Final Draft: Calypso Cafe…A delightful experience right next to the shore

 “I’m not gonna make it, I’m not gonna make it, I’m just not gonna make it!” I’m desperately repeating it to myself as I drive full speed on the wet pavement, yeah, not too smart of me, but well. It’s almost 9:00 PM and I find myself speeding through flooded streets trying to get my interview on my profile assignment. I should have skipped swim practice to avoid almost killing myself on the road, then again, I should have done this a week ago, when I had absoloutelly nothing to do, and it would have been nice to come at day too, but thats just me, leaving everything for the last minute.

I finally make it to Rincon, Town of the Beautifull Sunsets and surfing capital of Puerto Rico. It’s a small town, basically gets it’s income from tourism having beautifull beaches and luxurious hotels,  but I set myself on a quest tonight to find the true meaning of the town’s magic, going back to it’s roots hoping to get even more amused by this small town’s potential.

“I’m here, it’s open! Yes!” It’s so strange coming to Calypso at night, just a few cars parked outside, it’s Wednesday night, I wasn’t expecting a big croud either. The waves talked louder at night, today must have been a good day for surfing. Even though the sky was filled with clouds and humidity is making it’s nature on my skin, I can picture the place as I truly know it, and  take a second or two to head back memory lane and picture it.

“The cool breeze plays with my hair as my eyes gaze at the last rays of light give away the most beautifull sunset I have ever seen. Warmth reaches out my heart as I take a deep breath and smell the sweetness of the sea.”

People frequent this beaches every year, many just visiting, others searching for a new highlight in their lives, but most of them, to join the ocean’s language, surfing the waves provided by the beautifull blue giant.

As I worship the Almigthy’s gift to humanity, surfers from all ages come out soak and wet. “ Today was a good day for surfing man” says an old man with the biggest board I probably have ever seen. He must be about sixty something, and he’s still ripping. Many go ahead and drive off in their cars, leaving extra parking space for the night scene. Others such as myself put their boards away, dry a bit and walk up the hill to grab themselves a drink and listen to some good music as the waves on Maria’s beach try to make some of their own.

“Can I get you something?” the bartender asks me landing me back on earth again, on this rainy night, with no sunsets or beautiful girls in string bikinis.”No thanks I’m good” I said raising my bottled water. She was around 5’5 or 5’6 with short brown hair and a cute smile. Her name was Betsy and she had the same laid back vibe as the old place, something about her made me feel so welcomed, it was as if all fitted in place. Her relaxed look  surprised me, it must have been just about closing time and she greeted me like if it was  noon. If it was me behind the bar I would have been pissed having a hairy guy coming this late at night with a pen and a notebook, I hope she didn’t thought I wanted to do my homework there, well, more or less, watever.

“Hi, I’m doing an article for my creative writing class. I’m a student down in Mayaguez, I was wondering if I could talk to the manager of the place, maybe the owner if he’s around?” I said to her with a worried look on my face, I was gonna be fried if my interview wasn’t possible.”Sure, she’s right upstairs I’ll go bring her down.” She? Did she said she? Not that I’m against women on poweror anything  but for some reason I always thought Calypso was runned by a man. As I wait for her I can’t help to notice the signs around the bar’s cabbinet.” No shoes, no shirt, no problem” Oh yes, I can really relate to that one. I’ve always loved coming here. Peace and tranquility is hard to find this days, and for some reason, this beach, this right spot makes me feel as if I was somewhere else, away from school, from issues, tensions, problems,  you name it. Maria’s Beach has a massive brake, the best waves in the entire west coast are surfed here, there are days when it’s just so, epic. Betsy comes walking down the stairs, alone. I’ll say by know I’m feeling a little worried and in the same time dissapointed, I convinced myself she was just not talking to me, then again its late, and I’m sure she is tired and wouldn’t stop doing whatever she’s doing just to talk to me. I wait for Betsy as she comes around the front of the bar, expecting the worst, but still hoping for the best.

“She’s in the office, she said you can come right up.” Bingo! I followed my new  friend up the stairs alongside the place with no idea of what to expect, just hoping she’s as nice as the cute bartender.

“Hi ,come on in!” A gorgeous blonde opens the door for me and extends her hand to greet me. “Hi there” I said, shaking her hand as I seated on a wooden chair she pulled out for me. “Thanks for having me.”

 “ Sure, not a problem, so, what are we doing?” Her big blue eyes reminded me of the ocean I so much enjoy to be in; she smiled, not just any smile, but a smile of a pure heart, I was suddenly blown away by this woman’s kindness and generosity. I’ve  always said  the best conversations in life are between strangers, I had no idea of what to expect  for the next couple hours.

“So, um…” before I asked her name she came straight front with it. “Cindie, Rice” she kept smiling watching me writing it down in my notebook. “So Cindie, how did Calypso Started?”

“Well, it started on 1994, before that I had a surf shop called Hot Waves it’s still open right down the hill from Calypso.” I smiled overwhelmed by the news, I’m a frequent visitor of the little shop, mostly to buy some wax before surfing, I was amazed that the origins of this place came from this tiny store but I was wrong, I was so wrong.

 “So  how is it that you came to Puerto Rico, what drove you all the way here?”

“Well, I’ve always surfed. I came with my boyfriend around 1970, camped in the beach and decided to stay for a little while”

“A little while?” She laughs and knods with her head, I could tell how she fell in love with the place, I don’t blame her, and neither do all the other Americans who just came for a visit and found themselves calling this magical place home. Surfing arrived in Rincon in 1968, when the World Contest was held in Maria’s just in front of Cindie’s restaurant. Then the secret was out, and people wanted to see first hand  the perfect sets everyone talked about.

