Friends

We've had a number of friends visit from the States. David is a regular visitor at Ola Lola's - he's the architect for the golf course I've written about before and he stops by every time he's in town. But this trip his wife Leanne came with him - a rare occurrence! We're honored that David brought Leanne to Ola Lola's. And we're honored that Leanne - who doesn't like to have her picture taken - allowed us to take one for the blog.


Several visiting friends posed with us for this KAP group portrait. Left to right Amber, Elaine, Jason, Jason's wife Collette (choking me - -er, with her arm around me), me, John (whom I used work with) and his wife Holly (whom Elaine used to work with). Our friends Debbie and Diane (below) were MIA for the KAP portrait but were certainly there on the Villa Tropical deck for the rum punch that followed.


This is kinda working backwards so we now arrive at the first of the recent visitors, Tom and Kathe from Michigan. Tom is a kite flyer AND bubble machine maker (he brought us one which should be up and operating next weekend) . Kathe is every Midwest sport kite competition coordinator's first choice for scorekeeper. Thanks for coming, guys.

The beach-destroying mega-projecti

If developers get their way, a 110-unit apartment complex will be build in the green area to the left in this KAP photo of Shacks Beach.

So much to write about and so little time. I can't believe I went 11 days between posts. I think that's a new record - not one I want to repeat. Sorry about that.

I could go into a sob story about our internet access being down (it was for a couple of days) or brown-outs (we've been having them because of a bad wire coming into the house - that's fixed now we think). But the truth is one thing has taken up a huge amount of time - fighting a beach-destroying mega development project.

Some local developers want to build a 110-unit apartment complex right on the beach here at Shacks. If they get the go-ahead, they will build in the green area on the left in the photo above.

There are just so many things wrong with this project. First, it just just doesn't fit the Shacks area. Just about everything about it is questionable (and is being questioned) legally. There were enough irregularities in the original process of granting permits for the project that the Planning Board (Junta de Planificacion) called for new public hearings. At the public hearing last Monday, we were treated to a two hour presentation by a phalanx of lawyers and "experts" about how this project won't hurt the environment, won't cause more flooding, blah blah blah blah. People opposed to the project had to wait their turn. When they finally were allowed to speak, the guy running the hearing for the planning board allowed the developers' lawyers to harass and intimidate them.

The developers have asked for variances and zoning exceptions to: 1) build ten meters into the protected Maritime Zone (established by law specifically to protect this kind of property from development); 2) increase the height of the buildings from the three stories allowed by law to five stories (nothing else in the Shacks area is more than two stories); 3) allow buildings to be built closer together than allowed so they can get more apartment buildings in a smaller space (this will make this one 8.5 acre parcel 90 times more densely populated than the rest of Shacks). And they want to built the broadest face of the tallest buildings parallel to the coast, which if not illegal, is at least against public policy and current practice. This, by the way, WILL change the winds at Shacks for kite surfers and wind surfers.

The developers lobbied hard to get the community to support this monstrosity. They're a bit like GW Bush - they tolerate no dissent or even discussion. It's their way and that's it. They talk about the project like the buildings are all there will be. "This project won't harm the environment. This project won't damage the beach. This project won't kill the coral." What they absolutely refuse to accept any responsibility for or even acknowledge is the damage the 400 or so people living in their project will do to the road and the air and the beach and the coral. "Oh we can't control how many people go to the beach." (That's a direct quote.) Ya don't have to invite 4o0 people and 22o cars (that's how many parking places they'll have) right on to the beach.

When lobbying and promises of "more business" didn't entice everybody in the neighborhood to support the idea, the developers resorted to threats. Nothing overt, mind you. Just "warnings about what could happen to your business," not delivered directly but by "messengers," intermediaries. And we weren't the only ones who were threatened. In our case the threat was "Those people at Ola Lola's are really blowing it. They shouldn't be talking about flooding. If their business floods, one call to the health department and they won't have a business."According to an attorney it's just smoke, another attempt to scare and intimidate us. But it makes me wonder why they would even bother threatening us. I mean, how much of a threat to their plans are we? And why is it so important that the project be built this way and no other?

