIONS, THE AIR SAC BECOMES CLOUDY, OK? THAT IS THE HEART DOWN THERE.
YOU SEE IT BEATING THERE? SURE DO.
PUMPING.
YES.
HE'S A LITTLE SCARED, HUH? WELL, THEY HAVE A VERY FAST HEART RATE.
THEY COULD BE RESTING AND HAVE 300 BEATS PER MINUTE WHAT? QUITE DIFFERENT FROM US.
OH, THERE WE GO.
WE'RE DEALING HERE YOU SEE THE PROBLEM? GOT A FEMALE, AND SHE'S VERY BEAUTIFUL.
OK, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S A FEMALE? THAT'S THE OVARY.
LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL THAT OVARY IS.
THAT THING IS THE YELLOW BODY, AND THAT'S WHERE SHE OVULATED BEFORE, OK? ONE EGG CAME OUT OF THERE.
SO EACH OF THESE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY HOLD AN EGG? EXACTLY.
OH, MY GOSH.
SO, SO FAR WE SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH HER.
YES.
THIS BIRD IS GOOD FOR BREEDING.
SO HER REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY HEALTHY.
SHE JUS HASN'T FOUND THE RIGHT GUY YET.
SHE'S PICKY.
EXACTLY.
WE HAVE TO FIND HER A GOOD MALE, BASICALLY.
MM-HMM.
JUST PUTTING A STITCH HERE TO CLOSE THE SKIN.
YEAH.
I'VE GOT A JACKE THAT NEEDS SOME MENDING.
CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THAT, PLEASE? [LAUGHTER.]
YOU'RE VERY GOOD AT SEWING.
SHE LOOKS GOOD, YOU SEE? SHE LOOKS GREAT.
THE FUTURE OF THE PUERTO RICAN PARROT SEEMS TO BE IN GOOD HANDS.
ONCE SO NEARLY EXTINCT, ITS NUMBERS ARE NOW GROWING YEAR ON YEAR.
ALL RIGHT.
THERE YOU GO.
WAKEY, WAKEY.
EGGS AND BAC-Y.
FOR ME, I'VE GOT A LO OF PUERTO RICO STILL TO SEE, SO IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.
FROM EL YUNQUE, IT'S JUS A SHORT HOP TO THE POR OF FAJARDO, FROM WHERE I BOARD A FERRY TO THE ISLAND OF VIEQUES.
SITUATED LESS THAN 10 MILES FROM THE MAIN ISLAND OF PUERTO RICO, VIEQUES IS BLESSED WITH SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
AT JUST 20 MILES LONG AND 4 MILES WIDE, VIEQUES WASN'T A PRIME TARGE FOR THE EARLY SPANISH COLONISTS, AND IT WAS ONLY IN THE EARLY 19th CENTURY THAT THEY BUIL FORTS LIKE THIS ONE TO TAKE THE ISLAND UNDER THEIR CONTROL.
SOON AFTERWARDS, AS IN THE RES OF PUERTO RICO, THE AMERICANS REPLACED THE SPANISH AS THE NEW COLONIAL OVERLORDS HERE, AND SINCE WORLD WAR II, THE U.
S.
MILITARY HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON THE ISLAND.
DURING WORLD WAR II, THE U.
S.
NAVY DECIDED TO USE THIS ISLAND AS A WEAPONS TEST SITE.
2/3 OF VIEQUES WERE LOCKED OFF FOR MILITARY USE, A SITUATION WHICH, DESPITE PROTESTS, PERSISTED UNTIL 2003.
NOW THE MILITARY HAVE WITHDRAWN, AND THOUGH PARTS OF THE ISLAND WILL NEVER BE SAFE FOR HUMAN HABITATION, OTHER PARTS ARE BEING RECLAIMED.
AT BEAUTIFUL CHIVA BEACH, WHICH WAS UNTIL RECENTLY OFF-LIMITS TO ISLANDERS, I MEET UP WITH MITSUKA BERMUDEZ, WHO WAS ONCE ACTIVE IN THE ANTI-OCCUPATION MOVEMENT.
MITSUKA, YOU WERE HERE LIVING ON THE ISLAND DURING THE MILITARY OCCUPATION, YEAH? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? IT WAS LIKE BEING IN A BATTLE ZONE, BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVE BOMBING HERE IN VIEQUES.
JEEZ.
WAS THAT SCARY? YEAH.
THEY HAD, LIKE, 2 BASES, AND THE CIVIL PEOP-- PART WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
SO, DID THEY STOP BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE PROTESTING, THEN? WELL, AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED ONCE.
