Old posts from my very first travel website and my first backpacking trip (a year in 2000-2001)!

One week since we left our little apartment in San Diego. From full work mode, to driving home to CO, spending 72 hours at home, then off to ABQ to get 3 flights to Puerto Rico. Whew!

Made it to San Juan and ran into Summer, David, Mom, and Steve as soon as we got out of the taxi. Perfect. Had some drinks in the hotel room (Mojitos anyone?) and wandered out to check out the town. The hotel is in an awesome little blue cobbled alley with 2 bars that become quite hoppin' at night. We ventured out to Laser for some reggaeton and it was great! I asked what time they closed and they just laughed at me. Guess they are open until around 5:30! The owner or manager waived our cover charge and the place was packed with a lot of people much younger than we who also do the perro much dirtier than in the states. We danced a bit (great music!), had a Bacardi Apple w/ cranberry, then we left at around 3:30am and there were people lined up to get in!Breakfast consisted of delicious coffee that is almost chocolaty, a weird sweet bread with cheese powdered sugar, and a little old guy playing accordion. Awesome. Walked the town, cute cobbled streets, big churches, old convent turned hotel, and of course Morrow Fort. The fort was really interesting. Then we wandered over to a wonderful little hole in the wall called El Batey for a few drinks. Not so impressed with the Puerto Rican rums. Everyone one else went to a pricey Italian dinner while Steve and I enjoyed the street stalls and live music down by the water. Then after a nice walk along a photographic exhibit, everyone (but us) turned in early since we had to get up at 6:30am to head to the ferry.

Steve and I decided to hit the tiny bar in our alley and had a blast! We befriended a local woman named Mayra probably in her 50s who we danced (she and her cousin TRIED to teach us to Salsa) and drank with. Past midnight it was my birthday so the celebration was on. The bartender was just as messed up as we were and would have forgotten to charge us completely had we not asked him how much we owed. He just sort of looked confused and said "um, $20". Cool.

Rough morning, but made it to Sum & David's swank Hotel Caribe and drove out to the ferry in their rental car where the lines were HOURS long. Shit. And in the sweltering heat too. Managed to sort of sneak in line near the front and finally managed tickets for the 9:30 ferry to Viequez.