The developers are very rich, very powerful and very well connected. They have a brilliant opportunity to be true leaders, to take Puerto Rico in a totally new, progressive, environmentally sensitive direction. Instead they choose to be "me toos," doing the "same ol' same ol,'" battling against and most likely destroying the environment instead of working with it and working to preserve it.

It's an on-going saga. We have more letters to write - quickly! And there are other legal avenues being pursued. You can learn more about this on the MySpace site No Shacks Resort (www.myspace.com/noshacksresort). And of course we'll keep you updated here.

Lots of birthdays

Zan's wasn't the only birthday we celebrated this week. Our friends Javier and Aitsa came by Monday as part their celebrations of Javier's birthday. The icing nose painting started with their son Francisco and then spread (pardon the pun) throughout the party. After the party, Javier and Aitsa took off for a few well-deserved parents-sin-niños days in Las Vegas.


On Saturday our friend Levi and his whole family came to Ola Lola's to celebrate his mother's 29th (and holding) birthday.

And on Saturday night friends visiting Isabela from Ponce stopped in for a birthday celebrations drink.

Feliz compliaños to all! And thanks for sharing part of your celebration with us.

Happy Birthday, Zan!

Last night we celebrated Zan's birthday in grand Ola Lola style - great food contributed by many good friends, lots of laughs and good times, and a party that went late into the night (nearly midnight, very late by Ola Lola standards).

There were gifts of course, including her own "Parties well with others" dogtag-style bottle opener (since Zan doesn't normally drink beer, we looked for a corkscrew necklace but abandoned that idea when we realized it could stab her in the chest during one of her sudden, sometimes unexpected stops in her red sports car). She also got a "if found, return to Ola Lola's" key chain and a bunch o' other great stuff.

The highlight of the night was Zan's life story displayed on the wall for all to read. We're proud to say this gem, painstakingly researched (with the assistance of Zan's parents) and created by Elaine, brought tears (we think of joy) to Zan's eyes.

It was lots of fun for everybody, both Ola Lola regulars and newcomers (like John and Joelle from northern Wisconsin who stumbled on Ola Lola's because the bar at Villa Montana was closed for a wedding) alike. And Zan is smiling big in all the pictures so we think she had a good time.

Happy birthday, Zan! Thanks for sharing it with us. (BTW - Zan said this was #29 but we think she's shaving a year off.)

A visit from one of my heros

The other day I was looking at photos on Flickr when I saw something I recognized in a friend's photostream : the "no shirt no shoes no problem" sign at Calypso's in Rincon. And it was posted the day before! Which meant our friend (and my hero) Craig Wilson was in Puerto Rico.

Sure enough _ I got an e-mail from him and he, his wife Betsy and some local friends came to Ola Lola's.

Craig is a KAPper - a kite aerial photographer. But he is not just "a" KAPper, he is one of the best in the world. He does amazing photographs in amazing places, places it would scare the bejesus out of me just to fly a kite, let alone a kite with a camera rig attached. I fly my KAP rig on the beach, with lots of open space and open ocean around. Craig flies his over the state capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin (that's the cover shot of his book, "Hanging by a Thread" (which he gave me a signed copy of). And over concerts on the state capitol lawn. And over the University of Wisconsin football stadium. And...and...and... The list goes on and on.

Since he's been in Puerto Rico this trip, he's posted KAP photos of El Morro in Viejo San Juan, the Plaza del Quinto Centenario and the Plaza del Totem in Viejo San Juan, and the lighthouse at Cabo Rojo. (All links to Craig's photos are with his permission.)

We've been to Viejo San Juan and El Morro, but I haven't KAPped there yet. I still haven't even BEEN to Cabo Rojo, let alone KAPped it.

Craig is a master KAPper with a great eye and great skill. His work is an inspiration, not just to me, but to KAPpers all over the world. And the KAP part aside, his work is beautiful! We are honored to have him as a friend. Thanks for coming to visit.

You can see more of Craig's photos on his Flicker photostream.