“I started sowing t-shirts. Many of the surfers back then wore my shirts, I made pants and skirts to for the girls. I would set a small table over  Sandy’s beach were Tamboo is right now and just sold them, weekends were good days for me, I sold a lot on the weekends.”

“Everything started from the bottom up then? From a small tent to a Bar and Grill.”

“Exactly” She said with a proud look on her face without ever changing that same smile that received me a while ago.

“How different is it from the seventies, what has changed since, what hasn’t?”

“ Well, the seventies where really peacefull, you were lucky if you saw five poeple in the water at once, most of the time you surfed by  yourself, there were waves for everyone. The landscape was so virgin, lots of trees and vegetation. What hasn’t changed I believe whole feeling of the place, laid back, really melow. That’s something I want to conserve in Calypso, just the feeling of being comfortable.”

“Why Calypso, I mean I know it’s greek mythology, she was the daugther of Zeus and somebody?”

“Well yeah, actually I think I have a picture of her in my computer…But yeah, maybe. Also Yaques Cousteau’s ship was named Calypso, but I think I named it for the music. I always pictured calypso music playing out loud and a steel band and everything.”

“Yaques Cousteau ! I love his story, I’m a big pirate fan, I mean he was a sailor, but anyways.”

“Really?! I’m a big pirate fan too, actually have you heard the story about the two…”

Yes, we did get a little out of the theme when all the pirate thing came around, I couldn’t help it, I’m fascinated by their history, luckily so was she. As we kept talking around various themes I took time to look  around her office. She was so heavily organized!  She had a box with a lable for everything, one for the kitchen, one for the bar, another one for the store, etc. I wondered if she had racks with labled boxes back in the tent, who knows?! The background in her computer had a beautiful display of a sunset. I immediately identified the palm trees at the right corner and the hill in the bottom, it was a picture taken from Calypso’s balcony, I’d say about 6:45 PM. The pink and orange shades glided around the smoked clouds giving away a beautiful combination, hard to explained but easy to love. The ocean, painted by the Sun’s farewell made it difficult to separate the sky from the water. Sunrises attract numerous viewers in Rincon, mostly couples. Who wouldn’t want company in such a delightfull  view? Life itself is made of moments like this, were what truly matters is the escence of details, were small things can have greater meaning; times like this when a smile contains so much, and a look can say it all, anything is possible.

“ Why do they call it Maria’s?”

“Pardon me?”

“ The beach, why Maria’s ?”

“Well Maria was the name of the lady who lived in that house right in front of the beach. I never got to know her, she passed away about a year before I got here. I did know her son though, he was an incredible man, loved by everyone. You want to hear something weird? He died in the same bed as Maria, they said that before he died he said he was talking to her, like if he knew it was his time, he died at an old age.”

“Woah! How about Dogman’s, the beach right next to Maria’s, whats that all about?”

“ Well that one I did get to see. The dogman was an old man, deaf mute by the way. He had long white hair and beard. He lived right in front of the break named after him, he would walk everyday with a duffle bag carrying coconuts, don’t know if he sold him or something. And everyday he would have at least two dogs walking along with him, so adorable, I love dogs too!”

“ Nice to know, I always wondered why they called it like that.”

Betsy comes inside  the office, with the local dog, and cat. They don’t have names, like many dogs this two came one day to Calypso and never seemed to leave, much like Cindi and Betsy, you could say that even an animal could fall in love with the place and it’s cool vibe. I sugested a name for the cat, he was a curious little brat I thought Ghepetto would suit him nicely, Cindie agreed, so next time I see Ghepetto I’ll make sure to give him a nice deep rub. Betsy starts countig money on a machine, adding up receipts, writing her numbers in them.

I’m getting ready to leave now, not before helping Cindie with some Facebook issues. I take time to ask Betsy how long she’s been here, she says it’s been six years. Then she told me she used to be compettitive swimmer back home in New Jersey, that took me another half an hour to clear out since she pointed out my favorite subject and something I can really relate to. Finally I stood up, took my water and keys, I thanked Cindie for her time and hospitality  reminding  her she’ll be seeing a lot of me more often. I said goodbye to Betsy, grabbed my stuff and headed for the door, with a million of thoughts running through my mind; lucky enough I had plenty of road on my way back to Mayaguez to browse around my experience;  this amazing place, the cheerfull bartender, and a hardworking succesfull woman, who I am forever thankful and honored to have met.

Life is such a wonder is it? It only takes a thought, a word, surroundings or a special place to cherish what life has given. We take from life glorious moments and experiences, than for the good or bad of the circumstances one can always look back and smile, remember, enjoy. We take from life but do we give back? Can return be weighted materially, substancially? For every moment passed is a portion of our time living. I take from this place memories of great value along courage for future ambitions. Cindie Rice’s example is one that should be admired and followed. How hard worked made a dream reality, convincing herself that it is the escence of Calypso that makes it so special. Great music, laughter, delicious food and a great happy hour, how can it get better than that? Being a witness of nature, how the enviroment can change perceptions and create ideals. Calypso Bar and Grill will remain  the perfect place to find true meaning of the joys every day has to offer, and the ways one can make the best out of each and every one of them.

“No shoes, no shirts…no problem!”

Maria serves a coke to an American visitor

Maria serves a coke to an American visitor