The day started with a long walk on the beach, but soon it had to be moved to the sidewalk because the beach ended.

Just before it ends, there is a very rough ocean part that is always red flagged. 
Only surfers take their chance and swim here. 

FROM : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condado_Beach

Condado Beach is located along the Atlantic coast of the San Juan barrio (district) of Santurce. The beach is named after Condado, itself a constituting subbarrio (sector) of Santurce, found directly to the east of the Islet of San Juan. The beach itself extends from La Ventana al Mar Park on Ashford Avenue in the west to Punta Piedrita in the east. Ocean Park Beach is located further east. A smaller beach, called Playita del Condado (Spanish for "Condado's small beach"), is located at the western edge of Condado, directly facing El Boquerón. It is considered an unpredictable beach with strong undercurrents, making it dangerous for swimmers who venture into deep water. In early 2022, the governor stated steps had to be taken to address the issue of multiple drownings there.

There is a short, but nice boardwalk before you get back to the main road, on the sidewalk. 

A stop to appreciate the Condado Laguna.
The pelican and the airplane sharing the sky!

I guess its nice to see a rainbow on the last day of the year!

The Miami Building, an art deco gem.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Building

The Miami Building, also known as the Miami Apartments or the 868 Ashford Building, is a historic Art Deco building located in the Avenida Ashford of the Condado section of Santurce in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and to the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 1995.

The Miami was the first private apartment building to be built in the tourist section of El Condado, and possibly the first purpose-built apartment building to be erected in the island. The 6-floor building is located at 868 Avenida Ashfordin a small peninsula that is bound by Condado Beach and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Condado Lagoon to the south. At the time it was the second tallest building in the area after the historic Vanderbilt Hotel. The building was designed by Syracuse University graduate architect Pedro Méndez and built by contractor firm Beltrán, Miró and Benítez at the cost of $90,000 ($1,979,294.24 in 2023). It was first owned by a Venezuelan-Puerto Rican with the name of Mr. Tirado.

Back to the hotel, my mermaid is ready to get back into the water.

The girls wanted to hang out at the hotel beach and pool, so I went on a small adventure by myself. 

I took an UBER ride to this incredible beach called Mar Chiquita. 

It's was 45 minutes drive from the hotel, but it passed really fast because I was chatting all the way with this very intelligent UBER driver. In English. EVERYONE here - in the tourist area - speaks English.

FROM: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/mar-chiquita/8965

Mar Chiquita is one of the most popular natural pools in the north coast. The half-moon opening is created by two limestone outcroppings that allow the intense turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean to rush in. The place is ideal for swimming and soaking in the sun, but there isn’t much shade, but umbrellas and chair rentals are available.
There are some food trucks and stands during the weekends where you can find authentic Puerto Rican fritters and refreshing drinks.

The rock erosion have created these beautiful natural pools.

It's super fun and safe to climb up those rocks, but with shoes because of the point parts. 

The opening, where the rough ocean water comes in.

FROM: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/puerto-rico/manati-and-around/attractions/playa-mar-chiquita/a/poi-sig/1422882/358128

An anomaly among Puerto Rican beaches, Playa Mar Chiquita isn’t alongside a main thoroughfare, has no long strand and isn’t good for swimming or surfing. Still, the pure drama of this place makes it a favorite. Two rearing coral formations protect a small, shallow cove and tidal pools from the rage of the Atlantic, which sprays foam in unpredictable bursts. It's no undiscovered gem, however; crowds descend to knock back icy beers and snack at the food stands.

This spectacular spot is about surveying the majestic might of the ocean, chilling on the small sandy area with a book, or picnicking alongside Puerto Rican families. There are also caves along this stretch of coast, though it can be almost impossible to see them from land.

There’s a barely visible sign to the beach off Hwy 685, about 3km north of Manatí and just beyond the entrance to the town of Boquillas. If you miss the sign, go north on Hwy 648 (about 1.5km east of Boquillas). This road takes you over a steep hill to the beach.

A little mangrove are on the other side.

The waves were strong too, and the best way to describe it is being in a blender or on a high speed artificial wave pool. But I felt safe, just moving a lot!

The reason is because two reefs stop the big waves from crashing in, but they still come in and out through an open space.

The beach is very rustic, with just a couple of simple kiosks selling a bit of food, and definitely some local drinks, like Pina Colada.

SAD UPDATE: 

Right after drinking this delicious Pina Colada, I started feeling sick. I probably got the same virus Juju got yesterday. It was a long and painful ride home, but the UBER driver was nice and came to my rescue when I needed to rest. 

