I was beat when I got in the night before. I also think I may have ingested some of the salty mangrove water full of glow germs from the Bio Bay because I had the shits something wicked when I woke up.
Joe's Travel Tip: Pepto Bismol, Pepto Bismol, Pepto Bismol.
That didn't stop me from catching breakfast at Labombanara with the guys. We were scheduled to go the Bio Bay today, but due to a plankton infestation or something we went the day before, meaning that we were pretty much free. What to do, what to do?
Son of a Beach!
We got our snorkel gear and hopped a cab to a public beach named Escambron on the eastern side of Old San Juan. The beach had a coral reef that sort of horseshoed around it which kept the breaker waves from coming ashore. Cheer, beer, and snorkel gear. Who could ask for anything more. We diddled around in the water for a few hours while not tanning. If you think a white guy who's worked night shifts for eight years is easy to spot in Puerto Rico, then you haven't seen him with his shirt off yet. I think I could signal the space station with the blinding reflection off of my back. I didn't burn though. SPF 30 in an aerosol can. Buy some.
A few hours of leisure and we were headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. The beach was lined with tons of coconut trees. A man with a shopping cart was collecting the fallen coconuts and whittling one side to a point with a machete. He asked if anyone wanted to purchase one. (Here it comes. Overcharge the gringo touristas because they'll pay anything for a novelty.)
"How much?"
"A dollar."
"Deal!"
One swipe of the machete and he lops off the top of the point leaving a hole from which you can drink. Would have been better if we had some rum or whiskey to mix inside of it. We then hailed a cab and headed back to Hotel Milano to get the sand out of my mustache.
I love the Nightlife, I love to Boogie...
Off to enjoy the second most expensive meal I've ever paid for. We walked the city, discussing all that we had experienced over the past week before settling in at Cafe La Princesa. Swanky, but comfortable. Appetizers of tostones (fried plantains) and camarones rellenos (stuffed shrimp) started us off along with a round of mojitos. I ordered the porchuga rellenos (stuffed chicken breast) with half inch thick sauteed potatoes in garlic butter [drool]. Cafe negro and what ever the Spanish word for chocolate cake is for dessert. Price wise, you can feed two people there for the same price you can feed two people at Ruth's Chris.
The cobblestone road outside the restaurant was being walked by hundreds of tourists admiring the large photo gallery on display there. Many stopped to catch one of the few street performers. The closest was a juggler. He was juggling everything: basketballs, kids, fire, knives, fireknives, etc. Once he started passing his tip jar around, we were out of there. Let's go grab us some rum and stagger back to the hotel.
The after dinner reception was held in Doc's room which overlooked the street (my room didn't even have a window). The noise of the night cubs was thumping from below. I was surprised to hear it since the town seemed to go to sleep at about 10pm during the week. Once Doc called it a night, Joshua and I headed to the street to see what was going on. Scores of beautiful Puerto Rican ladies? Not really, it was mostly drunk white girls on vacation. Back to my room (the Joe Cave) to finish off that bottle of Don Q. Talk and drink, drink and talk, talk and pass out. Always opt for the late check out.
I met Eric in the lobby in the morning. Doc and Robert had early flights and beat us to breakfast. Labombanara was rather crowded Saturday morning so Eric and I went to a place around the corner called Fefo's or something. The menu was in Spanish only, but I got the jist of what was available. Okay joint, small but good food. Check out after breakfast (noonish), then Eric and I shared a cab to the airport and said see-ya.
Joe's Travel Tip: Check your luggage through Agriculture before heading to the ticket counter. Your bags need to be scanned and have a decal placed on them before heading to the plane.
I enjoyed this trip immensely. Going with a group isn't mandatory, but I like to share my experiences with people. Some of the crew I knew before I arrived, but I quickly made friends with the one's I had not. My trip to Puerto Rico will forever be imprinted on my mind and look forward to having many experiences just like it in the future. Until next time, PEACE!
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