Easy, lazy day! - January 01, 2025

It was a lazy day mostly at the hotel pool. The kids were playing, Mike doing some work and me reading. 
From the balcony, Giggio and Mary (Sofia's inseparable stuffies since she was a baby), watched all the action.

I've always loved the geckos, or lagartixa in Portuguese.

Before the sunset we walked from the hotel to the famous La Placita, a bohemian area.

Most of the businesses were closed because it's January 01, but there were a good number of people hanging out, enjoying some music, drinks and friendships.

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

La Placita is a historic district and neighborhood of Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, located in the former area of Santurce's old market square (Spanish: Plaza del mercado de Santurce) in Campo Alegre. La Placita today is a popular dining and nightlife destination in San Juan, while still functioning as a produce and food market during the day.

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

The market square was established in 1910 when the area was selected by Puerto Rico's government to build a marketplace. The marketplace building had two levels, the first one for kiosks, food and produce stalls and other service businesses, while the second level had the butcher and the meat market. The building originally also had business spaces, including medical offices. The market square building has been renovated and modified on numerous occasions throughout the 20th century, and at some point the second level was demolished to increase the area of the main marketplace. The marketplace lost its importance in the later second half of the 20th century which left the area in various stages of disrepair. The building and the neighborhood were revitalized in the 1990s and 2000s when numerous restaurant and entertainment businesses opened. The area is now one of the liveliest social districts in San Juan and it is famous for its nightlife and gastronomy with its numerous restaurants, cafés, bars and dance clubs. During the day La Placita de Santurce is a farmer's market.

Friendos.

San Juan is the city of chickens and cats.

I love the trees as well.

Some buildings are so unique.

Enchanted Island.

There they are again, in the varanda of a random house.

Hanging from the windows.  

Many of them!

Finding a good place to eat has been a bit challenging for us. Perhaps because it's high season and most of the places are operating over capacity. Service has also been super slow, with one hour to get the food at the table. Is this what people call island time? So, if you are coming here, be aware that a 45 minute dinner can easily turn into a 2 hour or longer ordeal. Budget for that!

My precious treasures walking back to the hotel.

Sister bonding.

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!