Puerto Rico

Back home, back to the routine. . . sigh. Gary and I had a really nice vacation/business trip at the El Conquistador Resort on the northeast corner of Puerto Rico. It's situated on a steep hill outfitted with two little trams that connect the upper level with the marina level. As you can see, there is no beach here, but they have a lovely one on a little island just three miles across the bay. We spent two afternoons on the beach and in the warm, gentle waters.

Fort San Felipe del Morro

Thursday morning we rented a car and drove into San Juan to visit the old city. Parking the car proved to be the challenge of the day as the streets are narrow, much parking was private and we could see some parking buildings, but we just couldn't find the entrance to the things! Finally, we happened along a little lot with a space. As we were looking for the lot attendant, a guy was pulling out and asked if he could help. He told us that this lot was another private lot for government employees, but that the attendant was on vacation till Monday, so we should just leave the car there, no problem, no charge! Lol!

Old San Juan

Once we ditched the car, we found the visitor information center and began our independent walking tour. Luckily, there were no cruise ships in port, so the streets were not packed with people. Gary had a few geocaches to find in the old city, which just adds to the fun of discovery. Lunch was eaten in a small restaurant near the Plaza de San Jose. I ordered a local dish called mofongo, with chicken. Mofongo is mashed plaintains - very tasty!

Gary and I at the Plaza de Colon
Statue of Christopher Columbus

Of course, there was the business side of the trip too, but it was enjoyable to meet other agents from all over the country, some folks from the main office, and we had dinner with our Washington State people too.

One thing I would change, if it had been possible, is the length of our stay. Three and one-half days just isn't long enough to justify the long plane flights. But we really didn't have that option for this trip, so we enjoyed the time as much as we could. Two highlights of Puerto Rico that we loved were listening to the coqui at night and viewing the stars from a much more southern latitude. We never see Jupiter so high in the sky!!

This quick jaunt to Puerto Rico just whets my appetite for travel and I dearly hope that one day Gary and I will be able to travel back to PR, as well as many other foreign and domestic destinations!