1o/15/08
Wednesday… wow. I cannot believe that we are leaving in two days (Ronnie, as the optimist, says that we really have three days…). This morning, we went to the bakery again (surprise!) We were watching the news this morning and last night and our little tropical storm has become a hurricane: Omar, to be exact. And, it should be hitting the island tomorrow, with winds in our area of 35-50 mph and 4-6 inches of rain! Yikes! But, this morning was beautiful again and we decided to drive out to a town called Isabela. At Isabela, we found an amazing view of the ocean. The Atlantic waves were crashing over the mountains, spraying white sea foam at least ten feet into the air. The sight reminded both Ronnie and I of Hawaii. After Ronnie took some pictures, (hah!) we took Eva into the water! The video Ronnie took is priceless; I mean, I would give my arm for it. We stripped her down to just her diaper, and I sat her down into a few inches of water. Her emotions went from content, to tears, to a little squeal, then, after a little ripple of water splashed her, she broke out into tears. So cute!
We found a cute little roadside restaurant for lunch that sat just a few hundred feet from the ocean. Lunch was fried blue marlin fried on a stick (food on a stick=pinchos), rice and beans, and fried plantains. Lunch was okay, but the atmosphere was fun: a rooster on the table, a lot of locals, and blackbirds enjoying whatever food they could get. After lunch, we found a surf shop and I got my cute, green souvenir neck-a-lace. On the way back into Mayaguez, we talked about the coming storm and agreed that it would be cool to be nearer to it in San Juan, but we knew that we would not be able to get out of our hotel for the day. We decided to try for Thursday checkout instead of Friday as we had planned. After calling Travelocity, they said that we would be able to checkout a day early and get a refund so we made plans to go to San Juan the next day. As excited as I was about the prospect of going somewhere new, I was sad to be leaving Mayaguez, the bakery, and our adorable hotel.
Our last night was my favorite of the trip. We went to Sancha Panza again for dinner (yummy) and then, we got some Rex Cream from the little shop by our hotel… So good! We took our ice cream to the hotel and ate it in the open air lobby. Then, we went up onto the rooftop of the hotel and enjoyed the views, talked, and even danced a little to the music from a nearby club. We had the rooftop to ourselves, and you could feel the wind from the coming storm and it played in my hair. We had learned that the storm would miss us and that we would not feel any effects beside a little rain. Wednesday night was amazing and I was reluctant to go to bed because I did not want to give up the fun that we had in our little town.
10/16/08
Thursday (wow, how time flies)… we checked out of our hotel this morning with mixed emotions. We both loved our hotel, but we were headed to the big city and an oceanfront hotel. So, after breakfast, we headed out. The trip was smooth, and we were thankful that it took two hours and not seven and a half hours! We had missed the sights along the road on our trip out to Mayaguez because dark had already fallen, and I was surprised to see that the road followed the ocean and the view was amazing. We even made a U-turn to take pictures at one spot where the ocean looked like it was glittering in the morning sun.
Once we got to San Juan, Ronnie went into our new hotel to check us in and then we went to the room. The room was more expensive than our first hotel and lacked the charm but had an amazing ocean view. We opened the windows, and laid down on the bed for a short little time of rest and we listened to the waves pounding against the shore. The only real affects of Omar that we saw was the waves and they were powerful, about five feet tall; but really, they just made the ocean even more beautiful. Naptime was short; we fed Ebbie and then went onto to find lunch for ourselves. San Juan was definitely much more touristy than Mayaguez and it did not take us too long to find a cute restaurant with an ocean view. We were one of the few groups in the restaurant and we grabbed an amazing seat next to open windows where the waves were crashing just a few feet below us. The view was literally amazing and the food was good, too. We had tostados, rice and beans, and guacamole. The food was definitely less authentic than what we had been eating, but we enjoyed it.
We wandered around town, got some souvenirs for our family at home, and went and sat at a neat oceanfront park in the dark. Ronnie and I talked for a little while and just enjoyed our last night of our vacation. We were not really hungry but we figured that we could go and get some appetizers somewhere. We ended up at Chili’s, where we ate a full meal and enjoyed “American food”. After dinner, we went back to our hotel and watched some television before falling asleep.
10/17/08
Our last day… I woke up this morning not feeling so great. My stomach was cramping, but Ronnie took care of me. After we fed Eva, we walked down to Walgreens, got some medicine and then found a breakfast place where we ate pancakes and French toast. Breakfast was good, but we were ready to get going and enjoy our last day. We had been looking forward to going to the fort in Old San Juan since we saw it on our first day and we were excited about going today.
