Author: Pete Schloss

Monday, March 26, 2018. Old San Juan, The Last Full Day

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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We depart tomorrow for our Atlantic crossing. As I began organizing my thoughts for these “Thoughts” I was troubled that there was nothing new to share. Then I reconsidered. I could not have been more wrong! The lesson in this for me is that when one is not focused on living in the moment, the gifts of the moment may be lost.

My thoughts have been much focused on the experience that awaits us tomorrow. Like a distracted driver, I almost missed the importance of today. For starters, at breakfast we exchanged greetings with a couple and their 10 year old child. It turned out that Seth is an attorney in New Mexico who has traded in his big firm litigator stripes for a solo career. The luster of his profession has tarnished somewhat and he is exploring reawakening his passion for the law. I saw much of myself in my pre-Mediator days in Seth. It was a warm exchange that I think was rewarding for both of us. Don’t put off until tomorrow the things you may find you are then unable to do.

After breakfast, an exchange of personal histories with our host Eddie revealed that he walked the Camino Portuguese in 2016 and looks forward to walking the Primitevo Route to Santiago in the future. We spent time pouring over his maps and discussing route options for our upcoming journey out of Porto on the Portuguese Camino. Eddie is going to see if he can obtain two pilgrim credentials which will identify our Camino starting point as Puerto Rico! Whether or not he is successful is not as relevant as the bonding of 3 Perigrinos that occured.

Yesterday, Christine and I explored the eastern fortifications of Castillo San Cristobal. Today we visited the western battlements. First of all, the entire of the San Juan Old City is surrounded by the old fort. 90% of the surrounding wall is intact and can be traveled atop or alongside by foot. To give some perspective of the size of the Castillo, it takes over 2 hours at a brisk pace to walk the perimeter. This is truly a remarkable feat of engineering that stood virtually invulnerable for 400 years until modern artillery ended its reign in 1898.

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As we waited in line to show our “geezer passes” to the National Park Ranger at the fort we overheard 3 couples standing behind us complaining that they had forgotten their passes. A pass entitles the holder and up to 3 guests to free admission. Christine and I turned to the folks and offered to make them our guests. Hurried introductions and the eight of us gained entry on our passes with the knowledge and approval of the ranger. It turned out that those 6 folk are departing tomorrow on our ship for Barcelona and have staterooms just down the hall from us!

How could I have ever thought that there was nothing to write about. As Eddie reminded me this morning, in life there are no coincidences.

Peace Everyone. Pete

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Sunday, March 25, 2018. San Juan Puerto Rico.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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The sun was missing in action most of the day. In spite of the intermittent showers temperatures were pleasant, as was the day and my wife’s company.

We again sojourned Old San Juan. Highlights included Constitution Avenue, on which we saw the Athens Club, the oldest education and cultural organization in Puerto Rico, the Spanish Heritage Center, the Carnegie Library, and the White House which is Puerto Rico‘s seat of government. On the opposite side of Constitution Avenue from the White House are a line of life-size bronze statues, Presidents of the United States who have visited Puerto Rico beginning with Theodore Roosevelt. It was noteworthy to see which presidents were represented, but sad to realize which presidents were absent. My impression is that Puerto Rico received much more attention in the first half of the 20th century than the last half of the 20th century and the early 21st-century. There is a gap between the statues of presidents Gerard Ford and Barack Obama representing over 3 decades.

We toured Castillo San Cristobal, a Spanish fortification the construction of which began 500 years ago. It was expanded over the next 250+ years and is renowned as one of the worlds finest examples of pre-modern military defenses. It is a World Heritage site managed by the United States National Park Service. Our “geezer passes” saved us $14 in admission fees! The resources that Spain dedicated to the fort over the centuries is a tribute to the strategic value of Puerto Rico for colonial expansion into both North and South America. It and Puerto Rico were ceded to the United States by Spain’s surrender in 1898 concluding the Spanish-American war.

We enjoyed a light lunch in the oldest restaurant in PR.

