We had a great time! Our hotel was really nice, the beaches were clean and beautiful, and the locals (who almost all spoke English) were friendly. It was very HOT and HUMID, but pleasant in the evenings. Unforunately everything near our hotel in San Juan (the capitol) was extremely overpriced so we spent more than we would have liked. Overall- definitely worth it though! I have to brag that even though I am now 17 weeks pregnant and sporting a little tummy, it didn't hold me back: we snorkeled, hiked in the National Rainforest, swam in waterfalls and to deserted islands, tried weird Puerto Rican food, and walked all over Old San Juan.
I do feel I need to share just a few observations on the Puerto Rican culture that we learned (even though it is technically part of the U.S., believe me it is a world of its own):
1. There are 4 million people living on this tiny island, and 3 million cars on the road. There might be traffic rules but we never saw them being followed- imagine Los Angeles- if everyone drove beaters that they could care less about wrecking-and then times that by 2! Riding in a taxi/bus was an intense experience!
2. The food was very blah. We are not scared to try new things and so I thought we would love trying the food (hoped for spicy Mexican-like dishes). But everything was very basic: pork with rice and some variation of fried plantains, which taste like cardboard. I felt like the priest in Nacho Libre..."where are the chips, where are the spices?" Luckily there was a Subway and Chilis nearby for back up.
3. The fashions of Puerto Rico are interesting to say the least. Imagine tight mesh tank tops, tight jeans and a rat-tail hairdo and you've got the typical men we saw. The women seem to be very "confident"and pretty much wear anything out on the town; usually a bikini top paired with anything that is 2 sizes too small on the bottom. In their defense though- it was damn hot! I shed a few layers and inches of clothing as the day went by too!
Here are some photos from the trip- enjoy!
