The beach, the culture and the history what’s there not to love? Oh and let’s not forget the mofongo. Are you curious about what that is? Did you know that the Pina Colada was first created in Puerto Rico? Check out what our first trip to the island was like.
This past February I flew to Puerto Rico for my birthday and the island is so beautiful. The atmosphere is calm and everyone seems to keep to themselves. Very quiet and peaceful definitely something anyone looking for tranquility would enjoy.
We arrived outside our Airbnb on Valentine’s Day and noticed a gentleman selling flowers and exotic plants on the sidewalk. This is the beautiful bouquet that he prepared for us that you see on the left. The plant appears to be from the Bromeliad family but I’m not sure. We kept them on display the entire duration of our trip. It was too bad we could not bring them home with us because I’m sure they would have lasted a lot longer.
The beach was the best part of our vacation. We visited the beach almost everyday. We spent hours on the beach hanging out, listening to music, drinking beer and watching people play in the water. There were all sorts of events and activities happening at the beach. We witnessed a gentleman setting up a table, chairs and candles for a romantic dinner for two, a coach teaching a couple how to play tennis and lots of people water gliding, surfing and jet skiing.
Some friends we met during our stay invited us to a drum circle on the beach. Not really knowing what to expect, we showed up and participated. It was a once in a lifetime experience so I was very grateful. To left is the flyer to the event. The flyer is an exact visual of what the event looked like. It was at night and about 40 or so people gathered to chant, sing and dance. Some people were dancing and playing drums around the fire, some were doing there own thing, and others were resting while the ceremony was taking place. At the end, everyone gathered their belongings, blew out the smoke, packed there chairs and instruments and slowly began to disperse. I was really glad that I attended.
We could not leave the island without trying an authentic Puerto Rican dish, so we opted for Mofongo. Mofongo is a fried plantain dish that was served with a creamy dipping sauce that you see on the right. It was delicious. We also found a taco restaurant that we really liked. Tacos are one of my favorite foods so I could eat those tacos everyday.
We visited Old San Juan which is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is a popular tourist destination for cruise travelers. Old San Juan is packed with bars, restaurants and stores on every little street. There’s history, culture, night life and entertainment all in one area. Its filled with so much to do and people from all walks of life come to this area to really get the feel of what Puerto Rico is like. There was not enough time to explore Old San Juan in one day.
If you’re thinking about visiting the island than I highly recommend that you do. Beware of the language barrier and know that it helps to know common phrases to help with small transactional interactions. I felt safe being in San Juan and I loved having direct access to the beach. Have you ever been to the island? What was your experience like?
Holesinthefacee 