Piragua Stands, Old San Juan

The word *piragua* is derived from *pirámide* and *agua* — pyramid and water — and the shape earns both: shaved ice packed into a cone, drenched in fruit syrup, sold from a brightly colored pushcart by a vendor known as a piragüero. Flavors range from cherry and coconut to *melao*, the syrup drawn from sugar cane. The piragüero sets up near the town plaza on hot, sunny days — those are the only days worth working.