Adios, Boyd and Kendra

Today we officially said "good bye" to two wonderful friends and a very special couple, Boyd and Kendra. They've been part of the Ola Lola "family" almost since our beginning here. They left this morning to return to California. Boyd recently accepted a promotion that moved them off the island and back closer to their home.

We wish them nothing but the very very best. We 're sure they'll be happy back among their families and old friends and on familiar ground. But they'll always have a little bit of northwest Puerto Rico in their lives. And we will keep happy memories of them here on our corner.

Boyd and Kendra, know you are loved and will be (are!) missed. And know there's always a cold Corona and a double Ron del Barrilito for you at Lola's. Safe travels, guys.

Speaking of April...

April is National Kite Month. Whether you are a kite surfer, ripping the winds and waves, a sport kiter like Elaine and I, a child discovering the simple joy of flying a kite or somewhere in between, kiting has a place for you. It is a sport/hobby/science/obsession that nearly anyone regardless of age or ability can enjoy. I flown sport kites and single-line kites with people in wheelchairs. I've seen babies follow tiny kites dancing at the end of a string tied to their strollers. One of the best kite builders I am honored to know is a quadriplegic. And of course many many of our very best friends are kiters. The kiting community is one of the most amazing, welcoming, accepting, fun-loving group of people I've ever met.

There is probably a kite festival or event somewhere near you. Check out the National Kite Month web site to find an event or to learn more about kiting. While you're at it, check out the American Kitefliers Association, the largest organization in the world devoted "to educat[ing] the public in the art, history, technology, and practice of building and flying kites - to advance the joys and values of kiting in all nations."

At the risk of coining a cliche, GO FLY A KITE!

March into April

Two kite surfers enjoy the big winds and big waves at Shacks Beach on April 1.

I think March may be my favorite month down here. Okay, maybe April. Or May. But the contrast seems greatest in March.

Back in the Midwest, in Michigan, March was a blah month, frequently cold and gray and gloomy but with teasing warm days. Neither winter nor yet fully spring, March could easily surprise you with 6 inches (or more!) of new snow.

March this year here was wonderful. It was the driest month so far (we could use some rain! - but not too much). The trade winds blew strong but they moderated a bit for about a week . The nights are still cool and comfortable but the days have started the climb toward summer temps.

(BTW - if you want to see some photos of surfing on those huge waves near Rincon, check out these from Surfline.com. They're not my photos but they are some great photos!)

The last week of March was crazy - we had those huge waves that did so much damage to the dunes. Although the ocean calmed down some, the waves have stayed big. And the winds have stayed high - 25 mph plus every day.

Now March has slid into April. Big waves, high wind, and finally rain. We had more rain overnight last night than we had in the last 6 weeks. The good news is the river is pretty open to the ocean so unless we get huge torrential rains, there isn't a high risk of a flood. Even though the ground is dry, it's mostly sandy soil so it can soak up a lot of water. The rain is welcome.

More of the aftermath

Some more on what last week's "oceanic event" left behind:

The top photo is the karst at Middles Beach taken last October. The bottom photo is the same rock taken Tuesday (3/25). The angles are different but - you can see in the lower photo the "middle" of the karst formation has been cleaned out. All that rock is now scattered about the beach. Some of these are BIG chunks of rock. It's just another example of the power of the ocean.

We finally went snorkeling off Shacks Beach late Wednesday (3/26) afternoon. It was very late so the light was bad and the water was still very cloudy and churned up so no pictures yet. What we saw was I guess what one would expect after such big waves: lots of sand moved around, dug out of some areas of the reef and piled up in others.

There is a lot more karst exposed along the edge of the beach, especially at low tide. At the west end of the beach, near Villa Tropical, a new area of karst has been exposed underwater. I can't wait for some clearer water to check that out. We hope to have pictures in the next day or so.

Sadly, some of the older, dead elkhorn coral was broken and tossed about. Even the coral that's no longer living is fascinating to swim around. It's still habitat for a ton of sealife.

The ocean is returning to normal

The ocean is slowly returning to normal, back down to less dangerous, more surfable heights. Well, more surfable for most surfers.

