'The Road of the 78 Prayers' is a photo journey that follows a couple on their pilgrimage to visit and photograph the 'Placitas', the formal town centers in all 78 pueblos on the Island of Puerto Rico. With the intent of reconnecting their children to the Island and strengthening their own connection, they planned and documented their trip throughout the Island. The photos speak volumes as each town on the Island, and the 2 towns that are separate Islands themselves, have their own moment in the spotlight. May the photographs of your town's Placita serve to transport you 'home'... It was an emotional experience documenting the simple beauty of these places and their ability to transport you through time. It was a powerful reconnection and an adventure to be remembered as we covered 78 towns in 22 days. Our hope is that you will take adventure along with us and then embark on your own journey back home to Puerto Rico.

What began many years ago as a "hey, imagine if we...", became this collection, this photo journey. It documents our mission to visit and photograph the 78 Placitas, the formal town centers of all 78 towns on the Island of Puerto Rico. We'd visited the Island many times before, but this time was different. We wanted our kids and grandkids to have a record of all the towns of Puerto Rico, some small but tangible connection from here in the Diaspora to the island. It was going to be an amazing adventure, as it was meant to be a gift for our kids, a real labor of love. So, we carefully planned and recorded our trip through the Puerto Rico landscape. Along with the photos we share our checklist of towns and daily driving itineraries in the event there is an interest in replicating any leg of the trip. The photos speak proudly as each town on the Island, and the 2 towns that are separate Islands, have their own moment in the spotlight. It is our hope that the photographs of your town will serve to bring you 'home'. It was an emotional experience documenting the simple beauty of these places and their ability to transport you through time. An unforgettable adventure as we covered 78 towns in 22 days. During this time, we laughed a lot, ate delicious food, swam in the ocean, climbed mountains, sat in waterfalls, renewed our vows, wept & visited with our Ancestors. We grounded ourselves in the homeland and met beautiful people to share the journey with along the way. Our hope is that you will take this adventure along with us and use this book to navigate your own reconnections from the Diaspora to the island. At the end of each town's highlight, we've left a space for you to write, record feelings, and memories about your own visits, jot down names, stories, and bits of family history. The collection of photos is a beautiful way to connect at family gatherings, encouraging elders, our Abuela's, Tio's, and Cousins, to share family stories, memories, and oral histories. The storytelling borne of our elders is potent medicine in healing the connections of the Diaspora and our connection to the Island. Collect your stories in this book and let it be something you use to gather together, to tell your own story or leave for your children.

Laraine Batís-Gelpi was born in East Harlem, New York, and raised in the Bronx. With an M.A. Ed. Psych & M.S. Counseling Services, she has spent over 30 years as an Educator and Guidance Counselor in the Bronx neighborhood where she grew up. As part of the Puerto Rican Diaspora, Laraine sees embracing cultural identity as a profound part of one's spiritual growth and personal evolution. Miguel 'David' Gelpi, was born in Rio Piedras P.R. and raised in the Bronx. With a PhD. in Religious Studies David has spent 30+ years as a teacher at Fordham Preparatory H.S. in the Bronx. His early call to photography continues to evolve since his days at Cardinal Hayes H.S. & Siena College. Married for 34 years David and Laraine have found the deeply personal experience of sharing and creating this work for their children continues to feed their self-exploration and evolution. It was an amazing 22 days of travel adventure that took us to every corner of the island. It has connected us to Puerto Rico and our roots in a profound way and continues to nourish and strengthen cultural identity within our family.