THEY MISSED A TARGET, AND THEY HIT THE OP1-- IT'S AN OBSERVATION POINT-- AND THERE WAS A LOCAL GUARD THERE, AND HE WAS KILLED.
SO ALL PUERTO RICO GOT TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, STARTED THIS CASE AGAINST THE NAVY HERE IN VIEQUES.
YEAH.
THAT'S UNNECESSARY.
THEY'RE JUST PRACTICING, AND PEOPLE ARE LOSING LIVES.
YEAH.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DIED OF CANCER.
CANCER? OF CANCER HERE.
FROM THE CHEMICALS THAT WERE LEFT OVER AFTERWARD.
EXACTLY.
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE.
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
YEAH.
HOW ELSE CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT? YEAH.
YOU THINK YOU'LL EVER FORGIVE THEM? SURE.
YEAH? AS LONG AS THEY'RE GONE.
AS LONG AS THEY STAY-- WHEREVER.
[LAUGHS.]
IRONICALLY, AS A RESUL OF VIEQUES BEING USED FOR PRACTICE BOMBING, THE ISLAND ESCAPED OVER-DEVELOPMENT, AND TODAY THE FORMER MILITARY ZONE IS A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE AND A PROTECTED FEDERAL NATURE RESERVE.
IN ORDER TO TRY TO RESTORE THE AREA TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE, MITSUKA RUNS A LOCAL INITIATIVE TO RESEED PREVIOUSLY INACCESSIBLE BEACHES WITH NATIVE FLORA.
ALL RIGHT, LUZ, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? WELL, WE ARE TRYING TO RECOVER THE NATURAL ECOSYSTEM IN VIEQUES.
THE NATURAL ECOSYSTEM YEAH.
THE ORIGINAL ONE.
THE ORIGINAL ONE.
THIS IS UVA PLAYERA IN SPANISH.
IT'S A BEACH GRAPE, AND THE SCIENTIFIC NAME IS COCCOLOBA UVIFERA.
MARINE TURTLES USE THIS KIND OF VEGETATION TO MAKE THE NEST.
OK.
THE SOIL IN MANY FORMER MILITARY AREAS IS STILL CONTAMINATED WITH HARMFUL CHEMICALS.
EVEN TODAY, MANY AREAS OF THE ISLAND ARE STILL CLOSED OFF, AWAITING DECONTAMINATION.
BUT HOPEFULLY, WITHIN A FEW YEARS, ALL OF THE ISLAND WILL SOON BE CLEARED FOR ACCESS, LIKE CHIVA BEACH.
ALL RIGHT.
I THINK THIS IS READY.
DID A GOOD JOB.
GOOD JOB.
[LAUGHS.]
THAT LOOKS FANTASTIC.
YOU ARE READY TO DO THE NEXT.
LOOK AT OUR NEW ADDITION.
OK, I'LL DO THE NEXT ONE.
AS THE ISLAND GRADUALLY OPENS UP, VIEQUES IS BUILDING A GROWING REPUTATION AS AN ECO-TOURIST DESTINATION.
IN PARTICULAR, HORSE RIDING IS A POPULAR PURSUIT.
ALL ACROSS VIEQUES, YOU NOTICE A LOT OF ELEGANT HORSES THAT SEEM TO BE STRAY.
I MEET UP WITH ELIZABETH BERN FROM VIRGINIA, WHO HAS A LARGE HERD OF PASO FINO HORSES.
I NOTICE THESE ARE ALL BRANDED.
IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THEF AROUND HERE? UM, WELL, YES AND NO.
UM, MAINLY, AS YOU SEE, THERE'S HORSES ROAMING ALL OVER THE ISLAND.
EVERYBODY THINKS THEY'RE WILD, BUT THEY'RE ALL OWNED, SO IT'S MAINLY JUST A FORM OF SHOWING YOUR OWNERSHIP OVER A HORSE.
SO THE HORSES WE'RE SEEING ON THE STREET, THE SIDE OF THE STREET, ARE ACTUALLY NOT WILD, BUT THEY'RE OWNED? JUST LAZY OWNERS.
YEAH, LAZY OWNERS.
YES.
LAZY HORSEMANSHIP.
LAZY HORSEKEEPING, WE MIGHT CALL IT.
SO PEOPLE WILL HOP THE FENCE AND RIDE THEM, OR YEAH, THAT HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME.
YEAH.
