Day 1: A late arrival in San Juan

Friday, Jan 30, 2015

It's only 05:30am when I wake up, but my head is buzzing with all the things I want to do before we leave so there's no point to staying in bed. With a sigh I slide out of bed and get started on the endless list of odds and ends we haven't gotten to yet.

A visit with my horse Tessa is the most important – and enjoyable – part of my pre-trip ritual. She's hanging out, eating hay in the snow with her buddy Iris. After I fish a few treats out of my pocket she acknowledges my existence and is willing to meet me at the fence for a quick selfie. Isn't she gorgeous?! 

Back home it's time to get serious and finish packing. The shuttle will be there in an hour and even though I started packing a couple of weeks ago, there's still the matter of deciding on what clothes to bring … Unfortunately, I'm the "outfit on -outfit off - in the suitcase - take it back out - add two more and repeat” kind of packer.

I'm sprawled out on the bathroom floor surrounded by my entire collection of hair accessories, make-up and other assorted bits and pieces when Sandy screeches, “The shuttle is here …. The shuttle is HERE!!!”

Half an hour early! O. M. G.

To the driver's credit he allows us to frantically run around the house for the full thirty minutes, but if ever there was a textbook "like a chicken with its head cut off" moment, this is it and we don't accomplish much. I'm petrified of what we might have forgotten to pack, but I guess we will find out as time goes on?

When we arrive at the airport, it's quiet and we breeze through security before sitting down for lunch at the Silver Diner. My caramel banana french toast is much like cardboard and after eating only the bananas I scarf down a 6-piece McDonald's chicken nuggets before getting on the plane.

Love Southwest Airlines! We scored a great deals on direct flights and bags fly free ... can't beat that.

Finally, I get to sit down with my Fodor's Puerto Rico that I bought on Half.com for 99 cents and for the first two hours of our flight I busy myself planning our time in Puerto Rico. We plunge through whimsical cloudscapes and like a vision a Carnival cruise ship appears to be gliding through the otherwise deserted waters. This has to be a sign of good things to come!

A quick nap later and we are just about to start our descent to Luis Muñoz Marín, San Juan´s airport.

As two women seated a few rows ahead loudly list the wealth of dining options in San Juan (Subway, Burger King, Applebees, Chili's, McDonald's, Wendy's and other culinary delights) I make a quick promise to myself to savor authentic Puerto Rico cuisine whenever possible.

After collecting our bags (minus my spiffy neon green luggage strap), we join the line to get a taxi. San Juan has a very efficient taxi system in place and although long, the line moves reasonably fast. Fares are predetermined based on your zone, the number of passengers and the number of bags so you don't have to worry about getting ripped off while taking the scenic tour.

Our man-of-few-words driver wastes no time getting us to our destination, cutting through traffic and honking as soon as the light turns. It's getting dark and the tinted windows of the van make it difficult to see, but what I do see, I like: glimpses of ocean with monstrous waves, a truck loaded to the gills with surfboards, palm trees swaying in the breeze, an even one of the old forts.

We've just entered Old San Juan when our driver pulls to a halt in the middle of the street with a bar on one side and a large plaza on the other.

"Is this it?" we questioningly look at each other. Luckily, the driver senses this is a time for him to speak and he directs us to the otherwise unmarked entrance.

Posada San Francisco is a budget-friendly hotel on the edge of Old San Juan, overlooking Plaza Colón.

Since we are arriving after hours, we call the number provided and by the time we squeeze ourselves into the rickety elevator the receptionist lunges inside just as the doors are closing. She says it's a bit temperamental sometimes -- already having been serviced three times since the morning -- but it delivers us to the sixth floor where another party is already waiting to get checked-in. They were not as fortunate: the elevator kicked them out on three, forcing them to haul their bulky suitcases up the final three flights.

While they check in we wander out onto the balcony, which doesn't just provide us with a fantastic view over Plaza Colon, but also Fort San Cristóbal.

A few minutes later we are shown to our room – basic, but clean – and the 5 shared bathrooms on the floor. Already, this seems like a great place to stay!

On our way down we check out some of the common areas and pass the elevator – now out of commission on the fourth floor – before stepping out into the balmy evening air. I consult Tripadvisor to find a place to have dinner and find a hidden gem called Punto de Vista Restaurant & Bar located atop the Milano hotel. The reviews say it's not easy to find and sure enough, after an unintentional stroll down to the cruise docks and bus terminal we must admit this to be the case.

We contemplate stepping into the deserted police station where a lone officer sits at the desk. Sandy says he doesn't look like he wants to be bothered by a pair of clueless tourists, but when -- after trying (and failing) one more time to find our way -- we inch into the station, his face lights up and he excitedly pulls out a map and starts drawing directions in the opposite direction we came from. 

Oh, Google Maps, how you've failed us!

Armed with our new map we step outside, followed a few seconds later by our new friend, who quickly runs through the directions again before seeing us off.

My legs are screaming from my Thursday work-out class as I gingerly pick my way up and down the cobblestone streets. Why has no one prepared me for how hilly San Juan is?! Luckily, it takes just a few minutes before we find ourselves at the Milano. 

The ambiance inside Punta de Vista's bar area leaves something to be desired: several groups of party-goers are living it up and the noise reverberates through the beer barrel decorated space. But after a long day's travel we don't have the energy to wait 30-45 minute to be seated on the rooftop terrace. Oh well.

True to my word I order the Puerto Rican specialty of mofongo relleno con camarones, a dish of fried plantains stuffed with garlic marinated jumbo shrimp. Heavy on the stomach, but delicious.

Sandy has ordered the baja fish tacos that are also quite good.

Walgreens is just three short blocks from the restaurant and we pick up a case of water and some high-potency vitamin C drink mix to ward off evil spirits.

Right now we're chilling on the balcony listening to the drummers that have descended on Plaza Colon, adding to the already bustling sounds of the city. Sure, it makes it a bit hard to concentrate, but this is what travel is about ... taking it all in and enjoying it. 

Get ready for a busy day tomorrow!

♥

Restaurant: Punto de Vista Restaurant & Bar at the Milano
Hotel: Posada San Francisco