Page 56 - BSAM 2015 Q4

Searching for
Stones in
Puerto Rico
By Budi Sulistyo, Indonesia
Puerto Rico is a small island in the Caribbean with a tropical climate just 18 degrees above equator. e eastern part gets a lot of rain and gradually gets less and less, becoming a dry region in the west. It is very unique to see such
a dramatic change, even though from east to west it is only around 100 miles, whereas from north to south it is 35 miles.
Last May I went to Puerto Rico for a bonsai convention and workshop and I had a chance to explore the island. From my previous visit I have known that there are a lot of good stones in Puerto Rico. I really wanted to see the place where collectors look for prized stones. Fortunately my friend and stone collector, Omar Rojas, o ered to take me there. A er a short drive, we were in stone col- lectors’ paradise, on a sea shore in the south of Puerto Rico not far away from the city of Ponce.
Here are some of the stones from this trip. Some were given to me by Puerto Rican friends and others are shown with nished bases or presented in trays.
Top; I walked along the coast to look for nice stones for almost four hours.
Bottom; There are countless stones along the beach 54 | BCI | October/November/December 2015