IT'S MORE LIKE, "OH, I SEE A HORSE I WANT TO RIDE.
I'M GONNA GO FOR IT.
" DOES EVERYBODY RIDE HORSES HERE? FOR THE MOST PART, YEAH.
AND WHERE ARE WE GOING TODAY? LONG AS YOU'RE ON A HORSE, YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH GO ANYWHERE YOU WANT.
NICE.
WELL, LET'S DO IT.
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PASO FINO HORSE? WELL, PASO FINOS, THEY HAVE A VERY DEFINITIVE STEP.
THEY HAVE A--PASO FINO LITERALLY TRANSLATES TO "FINE STEP.
" THE PASO FINO BREED ORIGINATES FROM ANDALUSIA, SPANISH JANNET, AND BARBS THAT WERE BROUGHT OVER BY COLUMBUS ON HIS SECOND VOYAGE, AND THEY WERE BRED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SMOOTH 4-BEAT LATERAL GAIT.
THEY ALWAYS WALK LIKE THAT? FOR THE MOST PART, YES.
THEY HAVE A VERY NATURAL GAIT, EVEN BABIES STRAIGHT OFF THE GROUND.
AND THEN THERE'S KONA.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
NOT SOWING THAT COCONU FOR YOU.
HA HA HA.
[KONA BARKS.]
AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
AROO.
ANOTHER GREAT THING ABOU VIEQUES IS THAT YOU CAN STAY OVERNIGHT IN STYLISH LUXURY AND YET STILL BE ECO-FRIENDLY AT THE SAME TIME.
UNUSUALLY FOR SUCH A SWANKY HOTEL, THE HIX ISLAND HOUSE, AMONGST OTHER ENERGY-SAVING MEASURES, HAS NO AIR CONDITIONING.
VIEQUES IS BLESSED BY COOLING WINDS, AND THE HOTEL MAKES THE MOST OF THIS.
EACH MAIN ROOM HAS ONLY 3 WALLS WITH ONE SIDE OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS.
ALL THE WATER USED HERE ISN'T FLUSHED AWAY INTO DRAINS, BUT FLOWS STRAIGHT OUT TO WATER THE GARDENS AND FRUIT TREES.
IT'S AN INTERESTING CONCEP FOR A HOTEL NOT TO HAVE A FOURTH WALL.
IT DOES HAVE AN OPTIONAL SHUTTER THERE FOR STORMS.
AH, SO OPEN.
I LOVE IT.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOU THE HOTEL, I MEET UP WITH THE ARCHITECT AND OWNER, JOHN HIX.
IT'S QUITE A PLACE YOU HAVE HERE.
WHAT INSPIRED THIS WHOLE OPEN ONE-WITH-NATURE FORMAT? WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS TO GIVE CONTRAST TO OUR CLIENTS' EXPERIENCE, SO IF THEY'RE LIVING IN A MANHATTAN APARTMENT OR IN SUBURBIA, WHEN THEY COME DOWN HERE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY LIVING IN NATURE AND BEING IN NATURE AND FEELING NATURE.
ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENS HERE IS THAT WE HAVE THIS TRADEWIND THAT'S CONSTANTLY BLOWING AND KEEPING INSECTS AWAY AND KEEPING YOU COOL AT NIGHT, AND YOU'RE EXPERIENCING THE CARIBBEAN, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE INSTEAD OF BEING IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ENVIRONMEN IN A SEALED-OFF RESORT.
DEFINITELY GET THAT FEELING THAT YOU'RE ONE WITH NATURE.
IN THE '70s, THE CONCRETE GOT A BAD RAP, BUT YOU USE I AND CELEBRATE IT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHA THE BAD RAP IS THAT--I THINK IN LONDON, AS AN EXAMPLE, IT GOT VERY MILDEW-Y AND BLACK, IF I REMEMBER, ALONG THE THAMES, BUT HERE, I WANT TO INTEGRATE THE BUILDINGS INTO THE LANDSCAPE, SO THEY AREN' PAINTED AND SHOUTING OUT.
I GOT TO ASK YOU THIS.
WHAT'S PEOPLE'S TAKE ON THE WHOLE OPEN OUTDOOR SHOWER? THEY LOVE IT.
DID YOU ENJOY THAT? YEAH.
IT'S LIBERATING.
YEAH, EXACTLY.
AT FIRST, YOU'RE LIKE, "I WONDER WHO'S WATCHING," THEN YOU'RE LIKE, "WHO CARES?" AND IN MY CASE, NOBODY WOULD WANT TO.
