Welcome to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico! What better way to escape the only snowstorm in DC this winter than a weekend get away to the Caribbean. No passport or exchange of money needed, just a plane ticket and a Spanish speaker (of which I have both). Mike and I went down to Puerto Rico in January to catch yet another ping pong tournament. While Mike spent his mornings working, I took advantage of the beautiful infinity pool overlooking the cruise ships and the state of the art hotel gym. Not a bad way to spend your Friday and Saturday mornings. As this was some work and mostly play, we stayed in San Juan and rented a car to take us to some of the sights on the island.
We took an afternoon exploring El Yunque, the tropical rain forest on the island. We drove through windy roads, hiked up to waterfalls, and even took a splash (small) in the waterfall. On a warmer day, I may have ventured to stand right under. The views from the top of the rain forest were spectacular!
Puerto Rico is also known for its bioluminescent bays. There are only a few in the world (Caribbean mostly) and Puerto Rico boasts three! As Mike and I are not the best detail planners, we didn't make arrangements ahead of time, but Saturday night we took our chance and went to the bay hoping to find an available tour. With a wink and a smile, we were able to join a group. Nightly kayak tours are available in the bay. You join a group, get in a kayak, and kayak your way through a pitch black mangrove forest to come out into an open bay, all along watching the water glow electric blue. Microorganisms in the water glow when touched as a defense mechanism, meaning as you paddle or put your hand in the water, your paddle or hands glows blue. Pretty cool!
Other adventures including finding authentic restaurants to eat at, playing on the beach, hanging out at the pool, watching ping pong, attending church, and exploring a 16th century fortress (grounds only, we were there at night), and just enjoying 82 degree weather in January! If you are looking for a tropical adventurous get away that's not too far away (from the east coast), come to Puerto Rico!!!
We didn't take a ton of pictures (kinda shocking, I know), but here are a few.