Result: I am feeling really sick in the hotel room, celebrating the New Years from under my covers. :(

 

A not planned day in San Juan - December 30, 2024

We had big plans for today, but sometimes even the best plans get changed. 
We had a rough night with Juju feeling sick every 15-30 minutes. 

Although I barely slept all night, it was nice to go for a small walk in the morning in our neighbourhood, called Condado, where we still can find some well preserved old colonial beautiful houses. 

To my surprise, chickens run free everywhere. Even with little chicks.

Roosters sing announcing the new day. Even in public parks.

By noon Juju's situation got a bit worrisome, so I took her to the local hospital. 

Within an hour, she was seen was a doctor who recommended some intravenous medication to stop her nausea, and IV for hydration.
The doctor believes she's got a nasty travelling bug, possibly norovirus or rotavirus. 
She ended up staying in the hospital till 8pm and is on her way to full recovery back in the hotel.

I spent most of the day in the hospital with her, but I made sure I took the scenic route walking back to the hotel, when Mike took over my spot in the end of the day at the hospital, watching her.

I always find fascinating the water erosion working on rocks, designing amazing shapes. 

The picture doesn't really show the aggressive beauty from the water getting angry and the rocks resisting, but some shapes are pretty obvious.

These rocks all have small and sharp holes, from the water splashing against it over and over again.

Back in the hotel, these little black guys are everywhere and sound super cool.

FROM https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/280/Greater-Antillean-Grackle#:~:text=Like%20all%20Quiscalus%20grackles%2C%20it,'chango'%20in%20Puerto%20Rico.

The Greater Antillean grackle (Quiscalus niger) is a grackle found throughout the Greater Antilles as well as smaller, nearby islands. Like all Quiscalus grackles, it is a rather large, gregarious bird. It lives largely in heavily settled areas. It is also known as the 'kling-kling' and 'chinchilín' in the Dominican Republic, and as a ‘chango’ in Puerto Rico. The 27 cm (11 in)-long male is glossy black with a large rudder-like tail; the 24 cm (9.4 in)-long female has a smaller tail and is similar in color, but less glossy than the male. The eye is yellow and is the only non-black body part. The Greater Antillean grackle is a generalist eater; it eats fruits, bread, plant matter, and both small vertebrates and invertebrates alike.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, the big plans didn't happen, but Juju is fine, recovering, we are still together, in Puerto Rico, away from the cold. 

Still a good day!

Bienvenidos a Puerto Rico - December 29, 2024

People in Canada ask me: "Why Puerto Rico?"
Why not? 

I am not sure where we got the idea from, but perhaps it has been a secret pre-teen dream to visit the Menudo's country... since I was about 10-11 years old.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menudo_(group)

Menudo is a Puerto Rican boy band formed by producer Edgardo Díaz. Referred to as the "most iconic Latino pop music band", they have been ranked as one of the biggest boy bands of all time by several publications, including Billboard, Us Weekly, Seventeen, and Teen Vogue, being the only Latin band on their lists.

Here we are in a small Caribbean Island that looks at first a lot of an extension of the USA, but with it's own language, culture and history.  

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico

Puerto Rico officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a self-governing Caribbean archipelago and island organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States under the designation of commonwealth.

With approximately 3.2 million residents, it is divided into 78 municipalities, of which the most populous is the capital municipality of San Juan, followed by those within the San Juan metropolitan area. Spanish and English are the official languages of the government, though Spanish predominates.

San Juan doesn't really have all-inclusive options and we wanted to feel more integrated to the city, so we chosen the Marriot Hotel on the Condado Beach, very close to downtown San Juan. 

The place is a paradise, with some waves and white sand beach. 

My fun tradition while travelling: always try a local beer. 

This was passion fruit flavoured.

My little mermaid got in the ocean right away.

Our room view. Not bad.
It's just so nice to seat on the balcony feeling the ocean breeze and the warm air. 

It was 24-26 degrees celsius today.

Dinner was at the Distrito T-Mobile, less than a 10 minute drive from our hotel. It's a super loud, busy and over stimulating place with restaurants, a game/arcade place, and a big stage for entertainment in the middle. 

It can be seen as a tourists trap - I wasn't too impressed with it - , but it's also a fun place to hang out with the family. The girls loved it.

My lovely crew.

I really like this big guy on the wall - some art counterpoints all the commercial lights and signs.  

A big gathering place with a stage and a zip line keep tourists entertained.  

Across from the street is the Convention Centre, with this beautiful water fountain that dances and changes colour to the music.

Here we are, on two different endless waiting lists for restaurants. 
We learned pretty fast that, at least in the busy areas with tourists, Puerto Rico operates on "Island time." 
Just accept it and relax.  

We are tired, but happy to be here. :)