The fort exceeded my expectations. The view was amazing from the top of the fort, the Atlantic ocean stretched out as far as we could see on one side and the town of Old San Juan filled the view on the other. The grounds were covered with Iguanas and very few people so we got to just stroll around and enjoy the views. I really liked going up into one of the watch towers. From where I was looking out the little window-slits, I could see an Iguana basking in the warm sun and the ocean behind him. Ronnie said that his favorite part of the fort was the from the top of the fort. We both also liked going into one of the dungeons where they kept prisoners. One of the walls had drawings of old ships, possibly drawn by someone awaiting execution for mutiny.
After the fort, we had to get some gas in our trusty rental car and we ate some sandwiches for lunch. Then, sadly, we headed to the airport. I cannot believe that today is the only day that it has not rained since we have been here! But, overall, the weather was great and did not inhibit any adventures on our part. We are all on the plane now; I am in between a sleepy little girl and a sleeping husband. I cannot wait to get home and see our Sammy cat, sleep in our bed, and shower! But, no doubt, this has been the best vacation of my life (sorry Mom and Dad! Even Disney does not compete with traveling with my little girl and my amazing husband!)
Until next time… J
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Tuesday...
Again... I will add more pictures later... :)
10/14/08
This morning, the sun was bright and the air was already heavy with the promise of rain at ten o’clock. No real signs of a tropical storm here! We ate breakfast at our little café again and again, everyone said that Eva was really cute. I marvel at the fact that so many people here seem interested in our baby girl. I would like to think that they just look at Eva because she is beautiful, but maybe they just take the time to notice the little things. The people here seem so much more laid back and easy going that what I am used to at home.
We decided to go out to a lighthouse in Ricon, after breakfast, that they man sitting next to us on our flight told us about. Supposedly, the lighthouse overlooks the place in the ocean where the Caribbean and the Atlantic meet. The road to Rincon was lined with verdant trees that made a green canopy over our car as we drove. We drove for about thirty miles and then the road became smaller and seemed to follow the ocean. Eventually, we saw the lighthouse ahead of us and we pulled into the little park around it. The lighthouse was closed to the public but the view around it was amazing. Ronnie took pictures while I manned (hah) the video camera and Eva fussed a little.
We hung out for a little bit then decided to get some lunch. We passed a cute place, made a U-turn and pulled in only to realize that we had no cash and that they did not accept credit cards… so, we began our hunt for a bank or ATM. And, let me just say that it was quite a trip (much like our scenic route the day before) We went through two towns, turned around and finally found one an hour or so later. Because we saw signs for pizza (or pitzza as one place called it) all over the island, we decided to try their pizza to see if it was any different; it wasn’t, but we enjoyed it anyway.
After lunch, we drove through the rain back to Mayaguez. We were crossing the street to our hotel and all of sudden, I was FLYING (ok, maybe not) through the air and I landed on my hand, shoulder, and behind! (Ouch). We made it back to the hotel in one piece, thankfully, and took a nap. Naptime was great, but we woke up hungry so we wandered downstairs and decided to ask the front desk people if they knew of any good Puerto Rican restaurants. The girl looked at us and said “Sizzler”... Ronnie and I looked at one another and said okay and then the other girl said, “No, they want Puerto Rican food… and told us of a few places that we could try.” We ate at one of them called Sancho Pantza and it was amazing. I had a chicken stew and Ronnie had chicken, rice and beans, and some coffee. Yum!
I cannot believe that this is the fourth day of our trip… it seems like we just got here but at the same time, I know that we will be heading home before too long.
10/14/08
This morning, the sun was bright and the air was already heavy with the promise of rain at ten o’clock. No real signs of a tropical storm here! We ate breakfast at our little café again and again, everyone said that Eva was really cute. I marvel at the fact that so many people here seem interested in our baby girl. I would like to think that they just look at Eva because she is beautiful, but maybe they just take the time to notice the little things. The people here seem so much more laid back and easy going that what I am used to at home.
We decided to go out to a lighthouse in Ricon, after breakfast, that they man sitting next to us on our flight told us about. Supposedly, the lighthouse overlooks the place in the ocean where the Caribbean and the Atlantic meet. The road to Rincon was lined with verdant trees that made a green canopy over our car as we drove. We drove for about thirty miles and then the road became smaller and seemed to follow the ocean. Eventually, we saw the lighthouse ahead of us and we pulled into the little park around it. The lighthouse was closed to the public but the view around it was amazing. Ronnie took pictures while I manned (hah) the video camera and Eva fussed a little.
