Why Puerto Rico?
So, my brother, that handsome guy above me, turned 51 in October and I decided to take him on a trip for his birthday. We initially decided to go to Curaçao but he realized his passport was expired, so we decided on the U.S. V.I, St. Croix to be exact. So, I invited my friend (friends for 38 years), that lovely lady next to me to tag along as she is from St. Thomas and have been to St. Croix. We decided on Thanksgiving Day, but could not find reasonable lodging and settled on Puerto Rico instead as my friend lived in Puerto Rico.
Where We Stayed
The plan was to do a week in Puerto Rico and visit family in Vieques while we were there. I had never been to PR and if I am being honest upon landing on the island my view from the plane window was not impressive. All I saw were high-rise buildings and mass tourism.
We rented a 3 bedroom condo in Loiza about a 30 minute drive from San Juan. Therefore, I wasn’t too worried about seeing too many tourists while trying to enjoy the beach. The drive was very nice once you hit Road 187, it follows the coastline with some very nice beaches along the way. Loiza is predominantly Afro-Puerto Ricans and the music and food were reflective of the African influences.
The condo was really nice and the area was very peaceful and relaxed. We had access to a private beach but the Caribbean Sea was very angry during our stay. There were rip current warnings the entire time were were there.
I noticed that I started feeling sick the day after we got to the condo, only to realized that there was mold in the apartment which made all our clothing smell like a musty basement. Fair warning, if you visit PR and rent an Airbnb, ask if they have a dehumidifier in the apartment.
The best part of the Trip
The best part of the trip was the visit to Vieques. We had plan on doing the bioluminescence tour but most of the companies were closed as we went on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This is where we got the best bacalaitos and the beach was really calm. You can take the ferry from Ceiba for about $3 dollars round trip which is a very reasonable price in my opinion. It was a beautiful ride and one of the highlights of the trip.
The El Yunque Disappointment
As you guys know, I love to go on a good hike and being in Puerto Rico I decided to go hiking in El Yunque National Forest. To my disappointment in order to get into the park to hike you must make a reservation the day before. So, after driving up the mountain for what seemed like an eternity, we were told we had to turn around because we did not have a reservation. We then asked the young lady is there anywhere else within the area that we could hike. We were told to go back down the mountain and make the first right, (which turned out to be a left turn) and we would get to the 2 Rivers Bridge. Well, we never saw the bridge and the road seemed like it hadn’t been used since the horse and buggy days. The best thing about that drive was the view and the wild horses we encountered in the middle of the road.
Things we Did
So, we did do a few fun things while in Puerto Rico. We took a bachata dance class and that was super fun and of course we did do a tasting tour at Casa De Bacardi. That was $75 well spent. I suggest doing the tasting tour, it was fun and informative. I was disappointed to learn that Puerto Rico did not grow it’s own sugarcane, but Bacardi buys it from Dominican Republic and one other Caribbean Island. Which lends to the question is Bacardi Puerto Rican rum or Dominican Rum? LOL, I am sure Puerto Rican will take offense to that, I mean no disrespect.
Summing it up
Would I go back?
I would have to say, I would not actively seek out going to Puerto Rico in the future. If I were invited and at no expense to me at all I would return, otherwise, No. I think (and this is solely based on my experience and my opinion) Puerto Rico is what happens to a place when conservation of nature and culture is second to tourism dollars.
Am I glad I went? Sure, because it was an experience to add to my life’s journey. Would I recommend going? I say go visit and form your own opinion.
