First, hats off to the rest of the editorial team for filling in while I was gone. Second, Puerto Rico is amazing. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it because it offers a unique Caribbean experience without needing a passport.
I don't want to give away too much just yet, but here's a few pictures I posted to my social accounts:
I'm planning on heading to the camera store either today or tomorrow to get my film photos developed, and I'll share those as soon as I get them.
I haven't been there since I was a kid. My great-uncle built a wild house there in the early 60s when he retired from Ford - three stories, pink, hexagonal, full-blown midcentury modern palace up on top of a ridge overlooking Luquillo. It was in the middle of nowhere then, but it may have been built up a lot since then. I don't remember a lot, but driving up there on single-lane dirt roads crammed into a briskly-driven Mustang left an impression.
Fun fact: He decided to build there after looking for property on the Isle of Pines in Cuba, only to have Castro decide the time was right for revolution. He was on the last plane to get out in 1959.
02Pilot said:I don't remember a lot, but driving up there on single-lane dirt roads crammed into a briskly-driven Mustang left an impression.
Oh yeah, I certainly had to adjust my driving style when we got there, but driving out to a coffee farm in the center of the island in an underpowered rental car was pretty invigorating.
Fun fact: He decided to build there after looking for property on the Isle of Pines in Cuba, only to have Castro decide the time was right for revolution. He was on the last plane to get out in 1959.
That's wild.
I went in 1985 with my grandma and cousins and remember walking everywhere alone. I was 7 and my oldest cousin was 12. The buses were wild and El Morro was awesome. The best part of the trip was as we were seating in a PanAm plane getting ready to leave Miami there was a Concord that had just arrived.
Never seen an iguana before either ... now they are everywhere here in south Florida.
Slippery said:The best part of the trip was as we were seating in a PanAm plane getting ready to leave Miami there was a Concord that had just arrived.
That's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Amazing place to visit. I don't find the driving that bad, other than when a hurricane blows down traffic lights- that's an interesting dive into patience and bravery. The hills are pretty crazy, especially when you meet a big truck coming the other way.
Got another trip this winter.
I was there in the 1970s, nice and all, but St. Croix is nicer, cleaner without big city problems. EVERYWHERE in the Caribbean the water is beautiful.
How have they recovered from the back to back hurricanes from a few years ago. We have a family friend that lives there 1/2 the time, and MI the other half. I haven't talked to her in a few years, but they were pretty devistated, and slow to recover.
And no fancy rotary parts.... pffft. 😉
looked fun
In reply to DrBoost :
The only thing I noticed is that there were a lot of buildings in Old San Juan that were under construction. Other than that, I didn't notice any other signs of recovery.
That being said, we spent most of our time in and around the San Juan metropolitan area.
My favorite place was Bioluminescent Bay. Amazing freshwater bay inside a mangrove swamp that had a high concentration of phosphorescent microorganisms. So much that it would glow brightly whenever the water was disturbed. Kayaking or swimming through that was pretty incredible.
It got destroyed with one of the hurricanes a few years ago and hasn't ever recovered
In reply to gimpstang :
Bioluminescent Bay was on our list of potential things to do on this trip, but we never quite made it out there.
Next time for sure.
Very nice! I will be reading with interest since I was already strongly considering a trip to Puerto Rico some time in the next year. So, any tips on where to go, or things especially worth seeing will be appreciated.
In reply to WilD :
Without spoiling anything, I'd say that you can have plenty of fun just by staying within the San Juan metro area.
Old San Juan is worth a visit, even if it's just so you can say you've been.
I'd also recommend the El Yunque National Forest, as it's one of the few opportunities a U.S. citizen can experience a rainforest without needing a passport.
A word of advice: The further outside you go from San Juan (or other metropolitan areas), the less likely people will speak English.
Great. Now I want to go.
San Juan has been on my to-do list of places to visit. It sounds like I should move it up on the list. Thanks for sharing, Colin, and welcome back!
Looks like a fun trip, looks like I am adding Puerto Rico to my list of places to visit. I cant wait to see the film photos you shot while there.
gimpstang said:My favorite place was Bioluminescent Bay. Amazing freshwater bay inside a mangrove swamp that had a high concentration of phosphorescent microorganisms. So much that it would glow brightly whenever the water was disturbed. Kayaking or swimming through that was pretty incredible.
It got destroyed with one of the hurricanes a few years ago and hasn't ever recovered
There have been three of them- one near Fajardo that most would go to, one is SW near Guanica, and one on Vieques. It's been 7 years since the last devastating hurricane.
I lived there until I was 14 when I moved to Canada the first time. That was like 1973. Went back with the wife after a 40 some year absence and to be honest the place had not changed much.She enjoyed the experience both time. Getting around by car is now much easier and faster with the toll roads; get the auto toll thingy.
Get off the plane in San Juan. Drive to Fajardo and stay at the Fajardo Inn for a couple of days. Then drive over to Rincon and experience the wilder side of the island. Daytrip to Ponce and beeline back to San Juan for a couple of days at the San Juan Beach Club hotel. Spendy but excellent way to wrap up the trip.
OR fly in to San Juan and grab a puddle jumper to spend the whole week on Culebra. Most laid back week you can experience; just you, your golf-cart and many beach opportunities. Ignore the dangerous unexploded ordinance signs and hike to Carlos Rosario beach for the best beach ever. And on Culebra that is saying something. Eat at the dinghy dock. Drink at the dinghy dock. If you order fish, it was caught that day or it would not be on the menu.
Walking Old San Juan is a must. Easy to cover in one long day walking. Grab a shaved ice-cone if you see a cart.
The Pork Highway is a must ( just order a bit of everything just to say you tried it)
The Toro Verde zipline is a must if you like adrenaline rush.
El Yunque is a must especially if you like to hike.
Cafe con leche and some fresh pan-de-aqua is a must
Flan for dessert is a must.
Trying plantains is a must. I like "maduros"
Arroz con pollo y habichuelas is a must. With plantains.
Petty theft is and has always been a thing. Lock the car and be aware of where your stuff is. Don't be extravagant while walking around.
NOHOME said:Petty theft is and has always been a thing. Lock the car and be aware of where your stuff is. Don't be extravagant while walking around.
I'll add that–at least in the areas I was at–I never felt unsafe, though I also understood that I'm the outsider and I know well enough to stay in my lane.
I'll also second the Maduros. We buy the frozen bags of the stuff at the grocery store and have them as a side dish at dinner at least once a week.
I was there about 20 years ago for a friend's wedding. We landed in San Juan and headed out to the west end of the island to Isabella. I quickly learned the "extra fast" lane was the right shoulder.
Old San Juan and the forts are awesome.
I asked a local friend why the houses were all painted bright colors? "It scares the evil spirits."
I lived on the island of Vieques for 4 years in my late 20s. I love PR.
On thing I would suggest for potential visitors- learn the food in Spanish. That way if you are deep in the mountains on a fun driving adventure, you can stop at any place and be able to eat.
As for plantains, I love tostones as well as mofongo that but use green plantains.
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