Puerto Rico (Part 1)

For months, possibly even years, my wife and I have been trying to figure out a big anniversary trip. (Keep in mind that “big” is relative; this for us was a big trip.) We wrestled with all kinds of place, domestic and international. One day, my wife asked, “What about Puerto Rico?”

“I don’t have a problem with Puerto Rico,” I said. After all, one of my all-time favorite baseball players, Yadier Molina (miss you, Yadi!), is from Puerto Rico

My wife did a great job planning things. The flight itself was 3+ hours, nothing special, which is fine. We rented an AirBNB and a car, which we picked up at San Juan’s airport. You’ll notice beautiful and interesting trees, including the Flamboyan. Driving in and of itself is quite interesting! The roads, I thought, were pretty good although water tends to stand in spots when it rains heavily. You will not know when you’re merging until you’re merging. Speed limits were MPH, and fuel was liters. Purchasing fuel meant leaving your license and possibly a bank card before fueling. Beaches are literally everywhere, so you will see water. One bridge in San Juan we absolutely loved was adorned with the US flag and the Puerto Rican flag alternating over and over. Wind always blew, so the flags looked magnificent.

A few other things you’ll notice right away is the weather and some possible differences in how things are done. Weather-wise, it was definitely hot. It definitely rained, but God is good (by the way, God is good anyway regardless of rain on our trip). We really only experienced rain when we shopped and mostly during some nights. Do note that San Juan is congested; traffic can be as well, especially at peak times. We had air conditioning where we stayed but no washing machines. We had no issues handwashing our clothing and hanging them to dry in- and outside. Commonly, too, you’ll notice that you’re asked to not flush your toilet paper. While this was different for us, restrooms typically were clean, and wastebaskets were nearby, often with lids. There were no odor issues if you’re wondering.

We went to Walmart pretty much straight away to pick up food and a few other items for our stay. San Juan’s Walmart had multiple levels, including parking, on basically a city block. An officer stood near the elevator as people returned to their cars or whatever. None of us are fluent speakers; my wife does the best of any of us. In any event, I had downloaded for offline use Google Translate, which worked very well. In our experience, many people spoke English at the stores we visited. We did not have trouble communicating with the awesome folks of Puerto Rico.

Early, we visited Old San Juan. You’ll see beautiful and colorful buildings and great pieces of history such as Catedral de San Juan Bautista where the tomb of Juan Ponce DeLeon lies, the forts of Castillo de San Flipe del Morro and Castillo de San Cristobal (amazing fortifications that give you a high-up perspective that lets you see the bay, the ocean, iguanas sunning on the forts, and the city), and many shops including Bien Papayas, Don Collins (makers of cigars since 1506 and a special shoutout to Zachary and Omar, who were incredible), Cafe Cuatro Sombras (the best coffee I’ve ever had and just happens to be Puerto Rican), The Cigar House (where I conversed with a pleasant young lady worker in a humidor in using Google Translate), and Barrachina (the original pina colada for 60 years). A really lovely park and beautiful cemetery were nestled between the two forts. Family were flying kites, picnicking, etc. We LOVED Old San Juan; we went back again later we loved it so much. You might notice or be a part of cruises that stop there. Take your time; enjoy it. Hydrate. I often saw folks using umbrellas as sun shields. Sunscreen (protector solar) is important

There was so much to see, so many shops, and such rich history and culture. The people again were just incredible. We got a sense that they took immense pride in all the work they did.

Apparently, I have a lot to say about Puerto Rico, so this will conclude the first part. What about you? Have you been? What was your experience like?

#PuertoRico #SanJuan #OldSanJuan #DonCollins #CafeDeSombras #BienPapayas #TheCigarHouse #Barrachina #Culture #History #Yadi #God #Jesus #Christ #JesuCristo #travel