Unlike yesterday, today seemed an auspicious day. I woke up early, picked up my aunt and set out to find the store from which I had ordered my canvasses. To get there we avoided the rush hour traffic by taking the almost deserted Teodoro Moscoso bridge over the San José Lagoon, where drivers are expected to pay a $3.50 …

“There’s no police here, so keep your eyes peeled and don’t go out at night,” is what several people tell me on my first day out and about. They explain that police officer pensions experienced a considerable cut before the hurricane and now getting paid for overtime is very difficult. Many officers have left the force.  Today, my cousin …

After 16 hrs of traveling that included a red-eye, we arrived in San Juan at 3:00 pm (11:00 am in the Bay Area). By 6:00 pm it was dark, and once I had had dinner, I crashed. I tried to write but I was incoherent. But now that I’ve had 12 hrs of sleep, several allergy medications, and a …