We hung out for a little bit then decided to get some lunch. We passed a cute place, made a U-turn and pulled in only to realize that we had no cash and that they did not accept credit cards… so, we began our hunt for a bank or ATM. And, let me just say that it was quite a trip (much like our scenic route the day before) We went through two towns, turned around and finally found one an hour or so later. Because we saw signs for pizza (or pitzza as one place called it) all over the island, we decided to try their pizza to see if it was any different; it wasn’t, but we enjoyed it anyway.
After lunch, we drove through the rain back to Mayaguez. We were crossing the street to our hotel and all of sudden, I was FLYING (ok, maybe not) through the air and I landed on my hand, shoulder, and behind! (Ouch). We made it back to the hotel in one piece, thankfully, and took a nap. Naptime was great, but we woke up hungry so we wandered downstairs and decided to ask the front desk people if they knew of any good Puerto Rican restaurants. The girl looked at us and said “Sizzler”... Ronnie and I looked at one another and said okay and then the other girl said, “No, they want Puerto Rican food… and told us of a few places that we could try.” We ate at one of them called Sancho Pantza and it was amazing. I had a chicken stew and Ronnie had chicken, rice and beans, and some coffee. Yum!
I cannot believe that this is the fourth day of our trip… it seems like we just got here but at the same time, I know that we will be heading home before too long.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
First Vacation with Eva
(Really our first real vacation!) We are in Puerto Rico tonight in Mayaguez, and tomorrow we are planning to head to Aracibo... I have written about our travels every day but haven't had a chance to post... so here are the posts for the first three days... Mom and Dad, I miss you!
10/11/08- Puerto Rico
And we are off… okay, not really. Eva, Daddy, and Mommy are sitting at the airport waiting for our plane to arrive. So far, the trip has gone well. We packed last night, went to get some last minute Eva things and grabbed dinner. I should point out that last night, Amanda had an Amanda-fit in true fashion… we all know that vacations are not really vacations without a Mommy-fit! Then, this morning, we woke up on time (and for those of you who know us, you would know that getting up on time is an accomplishment for our little family). After getting ready, we headed out and went to the airport where we found that there was no economy parking, so we went to the “parking spot” (and they totally have spotted shuttles!) and left our car and got on our shuttle and got to the airport quickly (our driver cut off the park and go shuttle!) and safely. We are waiting now for our plane and we should be off soon (or so the lady at the ticket counter says…)
We spent nearly one hour waiting for the plane to take off, which seemed crazy at the time but I would learn later that one hour is NOTHING. The flight was relatively uneventful and Eva did really well. Once we arrived in San Juan, we got our luggage and then we went and caught a shuttle to the rental car company where we were given our very cute gray Corrolla (I thought that it was cuter than Ronnie did). And, we were off to Mayaguez, an hour and half away on the western side of the island.
The trip was crazy! I mean, bizarre and stupidly long. Ronnie and I had no idea that the people of Puerto Rico could ever get so excited about something like a governor’s election; but, we were surprised when, after sitting in traffic for nearly an hour, we learned that the traffic was the result of a political party on the streets. The people were waving flags, honking their horns, blaring music and standing in the road touching the cars with their flags. Crazy. So, our hour and a half trip took us nearly sevem and a half hours, including a scenic tour (we were lost) of San Juan.
We finally got to our hotel at around eleven thirty p.m. and checked in. We had to pay $48 for parking! Then, we went to room 216. I loved our hotel room with it’s cute little stained glass window, high ceilings, and tiled floor. Our hotel is a converted monastery and is located right next to a beautiful, historic Catholic cathedral. Overall, the trip has been exciting and somewhat eventful and we are ready for bed!
10/12/08
I prayed that we would make it through the night last night. I remember waking Ronnie up at one point to tell him that we were certainly unsafe and I was afraid because I heard gunshots. The night was terribly long and the streets were very load; but when I woke up, I was very excited to get out and about and see the island. After getting ready, we went downstairs and were given our breakfast coupons for the bakery. Once I stepped outside, I realized how silly I was to be afraid last night. The “gunshots” were definitely just construction plates over the road and the noise was just Saturday night partying. Mayaguez is just a town filled with working class people just trying to get by day by day.
