There is a lot to be said about going to Puerto Rico at the end of January. The weather, of course, is one of the main reasons. Our son said his mother needed some sunshine, and we jumped on it. You don’t need a passport; your driver’s license works as your ID. You don’t have to learn how to drive again, they drive on the right. And the money is the same as in the USA.
The roads in Old San Juan are narrow, with high curbs and cobblestone. The cobblestones have a bluish tint. They say it is because of the salt in the air. The house we rented had a perfect location. It was a three-story building with a balcony facing the main road and the Atlantic Ocean. It was fully attached and had a room inside without a roof. They had a couple of huge dieffenbachia plants that were watered from passing showers. The plants were huge, over six feet tall, and the whole place had been refurbished. It was beautiful.
The only drawback was the parking. If you park without a resident sticker, there is a $250 fine. Thankfully, everything we did was within walking distance. We did have to rent an Uber once to go to the rental car to retrieve our daughter’s pocketbook (another story), but it worked out fine.
We rented a golf cart with a tour guide. Luís, our guide, did a great job pointing out all the famous landmarks. One place we visited had cats everywhere. We learned that in the past they had a rat problem and imported cats. That solved the problem, and now an organization takes care of the cats.
One timely and unexpected benefit of the trip was that I learned who Bad Bunny was, just before he won awards at the Grammys and played the halftime show at the Super Bowl.
Eating can be an experience, and it was for us. We went from local, modest Puerto Rican dishes to elegant and sophisticated meals. The last place we ate served a lovely raw tuna course followed by a very large but delectable octopus. It was modeled after a “speakeasy,” with no sign outside and the feeling of being a secret establishment. The tables were small with soft light and beautiful music in the background. The room was dark with soft lighting and either black curtains or soundproof black walls to create perfect acoustics.
One of the things we did was rent a car. This gave us the opportunity to broaden our understanding of Puerto Rico. I guess I didn’t realize that Puerto Rico has a rain forest. I am always amazed by the size of bamboo when it grows in its indigenous location. They must have been fifty to seventy feet tall.
Our kids brought us to an award-winning restaurant up in the hills. It was fantastic. All the food was raised by them or purchased from local farms, and it was superbly prepared and served. Of course, we ate outside where it was 81 degrees.
There is a lot to say about Puerto Rico in January, and it is all good.
