Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Romantic Getaway to Puerto Rico


Lookout towers guarding the walled city of Old San Juan

Warm, tropical breezes brushing over me. My first sip of a cold mojito with condensation sliding down the glass. The sound of flamenco music and the staccato stomps of the dancers' feet. Best of all, my beloved hubby by my side. That's what I remember when I think back to that romantic night in Old San Juan. For a few glorious days, we took a vacation from our life as parents and focused on just being a couple. Puerto Rico was a heavenly place to do it. Finally, we could relax and take our time. We didn't have to worry about early bedtimes, overtired kids or picky eaters with unfamiliar food.





 

Our first few nights were spent at The Gallery Inn in Old San Juan, just a short walk from the famous El Morro fort. Days were whiled away walking the cobbled streets and wandering among the colonial era, stone buildings. Just exploring the inn itself was fascinating.


Relaxing at The Gallery Inn

This 300-year-old mansion is one of the most visually interesting places we've ever stayed. I could almost picture people from centuries past lounging in the rooms or walking through the doorways.


I felt like I had traveled through time to a bygone era.


The artwork of sculptor, painter, and inn owner, Jan D'Esposo, is tucked into nooks and crannies. As the name implies, the whole place is a gallery.


Can you identify this famous, former guest?


Exotic birds near the entrance are eager to have a word with you. Climb up past the Music Room and out to the rooftop deck for a panoramic view of the ancient walled city and the Caribbean Sea. Even the pool is not the typical hotel type.

Ready for a dip in the salt water pool?


This place is rustic and authentic -- as in the plaster fell off the ceiling and onto my luggage. I just wrote that off as part of the charm. Because we booked at the last minute, we ended up in a (starving) Artist Room. It was up a tight, spiral staircase, forcing hubby to hold our luggage above  his head in order to maneuver it in such a small space. The cozy room looked out through a handkerchief sized window down into an interior courtyard. I imagined that this was the perfect place for some mischievous younger sibling to spy on an older sister when suitors came courting.

Guests are welcome to explore.


A few days later, we moved to the Luquillo Sunrise Beach Inn. True to the hotel's name, we were greeted with a beach sunrise out our window. La Pared beach just across the street is famous for surfing. You can even borrow boogie boards from the inn if you want to catch some waves.

Greeting the day at the Luquillo Sunrise Beach Inn


If staying in Old San Juan was all about history, staying in Luquillo gave us a chance to discover the natural beauty of Puerto Rico. El Yunque National Forest is a short, 10-minute drive away. We spent hours hiking through the rainforest and cooling off under a waterfall.

Swimming under La Mina Falls in El Yunque

The highlight of our Puerto Rico visit was kayaking to a bioluminescent bay on a moonless night. Unfortunately for you, this experience was impossible to photograph, so you'll just have to believe me how incredible it was. We joined the guided group in Fajardo and climbed into a double kayak with a green glow bracelet marking the front and a red one on the back. As we entered the channel lined with mangroves that led towards the bay, what was left of the nighttime light faded away, and these small glow bracelets were the only clue of where the other kayaks were. I watched a red light slowly pivot around a green one when one kayak ahead of me got caught on roots.

A few hours of Wii Kayaking didn't prepare me for the real thing, and I turned out to be a less than ideal kayak partner. So, in a way, this whole excursion turned into one of those Marriage Relationship Building exercises in trust and forgiveness. Being short was an advantage as the tree branches that walloped my husband on the forehead passed harmlessly above me. I still maintain that I was not intentionally steering us towards them.

Finally, we emerged into the bay, and all the bickering evaporated. Microscopic plankton in this lagoon light up whenever it's disturbed. It was as if we had entered a fairy land. As our oars passed through the water, I could see a sparkling trail behind them. The water glittered when I scooped it up with my cupped hand and splashed it over my legs. Suddenly, a large fish darted past, and we could see both the details of the fish and the path flowing back into the depths. It was truly one of those unforgettable experiences that put you in awe of nature.



Rio Camuy Caves
We took a day to explore Rio Camuy Caves on the other side of the island. To reach the caves from the visitors center, you don oh-so-sexy hard hats perfect for a romantic outing -- Hah! -- and take a tram down to the cave entrance. The guided tours available in either English or Spanish point out all standard cave features as well as giant spiders. Giant spiders! There's a handy railing in some slippery parts, but it's covered in bat guano so chose which is the lesser evil, falling or touching poop.

The nearby Arecibo Observatory is the world's largest and most sensitive radiotelescope. Plus, it was the scene of the climax of the James Bond movie, GoldenEye, as well as being featured in that Jodie Foster movie, Contact, and an episode of The X-files. In other words, this place is perfectly suited for geeks like me.

It's been almost four and a half years since our trip to Puerto Rico, the last time that we've had a purely romantic getaway from the kids. (I'm so not counting the house and school hunting trip to Malaysia.) Like any great vacation, it lingers in my mind. Memories pop up when I least suspect it, and it gives me sustenance when I'm back in full-on Mommy mode .
 