The bakery across the street, Ricomini, is amazing and filled with yummy sweet treats. I got a breakfast sandwich and Ronnie got sweet bread with butter and we both got orange juice. Yummy! While I was waiting for Ronnie to come back from the car, I was left at a table with Eva. I looked in the corner of the bakery and saw an older Puerto Rican woman with deep lines in her face eating a pastry. I could tell that she was looking at Eva and she kept smiling and waiving me to her. So, with a little hesitation because of my poor Spanish, I stood up and went to the woman’s table. She was covered in food, and older than I first thought, and she could not wait to get her hands on my baby girl. She kissed her and told me that God would bless her (something that made me smile, and I later learned that nearly all the people who stopped us, and there were a lot, would say the same thing) and she covered Eva’s chubby legs with kisses. After walking back to our table, I was thinking that I was so blessed to meet that little woman who was so eager to share her love and joy with us. It’s amazing that in all things, God is waiting to be noticed and thanked. So, while sitting in that little baker in a foreign city, I rejoiced in the God that made my child and that old woman and I thanked Him for bringing both of them to me.
After breakfast, we headed south around the island toward Cabo Rojo towards Ponce. Rain started falling early on our trip and then we found ourself in traffic because of the crazy political mess; apparently, in Puerto Rico, Sundays are not God’s days, they are days for PPD (Partido Popular Democratico) but soon the rain cleared up and we were off. The road followed the coast at first, and it was beautiful! The roads were winding and I had the two people I loved most in the world with me and I couldn’t stop telling Ronnie how happy I was.
We grabbed lunch in little café where everyone kept looking at Eva and commenting on how cute she is (of course!). We had turkey sandwiches (bocadillos con pavo) with real turkey (not deli meat). The food was really good and I enjoyed watching the people and taking in the scene. After lunch, we continued on to Ponce. The view was amazing but when we got to Ponce, we were a little disappointed at hour industrial the town was so we decided to go up into the mountains and take the scenic route. We rolled the windows down and the air was balmy and heavy as we traveled through the clouds. The roads were lined with crazy sights: horses, chickens, dogs, and broken cars. Rain started to fall again late in the afternoon and we took a road off of the scenic route and got some gas, fed Ebbie, and ate dinner before we drove the hour or so back to Mayaguez. Oh, in Puerto Rico, they sell gas in liters and do distance in kilometers.
And we are off… okay, not really. Eva, Daddy, and Mommy are sitting at the airport waiting for our plane to arrive. So far, the trip has gone well. We packed last night, went to get some last minute Eva things and grabbed dinner. I should point out that last night, Amanda had an Amanda-fit in true fashion… we all know that vacations are not really vacations without a Mommy-fit! Then, this morning, we woke up on time (and for those of you who know us, you would know that getting up on time is an accomplishment for our little family). After getting ready, we headed out and went to the airport where we found that there was no economy parking, so we went to the “parking spot” (and they totally have spotted shuttles!) and left our car and got on our shuttle and got to the airport quickly (our driver cut off the park and go shuttle!) and safely. We are waiting now for our plane and we should be off soon (or so the lady at the ticket counter says…)
We spent nearly one hour waiting for the plane to take off, which seemed crazy at the time but I would learn later that one hour is NOTHING. The flight was relatively uneventful and Eva did really well. Once we arrived in San Juan, we got our luggage and then we went and caught a shuttle to the rental car company where we were given our very cute gray Corrolla (I thought that it was cuter than Ronnie did). And, we were off to Mayaguez, an hour and half away on the western side of the island.
The trip was crazy! I mean, bizarre and stupidly long. Ronnie and I had no idea that the people of Puerto Rico could ever get so excited about something like a governor’s election; but, we were surprised when, after sitting in traffic for nearly an hour, we learned that the traffic was the result of a political party on the streets. The people were waving flags, honking their horns, blaring music and standing in the road touching the cars with their flags. Crazy. So, our hour and a half trip took us nearly sevem and a half hours, including a scenic tour (we were lost) of San Juan.
We finally got to our hotel at around eleven thirty p.m. and checked in. We had to pay $48 for parking! Then, we went to room 216. I loved our hotel room with it’s cute little stained glass window, high ceilings, and tiled floor. Our hotel is a converted monastery and is located right next to a beautiful, historic Catholic cathedral. Overall, the trip has been exciting and somewhat eventful and we are ready for bed!
10/12/08
I prayed that we would make it through the night last night. I remember waking Ronnie up at one point to tell him that we were certainly unsafe and I was afraid because I heard gunshots. The night was terribly long and the streets were very load; but when I woke up, I was very excited to get out and about and see the island. After getting ready, we went downstairs and were given our breakfast coupons for the bakery. Once I stepped outside, I realized how silly I was to be afraid last night. The “gunshots” were definitely just construction plates over the road and the noise was just Saturday night partying. Mayaguez is just a town filled with working class people just trying to get by day by day.