On the way back to our B&B, on one of the narrow connecting avenues, we encountered talented street musicians who had drawn an enthusiastic crowd of thirsty and hungry locals. Taverns on opposite sides of the street were the clear beneficiaries, serving hot homemade Caribbean foods and cold Puerto Rico brews. I am a fan of Magna, a full-bodied lager… 2 for $5 at the street music venue!

It’s 5pm, and I’m taking the opportunity to write these notes while Christine takes a rest. We will be heading out for dinner soon. No destination in mind as luck seems to favor our random wanderings.

Peace Everyone! Pete

PS. We encountered an Airstream RV with Indiana plates. How it got here is today’s mystery.

Saturday, March 24, 2018. Kansas City to San Juan Puerto Rico

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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Up at 3:30 am, and on the road to the airport by 4:20. It’s a brutal way to start the day. We had previously secured TSA pre-check and “Trusted Traveler” statuses, which means we didn’t have to take our shoes off at security. Worth it or not, the jury is still out.

The flights to Atlanta and then PR were uneventful, except that we flew first class by virtue of frequent flyer miles. We were treated REALLY well by the crew, wined, dined, and I got to watch 2 movies that had been on my list, The Foreigner (Jackie Chan), and The Shape of Water. Foreigner was ok, but Shape of Water was terrific. I highly recommend it.

We didn’t know what to expect flying into Puerto Rico. It has only been six months since hurricane Maria, a category five storm, ravage the island. I had called ahead in January to our bed-and-breakfast to make sure that things were up and running. Our host had assured us that the old city had all services restored. As we flew over the island on our landing approach it appeared that at least a quarter of the houses had blue roofs. I later learned that those “roofs” were really tarps covering houses that had not yet been fully repaired. Areas of the central island remain without power.

We had arranged for a transport service to drive us from the airport to Casa del Sol, our B&B in Old San Juan. Our accommodations are charming and very old world. No surprise since these walls that surround our room are over 250 years old! Our host, Eddie, spent about 30 minutes with us and a map, marking sites for us to visit over the next three days, all within walking distance. He also provided us with recommendations for dining and entertainment, highlighting places that attract the locals.

Eddie gave us some insight into the frustrations that the people of Puerto Rico face in their campaign to rebuild their island. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. People born in Puerto Rico are United States citizens. However, the territory operates under someone usual constraints. Most significant of these is the Jones Act. Passed in 1917, granted citizenship to those persons born on and after 1898. It also established government on the island. The Jones Act also prohibits non-US flagged vessels from delivering goods to PR. Foreign merchandise can arrive on the island, provided that it first reaches the United States and is transferred to a US flag vessel. This inserts another “middleman“ into the stream of commerce and increases the cost of living significantly. In the case of hurricane Maria, PR was denied foreign assistance and aid that other countries were willing to deliver. In spite of these frustrations we have found everyone to be welcoming and friendly.

It appears that there will be plenty to keep us busy in Old San Juan for the next three days. We will not need a car as everything is within easy walking distance, including the docks where we will depart by ship for Spain on Tuesday.

I have included pictures from our Flight into Puerto Rico, our B&B, and some random sights from our walk through old San Juan. Enjoy!

Peace Everyone! Pete

The 21st Century Tower of Babel

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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My mind wanders to make the most curious connections during my daily exercise routine. The other day, while in the middle of stretching my gaze fell upon an ordinary electrical wall outlet…

The Old Testament legend of the Tower of Babel was penned more than 2,700 years ago. Before being reduced to writing it must have been passed down as an oral tradition by countless generations. As conventionally understood, the “Tower” myth explains the diversity of languages in the world, “Now the whole world had one language and one speech.” (Genesis 11:1) It also hints at God’s intention to keep humanity in its place, “Come let us go down there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:7). However, the most powerful and insightful part of the myth remains incredibly relevant today. Humanity, as one people, came together and decided to build a city and build “a tower whose top is in the Heavens”. God recognized the potential of humanity united, “…nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” (Genesis 11:4-6)