[LAUGHTER.]
FROM VIEQUES, I RETURN BY FERRY TO FAJARDO BEFORE DRIVING 80 MILES OR SO TO THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND TO VISI THE CAMUY RIVER CAVES NATIONAL PARK AND THE ARECIBO RADIO TELESCOPE NEARBY.
I SET OFF REALLY EARLY IN THE MORNING ON A LOVELY DRIVE ACROSS THE ISLAND THROUGH PUERTO RICO'S LUSH LANDSCAPE.
WE'RE GOING UP TO THE CAMUY CAVES.
AN EARLY START TODAY, BECAUSE IF IT RAINS IN THE AFTERNOON, IT GETS VERY DANGEROUS.
THE WATER GETS TRAPPED THERE, AND THEN IT CAN FLOOD US OUT.
THE CAMUY RIVER HAS ERODED THROUGH THE REGION'S SOF LIMESTONE TO CREATE HUGE SINKHOLES IN CAVES.
A RENOWNED ADVENTURE DESTINATION, IT'S THE THIRD-LARGEST UNDERGROUND RIVER SYSTEM IN THE WORLD.
I MEET UP WITH ROSSANO BOSCARINO, WHO'S GONNA GUIDE ME THROUGH CAMUY'S COMPLEX UNDERGROUND NETWORK OF RIVER CAVES.
WE HAVE ALL THESE STREAMS COMING TOGETHER.
WE COME IN THE ANGELES, THE PIEDRAS, RIO CRIMINALES.
3 RIVERS.
THEY JOIN, AND THIS IS THE LIMESTONE, AND THIS IS WHERE THEY SINK AS A SINKING RIVER.
SO WHEN IT RAINS UP HERE STRONG, THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.
FLASHFLOODS OCCUR LIKE ONE FOOT PER MINUTE.
THEY ONLY COME IN THE AFTERNOON? UH, USUALLY FROM 3:00 UP.
BUT WEATHER PATTERNS ARE CHANGING.
WE'VE HAD A FEW EARLIER ONES, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ASSUME THE WORST.
THE FEAR OF GETTING CAUGH BY AFTERNOON RAIN MEANS WE CAN'T DELAY.
BUT EVEN SO, I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO RAPPEL DOWN INTO THE 250-FOOT-DEEP SINKHOLE THAT LEADS TO THE RIO ANGELES.
ROSSANO GIVES ME A QUICK RUNDOWN.
THIS IS THE RAPPEL RACK.
WITH THIS, WE CREATE FRICTION SO WE COULD GO DOWN SAFELY.
NOT FALL.
WE'LL BE GOING DOWN 250 FEET.
THAT'S LIKE A 25-STORY BUILDING.
OK? ONLY 3 STEPS.
THAT MEANS THIS IS SO EASY, EVEN A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT.
THE FIRST ONE IS GET IN POSITION, WHICH CONSISTS OF SPREAD YOUR LEGS, LAY BACK, AND HAVE FUN.
I'VE SAID THA BEFORE.
IF YOU'RE AWAY FROM THE WALL, YOU CAN SEE WHERE TO PUT YOUR FEET, SEE? AND YOU NEED TO GET PERPENDICULAR TO THE WALL, OK? DON'T GET TOO PERPENDICULAR, LIKE 90 DEGREES.
LIKE, "OH, MY GOD.
" TORSO'S GONNA BE FORWARD, AND YOU'RE GONNA GET IN THE SHAPE OF AN "L.
" OK.
SECOND STEP AND THIRD STEP WILL BE NATURAL, BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING, IT'S LIKE, "DO I PUSH? I PULL? DO I LOWER? DO I SQUEEZE? OH, MY GOD, I'M GETTING CONFUSED.
" JUST DO IT.
IT WILL BE--IT WILL HAPPEN.
TIME'S MOVING ON, AND WE NEED TO HEAD UNDERGROUND.
TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE SINKHOLE LEADING INTO THE ABYSS, WE HAVE TO CROSS BY ZIP LINE.
HERE I GO! WHOA-HO-HO-HO! WHOO-HA-HA! DON'T LOOK.
[GIGGLES.]
AH.
HEE HEE.
UHH.
[IMITATES MICKEY MOUSE.]
I'M GONNA TALK LIKE MICKEY ALL DAY NOW.
THAT WAS THE EASY BIT.
THE 250-FOOT DESCENT TO COME IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT THING.
OH, MY GOSH.
THIS IS NUTS.
