As I sat in a San Juan airport bar with my travel companions waiting to see if tropical storm Issac would allow us to leave the lovely island of Puerto I was reminded of another island, Hawaii and the Aloha spirit.
What got me to this connection was the spirit of kindness, which is the Aloha Spirit. Our trip to Puerto Rico was sponsored by the kind island spirit of DonQ and their very capable hosts John Meisler, Estaban Ordonez and Yisell Muxo. All these people showed us great Aloha Spirit with their hospitality, kindness and knowledge.
How can we be aware using the Aloha Spirit? Here are a few guidelines. Always say a sincere thank you for all the kindness you receive. Expect nothing and when things are given to you be appreciative. Respect those around you and the time they are sharing with you. Smile. Listen. Enjoy. Your hosts are spending there time, effort, and money in order that you have a great and in our case informative experience. Do not take things for granted. Go with the flow and not against it, it makes life easier.
Issac and Mother Nature were kind to us that day and allowed us to leave Puerto Rico with our new found knowledge of Rum and the DonQ way of producing it. I am thankful DonQ, our hosts, Puerto Rico, and the people I got to spend time with. Mucho Gracias, Mahalo and Thank You!