I missed the three biggest surfing events in 25 years: Thursday at Tres Palmes at Rincon, they were tow-in surfing 35 foot waves. (Tow-in is where the surfers are actually towed out to the wave by a jet ski 'cause the waves are too big to paddle through.) Traffic and parking were so bad you couldn't get close to Tres Palmes. I've heard Thursday at Wilderness was epic, a day for the ages. (I tried to get there late in the morning but our little car wouldn't go through the massive puddles left by the storm surge.) And lastly, the marathon all-night night surf session at Crashboat. Oh, well.

By Saturday morning all the wave-starved surfers were at Wilderness. The parking area was packed and cars were parked all up and down both side so the "road" in. I quit counting when got to over a hundred surfers in the water. And that doesn't count all the surfers down toward Pressure Point and up the shore toward Ruines.

There are new pictures on www.puertoricosurfphoto.com, the first new surf pictures in more than a month, from this week at Wilderness and Surfers.

Now that things are calming down, it's time to assess what the storm left. A LOT of sand was moved around. Some beaches have been reshaped. The dune was breached in a number of places, especially at Middles and Golandrina. (There are some pictures on Flickr.) We're pretty lucky: the dune along Bajura and Shacks beaches suffered minor damage. It will be interesting to get back in the water and see what happened to the reef. Darryl has already been diving at Crashboat and says there are things on the bottom he's never seen, exposed by the shifting sand.
Fortunately for us, there was no rain. Several times during the big tide and storm surges, the normally dry little river behind us was actually flowing backward because of the push in from the ocean. If there had been any significant rain, the flooding would have been bad. But there wasn't any rain so there wasn't any flooding (except in the low spot int he road at the corner by Tropical Trailrides, Villa Montana, and Villa Tropical and the Shacks neighborhood).

Watching the "perfect storm"

All along the coast from Villa Pescara to Shore Island, Middles, Golandrina, Jobos, Shacks, Surfers, Ruines, Wilderness and beyond, people gathered to watch the biggest oceanic event in more than 25 years.

Wednesday night surfers set up lights at Crashboat and had an extremely rare night surfing session (sorry we missed that!). We went to Crashboat last night hoping for another night session but only one surfer ventured out although a number stood around considering it. The big problem was light - there were some nice wave sets coming in but they just couldn't see them.

This morning is gray and rainy. The ocean is still big but not as big as yesterday. The surge is still high but not as bad as yesterday - no floods down the road today and that's a good thing.

We've uploaded some video from yesterday at Borinquen and Ruines to YouTube and I'll post an album of still photos to Flickr later today. I've been trying capture a sense of how big the waves are, but I don't think I've done it very well. The scale, the sheer massiveness of the incoming walls of water, gets lost in the photos.

The ocean in a powerful mood

It doesn't seem angry or stormy, just immensely powerful and intent on showing it, reminding us - especially those of us who live close to its edge - of that power.

NOAA is saying this is the biggest oceanic event here since the "perfect storm" in 1991.

The waves, as much as 18 feet high, have crashed over and through the dunes in some places, again reminding us of how important those dunes are, how we need to protect and not destroy them. The area of beach at Middles where we flew kites just a few weeks ago is filled with seawater that rushed over the dune. The road a little further on is closed because the ocean is covering it. The beach road at Golandrina is covered with debris, mostly coconuts and palm fronds, sand and mud, washed over by the waves.

Down at the end of our road the ocean has pushed up into the river and flooded the corner where you turn to go to Villa Tropical or Villa Montaña. The Villa Pescara - a popular beach and party place, what our friend Zan calls the "beer park" - has been closed and evacuated. Several of the kisoks at Villa Pescara are filled with sand. A friend told us emergency crews are moving tons of sand off the road and out of the kiosks with front-end loaders.

So far, we don't seem to be in too much danger of flooding. The forecast calls for scattered light showers. As long as we don't get a big rain, I think we'll be okay. As I write this we are more than two hours past high tide, which is the time of greatest danger from ocean surge. The next high tide will be a little after 8:00 this evening. We'll be keeping a close eye on that.

