I weep for Puerto Rico. But even as I mourn the destruction caused by two hurricanes, I know in my heart this once magnificent island will bounce back in full tropical beauty and splendor.
President Donald Trump will visit the island and tour the damage next week. I don't envy him his job. Having lived on three Caribbean islands for five years, I know how vulnerable islands are to the elements. High winds, torrential rains, flooding and mudslides can take the heart out of anyone.
As I watched the Fox News television coverage of the denuded coconut palm trees, the rubble-strewn streets and the upended boats and yachts, I remembered my visit to San Juan half a dozen years ago.
I stopped there for two days following a flight from Anguilla. My flight to Miami was supposed to take off two hours after my arrival, but something happened and the flight was canceled. No problem. American Airlines graciously booked me into a hotel and I spent the next 24 hours in a Puerto Rican paradise.
The people of San Juan were friendly and the food was incredible. I decided to take a walking tour of the city. Actually, I was looking for poker rooms. San Juan has several gambling casinos -- the Sheraton, the Embassy and the Intercontinental -- that offer live poker. I planned to play later that evening, but first I wanted to fill myself with the smell and the feel of this tropical city of 400,000 inhabitants.
As I wandered the streets, an American in paradise, attractive smiling girls approached me offering flowers, mangoes, bananas and other fruits. I ate my fill, bought a flower and placed it in the hair of the blushing young beauty who sold it to me.
One young woman hurried out of a shop and handed me a cigar.
'Cuban,' she said, smiling. She lit it for me, then practically pulled me into the place where she worked. It was a jewelry shop that sold quality items for tourists. There was a gold ring with a black opal that intrigued me. We haggled over price and I decided not to buy it. I think she wanted $500 and I only wanted to go to $400. Today I wish I would have bought it.
I stopped at a roadside cafe and ordered a cup of strong Puerto Rican coffee. It was delicious and freshly made. After a hot cup of lobster bisque, I ordered a blackened fish dinner. The chef came out of the kitchen to watch me consume it.
'Good, eh?,' he said, grinning. I nodded, my mouth too full to respond.
A couple of blocks from my hotel I found the casino. A poker game with one seat open was in progress. A floor man in a tuxedo led me to my seat.
'Enjoy,' he said, taking my money and bringing me chips.
The game was $2-5 no limit Texas Hold'em. I don't remember how much I won -- maybe a couple of hundred dollars. But the game was well run and the players as well as the poker room management exuded class and charm.
I cannot imagine how much damage San Juan and the surrounding countryside suffered from Irma and Maria. I do know that the inhabitants of Puerto Rico are in deep pain as I write this. An island, even one as large as Puerto Rico, is isolated from the rest of the world. Other than the agricultural products the local farmers can produce, all the foodstuffs and other items for consumption must be imported.
Puerto Rico is a shattered tropical paradise that must rebuild itself from scratch. Island people are made of stern stuff. They can do it but they can surely use our help. I hope everyone with a generous heart understands that and does something about it. I know President Trump is listening.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
