Well, I am in the every other month blog pattern, but happy to say that I am feeling MUCH better than our last update. The Caribbean, I have learned, restores the soul for a frozen Upstate New Yorker...not a lesson I will soon forget. Yep, Tim and I took an amazing trip, sans children, to Puerto Rico over April break, and I will tell ya, it was so good, and so needed!
We have been back for 2+ very busy weeks, but I am still living in a Caribbean state of mind, apparently, as I have been happy, and well adjusted, handling life's stresses with ease. I don't know if I can attest all of this to our trip, but it sure seems like an interesting coincidence.
The above pic was taken at our resort, the Hilton Caribe San Juan, and I like to title it "View From the Rounder Deck." They had these amazing cushioned lounges and if I hadn't had that itch to see the sights, as well as a need to eat and such, I just might have spent the entire vacation there! (my white girl skin would've had issue too...whew, that sun was WONDERFULLY intense!) They did have waiters to bring drinks and such, so hey, I might have been able to swing it! It was truly a sight! I had never stayed anywhere like that before and I am ready to do it again! Highly recommended - and the Caribe Hilton IS the disputed home to the first Pina Colada so a piece of history in and of itself! Had a few of those - yum!
As I reflect, I feel a Top 10 coming on...it was such a great trip, and there are things I just never want to forget, so here goes...
10. Travel agents are good. Once we chose where to go, and decided to book with an agent rather than on our own, stress disappeared. We got a good deal, at a difficult time to travel, and we didn't have to WORRY!
9. You can get to the Caribbean in half a day, so leave early, and have a half a day to relax on the beach as soon as you get there! We arrived at 2 or so and were on the beach by 2:30 sippin pina coladas! Heaven to leave Syracuse in 30 degree weather and end the day in shorts!
8. I worried about the weather prior to going, as the Weather Channel had showers listed daily. Showers only happened one day, and they were heavy, but brief. It is what the tropics are...it rains, but then it is over. As one guide book put it, unless there is a system parked over the island, rarely does rain spoil a whole day. Then there was the WIND! It was windy everyday and I had to employ my Sarah Palin clip, which I threw in just for the beach, pretty much everyday, everywhere! HA! The breezes were wonderful, though, making 85 degree weather and intense sun comfortable. Loved it, even if I DID have to have bad Palin hair.
7. San Juan is so old, so rich in history, and poking around in the old city for two days was probably my favorite part of our trip. It reminded me a lot of New Orleans, and had some French flavor, along, of course, with its strong Spanish influence. We learned so much about this place that is literally a part of the United States in its own unique way. We had never traveled to the Caribbean, or to Europe, or to any foreign country aside from Canada, and traveling here felt like "Foreign Country Lite." We got a real feel for what it is like to navigate a place where the people generally speak a different language, but rudimentary English was a given and the money was the same! What more could you ask for an entry level travel destination! We commented on this a number of times, feeling a little lame in our inexperience, but oh well, you can only move ahead!
6. And speaking to that point, another of my favorite parts of our trip, was both of us having the realization that travel is such an important part of life. We were walking around the resort, having just gotten back from a day at Bacardi, and Old San Juan, and a wonderful dinner at Raices restaurant (Mofungo - plantain with steak and chimmichuri sauce - yum again!) and Tim said, "You know, I could care less what we do the house, but we HAVE to be sure to put money away to be able to do THIS more!" We have always gotten away, and done simple trips together. We've traveled with friends, and family a lot, but this was like the honeymoon we never really took for us. We need to be sure not to wait another 15 years to do something similar, AND we need to be sure do do something like this with our kids. It was beautiful, restorative, eye-opening, indulgent, and wonderful and I want them, sometime in their young lives, to experience what it is like to escape.
5. Should you go to Puerto Rico, there is so much to see. We stuck pretty much to San Juan, and saw the beach, as well as the Bacardi Factory in Catano, Old San Juan, and El Morro Fortress - WOW. We had thoughts prior to going that we wanted to see the El Yunque rainforest, but even on a small island, getting there and around would have required a whole day, and cost a bit, so we saved it for another time. Also, there are mountainous regions, and coffee plantations, and more arid areas, and bioluminescent bays, and caves, and so much more. I want to return, and see some more things, but I am also happy that on our final day, our "free day" we didn't opt to run off to the rainforest, but instead to the beach and to each-other. It made for a wonderful final day. Save a day for JUST you!
4. Getting around was a riot too, and a full experience of the trip unto itself. In Puerto Rico, they don't have a great public transit system, and I am sure the locals do it differently, but we relied primarily on the Tourist Taxis. They were a little pricey, but each ride was such a story! When you got in these vans, each was tricked out to the driver's taste, baseball parifinalia, bobble head Jesus', you name it! I swear one driver was burning incense! They drive like maniacs in bumper to bumper traffic, and rely heavily on their horns, so you have musical accompaniment to boot! One guy nearly mowed down two vagrants on an off ramp, but hey, he HAD blared the horn at them! Each driver is "on script" to an extent and you are welcomed to Puerto Rico, but then some chat more, and some chat less. One spoke to us endlessly about his love of Puerto Rican food, especially the pork and meat, but then explained he was vegan - HOW on the VERY meaty PR diet I have NO idea! He then went on to tell us all kinds of homeopathic ideas he employed in his life, including the fact that he used hormones in his bellybutton! HELLO?! Still, the cab rides were SUCH a feature of the trip! Later in the week, I was, just for kicks, pricing out our cab rides, I decided they were equivilent to an amusement park admission, in a way. And, they had fun, entertainment, and a thrill seeking quality to boot, so hey, I decided to sit back, take it in, and at least TRY to relax and enjoy the ride!
3. El Morro fort is a sight to see, and walking in a place dates back to the 16th century really can't be described. It puts the continuity of life in a perspective. Then there is walking to the farthest point out on the fort and reaching your hands to the sea...it feels like you are at the end of the world...never done anything like it, but boy am now on a quest for my next fix!
2. Learn a lesson from the makers of Bacardi...each time they encountered problems, they moved on and made better rum. Bats as a symbol? I hate bats! But to find out that they have the signifigance in Spanish culture to stand for family, prosperity and good health? Maybe our bat/rabies shot family venture in 2001 was not all for naught.
1. And my final thought - just GO! To Puerto Rico, or wherever! Just GO! Part of why we went was a moment where Devin, our 11 year old conscience, professed, "You guys always TALK about stuff and you don't DO!" Well, we DID, and boy am I glad, and I am ever so ready to do it AGAIN!
Gracias Puerto Rico, Gracias,
Cheryl
