Take A Break

Puerto Rico Trip

Day 4

Monday, January 21, 2019

I did my Puerto Rico Trip get-coffee-downstairs-and-sit-by-the-pool thing this morning, and tried to figure out the type of bird that was making sounds like a mockingjay from "Hunger Games".  I had heard their song every morning, and finally got a picture of one so that I could look it up on Google Lens.  The bird is a type of grackle, and the description of their song is "metallic tone".  

Are you, are you going to the tree?

I went inside when it started to rain, which subsided by the time we left the hotel.  We walked a couple of blocks to get breakfast, but the place we wanted to go to was under renovation.  Bummer.  APPARENTLY, most of the restaurants are closed on Mondays.  So we decided to go to the market located across the street from the hotel.

Very cool mural of the Puerto Rican flag on Loiza Street

Bro and I decided to get pastries for breakfast, and V ordered a smoothie without chunks of fruit in it.  I also got a cool-looking bottle of water from Spain, and bought drinks for our beach time, scheduled for later in the day.  We brought our goodies back to the hotel, and ate breakfast near the pool.  The pastries were all yummy!

PIctured from top: Quesito de Nutella; Guayaba pastelillo;
 panadilla con pollo; Guayaba con queso pastelillo
Not pictured:  panadilla con carne

Agua de Solan de Cabras

We were seated under a tree, and V asked about the fruit hanging from it.  A plaque next to the tree showed that it was a Calabash tree, and the gourd is used as cups or bowls, but is more well-known as being used to make maracas! 

Shake those maracas!

We went to our room to change into our swimsuits, then V asked the hotel valet for a ride in the golf cart shuttle to the beach.  My seatbelt didn't work, so I just hung on for dear life.  The shuttle dropped us off near the Doubletree area, where we asked for an umbrella and beach chairs.  While we waited, we pet a bulldog that I will now call Stinky because, well, he was stinky from dampness and beachiness.  But he was friendly, and he's a dog, so that's OK!

I have just met you and I love you!

I don't understand why one couple was seated with their backs to the shore, while another couple was seated with their left sides to the shore.  It was weird.  I sat on the beach chair to watch our stuff and the local fauna (dogs and birds) while Bro and V played at the shore.  They're so cute.

V has Mermaid Hair

When they came back to the chairs, we had our beverages: rum punch in pouches that we bought at the market.  Mmmm.....rum!

It's Adult Capri Sun!  

After some sunning time, I needed to try out the water, so I waded in up to my waist, and let the waves splash me until I'd had enough.  The water temperature was a little warm, at least compared to the water in the Pacific.  Bro told me to go out to the blue area, but with the theory I had the other day, I didn't want to suddenly drop into the depths of the ocean.

We needed to use the facilities, so we packed up and walked back to the hotel.  But wait!  There was a gelato place across the street from the hotel, and I had mentioned earlier that I wanted ice cream!  We gave our orders and brought our gelato to the hotel pool area to enjoy it.

Decisions, decisions

Thank you, PalettAmerica!

Since I was still damp from the beach, I decided to just continue the water time and got in the pool while V put her feet in the whirlpool.  Bro joined me there, and V did so eventually also.  Then I needed to warm up and got in the whirpool.  I even stayed in there when it started to shower from the sky.  It was nice to feel the cool rain hit my face as I sat in the warm water.  I got out when the rain stopped and dried off a little, only for the rain to start again and get me wet.  We all went upstairs to the hotel room, which hadn't been serviced yet.  We were all going to leave our stuff there and wait downstairs for the room to be serviced, but then I realized that we could change into dry clothes first.  OH!  So we sat downstairs, and relaxed when our room was ready for us to return.

We went to dinner across the street at Piola Pizzeria Artesanal Calle Loiza.  It was still Happy Hour, and I ordered a white wine sangria because the Yelp reviews said that the cocktails were very good.  Bro and V ordered locally made beer.  

Sangriiia!

Mermaid Hair girl got beer with a mermaid on the can.
Totally not on purpose.

Not sure that Crash Boat is a good thing.
I'm just glad there's some green and red on the can.

Bro and V shared a pizza (I think it was La Boca), and I ordered a Crispy Chicken sandwich.  Actually, I ordered a "Fried Chicken Sandwich", which totally confused the server, whom didn't speak much English.  It did not help when I continued to talk.  People should not give me alcohol and then ask me questions if they want a simple answer.  Bro had ketchup issues and managed to get a big blob of it onto the table and spread it around.  I told the server it wasn't my fault.  He probably went back to the kitchen to tell everyone else to stop conversing with the crazy lady at our table.  Poor V.  Or me, whatevs.

CRISPY Chicken Burger

Our food was good, our drinks were good (the sangria was especially yummilicious), and dessert looked good, but too rich for us at the moment.  We went back to the hotel to finish off the 6-pack of Rum Punch in a pouch, and watched TV for the rest of the night.

What a nice, relaxing day!  Yay for birthday vacations!

It Must Be Nice

Next up:  Going back to Cali