Blogs from Puerto Rico, Central America Caribbean

A full service resort located 10-minutes from the International Airport and adjacent to the convention center.While the surrounding area within walking distance doesn’t offer much, it is a convenient 10-minute taxi ride to old San Juan and Condado Beach and 5-minutes from the Panamerican Cruise Terminal. The lobby is chic with lots of ochre- colored marble and soft lighting that changes hues in the evening. A large bar/café extends from the check-in area and serves as an entry way into the casino. Check-in is efficient, except on cruise departure days, when large numbers of cruise passengers checking in and out at the same time, seem to overwhelm the housekeeping staff. This was what happened in our case, when we had to wait 2 hours past the 3:00 PM check-in time to get our deluxe king room ... read more

Like everyone else, I imagined PR to be just like the US (whatever that means). I’ve been told by folks who have been to PR that PR is very modern and at the same time underdeveloped.Well this is my opinion of San Juan, PR. To a certain extent, it can be compared to Miami. However, to me it is very comparable to any Caribbean country or the Caribbean coast of any Latin American country. Comparable in terms of the developed infrastructure in place for tourists, the vibe, the old town/colonial zone and so on. I stayed in the Old San Juan and I loved it. I am easily charmed by Old towns/Colonial zones. The architecture is amazing, people watching, shopping, good food, insightful museums and local attractions were all worthwhile. The architecture of the walls-castle-morro surrounding ... read more

Our final full day started off late and slow on account of having gone out the night before. We thought it a perfect late morning to spend poolside, so we put on our suits and headed on down. We grabbed a table and ordered a couple frozen drinks - a marg and a piña colada- along with tostones (fried plantains) and little mofongos stuffed with chicken a la criolla and guacamole. Nothing like fried food and alcohol to get the day going! Afterwards we lay out in the sun for a while before heading back up to change and shower. Next stop was back to Old San Juan for the last time to clean up shop there. We waited some half an hour for the stupid bus, but still, I'd much rather wait than drown in ... read more

Matt and i decided to take a last minute trip to Puerto Rico to cure some of the post-travel and cold-weather blues. A decent amount of time separated now and last time we traveled to somewhere without specific purpose. It was time for something - easy, close, whatever. Something. Preferrably not cold. With two weeks notice, we booked ourselves into the Intercontinental on Isla Verde for a few days of beach, sun, and sleep. Our friends Danielle and Rick, the couple who came to visit us in Hong Kong, came with us, which made it a fun weekend with friends. It was a happy coincidence that the weekend we were in PR was the same weekend of the San Sebastian festival, the biggest festival in Puerto Rico. Its somewhat similar to Mardi Gras in that people ... read more

Awoke in San Juan and realized the ride thru paradise was over. Today (in the heat) we will endure the long lines in the cruise terminal, the long walks thru 3 airports, the comical banter with the customs guards to make it home. Our trip covered 2500 nautical miles, lots of great meals, buckets of Bombay Sapphire and hours at a slot mahcine. Every island had something different to offer and we didn't have enough time to see it all. I would think that a littler later in the season would be better to get slightly better weather. I am going to include my favourite pictures in this blog and look forward to the next trip.... read more