Wow, I am so impressed with how much this country (territory) has to offer! "Puerto Rico has it all" is very accurate. My fav things: reggateon, tropical beaches including white cool sand with clear warm calm turquoise water, fab snorkeling, sea turtles (nesting sea turtles which means cute little babies flopping through the sand), bioluminescense, manatees, butterflies, jellyfish, rain forest, Brugal rum, nice weather, pool/beach beds, swim-up bar, and partially submerged pool chaises complete with chair-side table for your drink!
A bit pricey but could be done on a moderate budget with some effort. Camping on the beach costs $20, street kiosks offer reasonable food, etc. Definitely tough on a backpacker's budget though. They use US dollars and was strange to me just how much they consider themselves a part of the US. You don't need a passport nor do you go through customs when visiting PR. Also, every time we'd try to speak Spanish to someone, they would just talk to us in English.
Since the military pulled out in 2003, all the land and beaches they used to occupy are now open and available. This means beaches that have not been developed or trashed!! Some of the towns such as Isabella 2 are going through changes since they used to be supported by all the military personnel.
So many interesting things to see here. The blue cobbled streets of Old San Juan, the fort, the islands with perfect pristine beaches, the rain forest, bioluminescent bays, fishing villages, etc. Definitely worth a trip back!
Aug 2009
The daily total includes all lodging, food, booze, transportation, sightseeing, visas, etc. I don't include the money I spend on gifts for friends and I do not include the flight price.
| Lodging (shared) | Food | Booze | Transportation | Other Stuff | $1 Exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45.20 (✓) | $7.45 | - | - | - | 1 |
| Language | Meaning | Phrase / Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
Spanish |
chicken stock / bouillon (also caldo de pollo) |
consome de pollo cohn-soh-meh deh poi-yo |
| Does this have animal products? | Esto tiene productos de animales? eh-stoh tyeh-neh proh-dook-tohs deh ah-nee-mah-lehs? |
|
| Does this have chicken stock? | Tiene caldo de pollo? tyeh-neh cahl-doh deh poi-yo? |
|
| I am vegetarian | soy vegetarian(a fem.)(o male) soy ve-he-TAH-ree-YAH-nah |
|
| I don't eat meat, chicken, or fish | no como carne, pollo o pescado | |
| Is this made with water or chicken stock? (handy for asking about the gallo pinto) |
Está hecho con agua o caldo de pollo? | |
| no meat, no chicken, no fish | ni carne, ni pollo, ni pescado nee CAR-ne, nee POY-o, nee pes-CA-do |
|
| with vegetables instead of mean (chicken), please | con verduras en lugar de carne (pollo) por favor |
| Language | Meaning | Phrase / Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
Spanish |
health / Cheers! | salud sah-LOOD |
| pure life / Cheers! (means; Pure Life) (Costa Rica) |
pura vida POO-rah VEE-dah |
|
| a light rain, like mist (literally cat’s hair) (Costa Rica) |
pelo de gato PEH-lo deh GAH-toh |
|
| giddy up (use it slangly like you do in English for "let's go" or "get going") |
arre AH-rreh |
|
| last drink of the night, although there are usually multiple last drinks (Costa Rica) |
zarpe SAR-peh |
Helpful information and fun adventures!
