I'd seen large lit signs for "Navi Land" on the edge of the old capital
city, near the pier. At first this bemused me: some sort of activity
center for those serving Navy duty and their families? But that didn't
make sense... Then I realized this was Navidad Land, Christmas Land!,
and I padded over in the dark, drawn by the glowing lights and blasting
music.
So thus evening I experienced the most bizarre Christmas, Puerto Rico style.
The park was decked out in tents, miniature gingerbread houses, cut-outs
of camels (the three wise men?), oversized candy canes stuck in flower
planters, and Christmas lights on....palm trees. For someone conditioned
for Christmas as fat snowflakes, hot chocolate, and tasteful hymns,
this was hilarious and strange. Parents held plastic cups of beer while
their children ate cotton candy and played in the decorative houses; a
giant cruise ship slid by in the night. Permeated throughout all of this
was blasting chincy Christmas barf music: the type with overly perky
child choirs singing cloyingly of santa claus.
I walked around enjoying the surreal-ness of this (I was the only
"tourist"--this was thoroughly a local draw) until I couldn't stomach it
any longer. But too strange not to write about!
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