Blogs from Central America Caribbean - page 13

Pedro spent the last day at Farm Bureau Convention. Beautiful sunny day. Late afternoon flight. First flight from San Juan was delayed on the runway. Barely made connection in Chicago. Running through the airport. Kasie had a mishap while we were gone. She was at home and has decided that she made a painful mistake. Going to have some hardware for this repair. Ouch! ... read more

New year, new country. We headed to Panama City with Iberia. It was a long day of travel to get there with a short flight from Alicante to Madrid and then the long haul to Central America. For us it wasn't just a new country but a new part of the world, our first time in Central America. At least our Spanish is substantially better than the last time we were in Latin America. That really enabled us to have a more enriching trip. Not being a fan of big cities, we weren't sure how this first part of our six week adventure would go. We needn't have worried as Panamá has something for everyone and it's very easy to escape the high-rise hell. First up was the Casco Viejo, the old heart of the city. ... read more

Breakfast at Pannes. Shuttle to Convention center. Convention activities. Pedro eyes up the new Case IH. A swim in the afternoon. Bugs waiting for our Uber. Dinner in Old San Juan with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau gang. Old San Juan is strict about hand washing! Wash hands every 20 minutes. Still laughing about it hours later. ... read more

We found the Altamira (Look High) park by accident and didn't regret it. A taxi took us up the long, twisted road to this beautiful park with outstanding views. Everything at the park is made from recycled items, painted decoratively, and shaped into natural eye catching art. There weren't many people there so it was easy to navigate around. Many restaurants, restrooms, and benches to rest at. In order to get views like this, the park is built on a hillside so there are many switchback trails leading people to the views and structures. If you go higher, there is another park called Hobbitenango which is also very similar. We didn't have time to visit both parks but have heard great reviews about the other one. 3-4 hours is enough to cover the park, take pictures ... read more

It is another warm and sunny day. Today is January 6th and we have found out in San Juan today is a big day to be celebrated! It is 3 Kings Day! In Puerto Rico, Christmas is merely the midpoint of the holiday season. Three Kings Day commemorates the biblical journey of the three kings—Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior—who followed a star that appeared in the sky on Christmas Day all the way to Bethlehem, where they discovered and offered gifts to baby Jesus. Our regular breakfast place was not open when we arrived. Opening later because of 3 Kings Day? Likely. We ate at a small breakfast place with only outside seating at the park. Watched the guy with the leaf blower cleaning up the sidewalk and deck area. We had our coffee and breakfast. There ... read more

Rainy morning in San Juan. Breakfast at Pannes. Pedro had empanadas again. Lori had the pancakes with Nutella and mixed fruit. Had the same waiter as yesterday. Took an Uber to Casa Bacardi for $12. Hector drove us efficiently in the Green Kia. No blisters riding in the Uber and a nice break for the feet. Mixology tour at 10:30. Another downpour of rain waiting for the tour. Slight delay of the start of the tour due to the rain. We had the welcome beverage while waiting included as part of the tour package. $75 dollars each for the tour and mixology lessons. First was the history of the Bacardi company. Started in Cuba and then moved to Puerto Rico. A lesson on how the rum is made. Sugarcane, water and the "special yeast". A tasting ... read more