Planning to Visit Puerto Rico?

Well..... Thanks for that overwhelming response on Facebook yesterday to my poll about what I should write about today.  Due to the huge number of people (Jenny Stankus) who requested I write about Puerto Rico, I'll be spending the morning learning everything there is to know about that lovely US territory to our south.  If any of you feel that this isn't interesting, quit your whining and vote next time I post a poll on FB.

First of all, I should tell you that Jenny has a particular interest in learning about Puerto Rico because it is looking like she will be taking her nephew Geoffrey there for his graduation trip this summer.  So, now she is into all things Puerto Rico.  I have only been to Puerto Rico once and that was with Jenny. It was one of our stops on the Eastern Caribbean cruise we took on Celebrity in November of 2010.  So unfortunately what I already know from personal experience Jenny also knows from personal experience.  Which means that information won't be new to her.  But maybe it will be interesting to Geoff.

To give you a little background on Puerto Rico in case you don't remember this from your history classes, it was discovered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the America's in November of 1493. At the time it was claimed by the Spanish and the indigenous population was forced into slavery and eventually wiped out by infectious diseases brought over from Europe.  Spain maintained control of Puerto Rico for another 400 years until finally it was ceded to the US in 1898 along with the Philippines following their defeat in the Spanish-American War.  Puerto Ricans became US citizens in 1917.  They are currently held as a US territory and vote for their own governor.  However, they cannot vote in presidential elections since they have not obtained statehood.  The territory is split on what they want.  They seem to want the advantages of being a state, but none of the issues associated with it.... don't we all.  So that is your history lesson for today.

Now....  FIESTA!!!!!!

The average temperature is 80 degrees and during hurricane season June to November in many areas it rains everyday for a short time and then clears back up.... unless they name the rain storm, it'll pass right over.  As far as stuff to do in Puerto Rico, it really depends on your preferences.  Since I have traveled with Jenny a number of times and know what kind of stuff she likes and I know that Geoff is a fairly adventurous guy, I'll make a few suggestions.

First of all, you'll need to spend at least half a day in Old San Juan.  I don't think there is any question that there will be plenty to see and do in Old San Juan.  When we were there before we only had an hour or so before dark and after our tour to spend walking around.  We could have used 2 or 3 more hours.  The only restaurant we made it to was Cafe Puerto Rico which is featured in the photo to the right.  We had an appetizer sampler and a rum and Coke, you know, since we were in Puerto Rico.  The food was good enough but we were in somewhat of a hurry so we didn't have much time to enjoy it.  I'm a firm believer in lingering over your meals and even appetizers when you are in a foreign place even if it is a US territory.  We had to sit inside since there were no tables available outside.  If you get the chance, I think it would be nice to go there and sit outside since there is a pretty little park right across the street.

The photo to the left is of the bar in Cafe Puerto Rico and the bartender with his mohawk.  He was a dashing fellow.  It is ranked as the #20 restaurant in San Juan by Trip Advisor.  The #1 ranked restaurant in San Juan on the TA list is Marmalade but it looks pretty expensive ($25 - $100) Yikes!  You might be better off to try out #2 which is Verde Mesa at $8 to $30.  And if the music on their website is any indication, it could be a very fun place.  In fact, I want to be there now.

There are a couple of forts to visit in San Juan.  Castillo San Felipe del Morro sits on the promontory overlooking San Juan Bay.  The foundation was laid in 1539 but it wasn't considered complete until the late 1700's.  El Morro suffered attacks from the English twice in the 1590's, the Dutch in 1625 and was attacked by US Navy ships in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.  In that instance, the light house was destroyed and later rebuilt.

Castillo San Cristobal guards the land entrance to the walled city of Old San Juan.  Construction began on San Cristobal in 1634 and was complete by 1790.  It is the place to go for amazing photographic views.  From here you can get a panoramic view of the coast from Old San Juan to Condado and beyond.

 The forts are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and you can opt to either stroll through them on your own, or you can join a park ranger for a guided tour.  You can purchase a ticket for both forts together for $5 and it is good for 7 days.  So if you don't have time for both forts on the same day, you can come back another day during your visit to see the other.  Individual tickets are $3 and they are good for 24 hours.

El Yunque rain forest is a must see when spending more than a few hours in San Juan.  There are three

Viator tours that you can sign up for to visit the rain forest.  We used Viator to book our trip to the wine country and Muir Woods while in San Francisco and I really enjoy going through them.  With each of these you wouldn't need your own transportation.  If you want to zipline through the rainforest you can do so for about $150 per person.  The zipline course seems to be a huge one.  The rainforest is about an hour outside of San Juan so you will either want to be on a tour or you'll need to rent a car.

• There are 9 different zipline ropes you can test out, 1 exciting suspension bridge, 2 rappel stations, 5 ground platforms and 10 aerial suspending platforms! Everyone in the family will find something they like on this rainforest adventure!

If I were visiting Puerto Rico, I would insist on going to the Rio Camuy Caves. Tickets are $15 for adults and it closes if it rains.  So it is something that would have to be planned last minute.  How could you not want to go to a place that looks like this?

If you get a car one day and visit these caves, then you are also required to go to the Arecibo Observatory while you are in the vicinity and report back to me.  This is a place I have wanted to see since I first saw it in a James Bond movie 15 or so years ago.  It was also featured in Contact with Jody Foster.  It was actually built into a sinkhole!

I'm not necessarily recommending that you rent a car.  I'm just saying that if you do, for a day, you should visit these places.  Here's what I found on Wikitravel today regarding car rentals.

"Many U.S. mainland car insurance policies will cover insured drivers involved in rental car accidents that occur anywhere in the United States, including outlying territories like Puerto Rico, so check with your own insurer before you rent a car in Puerto Rico. If you have such coverage, you can probably decline collision insurance from the car rental company and request only the loss damage waiver.

Red lights and stop signs are treated like yield signs late at night (approximately from 10 PM to 4 AM) because of the island's extremely high carjacking rate.

The roads can be quite bad, with pot holes and uneven pavement. Be cautious of other drivers, as turn signals are not commonly used or adhered to. Most natives do not drive like mainlanders are used to. Watch out for cars pulling out in front of you, or crossing an intersection, even if you have right of way. Also, there are many cars with non-functional head lights or tail lights, making driving in traffic even more dangerous. If you are not a very confident, even aggressive driver, you may not wish to drive in urban areas. Speed limits are considered suggestions for the locals (particularly taxi drivers), but high fines should make wise tourists cautious."

Just a little something to consider when you are thinking about renting a car in Puerto Rico.  Tomorrow, I might try to cover some of the things to do in town and beaches that are a must.  Have a good Tuesday, Happy Passover to my Jewish friends and I'll leave you with a photo of my helper on today's blog.