Day 3: To Culebra!

After a refreshing night's sleep, I headed over to Culebra, a little island off the coast of the main island. I ended up flying instead of taking ground and water transportation as it was both cheaper and faster to fly. Go M&N Aviation! When I asked the pilot if I could take pictures without it interfering with his equipment, he asked me if I wanted to sit in the co-pilot seat. Umm...heck yeah I do! Sweet! Here are some shots from the air as we flew over the main island, as well as Vieques (another island off the coast) and Culebra.

Upon arrival, I took a taxi to my one-night accommodations at Villa Boheme. I'll just post pictures of the outside because it's the nicest view of the place. My room was clean and, well, clean. I had a late breakfast down the street at Dinghy Dock, where I ordered the rum-coco french toast with fresh homemade guava syrup and a glass of passionfruit juice. Oh, and bacon, because duh, who doesn't order bacon with breakfast? Mmm...bacon. Everything was delicious, and the french toast didn't smell alchohol-y at all, so hopefully I'm okay.

After waiting almost an hour for a cab (unbelievable!) I finally made it to a little place I like to call heaven. Words can't describe it, and pictures can't do it justice. It is known as one of the best beaches in the world, and is called Playa Flamenco. It's what you always thought a beach would be...soft, warm (but not too warm) sand and salty (but not too salty) water that gradually progresses from clear to light aqua green to rich aqua green to light aqua blue to dark aqua blue. And it is where I spent the rest of the day.

After a quick nap, I headed over to Mamacita's for dinner. Not only did I lack the foresight to bring food with me to the beach (and thus missed lunch), I lacked the foresight to show up as soon as the restaurant opened. My one hour tardiness placed me at the end of a waiting list that kept me there for over 90 minutes before I got a table. By this point, I was so incredibly hungry that Grumpy Steven had appeared. I get really irritable when I'm extra hungry, and this irritability didn't subside as I watched them erase each item I had selected from the menu due to limited supply. At last, I was seated and immediately ordered the coconut shrimp and jerk chicken pinchos, both of which were amazing. Amazing. And as I walked back to the hotel, I felt like I was really, truly happy for the first time in a long time.

Day 2: Old San Juan

The day got off to a slow start, given the fact that I had a terrible time getting to sleep last night. However, things perked up when, upon the recommendation of my friend Yarí from grad school (who grew up and now lives in San Juan again), I had breakfast at Café Manolín…a shrimp omlette with arroz y habichuelas. From there, I took a leisurely jaunt down the Paseo de Princesa, a tree-lined walkway that leads down to the coast and ancient walls surrounding the city. On my journey, I encountered a group of very hungry-looking strays, one of which was quite friendly and followed me around. So…I decided to pet it, for better or for worse. As of this publishing, I have no visible outbreaks of fleas or rabies.

Hey look, you guys! A door that is over 250 years old! It is part of La Puerta de San Juan, built in the late 1700s and is currently the only existing doorway through the 20-foot thick, 48-foot high La Muralla, a brick wall surrounding much of Old San Juan.

On through the doorway and down the street to el Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, also known simply as El Morro. This place is immense, and the lawn leading up to it was speckled with people flying kites in this unusually windy weather. Seems like I brought a bit of Chicago with me. El Morro's nearly 500 years of history has withstood attacks from the British, Dutch, and Americans. Rightly so, as it consists of an impressive system of staircases, pathways, and canons. Neat-o!

From the walls of El Morro, the Cementerio de Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis can be seen. It looks like a nice place to be buried. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure how to get in, other than jumping down into it, which may have led to my immediate burial (but probably not there, because it looks pretty full).

What better way to follow up a trip to a giant fort than by going to another giant fort? I must admit that when I arrived at Castillo de San Cristóbal, I was a little forted out. I spent much less time there, but I did get some nice shots of the place. I dunno...after three hours of forting around, I'd just had enough, you know? I mean, WTF? What the fort? Fortunately, there was a little place nearby that made a mean fresh pineapple frappé. A pleasant experience, except for the part where the owner wanted to rifle through my tour guidebook to see if his place was listed. It wasn't.

