Puerto Rico - Day One - Saturday

Our plane lands in San Juan at 3:30pm on Saturday, December 8th. The past few weeks have been an absolute whirlwind, and in hindsight, scheduling a vacation two weeks before Christmas probably wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. But we’re here now. The sun is shining, and I couldn’t be more excited for the week that lies ahead. It is Rylee and Paige’s first vacation abroad, and while Puerto Rico is technically part of the US, there isn’t a whole lot about this place that feels familiar.

One of my favorite things about traveling is the opportunity to experience new cultures and the first difference I notice in PR is on the roads. Our rental car is much smaller and more responsive than my vehicle at home, and as we merge into the busy rush hour traffic heading out of San Juan, I’m glad. It doesn’t take me long to realize that driving in PR is much different than driving in the US. Everything feels smaller. The lanes are not as wide and there is no paved shoulder along the road, although this doesn’t stop cars from swinging out around traffic to the right if they feel they can get ahead. The median is just a rail and not a large grassy area like you often see in the US. Cars and trucks zip in, out, and around traffic and force their way into spaces which seem much too small for their vehicle. In addition, beeping the horn isn’t used as a sign of anger, but rather as a way of communicating. “Beep” (can I get in there?). “Beep” (sure). “Beep” (thanks).

It is the weekend and people are out in full force. There are brightly colored roadside stands, stores, and BBQ pits everywhere. I struggle to take in as much scenery as possible, but quickly realize that I better just keep my eyes on the road. It is smooth sailing for about 15 minutes when we suddenly come to a complete stop. After about two hours of sitting in traffic we find ourselves at a major intersection and stuck in total gridlock. There are only 3 marked lanes on our side of the highway, but people drive around these marked lanes as if they can simply bypass the jam. The result is that cars are now lined up six wide and not moving anywhere. The police are present, but unlike in the US, they receive little respect. Frustration is boiling over as people are screaming out their windows and constantly beeping their horns as if this might help the situation. We are stuck right in the middle of the madness and packed in like sardines. It is so tight that we could not open a door on either side. I start to feel a bit claustrophobic and worried that someone around us may “lose it” and begin forcing their way through traffic. We feel a nudge on our bumper. The car behind us has hit us. It’s just a bump though and there is no way I’m getting out of the car even if I could have. I don’t feel in any danger, but I am starting to wish we would have spent the extra $10 per day for rental car insurance. Finally something opens up and after much jockeying for position; we make our way down to one lane and eventually through the traffic jam. After 3 hours on the road, we arrive at our destination, the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort.

It’s dark when we arrive, but the resort is huge and everything that we can see looks beautiful. The deafening chorus of the Coqui frogs is amazing. We eventually get checked in and everyone is hungry. It’s late for the girls and no one is particularly eager to get back in the car, so we decide to eat at the resort despite the exorbitant prices on the menu ($7.00 for a half a grapefruit!?!?!). We decide that we will hit the grocery store tomorrow for supplies. No more meals at the resort. We return to the room and turn in for the night. The girls want the light off and no TV. We suddenly realize that we are going to have to go to bed every night at the same time as the girls. We also suddenly realize that Paige snores. Very loudly. We could always hear her through the monitor, but its nothing like the experience you get live.

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