 
This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check them out for more around-the-word travel inspiration.

28 comments:

  1. Hi, I'm afraid I could not find your email address hence this note - please can you contact me at carole@expatfocus.com Thank you.

    Kind regards,

    Carole

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  2. I love PR too! I went once for a salsa convention and fell in love with the island. Thanks for brining back some fond memories for me!

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    1. Salsa the dance or Salsa the Mexican condiment? Either way, it sounds fun.

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  3. Never occurred to me to visit Puerto Rico, but you've shown some great reasons to do so. I love the photos of the old Inn, even though you were relegated to the starving artist room. Did you get to see any of the better rooms?

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    1. I've only seen picture online of the other rooms, and they are much, much nicer than the one I was in. Luckily, about half the inn was open to everyone, so we could spend our time in the public rooms.

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  4. San Juan was one of my favorite travel destinations when I lived in Venezuela.

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  5. I was just asked this week by a reader if I had been to Puerto Rico - I am sending a link to this post to that person because you've captured it so well. Beautiful photos

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    1. We planned this trip on the spur of the moment, copying another friend's itinerary. I hope your reader finds it helpful.

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  6. What a beautiful old inn to stay in. That is hilarious that part of the ceiling fell, maybe not so if it landed on you though! PR looks like a wonderful place.

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    1. When the ceiling fell (just a small piece), I realized that this place isn't for everyone, but I personally didn't mind.

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  7. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip - and your theme fits in well to Valentines Day. I love the image of the light shining down through the cave. We had our last trip minus children 8 years ago. I think we are overdue for another!
    I have just joined Travel Photo Thursday and am already enjoying the ride.

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    1. It's going to be another 18 months before there's remote possibility of a kid-free trip. Travel Photo Thursday is great! I think I have a harder time picking vacations now because I have so many ideas floating around in my head.

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  8. Looks like a great trip, just you and Hubby. Have a great Valentine's.

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    1. Happy Valentine's Day to you, too! I ended up baking 440 heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies to celebrate.

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  9. Very beautiful place, I love to visit someday. Great photos :)

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    1. I highly recommend Puerto Rico. There's so much to see and do.

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  10. PR sounds like a fabulous place to visit. The Gallery Inn sounds like my kind of place..even with the falling plaster but the trip I'd most love to do is the kayaking to the Bioluminescent Bay. I'd love to see this.

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  11. Wow, I love the look of that pool!

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  12. I've never been to Puerto Rico but would love visit some day. The hotel you stayed in is just my kind of lodging!

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  13. Puerto Rico would be wonderful for a romantic getaway. We've stayed at a couple of nice resorts there (quite some time ago), but I'd love spend time in Old San Juan.

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  14. Haha, that's funny -- the place was rustic and authentic, that is the plaster fell on my suitcase. I'm sure you laugh about that sometimes.
    Love Old San juan, remember it fondly.

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  15. Hi Michelle, First of all, love that wonderful shot of the Camuy Cave! So dramatic! Ahh...love PR. I was there in 2005. I love how Old San Juan reminded me of Old Manila. Puerto Rico shares same colonial history as the Phillipines. Along with Cuba, Spain handed them to the US at the same time under the Treaty of Paris. When I visited PR, I was surprised to learn how much trace of the Philippines was brought to the PR by the Spaniards - the bamboos, the coconut trees, etc. I woudn't know until one of the bus drivers told me so. In fact, they call some of the coconut varieties "Filipinos."

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    1. It's been a loooong time since I've visited the Philippine's Fort Santiago and Intromuros in Manila. I hope to take my kids there sometime. Yes, the Old San Juan and Intromuros definitely share the same colonial Spanish influence. I had not heard that some coconuts in PR were called Filipinos. That's an interesting tidbit.

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  16. What a fun trip - it looks & sounds amazing! I love that last picture!

    Thanks for linking up!

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  17. I loved the places you stayed at especially The Gallery Inn. It seemed to have brought romance up to a whole new level. Wow on the sunrise views you got too. his truly looked like a very romantic trip with lots of adventure thrown in. We've gone to Puerto Rico on pre and post-cruise stays and with kids. Thanks for showing me its potential for a romantic getaway. We loved hiking El Yunque too and it's been a dream to do the kayaking on the bioluminescent bay. How cool!

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  18. Funny, I was just eying some good deal on flights to Puerto Rico the other day but have to admit I didn't know much about the country. It does seem quite like a romantic destination and I wonder if I can convince hubby to come.

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  19. I think Puerto Rico is such an underrated vacation spot. I agree with Mary that The Gallery Inn looks amazing! When we went we also stayed at the Luquillo Sunrise Beach hotel. It was simple, but I loved it. The made-to-order, different every day breakfasts were one of my favorite breakfast at a hotel (or really anywhere) moments.

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