Puerto Rico Part 2 - Who dares? Who cares!: by Nuzhat Shahzadi

(Editorial Note: This is a continuation from Puerto Rico Part I, which we carried as our feature in an earlier publication.)

Throughout their history, Puerto Ricans proudly showcased their vibrant and rich culture through music, dancing, cooking and painting their walls in empty spaces with bright hues of brilliant colors. This is Puerto Rico, reaching out beyond colors and creed with a touch of craziness and yet preserving its sublimity. It aspires to reach the skies in places.

Right after landing in San Juan, I began inquiring about the painted streets. The hotel travel desk wasn’t aware. The day before in old San Juan, we had asked locals, restaurant and shop owners. No one knew where to find them. But before I travelled, I had googled and was aware of the existence of the street-art allies. I wasn’t going to give up so easily.

I went online and the name of the area popped up––Santurce. (It's still not that much of a popular tourist attraction it seems). I showed it around and to our cab driver . . . and finally, was confronted with the overwhelming-extraordinary work of art!!!

Scorpio and women . . .

Male in a cap

I couldn’t find out who it was––possibly a famous person?

Street art- Multi colored motifs on houses

“Ferreteria”- hardware store

Black haired young Latina

“Dosis”- dose (a painted drug store?). It also carries “Brooklyn”

"Brat (Charlie XXX)”- music store? And the bird

I heard about Brat for the first time during the 2023 US Presidential Election . . .

Street art- walls around a side walk

Walls painted in yellow designs

Street art near fort

Street art near ocean road

Street art in new town (spotless street)

“Because of Puerto Rico’s privileged position, the world powers started calling the island––“The Gateway to The New World.”