Enjoyable, to say the least

Ahhhhhhh, Ron del Barrilito, my dear old dad's favorite rum. Which did you have, the Two Star or Three Star? Unfortunately, there will be no more nights on the farm listening to the radio in Puerto Rico, sipping Ron del Barrilito with him. I made some nice drinks with juice I squeezed from his own limes and grapefruits about this time back in '98. With the urbanization and worsening crime down in the small town farm country in Puerto Rico, the last of our family's land will soon be sold, and probably made into a resort, when they decide to take control of the island back.

As for the Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 Silver, that sounds interesting. The regular version of the same cigar has been a bit too mild in the flavor department for me.

My father's farm is about two miles up in the low portion of the hills outside of Cabo Rojo. Way back we once had substantial holdings there. It's down to 24 acres. Our family dates back to about 1750, when my ancestors came from Europe. My father's father was descended from Austrians, and his mother's people were from Corsica. My grandfather, although I never met him because he died way before I was born, is still remembered by the few old people left down there. He was a San German district police captain, supposedly an awesome guy, 6'4", 250, stern but fair. He looks the part in his uniform in the pictures my father has.

It's a shame that in about another 15-20 years, Puerto Rico will be nothing but a 100x35 slab of concrete. It breaks my father's heart to sell the place and leave. At one time, we had dreams of him slowly turning the place over to me, with me making more frequent trips down there. After my trip in '98, I developed severe health and financial problems, and the already burgeoning tide of crime and urbanization accelerated even more rapidly down there. Cabo Rojo ain't no small town no more, and the beautiful, European style plaza in the center of town ain't beautiful and untainted no more.

Condoms in the waters of Boqueron, needles, vials, I could go on and on, but the double digit murder figures every weekend on the island speak volumes in and of themselves.

Yes, the seafood of Cabo Rojo, one of Puerto Rico's famed delights. If only.