Puerto Rico, November 2012
By November, all our initial excitement for snow and the cold weather had died and all we wanted was the simple joy of wearing shorts or stepping out into the open without taking an hour to layer up. We were more than ready for Puerto Rico by the end of November. Despite not being an official state of the USA, PR is an US territory which meant that there were no visa hassles and we could leave our passports behind.
The weather reports started getting more depressing as the holiday loomed closer. Rain, and lot of rain, was on the cards. Both of us being the eternal travel optimists were sure that by the time the flight landed, the skies would be clear. The rain started pattering on our airplane windows a little before we landed and we knew we were in trouble. By the time we landed, we had voicemails from most of our tour operators saying our perfectly laid out plans were not going to work out. The most disappointing bit was that our hang gliding over the rainforest had been cancelled!
We sulked for a little bit but true to our style, we made alternate plans and decided to make the most of our holiday. Once the rain stopped and sun hesitantly peeked behind the clothes, we headed out to Old San Juan for a nice long walk. We were told that the best way to explore this place was on foot. The roads were practically deserted and everything had that fresh look that only the after-rain atmosphere can bring. Walking along the El Morro fort particularly made us feel like we were transported to another time. Just us, the fort, the sea and oddly enough, hundreds of cats! I would recommend beginning the walking tour at La Casita, which is also their Tourist information Center, followed by a walk to the Raices Fountain via the Paseo La Princesa promenade. This was a beautiful tree-lined avenue with street vendors and a lot of benches and a perfect photo-op!
By November, all our initial excitement for snow and the cold weather had died and all we wanted was the simple joy of wearing shorts or stepping out into the open without taking an hour to layer up. We were more than ready for Puerto Rico by the end of November. Despite not being an official state of the USA, PR is an US territory which meant that there were no visa hassles and we could leave our passports behind.
The weather reports started getting more depressing as the holiday loomed closer. Rain, and lot of rain, was on the cards. Both of us being the eternal travel optimists were sure that by the time the flight landed, the skies would be clear. The rain started pattering on our airplane windows a little before we landed and we knew we were in trouble. By the time we landed, we had voicemails from most of our tour operators saying our perfectly laid out plans were not going to work out. The most disappointing bit was that our hang gliding over the rainforest had been cancelled!
We sulked for a little bit but true to our style, we made alternate plans and decided to make the most of our holiday. Once the rain stopped and sun hesitantly peeked behind the clothes, we headed out to Old San Juan for a nice long walk. We were told that the best way to explore this place was on foot. The roads were practically deserted and everything had that fresh look that only the after-rain atmosphere can bring. Walking along the El Morro fort particularly made us feel like we were transported to another time. Just us, the fort, the sea and oddly enough, hundreds of cats! I would recommend beginning the walking tour at La Casita, which is also their Tourist information Center, followed by a walk to the Raices Fountain via the Paseo La Princesa promenade. This was a beautiful tree-lined avenue with street vendors and a lot of benches and a perfect photo-op!
Our day 2 itinerary was Hang Gliding and a visit to the bio luminescent bay at the famous Mosquito Bay. Both of which were a complete wash out thanks to the weather. This was the time we were really glad we went all out on the hotel and booked the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. It was right on the beach and had the amazing pool with a bar that you could swim up to. We spent the whole day on the beach with the weather behaving itself for the most part! In the evening, we (to be read as me dragging S) went to the casino downstairs while I vainly attempted to control my gambling demons and play a controlled amount of Blackjack.
We woke up with a whole lot of apprehension for Day 3 since this was our planned snorkel trip to Culebra. The day was bright and sunny though both of us kept peering out the windows lest the dark clouds sneaked up on us. It began with a fast catamaran ride to the coast of Culebra where after a quick lesson on snorkeling ("Fins- Feet, Mask- Eyes, Breathing apparatus- Mouth"), we all were free to explore. I was particularly nervous after my scuba diving debacle but I found that I was not nervous as long as I was close to the surface and knew I could remove the mask and breathe with my nose if I truly wanted. The beaches were spectacular and the water was the kind of blue that you only see in pictures. In fact, I am not sure I would still believe it if not for all the photos we have.The fun continues after the snorkeling when a great lunch was served along with Pina Coladas! Nothing beats eating a great meal after a long, refreshing swim.
If you are in the area and would like to try this tour (highly recommended!), click here.
Our last and final day was a visit to the rain forest where we decided to brave the zip lines. S made it look so easy and it wasn't until I was stuck half way through that I realized it wasn't as simple! They actually had to pull me to the end point the first few times. It was certainly an interesting experience to be zooming over the canopy of trees but the forest in itself was a little underwhelming. Maybe we should spend more there the next time or hike through it rather than just the zip line experience.
And of course as Mr.Murphy would have it, the weather was picture perfect- sunny and gorgeous as we flew out of Puerto Rico with not a rain could in sight and a perfect weather forecast for the week to come!
If you are in the area and would like to try this tour (highly recommended!), click here.
Our last and final day was a visit to the rain forest where we decided to brave the zip lines. S made it look so easy and it wasn't until I was stuck half way through that I realized it wasn't as simple! They actually had to pull me to the end point the first few times. It was certainly an interesting experience to be zooming over the canopy of trees but the forest in itself was a little underwhelming. Maybe we should spend more there the next time or hike through it rather than just the zip line experience.
And of course as Mr.Murphy would have it, the weather was picture perfect- sunny and gorgeous as we flew out of Puerto Rico with not a rain could in sight and a perfect weather forecast for the week to come!
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