Ep 205 - Puerto Rico: Isla del Encanto

“I just notice a deep connection to the nature – the natural world – and the longer I’ve been here, the more connected I feel to making a difference through creation... through creating and communing with nature.” —Yancy Wright

Puerto Rico (also known as La Isla del Encanto—the Isle of Enchantment), is located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, serving up a lively buffet of bustling cities, multifaceted culture, tropical rainforests, and is ringed with miles upon miles of gorgeous sandy beaches.

Ernest’s tour of Puerto Rico starts off in Ponce—La Perla del Sur (the Pearl of the South)—for some meditation during a thunderstorm with storyteller Janid Ortíz in a Japanese Zen Garden and then learns a few fancy basketball tricks from former Harlem Globetrotter Orlando Meléndez.

Then, he meets up with his friends, attorney and author Jennifer Ruíz and well-being culture change-wizard Yancy Wright, for a delicious meal at Bacoa Finca + Fogón that blends together the foundational cultures of the island. Next, the trio heads into El Yunque National Forest for a one-of-a-kind field trip. Jennifer also takes him to the Cueva del Índio, an otherworldly and magical limestone cavern.

Doña Julia Nazario Fuentes, Mayor of the town of Loíza, takes Ernest to one of her favorite places, Cueva Escondida, where she loves to go and listen to the voice of the ocean. Afterward, on the beach, Ernest explores the island’s African and Indigenous roots, learning the Afro-Puerto Rican dance style called “bomba” with educator Sheila Osorio.