Running on the beach free as a bird,
with the sun and wind in the my back, then a rainbow pops up over the
ocean, then pouring rain, followed by a dip in the warm ocean as the
rain abates and all is fresh again. A wonderful memory. And many more from the Enchanted
Isle. How about listening to reggae music on boat, sipping a Pina
Colada, gazing at the turquoise blue Caribbean sea, with the smell of
salt as the breeze gently caresses your skin?
I spent two weeks in PR. The first week
was planned by me, the second week by the snow storm in NYC which
canceled my return flight. Some nice memories and some not so nice. I won't
talk about the must see or do. That will depend on what floats your
boat and you can find guide books for that. I used Lonely Planet, for
the record. This is a travelogue about my experiences and opinions.
I spent days at the beach, where
everyone has a beach body. No, I don't call them beach bodies just
because they were bodies on the beach. Frankly, I had never seen so
many beautiful people at one place at the same time. I worked on my
tan. If you say I am too brown to need a tan, I ask you, why do black
people sun bathe? I camped at the beach. It was wonderful to go to
bed to the sound of the Coqui frog and refreshing to rise to sound of
waves. And there were countless Pina Coladas, from roadside stands to
upscale restaurants. It is my new favorite cocktail. It is summertime
in a glass. I once ordered a Cuba Libre for breakfast. “Would you
like coffee or juice with that omelette? Nope, a Cuba libre please.”
It was 8am! After all I was in the rum capital of the world.
The bio bay tour at night was the
highlight of the trip. Quite otherworldly. It was like being in the
movie Avatar. The water sparkles as you paddle your kayak or run your
fingers through the water. It glitters when you hold it in your hand
or sprinkle it around you. It feels like magic. And snorkeling in the ocean was
fun too. Though not as colorful as the stuff I had seen on TV, still
memorable as it was my first time. And the caves were mysterious and
eerie. Nature is beautiful in so many different ways. Just when you
think you've seen it all, here you are left open mouthed yet again.
I loved laying on the sand as it
rained. I enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets of San Juan, lined
with beautiful Spanish architecture. I explored the lush green
countryside and the gazed at the deep blue ocean. PS, to see those
calm turquoise Caribbean waters, visit in summer. In winter, the sea
is too rough. Bummer. And I will remember kind souls who helped me
find where to get off from the bus and the cab driver who came back late at night to return shoes I had left in the car.
A note to lone travelers. It is much
more fun and easy to meet people for company and cost sharing if you
stay at hostels and campgrounds rather than hotels. Hostels have a
motley crowd of fun peeps, hotels have (at least at the hotel I was
put up) snobbish uptight people.
Some more notes or more like
complaints. Public transport is terrible. Bus schedules are almost
non existent. And those publicos work only if you have all day to
spare. Once, a publico went to someone's house as a detour while
Traveling, like life, is a box of chocolates. You never what you'll get. But isn't that the glorious uncertainty of life? Go out there and make memories. I promise the good ones will get better and the bad ones will fade away with time.
