Puerto Rico Part 2

I first have to say, BRAVO to the people of Puerto Rico for all their hard work in restoring their Islands after the hurricane! It looked better than I was expecting. Yes, you could see areas that needed work, but over all, I was surprised with how much was cleaned up, fixed and ready for tourism. Very impressive. 

Leaving Vieques was a little sad. We all loved the chill (no tourism) vibe. Surrounded by locals made you feel like one, too. Plus, you can’t beat those secluded beaches. AMAZING! I’m not a fan of crowded public beaches. I mean who doesn’t love random horses and lizards roaming the beaches?

We had to say goodby to Jake. He needed to get back to work early, so we dropped him off at the airport.

When we got to San Juan, the energy shifted. We saw folks in work cloths moving at a faster pace, three ridiculously massive cruse ships docked, and the energy of a modern city around us. We were a little worried about the tourist crowds. I’m not saying it’s bad, but coming from a more primitive island where all you heard were waves and roosters, then arriving back into a way more developed island took a minute to adjust to.

Surprisingly (and gratefully), the crowds weren’t too bad and navigating around San Juan felt easy. Getting food was much, much easier. Sonya, Nikki and I loved being able to walk down the street for fresh produce and healthy snacks. Getting food in Vieques was like looking for the Lost Ark (bigger adventure).

We filled up our day walking through the Castillo San Cristóbal, the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Old San Juan. It’s all so close, so seeing all of it was no problem and we didn’t even feel rushed doing it.

The Castillo San Cristóbal:

When you purchase your tickets you can see Castill San Cristóbal and Castillo San Felipe del Morro for a mere $7. Built by Spain, it was meant to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. They mentioned inside that it is the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. After it was finished, for the first hundred years it covered about twenty seven acres of land wrapping around the city of San Juan making it very challenging to enter. Because there was peace for a long period of time about a third was demolished in 1897 to help the flow of traffic in and out of the San Juan. As you walk around the fort there are some stunning views of the coast and the city.

Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery:

In San Juan, even a cemetery is extraordinary.  Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. The angelic sculptures, coastline views and how the sun casts its light on it makes it a sight you need to see. Even at a distance it catches your eyes and draws you in. Nestled on a hill facing the vibrant blue Atlantic waters, and framed by the city walls right next to Castillo San Felipe del Morro , you’ll find the resting place for some pretty prominent Puerto Ricans rich enough to score a spot in this elegant and one of a kind cemetery. It dates back to early 1863. The idea behind the location by the oceanfront is symbolic because people didn’t like the mystery behind death. So, to ease folks minds a bit they decided to build a cemetery in a location with a stunning view to symbolize the spirit’s journey to be a marvelous experience as they cross over in to the afterlife.

 

Castillo San Felipe del Morro:

Its construction began in 1539. During the Spanish government of the island, El Morro’s, or Castillo de San Felipe, survived several attacks from foreign powers on multiple occasions. Long story short, El Morro’s last battle occurred during a naval attack by the US navy during the 1898 (Spanish  – American War) ending naval warfare in the Caribbean. American naval forces, attacked three times. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Spain surrendered its ownership of the islands of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States. Over the centuries, it was hammered by the English, Dutch and Americans—but still stands as a symbol of pride for Puerto Rico.

Old San Juan:

Nothing beats taking an afternoon walk around Old San Juan. Within seven square blocks, this darling old city is full of thick layers of cobblestones and roughly 400 colorful Spanish-colonial buildings you can’t get enough of. I know I say it all the time, but I LOVE color. Who doesn’t dream of living in a yellow house with a bright green door that’s layered on so thickly. I bet theirs a story from each owner adding their favorite coat of paint color.

To cool off we grabbed a fresh made smoothie, and a fun organic popsicle made locally at Senor Paleta. Loved both by the locals and tourists, this little popsicle shop had fun flavors to choose from.  Homemade flavors like pistachio, strawberry mojito, strawberry cheesecake, and peanut butter dipped in chocolate was something the girls and I weren’t going to say no to. I had the strawberry cheesecake drizzled in chocolate topped with sprinkles. Side note: I will say everything was great until they added the sprinkles. In Puerto Rico their definition of sprinkles is different than mine. I anticipated mini rounded cylinders of frosting… their interpretation were those hard little balls of candy that crunch. Not what I had in mind, so I regretted it at first, but once I got past their “sprinkles” it tasted great! Sorry, who knew I was a little bit of a sprinkle snob. Long story short: Don’t get the sprinkles unless you like that kind. ?

Okay, the food in San Juan was fine. We didn’t have a ton of time to explore all the restaurants but after getting tips from locals on where to eat in town and trying it, we decided to take a break from Puerto Rican food and hit a little hidden Mediterranean gem (Ali Baba Turkish Restaurant) Sonya found while walking through San Juan. YUM, YUM, YUM.  This place lived up to it’s Yelp reviews. Every dish was so good, so fresh and so tender. Their falafel were moist and tasted just like the ones I tried in Vienna at a Turkish market. I highly recommend this place! We were all groaning with pure bliss. So fabulously delicious.

 

El Yunque National Park:

The next day we made our way to El Yunque National Park; a beautiful rainforest. This national reserve is a haven for hikers, home to rare trees, birds, and a variety of hiking trails to choose from. We did two trails, the Mt. Britton trail which had a fun look out tower and the El Yunque Peak trail which brought you in and above the clouds with spectacular views.  The tropical rain forest was about a half hour from San Juan.

After our nice long hike we made our way to another fun beach off the north east coast called Playa La Pared in Luquillo. The locals are great for providing you with good beaches that are safe and low under toes. Getting trapped in an under toe is no fun. We went for a beach with bigger waves so the boys could rent boogie boards and feel like kids. The ladies and I took naps and a long walk on the beach.

This next part was pure AWSOMENESS! So a local had mentioned a restaurant called La Estacion that serves the best Puerto Rican BBQ on the island. To make sure it was legit, we talked with others and they said the same thing, so we got their around 7:00 ready to be wowed. Let me just say they did not disappoint. It was everything you could hope for in stellar BBQ. The owner even let us try a sample before we had a chance to sit down. I’ll just let the images do the rest of the talking. YUM!

Here’s Nate and Dave’s tender moment as they do their interpretation of “Lady and the Tramp” sharing this brisket together.

It was the perfect way to close our wonderful trip with fabulous friends.
XOXO
Melessa