{"id":1177,"date":"2021-12-09T18:27:19","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T00:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messysuitcase.com\/?p=1177"},"modified":"2021-12-09T18:28:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T00:28:49","slug":"utuado-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/2021\/12\/09\/utuado-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting a Friend&#8217;s Hacienda"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We drove up into the mountains with a friend yesterday to see the home he and his wife built in Utuado. The couple (they asked that their names not be used, for privacy), real estate hobbyists, scooped up 38 acres of property sight-unseen at auction 20 years ago, for just $1,000 an acre. Then they drove up to see what they had bought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"539\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Utuado-map-copy-1024x539.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Utuado-map-copy-1024x539.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Utuado-map-copy-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Utuado-map-copy-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Utuado-map-copy-1536x809.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Utuado-map-copy.jpg 1640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption>The red point is Utuado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What they found was lush land, covered with banana and orange trees, and a slab where a house had been. The views into the valley and across the karst mountains to the ocean beyond were spectacular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1187\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1187\" class=\"wp-image-1187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_view-form-the-house-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1188\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1188\" class=\"wp-image-1188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_view-of-the-coast.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First, a Campsite<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The pair camped on the land for many years, driving up on weekends to escape the bustling city of San Juan where they lived, two hours and a universe away from this quiet spot where roosters squawked and the coqui chorus reached a crescendo during the dark night, where the filament of stars was awe-inspiring. But one weekend when they were inundated with torrential rain for two straight days, which soaked through their tent, and they decided enough was enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was time to build a house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating a Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with friends and neighbors over a period of years, the couple designed and built a small, rustic home with a large main room, a master bedroom, a loft space for their son, and a partially covered porch with an outdoor wood stove and oven. They used found materials and built tables and gigantic doors using local hardwood. Consequently the house looks like it has been there forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"461\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11_house-1024x461.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11_house-1024x461.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11_house-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11_house-768x346.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11_house-1536x691.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11_house.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"461\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13_interior-1024x461.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13_interior-1024x461.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13_interior-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13_interior-768x346.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13_interior-1536x691.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13_interior.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"695\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12_stove-1024x695.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12_stove-1024x695.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12_stove-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12_stove-768x521.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12_stove-1536x1043.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12_stove.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption>The woodstove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The home is completely off the grid, with solar panels on the roof providing the small amount of electricity they need. A cistern collects rainwater for showers and dishes. The place is kept cool by its high-altitude location and breezes that pass through the windows. In fact, it was ten degrees warmer than the city below! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Yard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The house has evolved into a small fruit farm. Passion fruit vines climb up the side of the house. Banana trees abound. The yard hosts abundant bushes offering juicy blackberries. There&#8217;s also a bocce court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1196\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1196\" class=\"wp-image-1196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_blackberry-patch.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Blackberries<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18_bocci-1024x461.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"461\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18_bocci-1024x461.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1195\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1195\" class=\"wp-image-1195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18_bocci-1024x461.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18_bocci-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18_bocci-768x346.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18_bocci-1536x691.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18_bocci.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Bocci on the left<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Woods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We hiked through the woods to their one-acre coffee grove, wearing tall rubber boots (to protect from fire ants and navigate mud) and deep-pocketed aprons. Our friend used a machete to clear the trail where needed. We then spent a lovely hour plucking deep red coffee cherries off the plants. We then hiked to a neighbor&#8217;s abandoned coffee grove and picked those bushes clean as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1191\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1191\" class=\"wp-image-1191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3_coffee-plants.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Walking through the coffee plants<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"942\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1-942x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1192\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1192\" class=\"wp-image-1192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1-942x1024.jpg 942w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1-276x300.jpg 276w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1-768x834.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1-1414x1536.jpg 1414w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1-1885x2048.jpg 1885w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6_fire-ants-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Fire ant hill<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"722\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1-1024x722.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1193\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1193\" class=\"wp-image-1193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1-1024x722.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1-768x541.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1-1536x1083.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15_picking-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Picking coffee<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We also found a branch still holding a huge bunch of bananas on the trailside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"692\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_bananas-692x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_bananas-692x1024.jpg 692w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_bananas-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_bananas-768x1137.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_bananas-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_bananas-1383x2048.jpg 1383w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_bananas-scaled.jpg 1729w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><figcaption>Bringing home the bananas is a two-person job<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One the way back, John and Bob picked fresh juicy oranges out of some tall trees, using a long orange picker.  <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZqgVN7jDjJY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Watch a video of them picking here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1185\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1185\" class=\"wp-image-1185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8_oranges.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Oranges in the tree<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1184\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1184\" class=\"wp-image-1184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7_Orange-harvesting-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">John picking oranges<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1186\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?attachment_id=1186\" class=\"wp-image-1186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10_bucket-of-oranges.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Quite a haul!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then we had lunch, burgers cooked outside, on bread bought from a bakery down the mountain, with papayas, bananas, and blackberries from the yard. Magnificent!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We drove up into the mountains with a friend yesterday to see the home he and his wife built in Utuado. The couple (they asked that their names not be used, for privacy), real estate hobbyists, scooped up 38 acres of property sight-unseen at auction 20 years ago, for just $1,000 an acre. Then they &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/2021\/12\/09\/utuado-visit\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Visiting a Friend&#8217;s Hacienda&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[222,268],"tags":[294,293,296,27,295,279,266,9,5,6,292],"class_list":["post-1177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lisa-blogger","category-puerto-rico","tag-bananas","tag-coffee","tag-hacienda","tag-messysuitcase","tag-oranges","tag-puerto-rico","tag-puertorico","tag-retirement","tag-travel-blog","tag-travel-blogger","tag-utuado"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1177"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1200,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1177\/revisions\/1200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}