The bakery across the street, Ricomini, is amazing and filled with yummy sweet treats. I got a breakfast sandwich and Ronnie got sweet bread with butter and we both got orange juice. Yummy! While I was waiting for Ronnie to come back from the car, I was left at a table with Eva. I looked in the corner of the bakery and saw an older Puerto Rican woman with deep lines in her face eating a pastry. I could tell that she was looking at Eva and she kept smiling and waiving me to her. So, with a little hesitation because of my poor Spanish, I stood up and went to the woman’s table. She was covered in food, and older than I first thought, and she could not wait to get her hands on my baby girl. She kissed her and told me that God would bless her (something that made me smile, and I later learned that nearly all the people who stopped us, and there were a lot, would say the same thing) and she covered Eva’s chubby legs with kisses. After walking back to our table, I was thinking that I was so blessed to meet that little woman who was so eager to share her love and joy with us. It’s amazing that in all things, God is waiting to be noticed and thanked. So, while sitting in that little baker in a foreign city, I rejoiced in the God that made my child and that old woman and I thanked Him for bringing both of them to me.
After breakfast, we headed south around the island toward Cabo Rojo towards Ponce. Rain started falling early on our trip and then we found ourself in traffic because of the crazy political mess; apparently, in Puerto Rico, Sundays are not God’s days, they are days for PPD (Partido Popular Democratico) but soon the rain cleared up and we were off. The road followed the coast at first, and it was beautiful! The roads were winding and I had the two people I loved most in the world with me and I couldn’t stop telling Ronnie how happy I was.
We grabbed lunch in little café where everyone kept looking at Eva and commenting on how cute she is (of course!). We had turkey sandwiches (bocadillos con pavo) with real turkey (not deli meat). The food was really good and I enjoyed watching the people and taking in the scene. After lunch, we continued on to Ponce. The view was amazing but when we got to Ponce, we were a little disappointed at hour industrial the town was so we decided to go up into the mountains and take the scenic route. We rolled the windows down and the air was balmy and heavy as we traveled through the clouds. The roads were lined with crazy sights: horses, chickens, dogs, and broken cars. Rain started to fall again late in the afternoon and we took a road off of the scenic route and got some gas, fed Ebbie, and ate dinner before we drove the hour or so back to Mayaguez. Oh, in Puerto Rico, they sell gas in liters and do distance in kilometers.
I slept much better in our second night in Puerto Rico, minus the cold air from the air conditioner that was not adjustable….
10/13/08
Our third day started out just as beautiful as the day before. We ate breakfast across the street at the bakery and took a long walk around town. We had planned to talk to the zoo but the road did not have sidewalks so we turned around and decided to take the car. We got to the zoo (I had read online that the zoo was free, but it wasn’t (sad) it cost $15) and as soon as we left the visitor’s center, it started to rain… We took cover with the bald eagle, some owls, and eventually, some Puerto Ricans. The rain came down in sheets and we were all soaked but decided to stay. I loved the aviary and we took some great pictures. The zoo was really great and I enjoyed the day. After the zoo, we went to the bakery and got lunch, a donut for me and a cheese danish for Ronnie. After we got lunch, we went back to the hotel were we were surprised to find out that there was a tropical depression heading towards the island! So, we went to Walmart (of course) to get some emergency food and some stuff for Eva. That night, we ate dinner at Popeyes and talked about how we would love to live somewhere else and have different lives.
10/13/08
Our third day started out just as beautiful as the day before. We ate breakfast across the street at the bakery and took a long walk around town. We had planned to talk to the zoo but the road did not have sidewalks so we turned around and decided to take the car. We got to the zoo (I had read online that the zoo was free, but it wasn’t (sad) it cost $15) and as soon as we left the visitor’s center, it started to rain… We took cover with the bald eagle, some owls, and eventually, some Puerto Ricans. The rain came down in sheets and we were all soaked but decided to stay. I loved the aviary and we took some great pictures. The zoo was really great and I enjoyed the day. After the zoo, we went to the bakery and got lunch, a donut for me and a cheese danish for Ronnie. After we got lunch, we went back to the hotel were we were surprised to find out that there was a tropical depression heading towards the island! So, we went to Walmart (of course) to get some emergency food and some stuff for Eva. That night, we ate dinner at Popeyes and talked about how we would love to live somewhere else and have different lives.
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