UH, MY HEART RATE'S JUS GOING CRAZY.
I'M SWEATING.
SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
I'M ACTUALLY A LOT MORE SCARED THAN I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE.
THIS IS NO JOKE.
WHOO-HOO-HOO.
AH.
THIS IS GORGEOUS.
AH, IT'S AN ADVENTURE.
OH, HO-HO.
MAN, I THOUGH I WAS GONNA PASS OUT.
STARTED TO GET LIGHTHEADED HALFWAY THROUGH.
MY LEGS ARE NUMB.
[SCREAMS.]
SO HOW DID I DO? OH, PRETTY GOOD.
YOU'RE FIGHTING GRAVITY.
I WAS FIGHTING IT.
I SAW YOU AT ONE POINT, YOU HAD, LIKE, THE DEATH GRIP.
[CHUCKLES.]
DIDN'T WANT TO LET GO OF THAT ROPE.
YEAH.
BUT THAT'S NORMAL.
BUT YOU DID REAL GOOD.
SOME PEOPLE, FIRST TIME THEY GO DOWN, THEY PEE ON THEMSELVES.
DON'T PEE.
THERE GOES THE FOREST, OH.
SO WE'RE GOING INTO THE CAVE NOW.
GOING INTO THE CAVE.
GONNA GET WET, WILD, AND DIRTY.
ALL RIGHT.
HEADING INTO THE MOUTH OF THE CAVE GOUGED OUT OF THE ROCK BY THE UNDERGROUND RIVER, IT LOOKS PEACEFUL ENOUGH, BUT IT WOULD BE NO JOKE TO GET CAUGHT DOWN HERE AFTER A TROPICAL DOWNPOUR.
IT'S VERY SLIPPERY.
THIS ONE.
IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE PLUNGE AND SWIM OUR WAY IN AND OUT OF THE CAVERN BEFORE THE AFTERNOON RAIN ROLLS IN.
THE BATS ARE AT HOME HERE, BUT FOR US, THE CAVERN IS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO HANG ABOUT.
UNLIKE BATS, WE CAN'T CLING TO THE CAVERN ROOF TO ESCAPE A FLASHFLOOD.
FINALLY, WE MAKE IT BACK TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, AND IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE.
JUST A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE CAMUY RIVER CAVES, PUERTO RICO'S UNUSUAL LIMESTONE LANDSCAPE IS ALSO HOME TO THE COUNTRY'S MOST FAMOUS SCIENTIFIC INSTALLATION.
IT'S PUERTO RICO, JIM, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT.
THE ARECIBO RADIO TELESCOPE WAS BUILT BY THE AMERICANS DURING THE COLD WAR SPACE RACE IN 1963.
SCIENTISTS WANTED TO CONSTRUC AS LARGE A DISH AS POSSIBLE TO MONITOR THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE AND THE UNIVERSE BEYOND.
THE SIZE OF THE DISH WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN I NEEDING TO MOVE, AND SO THIS SITE WAS CHOSEN SPECIFICALLY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A VAS LIMESTONE SINKHOLE WHICH WAS COVERED OVER BY THE DISH FROM RIM TO RIM.
HALF A CENTURY LATER, THIS MASSIVE RADIO TELESCOPE IS STILL AT THE FOREFRON OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
I'M GIVEN A TOUR BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARECIBO OBSERVATORY-- MIKE NOLAN.
THE ARECIBO OBSERVATORY IS THE LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE IN THE WORLD.
IT'S ALSO THE MOS POWERFUL RADIO TRANSMITTER IN THE WORLD.
WHAT KIND OF STUFF ARE YOU TRANSMITTING OUT TO SPACE? WE TRANSMIT RADIO WAVES MAINLY TO LOOK AT THE ATMOSPHERE AND TO LOOK AT THE PLANETS.
THEY'RE MICROWAVES.
TURNS OU IT'S THE SAME AS YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN, AND RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE POWER SUPPLY FOR ONE OF THOSE RADARS, SO WE MAKE 2 MILLION WATTS OF RADIO WAVES.
IT TAKES A LOT OF ELECTRICITY, AND WE GENERATE THESE RADIO WAVES TO SEND OUT AT WHATEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT DAY.
AND HOW DO YOU MONITOR THAT? WELL, WHAT WE DO, ACTUALLY, IS WE TRANSMIT OUR SIGNAL, WE TURN OFF THE TRANSMITTER, AND WE TURN ON THE MOS SENSITIVE RADIO RECEIVER IN THE WORLD, WHICH IS RIGHT NEX TO IT, AND LOOK AT THE ECHO THAT COMES BACK FROM WHATEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT.
