Let The Party Begin!

Puerto Rico Trip

Day 1

Friday, January 18, 2019

It's birthday vacation time!

I realized that I forgot Bananaman and was sad that he would be alone on my birthday, but then he would have been another thing to pack and I'm pretty sure I had enough to worry about, what with all of the different kinds of outfits  I brought since I didn't know what we'd be doing outside of the main event.  I plan to make up for the lack of Bananaman pictures by taking pictures of other bananas and plantains.  Somehow, I"ll make up for this to Bananaman when I get home.

I stayed at Bro's house the night before so that we could wake up in the wee early hours of the morning to get to LAX for our 7:45 a.m. flight.  V belongs to the Admirals Club, so we enjoyed our free breakfast there while we waited to board the plane.  

Before Dawn

Good morning, Tower!

We had individual video screens at our seats, so all 3 of us watched movies instead of sleeping.  I watched "BlacKkKlansman" and "Tag", both of which I wasn't able to catch while they were in theaters.  It really helped pass the time for an approximately 5-hour flight.  If only the flight attendants had been a little bit friendly to make it even more pleasant, then it would have been a wonderful flight. I think that maybe with everyone looking at their screens, the attendants don't feel like they need to be personable with the people on the plane.  There I go with my psychological theories again.

Window View

Good Afternoon, Miami!

We landed in Miami and had snacks at the Admirals Club.  I like this Admirals Club thing!  I enjoyed their carrot soup and the roasted red pepper hummus.  We didn't get to spend as much time there as we did at LAX because we were between flights, but it was nice to get some free food.  None of us splurged on the menu items that were not complimentary.

View from AC

While waiting for our flight, I thought of getting empanadas at a Cuban place adjacent to our gate, but decided against it.  It's a good thing, too, because we were seated next to the bulkhead, which meant that we didn't have any space in front of us where we could put our smaller carry-on items.  This flight, although we didn't have individual screens, was still enjoyable because we were able to chat with the flight attendant whom sat down in the aisle next to V during takeoff and landing.  She asked if we were going on a cruise, and we told her the reason for our trip.  She got really excited for us, and told us about other people whom had made the journey in the last week or so.  She also told us that they were holding an annual fiesta in town, which lasts until Sunday, so we picked the perfect weekend to go to PR.  V told her that it was my birthday the next day, and she sweetly wished me a Happy Birthday when we deplaned.  She told V, "Let the party begin!"

The baggage carousel was sponsored by a casino and looked like a roulette wheel.  Bro said that we should bet on whatever number we found my bag, which ended up being MY number!  

Are they trying to tell me that the chances of my bag
 getting here is like a roulette game?

After I got my bag
V moved the other one so I could take this pic

We tried to catch an Uber or Lyft, but that is not available here, so we got in line for a taxi.  We told the taxi company rep how many people were riding, where we were going, and how many bags.  This helps her determine the fare, which she checked off on a sheet of paper so that we would know what to pay once we arrived.  I tried to give the taxi driver a $4 tip, but he didn't have the appropriate change, so he ended up with $3.  Oh well.

We checked in and I ate my free cookie, then we went to dinner downstairs at Cafe Pierre.  I enjoyed my Old Harbor Stout, which had a seasonal flavor of white chocolate.  We also enjoyed our food: Ceviche and Plantain Chips, The Havana (Cuban sandwich), and Churrasco wrap.

The Havana

Ceviche and Plantain Chips

After dinner, we returned to our room and unpacked.  My bed is a Murphy bed, and the bathroom is too intimate for my liking.  (The door is glass and opaque, and the wall between the shower and the room is glass blocks).  While you can't really see anything, there is a lot of echo and you can hear everything that's going on in there.  Maybe if there was more buffer space between the bathroom and the beds, I would mind less, but the bathroom door opens from beside the bed. They couldn't have the door open to the little hallway?  Anyway, that's the worst part of the room for me so far.  

We Skyped with the kids and went to sleep a little bit after midnight, so Bro and V wished me a Happy Birthday.  Thank you!!!

Cheers to Puerto Rico!

Next up:  Birthday in San Juan