Storm front

Elaine and Amber watch the big waves off Shacks Beach

A big storm off the East Coast of the US is pushing huge - some say maybe the biggest in 20 years - waves onto our coast.

The beach at Shacks, past Villa Montana to the west and Jobos to the east, has pretty much disappeared as the waves come all the way to the base of the dune.

The surfers are stoked! We're hoping to get some great pictures but so far the waves are pretty disorganized. Everybody was out watching this morning. Nobody was venturing into the water at Surfers or Wilderness, waiting for low tide this afternoon. We're keeping an eye on it. There is a chance of rain in the forecast. If we get much rain, flooding could be an issue because the waves are pushing into the mouth of the river that drains this area. Stay tuned.

Porcupinefish (and other denizens of the shallows)

Yesterday, snorkeling on "our" reef here at Shacks, we were treated to a wonderful dance.

Porcupinefish are usually very shy. When we approach they usually hide under an elkhorn coral or under a coral ridge or in a little cave in the reef. They peek out from their hiding places where you can see their big dark eyes and puffy lips. Yesterday, what we assume were a mating pair, were swimming big circles out in the open, around one section of the reef. They tended to move away from us, but they stayed in the open, the smaller one (the female? we're not sure) always following a short distance behind the larger. It was amazing and wonderful to see these beautiful fish out in the open, to watch them swim and react to us and other things on the reef. There are more pictures of this encounter on Flickr.

One of things we've noticed is the way many fish - including the porcupinefish - bank as they turn. Some just turn their bodies and change direction. Others seem to "fly" through the water, banking into turns the way an airplane banks in the sky.


In a shallow area just off the beach this young (about 2-1/2 foot long) barracuda just hangs in the current. If I approach him to take a picture, he slowly swims away but makes a big circle and comes right back to the same place. I'm learning that if I don't chase him, if I just stay quietly (as quietly as I can considering I'm not nearly as good at hanging in the current as he is), he'll come back and give me another shot. Mostly he swims pretty slowly but every now and then, something will startle him and then he becomes a silver torpedo, just a flash through the sunlight. When motivated, he can really move.

Happy Birtday, Darryl!

Last night we had a surprise birthday party for our good good friend (and dive instructor/buddy) Darryl.

It was a great party in what has become an Ola Lola's tradition - lots of people, tons of food and tons of fun.

Darryl's birthday was actually Wednesday. We went diving with him and it was a great dive (Elaine is going to write about that). But he dives every day so it wasn't a really really special birthday. We couldn't let it go with just a post-dive hug and a "happy birthday." So we had a surprise party. And he was truly surprised! Somehow, we managed to keep it a secret - and to get him here right on time.

Darryl is going to Paris in a month so we gave his surprise party a French theme.

Thanks to everyone who helped and everyone who brought food. Special thanks to Kendra, who couldn't be here for the party 'cause she and husband Boyd are in Barbados, but who made the berets and other decorations before she left.

There will be a few more party pictures on Flickr tomorrow. The next Ola Lola's parties? Boyd and Kendra's going away party then Zan's birthday. Watch out for that one!

A great day in the ocean

We went snorkeling at Crashboat yesterday, on the reef between Crashboat and Naturale and it was an amazing day. (You can see pictures of all of these on a new set on Flickr.)

First, we swam through thousands of mackerel scad. These silvery fish flash by in the shallows. You can just hang there and watch them stream by.

Then we saw five a "family" of five reef squid. We were surprised because we usually don't see them til later in the summer. That doesn't mean they aren't there, we just usually don't see them. We love the squid so seeing them now is a bonus. At the risk of repeating myself, they are wonderful to watch.

Then we watched a porcupine fish out in the open. We see them a lot but usually peeking out from under a rock or coral ledge. Two things were truly fascinating: first, his ability to quickly change his camouflage colors. Near the coral he had a splotchy almost hunter/military camouflage scheme. As he swam over the sand, he lost the splotchy look and took on a tan spotted look. The other thing I haven't seen before is the way porcupine fish use their pectoral fins. It was very cool.



Another color-changer was the spotted filefish. When we first saw the filefish, he was the grey-and-yellow we commonly see. Then, suddenly, with almost no apparent change, he was covered with white spots.



