A wistful bicycle sitting in Old San Juan, guards an empty plaza.
Our Governor has decided to extend the curfew here for two more weeks (until April 12-- Easter Sunday). And furthermore-- to ramp it up a bit. Starting Sunday night we will be restricted to quarters from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM, and depending on the last number on our license plates, restricted to driving Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (the evens) or Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (the odds). There will be no driving on Sundays, but where would you go anyway? Starting next week, the food stores will be closed on Sundays too.
For many off this island, this may seem draconian. But it bears keeping in mind that between two hurricanes, a series of earthquakes and tremors (not to mention an infrastructure that has been raped and pillaged for more than forty years now) there is only so much this island can take. It also bears keeping in mind that unlike the contiguous states, truckloads of relief cannot coming rolling in. Anything by ship takes three days from Florida, and air transport is limited by that pesky thing called physics and aerodynamics. All-in-all-- caution is key.
Having been through many a curfew in my day-- this one is pretty mild. For example, we had an 8PM curfew when I lived in Cartagena. There we turned off the lights (and the phones went dead) at 8PM, and that curfew was enforced by soldiers roaming the streets with M16 rifles; a far cry from not being able to grab a drink at the corner colmado, or hanging out at the gym.
Likewise, curfews in Baltimore and New York that I have experienced were based on protecting people from marauding looters, and rampant criminal activity out to pursue cashing in on an emergency. Puertoricans are such kind and equitable people, not only is looting not an issue here, but unlike our mainland cousins, we can still buy meat, toilet paper and cleaning supplies without resorting to a fistfight in aisle three.
When I was in boot camp I learned a valuable lesson. No matter how bad something is; it will pass. If I have to drive on alternating days and not go to a restaurant for two more weeks, it's not going to kill me. More importantly still-- its not going to kill somebody else.
I don't think that's really too much to ask in place of a pincho or a trip to the gym.
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