acilando

As birthday holiday tradition goes, it was time to check out of real life and time to check into celebration mode. Puerto Rico was the chosen one.

 

Puerto Rico, being in the Caribbean has the perfect lackadaisical pace, where one lives life lahe lahe (slowly slowly). To get around the city with ease, hiring a car is the most convenient option. It’s a city where cabs have complete monopoly and getting a cab at night can be close to a nightmare. If one does intend to use cabs, I would recommend taking numbers of people driving the cabs so that pick-ups and drops can be coordinated. We did give public transportation a shot, however, the Tren Urbano covers limited stops and the buses involve elongated travel time. The car service we used was Cabrera, which has a reasonable tariff, however, it’s integral to have the germane address, because their drop-off point at the airport is tied up with an external vendor, which has no indication of Cabrera’s signage.       

 

Puerto Rico has the two biggest fortifications in the Caribbean: San Cristobal and El Morro that surround the old city, San Juan. San Cristobal is embedded within the city and El Morro is expansive with a huge battlefield and cemetery. Through Air Bnb, we booked a place that belonged to two students who were studying at Puerto Rico University. One of the girls was studying tourism and she had the most interesting anecdotes to share. A famous legend in San Cristobal is about a Garita (guard sentry box) that has been occupied by El Diablo (the devil). It is believed that a soldier disappeared one night and all that was found were his clothes and sulphar. Bewildered, everyone assumed that it was only the devil that could have taken him. However, as the true story goes, the guard went dancing with a girl and forgot to return in time to receive the daily check-in call. Anticipating trouble, he decided to flee and left his clothes in the Garita with sulphar, so that people would believe he was taken. Years later, as an old man he shared his legendary story.

 

Old San Juan is quaint, filled with cobbled stones with distinct Spaniard architecture similar to Cartagena in Colombia. We spent time next to the Old San Juan Gate and enjoyed sitting in the plaza. Puerto Ricans have salsa in their blood and it was an absolute pleasure watching them perform. There are a plethora of fun bars and restaurants in the area and it’s a place where one can unwind and meet many interesting people. Some of the ones we tried were Los 3 Cuernos for the different flavored Chichaitos, which translates to the little ****. La Sombrilla Rosa is famous for its Jell-O shots and the Puerto Rican beer Medalla. Pina Coladas, in fact, originated at a place called Barrachina, so it demands an honorary visit. Taberna Lupulo is a perfect place to culminate a night with fish tacos and soul food. At El Jibarito, we indulged in Red Snapper, the Mofongo Relleno de Camarones (shrimps) and the pork chunks, topping it off with aji sauce.

 

A key attraction of Puerto Rico is the bioluminescence bay, one of the few places in the world where you can see luminous planktons in water. Since, we hadn’t pre-reserved a kayak, we decided to drive down to Fajardo, with an aim of hustling a spot. Luckily, we found a company that had availability and were able to have the most marvelous experience. The experience of kayaking through the jungles and forest is invigorating. It’s pitch dark by the time one heads into the water and in the vastness of the ocean, the waves are strong and it seems like one may topple over any moment. Getting into momentum with your Kayak partner is a process and perfect synchronization is required to stay afloat and continue forward in unison. There were three tour guides per 10 kayaks and they had flashlights. However, when they were not around, we were thrown into the darkness with tree branches all around us, having to move instinctually. Every time I paddled, the weeds flew right into my kayak. My biggest fear throughout was the presence of water snakes. Gulp. Once we reached the lagoon, I expected it to be completely lit. However, it’s only when you observe closely and put your hand under water that you begin to see the glow of the planktons. As fish swam, one could see the glow within them, which seemed to be a result of them having eaten the planktons. As the weeds moved, there was glistening under the water. As I glided my hand in water, I could see it shine, it was fascinating. The ride back was exhausting, since, we were kayaking against the current. It took all the effort from within to make it back to shore.
 

Fajardo, eastern part of the island is a two-hour drive from San Juan. En route, one finds the best authentic street food. It has gorgeous beaches and Loquillo is considered to be one of the prettiest. A ferry ride away from Fajardo, are Culebra and Vieques known as the Spanish or Puerto Rican Virgin Islands. The ferry to Culebra leaves at 8:00 AM in the morning. Another ferry leaves in the afternoon to Vieques. It’s a small island and one can travel in shared taxis to explore the place. There’s an information counter at the ferry exit, which has a brochure of the beaches on the island, all of which look stunning. In the limited time we had, we decided to visit Playa Negra, to get a taste of something different. Shifting tectonic plates had pushed magma up through the surface of high areas such as Mount Pirata, the highest point on Vieques. The magnetic and heavy sand washed off the mountain and down through the streambed, resulting in the black sand beach. The path to the beach was filled with hermit crabs, which are intriguing creatures. They live in a snail’s shell and every time they heard anyone approaching they retreat into their shells. One can easily spend a week in Vieques, and the bioluminescence bay can be experienced on these islands as well.

 

Puerto Rican people were so accommodating and helpful. In many instances when we were stuck, they went out of their way to assist us. For instance, when we were unable to get a taxi and were stranded for hours together, people that we met called up several taxi services so that we could return home. Furthermore, while returning the car, when we were unable to locate the address of the garage, the policía led the way, spoke to the car representatives and ensured that we reached the place. We were so touched by everyone’s benevolent and altruistic nature. Gracias y me encanta Puerto Rico.

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- Kamiya Kumar

 

Highlights 

• Bio Bay

• Loquillo Beach

• Vieques

• Universidad of Puerto Rico Bars

• Old San Juan; San Cristobal, El Morro & San Juan Gate

• Pina Coladas at Barrachinas

• Mofongos, Seafood & Plantains

• Chichaitos