Have I mentioned the green turtle? This is a different turtle than the hawksbill we've seen before. And Elaine saw at least three different fish we've not seen before. She's still trying to identify those. Hopefully, we'll see more of them and we'll get pictures of them to post soon.

First, "Dances with Reef Squid;" now...

Now she's "snorkels with turtles." We swam with this little guy for 10 minutes or so at Crashboat on Thursday. We been swimming with this guy before; I found pictures of him from February when we went snorkeling in the same area with our friends Marty and Anne. I''ll put pictures from both days up on Flickr.

Thursday was a beautiful snorkeling day - good water visibility and very little current. By Friday morning, when I went snorkeling at "our" beach at Shacks, the current was rippin' and visibility had dropped considerably. But it's good to get in the water and swimming against the current is better than a workout in one of those "endless pool" exercise things.

There still hasn't been much in the way of waves for the surfers (except for one day that I totally missed). It's been pretty small and really windblown. Everybody's hoping for a good swell todayfrom a storm off the East Coast of the U.S. The winds have been strong - 20 mph+ all day everyday. Kite surfers are lovin' it but they'd like to have some waves to play on too. There's been too much wind for us to go fly our sport kites or to try to take pictures from the kite. I've got a few new kite surfing pictures posted on Flickr as well.

Snow day!

Well, it's not really a snow day. But we do have an unexpected day off Sunday at Ola Lola's. Seems that bars cannot be open on election days - and Sunday is the primary election here. So all the bars have to close by midnight Saturday and cannot reopen until midnight Sunday. I don't know how we missed that one in the Puerto Rican Bar Owner's Manual.

The "dry" election days are apparently to prevent - or a least reduce - election day brawls. Puerto Ricans taken their politics very seriously, sometimes to the point of violence.

So we have a free day! It's kinda like a snow day...only not so cold. Instead of playing in the snow, we're gonna play in the ocean.

"Kite Kamp" flies into history

Our first Puerto Rico "kite kamp" has flown into history.

First, sky-hi thank yous to Mike and Tracy Delfar and Dan Newman and his daughter Alison for escaping late winter in Milwaukee to come all the way to our warm sunny beaches to help us introduce sport kite ballet to a Puerto Rican audience.

The most frequently heard comments from spectators were "Wow!" "I've never seen anything like that!" "That was incredible!" "I want to do that!" "Where can I get a kite like that?" "That was so-o beautiful!" "Amazing!" "When are you going to do this again?" "I'm bringing my friends tomorrow!" (After watching team Pegasus [that's us]) "That was so romantic! It was a beautiful dance."



We finally got the opportunity to show our local friends what it is we do when we talk about "kite flying."

We had several hundred people stop to watch. Some came on the beach and hung our with us. Others, including a couple of police cars and motorcycles, stopped and parked along the road and watched from there. A number of the local officials - potential supporters, partners, sponsors and regulators whose blessing we need for the future - came to watch. A number of people brought their own kites to fly. Dan and Mike brought several big delta kites to add to ours and increase the size of the sky show.

Our friend Marisol's nearly three-year-old daughter Kailani (that's her in the top picture) won one of the kites we gave away. She loved it! and she did a great job holding on to it and flying it all by herself.

This was a preview of a bigger festival we're planning for next spring. Our plan is to work with local environmental groups to promote clean, responsible use of the beaches and ocean by everyone. Stay tuned for more info as that progresses.

Still waters

Looking toward Blue Hole from the dune next to Villa Tropcal

The ocean has been flat - flat - flat! The surfers are all wailing because there hasn't been a good swell in nearly three weeks and pretty much no swell at all for a week. The up-side is it has been summer-like flat for snorkeling and diving. Twice this week we've gone diving on the outside reef at Shacks, something that normally only happens in the doldrum days of summer. This time of year most diving is "around the corner" of the island at Crashboat or Naturale. Any time we get to go to the "outside" at Shacks this time of year is a bonus.

A pair of angel fish about 50' down, Outside Reef, Playa Shacks