ONE REASON ARECIBO DOES THIS IS TO PHOTOGRAPH AND TRACK THE ORBITS OF ASTEROIDS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE IT'S JUS POSSIBLE THAT ONE DAY, AN ASTEROID MIGHT BE ON COURSE FOR A CATASTROPHIC COLLISION WITH PLANET EARTH.
BUT HAPPILY, ARECIBO HASN'T FOUND ANY ASTEROIDS THAT THREATEN THE END OF THE WORLD JUST YET.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRS GOOD ONES WE GOT.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE.
SPACE POTATO I CALL IT.
IT'S ABOUT 6 KILOMETERS ACROSS, AND THIS IS A PICTURE THAT WE TOOK ON EACH OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT DAYS, AND WE TOOK THIS WHEN IT WAS 10 MILLION KILOMETERS AWAY.
SO YOU'VE PROVEN YOU CAN CAPTURE IMAGES OF THINGS OUT IN SPACE.
$24 MILLION QUESTION--IF THERE'S LIFE OUT THERE, WOULD YOU CAPTURE THAT AS WELL? ONE OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES WE DO DO AT THE OBSERVATORY IS TO LOOK FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, MOLECULES IN OTHER GALAXIES.
AND WE HAVE, IN FACT, DETECTED THE KINDS OF MOLECULES THAT FORM LIFE, WHAT WE CALL PRE-BIOTIC MOLECULES, IN OTHER GALAXIES OUT IN THE UNIVERSE.
THAT'S EXCITING.
IT IS EXCITING.
IF LIFE DOES EXIST ELSEWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE, THEN JUS MAYBE, ON SOME DISTANT PLANET, IT'S ADVANCED AND INTELLIGENT.
IF ALIENS DO EXIST, ARECIBO WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE THE FIRST PLACE ON EARTH TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
REMARKABLY, SIGNALS RECEIVED HERE FROM OUTER SPACE ARE BEING MONITORED BY THE SETI PROJECT OR SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE.
UP UNTIL NOW, OF COURSE, NO ALIEN TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN DETECTED, BUT SURPRISINGLY, PERHAPS, MANY SERIOUS SCIENTISTS ARE CONVINCED THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE.
SOMEWHERE.
BACK TO EARTH, AND IT'S TIME FOR THE LAST PART OF MY JOURNEY THROUGH PUERTO RICO.
I'M HEADING UP INTO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, AND FROM ARECIBO, MY ROUTE TAKES ME PAS THE COFFEE TOWN OF MARICAO BEFORE I END MY TRIP AT A NATIVE FESTIVAL IN JAYUYA.
MARICAO IS RENOWNED AS THE HOME OF PUERTO RICO'S BEST COFFEE.
THE ALTITUDE, CLIMATE, AND FERTILE VOLCANIC SOIL IN THE REGION MAKE IT PERFEC FOR COFFEE GROWING.
EACH YEAR, TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE COFFEE HARVEST, THE TOWN PUTS ON A PARTY.
TRADITIONALLY, THIS WAS TO THANK THE PLANTATION WORKERS FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK DURING THE YEAR, BUT TODAY, EVERYONE'S WELCOME.
IT'S A LO OF FUN, AND THE COFFEE'S GREAT.
[SINGING IN SPANISH.]
MARICAO WAS ONCE KNOWN AS EL PUEBLO DE LAS INDIERAS-- THE TOWN OF INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
DURING THE SPANISH CONQUEST 500 YEARS AGO, TOWNS THROUGHOU THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVIDED A LAST REFUGE FOR PUERTO RICO'S NATIVE TAINO PEOPLE AS THEY FLED FROM THE CONQUISTADORS.
25 MILES EAST OF MARICAO, IN THE TOWN OF JAYUYA, I'M ENDING MY TRIP AT ANOTHER FESTIVAL WHICH HONORS THE TRADITIONS OF THE TAINO.
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
I MEET UP WITH ELBA ANACA LUGO, A LEADING LIGHT OF TODAY'S TAINO INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT, WHO EXPLAINS WHY IT IS THA THE FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPANISH DISCOVERY OF PUERTO RICO.
WE DON'T CELEBRATE.
WE COMMEMORATE.