The tribalism that has existed since the dawn of time remains unabated today. It is perhaps the only thing that stands in the way of universal prosperity, the defeat of hunger, the elimination of disease, and even space travel that extends humanities reach like a tower “whose top is in the Heavens”. Unfortunately, nations dedicate vast resources in a competition that focuses only upon the subjugation of other nations and the defense from such subjection. The common mentality is one that defines the world in terms of us vs. them, and not just on a nation level but in terms of race, religion, socioeconomic status, and political affiliation. We act contrary to our best interests as a species and contrary to the health of our shared planet. Even when our “tribe” sees that another “tribe” has developed a superior means of addressing a problem, there is resistance to the change simply because it is not “our way”. Some tribalism is benign: What side of the road folks drive upon; Inches or Centimeters; Dollars or Euros… Some tribalism is dysfunctional: Declarations of a “national language”, a “national religion”… And then there are the dangerous tribalisms: the arms race, homophobia, racism… Sadly, tolerance and acceptance are the solutions that defy implementation. They are what virtually all religions preach, but few actually practice.

Now about the electrical outlet that I spied during exercise: It dawned on me that as we prepare to travel abroad I needed to secure converters to “translate” my North America style plugs to those used in the United Kingdom and Europe. The mind does work in mysterious ways.

Peace Everyone. Pete

A Chance Encounter

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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There are events in life, seemingly insignificant when they occur, that loom large when examined through the rear-view mirror of destiny. One such event in my life occurred in 1991 as our family prepared to travel by train from Paris to London.

It was our first trip to Europe that included our children. A whirlwind 2 weeks that took us to Italy, France, the Netherlands, and England. Our children ranged in age from 8 to 12 years old. As we waited for the train to depart Paris, a woman approximately our age with a young teenage girl in tow entered the train car. “Are there any English-speaking families aboard?” She had a perfect English accent and after a moment’s hesitation I caught Christine’s eye. Chris nodded her affirmation to my unspoken question. I raised my hand to the woman. “Oh, thank you! Would you mind terribly if my daughter accompanied you to London? Friends will be meeting her there at the station and I had hoped that she would not have to travel alone.” After brief introductions we made Bryony a temporary member of the family.

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I recall her to have been 13 or 14, a year or two older than our son Peter. She and the children hit it off immediately. Our journey that day took us to the coast of France where we would board a ferry to cross the Channel. On the English side we were to board another train that would deposit us at Victoria Station in London. It was there that Bryony was to be met by family friends.

Over the course of the trip we learned that Bryony was fluent in 5 languages, a duel citizen of England and France, and had the ambition to be educated in law in both England and France. We were captured by her engaging personality and sense of humor. At the beginning of the journey a train attendant had identified her to be a native. Referencing our children, he had made a remark about the American habit of saying “Have a nice day!”. Later, as he passed through the car she addressed him with a perfectly imitated American accent saying, “Have a Nice Day!” to which our children joined in chorus.

When we arrived at Victoria Station Bryony’s friends were nowhere to be seen. It turned out that there had been a misunderstanding about the time of her arrival. We were not about to leave her there alone, so we enjoyed extending our visit until they came.

That chance encounter with Bryony set in motion a series of events that changed the course of life for our family. We marveled at the impact that even a brief intercultural exchange had on us and our children. Upon our return to the States we began exploring options for hosting an exchange student. That school year we hosted Andre’ from Germany and for each of the 5 years that followed we became “parents” of other children from Europe. Christine and I became representatives for AFS, the international student exchange program. Our children went on to each spend a year living abroad with families; Peter in Spain, Renee’ and Alexis each in France.

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In 1993 we returned to Europe and were guests of Bryony’s family in Lille, France. Her parents and brother were every bit as warm and engaging as she was. We have maintained contact with Bryony now for nearly 30 years and we look forward to seeing her during our upcoming journey. It is a marvel how a one-day encounter with a child on a train in France has impacted our lives, the lives of our children, our exchange student children, and so many others, including you who are reading my “Thoughts”.

Peace Everyone! Pete