ANTIGONUM THE ISLE TREKKER HITS THE ROAD

AFTER many moons our hero left the vicinity in search of flora and fauna, some distance from home. The first attempt Parque Luis Munhoz Rivera,was closed. Botanical Garden in Rio Piedras was next.

There are no remarkable vines except the cliches, Syngonium, Pothos and
Philodendron. Organic debris was thrown in too many places, as if the illiterates machete yielding employees, (not seeing anywhere), were too busy to collect it. Evidence of trimmer maneuvers was everywhere, grass,
dust, dry leaves on sidewalks, gutters and roads. To make more interesting, right after the entrance.

The 'Japanese' pond, (what the ignorant fools think it is) just because there are some water plants and DIRTY muddy water with a painted red wooden bridge, shows that some weeding took place, with the product thrown by the edges. A couple of ducks, turtles and a few endemic birds
were observed around the dirty water in the bigger pond by the 'Manet Garden', what in their wild, maybe on ACID, may remind one of that late painter work or any of his portrayed landscapes.

All the space, the paths look abandoned. Even when something is constructed to improve, as a couple of wooden handrails seeing by the
restrooms area, the flimsy, unsteady result is pathetic. It gives the impression of total improvisation, lack of interest, absence of intelligence, as if those in charge are mentally retarded. I know
in USA retarded and nigger are illegal, politically incorrect.

Moving on our next target. Parque Central. Closed. With an unemployment of over 30% (perhaps more) these impossible to reach
on foot parks should be open daily, even if dirty, as the Botanical. Nobody
cares or notices the garbage. A depressing feeling started to invade your humble servant. What a shitty place to inhabit.

Last move. Parque Marti Coll. Right by the failed Aguaguagua, an
attempt to transport islanders and tourists by waterways. Believe it or not. What could have been a marvelous, intelligent option to get places,
mothballed. At any rate, this park is probably the only one in the WORLD, with an elevated concrete path over sewage waters. Surprising it is not yet the EIGHT WONDER of the world, I think the concept is original.

The entrance is a strip, probably forty feet wide, half a mile long, trapped between the Aguaguagua parking lot, huge and empty (visitors can not use it) and the the train station. The tree collection? Thespesia populnea, Coccoloba uvifera,
Bauhinia, Royal Poinciana and that is that. As a bonus, you will observe that fifty percent of the trees have or have got termites. They look like shit. I will not get into the other vegetation since it is not worth it. Palms and other cliche ornamentals, looking even worse and totally out of place.

The bonus? 17 nests of imported green/grey Iguanas 9 (abandoned former pets). Seven of them, between 1' and 3' gave me a standing ovation for being the only visitor, in addtion to four employees doing nothing. Even though the barren SOIL could use some aerefication, since it looks like concrete.

Across this wonder of park, there is the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, built in a classical brutalist architectural school. Huge without parking,
believe it or not...The landscape in front of this coliseum is notable for its
failure in aesthetics and health.

The ornamental bushes Silver mangrove, are mostly dead for lack of appropriate drainage and oxygen. The feeble minded gardeners/supervisor in charge, pruned these poor
creatures 8 inches short to see if they make a come back...You can observe the dead ones from the distance...These characters did not notice the green moss on the ground....a sign of water accumulation...On top of all this picture? An irrigation system....

And another day goes by in the dirty, ugly, noisy, concrete/asphalt isle...I keep trying to find one reason to feel proud, to flaunt the flag, but is useless. If there was some Greek in me, I would pull my eyes out...if there was less noise all over the place...Time to go...