ITS SIGNIFICANCE IS VERY SAD FOR US, BECAUSE THEY CAME TO KILL OUR PEOPLE, TO STEAL THE GOLD, TO DESTROY EVERYTHING, SO THAT'S WHY WE DON' CELEBRATE IT.
WAS THERE RESISTANCE, OR DID YOU GUYS JUST GIVE IN? WELL, WE ARE NOT EXTINCTED.
WE ARE JUST DISSEMINING.
AND THE TYPE OF SOCIETY, COLLECTIVE SOCIETY, WE USED TO LIVE, WE-WE HAD TO CHANGE I BECAUSE OUR LIVES WERE IN DANGER.
RIGHT.
SO WE CONSIDER EVOLUTION AS PART OF OUR LIVES, BUT OUR ESSENCE IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY, AND THE MODERN WAY IS THE ADAPTATION TO OUR LIVES.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE WITH THE FUTURE GENERATIONS IN ORDER TO LET THEM KNOW WE ARE HERE.
WE-- THE TAINO IS ALIVE.
[FESTIVAL MUSIC PLAYING.]
ONE KEY FEATURE OF TRADITIONAL TAINO CULTURE WAS A CEREMONIAL BALL GAME CALLED BATU.
A SIMPLIFIED DEMONSTRATION IS BEING PUT ON FOR THE CROWD, AND I'M INVITED TO TAKE PART.
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
APPARENTLY YOU HAVE TO TRY TO KEEP THE BALL IN THE AIR, BUT WITHOUT USING YOUR HANDS OR FEET.
SHOULD BE INTERESTING.
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH.]
THIS PLACE HAS IT ALL, A VIVID HISTORY AND GREA NATURAL BEAUTY, BUT ITS GREATES RESOURCE IS ITS PEOPLE.
EVERYONE I'VE MET SEEMS GENUINELY INTEN ON TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR CULTURE.
I BELIEVE THAT WITH A FAIR WIND IN THEIR SAILS, PUERTO RICANS COULD SOON BE LEADING THE WAY IN ECO TOURISM.
IN THAT, I WISH THEM WELL.
BUENAS SUERTE, PUERTO RICO.
STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL "GLOBE TREKKER" EXTRA.
FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY SUBARU.
AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK, WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF "GLOBE TREKKER.
" YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOU THE SERIES ON OUR WEBSITES.
PROGRAMS FROM THE "GLOBE TREKKER" SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD, AND ARE NOW ON DEMAND AT GLOBETREKKERCHANNEL.
TV MUSIC FROM THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE ON CD.
YOU CAN ALSO ORDER THE NEW "GLOBE TREKKER" ANNUAL, FEATURING INFORMATION ON FESTIVALS, EVENTS, AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
TO ORDER "GLOBE TREKKER" PRODUCTS, CALL 888-565-0361 OR VISIT THE WEBSITE, WWW.
GLOBETREKKERTV.
COM.
HELLO.
[INAUDIBLE.]
.
THE BEST PART ABOUT IT IS THEY MEET YOU AT THE DESTINATION WITH YOUR BAG SO YOU CAN ENJOY THE RIDE HANDS FREE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'LL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.
ENJOY! THANK YOU.
FROM KAIVIENG, I'M CYCLING 75 MILES OR SO DOWN THE EAST COAS OF NEW IRELAND, AS FAR AS THE SMALL TOWN OF LIBBA.
HAPPILY, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST ROADS ANYWHERE IN THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA ISLANDS AND IT'S PERFECT FOR BIKING.
IT'S ALMOST DEAD FLAT, IT'S COMPLETELY SMOOTH.
THERE'S ALMOST NO TRAFFIC AND THE SCENERY IS WELL AS YOU CAN SEE GEORGOUS.
[GRUNTING.]
I THINK SOMEBODY FORGO TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS HILL! HOPEFULLY IT'S THE ONLY ONE, CAUSE IT'S REALLY STEEP.
WHOO, AT LEAST THE VIEW'S NICE FROM UP HERE.
AFTER A FEW HOURS BICYCLING, I STOP OFF IN THE SMALL VILLAGE OF [INAUDIBLE.]
TO MEET KATHY YAUB.
BIZARELY, SHE'S LOCALLY RENOWNED FOR HAVING TAMED SOME HUGE FRESHWATER EELS.
HELLO.
OH HELLO! DO YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND KATHY? YOU'RE SPEAKING TO HER! OH GREAT, YOU'RE JUS THE GIRL I'M LOOKING FOR.
[BOTH TALKING AT ONCE.]
THAT'S AN UNUSUAL NAME.