After the forts and frappé, it was time for some shopping. I saw all sorts of cool stuff, and will likely go back later this week to further rack up my credit card bill for next month. I did make a few purchases at Spicy Caribbee, a freaking awesome cooking store that reminded me of The Spice House in Chicago, but with a Caribbean flair. Maybe that's why it's called Spicy Caribbee. Anyways, I got some Mango Pepper Sauce, Lime Orange Pepper, and Herbed Sea Salt (which has dried ginger in it...quite a kick!). Delicious.

As I sauntered down Calle del Cristo, I noticed a church on the opposite side of the street. Further investigation into my trusty Moon Handbook revealed that it was the Catedral de San Juan Bautista, the oldest existing church in the Western Hemisphere! The smell of lilies from Easter services permeated the holy structure, which had a peace that was refreshing after being on the crowded streets of Old San Juan. This church also holds the remains of Ponce de Leon.

I also came across the Capilla del Cristo, a tiny church at the end of the street. According to Yarí, back in the day there used to be horse races down the street (which ends in a steep precipice, so...maybe use your head next time and race elsewhere) and one day a man couldn't stop his horse before he hit the edge. In those fleeting moments, he promised God that if He spared his life, he would build a church on the spot. Apparently he should have also asked for his horse's life to be spared because the horse went over the edge. However, the horse rider made it through and built said church. Next to the church is the Parque de Palomas, where flocks of seagulls flock to rest. We have one of those in Chicago...many, actually. They are called "El" train stations.

For dinner, Yarí picked me up and we headed to a place along the beach with horrible service (but nevermind, because the company was great). It was really nice to catch up with her as she is up to good things and was able to provide some much needed insight into the whole grad school/life experience. Afterward, she drove me around to some other parts of the city. As if the day wasn't already awesome, my hotel room was quiet as I prepared for bedtime. Turns out the Nuyorican is closed on Mondays. Sweet. Sweet dreams.

Day 1: Chicago to San Juan

For someone who used to strongly dislike cats, I sure had a hard time saying goodbye to Matou and Beesly this morning. Fortunately, Amber has graciously agreed to check in on them, so they'll be just fine. Thanks, Amber!

Hey, did you guys know that Detroit's airport has this cool connecting tunnel that plays new age music and changes color constantly? It's pretty awesome. Check it out!

Finally, twelve hours after I left my apartment in Chicago, I arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I stepped out onto the street and it was SO warm. Imagine that, going from temperatures in the teens to the 80s in just one day. SWEET. Unfortunately, my cab driver didn't know where Calle Capilla was, so I just got out on the edge of Old San Juan and walked a couple of blocks. The hotel is awesome, at least in appearance. I'm staying at Da House Hotel, which had the most affordable decent accomodations I could find in Old San Juan...at $80/night, it's a steal! The building used to be an art gallery. a tradition which continues at the hotel by naming each room after a local artist and showcasing his/her work in the room. I'm in room 311, the Alberto Torréns Room. Unfortunately, the hotel's one drawback is that it is situated above a famous nightclub called the Nuyorican Café. This is awesome if you like local Latin drums and rhythm, which I do...just not until 5:00am. My room has a large painting of a man who is drumming furiously under the direction of a higher power, and it was to that higher power I prayed to help me get to sleep tonight as my room vibrated to each drum in the café. Photos of the hotel, lobby, and my room can be found below. Goodnight (I hope)!

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

I've always thought that I would never, ever, have my own blog because I know that one day it will come back to haunt me...somehow, I just know. However, my spring break trip this year is all about throwing caution to the wind and just doing it...well, within reason. That said, I had an epiphany during the second day of my trip that it would just be wonderful to bring everyone along on my adventures, if only electronically. My bags are packed, and I'm ready to go. Come on!