IT IS.
PRONOUCE IT AGAIN? ZAY.
ZAY, MY NAME IS KATHY.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
YOU HAVEN'T GO ANY FISH ON YOU HAVE TO? I HOPE NOT, WHY WOULD I HAVE FISH ONE ME? WE LOWER THE MOUTH BY POURING THE FISH OIL.
MY SENCE OF SMELL IS LIKE A DOG.
OH REALLY? WELL NOW IS YOU'RE CHANCE TO FEED AN EEL.
SEE WHAT SHE DOES? UH-HUH.
SHE'S POURING OUT THE FISH OIL AND SPREAD IT OUT ALL OVER.
OH, LOOK, LOOK THERE'S ONE RIGHT BY HER FEET! OH MY GOSH.
THAT IS SCARY! [LAUGHS.]
.
AREN'T YOU SCARED OF THESE THINGS? I AM SCARED, OH LOOK HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE! WOW.
ARE YOU NO SCARED OF THESE GUYS? AREN'T THEY KNOWN FOR BITING? NO.
AND IF YOU TOUCH IT.
HOW DO I TOUCH IT? FROM THE FIN DOWNWARDS.
LIKE YOU WOULD DO WITH A CAT OR A DOG.
WATCH THE HEAD, BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD COMPENSATION IF YOU GET BITTEN.
YOU DON'T COMPENSATE MY LOSS OF HAND? OK, OK, I'M FRIGHTENED, I'M FRIGHTENED! HE'S COMING UP TO MY LEG.
THEY LIKE TO BE STROKED AND THEN YOU CAN FEEL THEM.
OH, IT'S SLIMEY! VERY, VERY SLIMELY.
WHOA, THIS IS SCARY! YOU CAN PICK THEM UP.
I CAN PICK THEM UP? YES.
DO I WANT TO PICK THEM UP? YOU'RE A BIG BOY, YOU CAN! PUT YOUR HAND OUT.
YEAH? AND LIFT IT FROM THE WATER.
OH, MY GOSH, I DON' KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS.
WOW, THAT THING IS VISCIOUS! SOMETHING'S TELLING ME THIS IS CRAZY TO DO THIS.
IT'S NOT CRAZY, BELIEVE ME.
WHOA, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE! THE OTHER ONE'S RIGHT UNDER IT.
OH VISCIOUS LOOKING THING! DON'T GET MY LEG! [LAUGHING.]
SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! MY HEARTS POUNDING RIGHT NOW.
[INAUDIBLE.]
OH YEAH, THAT'S WHEN HE LIKES TO BE PICKED UP? OH, OK, THAT'S MY CUE TO LEAVE.
I'M GONNA QUIT WHILE I'M AHEAD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UNTIL MODERN TIMES, SHELL MONEY WAS THE ONLY FORM OF CURRENCY USED IN THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA ISLANDS AND TODAY IT'S STILL EXPECTED AS PAYMENT A BOTH WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS.
LUCKILY FOR ME, THE OWNER OF THE GUEST HOUSE WHERE I'M STAYING TONIGHT, DEMAS KOVAVU, IS ALSO A VERY AMEANABLE LOCAL CHIEF.
IN RETURN FOR THE CUSTOMARY PAYMENT, HE'S AGREED TO STAGE A CERIMONAIL PERFORMANCE TO SHOW ME HOW THE MASKS ARE TRADITIONALLY WORN.
[CLANGING.]
[LOUD RATTLING.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THIS AMAZING DANCE CEREMONOY IS APPEARENTLY CALLED "THE MALLIGAN" AND IS UNIQUE TO NEW IRELAND.
KINDA JUST GOING WITH THE FLOW AT THE MOMENT.
I'M NOT SURE WHA I'M SUPPOSED TO DO.
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THIS BIT RIGHT HERE WAS A WELCOMING, IS THAT RIGHT? THE MASK, THE BIG EARS.
YEAH, BIG EARS WELCOME EVERYBODY.
THAT YOU ARE WELCOME HERE, YOUR STAY WILL BE GOOD AND NOBODIES GOING TO HURT YOU.
SO THEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO TRY AND LOOK AFTER YOU FOR YOUR STAY HERE.
H-MMM, THANK YOU.
AH, THERE'S MY BAG! IS THIS WHERE I'M STAYING? [YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THANK YOU.
[YELLING INAUDIBLY.]
THANK YOU.
GO AND FIND A PLACE FOR YOU TO SLEEP.
THIS IS GREAT! BYE!