enjoying a north coast beach in Puerto Rico

April 2016 Travels in Review – pt 2 Puerto Rico

When I sat down to compile my review of April travels, I quickly accumulated entirely too much news for a single article. Since I spent all of April in just two places – Tulum, Mexico and Puerto Rico – I decided to break my April review into two articles.

In this second post I recount my rather extensive 2 ½ week explorations of Puerto Rico. I flew into San Juan from Cancun, Mexico on April 17^th and spent the rest of April and early May checking out the island.

Quite luckily for me, I’d been invited to Puerto Rico by local friends. They served as hosts & travel guides as well as providing transportation. As a result, I was able to get around the island easily and affordably, exploring PR in much more depth than most vacation visitors.

So a big thanks to my hosts Harold and Orlando! Great times indeed.

Without further ado, following are the many sites, tastes and adventures I enjoyed during my visit.

TRAVEL UPDATE MEXICO: Surprise – I am in Puerto Rico~!

My first time to P.R… and I’ll be exploring extensively for 2-3 weeks!

So get ready for lots of new photos, travel updates, stories and travel tips.

Let’s go explore Puerto Rico! Yippie!

TRAVEL UPDATE: Mofongo – my 1st Puerto Rican meal…

Mofongo consists of a large slab of boiled plantain that is topped with some sort of meat or seafood.

I ate Mofongo with rare churrasco beef. Delicious!

Whenever I try a country’s delicious traditional cuisine for the 1st time, I always wonder why it’s not known all over the world.

Anyone here ever heard of or eaten mofongo? It’s awesome.

Museum of Art – Ponce – Puerto Rico

PONCE

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Ponce Museum of Art…

This world-class museum holds the largest collection of European Art in the Caribbean!

Established by famous Puerto Rican philanthropist & governor Don Luis A Ferre in the 1960s, it now owns over 5000 art works!

Most European paintings are from the 1500s & 1600s, with several works by Europe’s most famous artists.

‘Flaming June’ by Frederic Leighton is the museum’s most famous piece. Apparently art lovers from all over Europe travel to Puerto Rico just to see it! (3rd photo here)

The museum also shows contemporary art.

Lion statues in Ponce – Puerto Rico

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Leones de Ponce…

Ponce is a historic city in southern Puerto Rico. The main square features 16 Lion statues painted by various artistists, representing various neighborhoods & cutlures of Ponce.

I got my 1st tour of Ponce Square yesterday afternoon and snapped all the Lion statues…

Which is your favorite?

* more photos of gorgeous historic buildings coming soon!

Parque de Bombas – Ponce – Puerto Rico

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Gorgeous historic fire house in Ponce, PR…

This wooden fire house from the early 1800s is now an open-air museum.

It also commemorates 8 hero firemen who saved the city in 1899, going against military orders to stop since it was deemed too dangerous. But they beat the fire and saved the town!

Que heroes!

custom guitar

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO:

Cool musical instruments from Puerto Rican musician at the Museo de la Musica

1. Made in shape of Puerto Rico Island, with details of famous points

2. Detailing…
3. Rooster guitar! hahahaha!
4-5. in beautiful wood
6. The music maker…Don Carmelo Martell Luciano

Castle Serrallas

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Tour of Castle Serralles

Castle Serralles was the plush home of Rum Baron Juan Serralles who established Don Q Rum in the 1800s.

The Castle stands high up on a prominent hill overlooking all of Ponce City, the southern coast of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Sea.

Every room in the castle provides outstanding panoramic views of inland mountains, landscaped gardens and the sea.

Don Q Rum is still in production. In fact, it’s the most popular rum in Puerto Rico, outselling Bacardi Rum, the 2nd most popular Puerto Rican rum.

Great & informative tour of the castle with friends here in PR!

Don Q Rum on display at Castle Serralles

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rican Rum rules!

Don Q Rum is the most famous & most popular rum in Puerto Rico. It outsells Bacardi Rum here on the island.

Don Q Rum was started in the late 1800s by Juan Cerralles, originally from Catalonia, Spain. He’s also the man who built Caslte Cerralles that I toured a few days ago.

Here’s a great display of various rums at the castle. j

btw- 70% of all rum consumed in the US is produced in PR! Hip-hip hooray for PR Rum! I love rum cocktalis!

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO:

Guancha Beach lies just outside Ponce, on Puerto Rico’s south coast..

Guancha certainly isn’t the most beautiful or lush beach I’ve ever visited. But it’s a pleasant place to hang out, walk and admire Caribbean Sea views.

A boardwalk with several restaurants lies at a small marina full of private yachts and power boats.

CABO ROJO

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Cliffs & Beach at Cabo Rojo…

Cabo Rojo (Red Cape) is where I saw the pink water salt flats…

But Cabo Rojo is also famous for it’s gorgeous golden cliffs,aquamarine Caribbean Sea and au naturale beach.

Such a great day trip with so much to see and do!

Pink salt fields Cabo Rojo

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO:

I visited the amazing salt flats at Cabo Rojo… (Red Cape) in far southwest PR…

Check out this amazing pink & multi-colored water!

I was so shocked because… I just published photos of pink water salt flats at Rio Lagartos, Mexico last week!

Rio Lagartos was one of my best day trips in Mexico. I thought it was the only place I would EVER see pink water in the world.

But here I am, just one month later, In Puerto Rico, gazing at more pink water salt flats. Far Out!

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: I saw a weather blimp!

Have you ever seen a blimp?

I hadn’t until driving in southwestern Puerto Rico a few days ago…

And there it was fairly low to the ground, clearly visible from the highway. We stopped to photograph it.

Luckily, we could talk to a local woman who explained some interesting details:

* It’s a weather and drug prevention blimp
* It’s permanently stationed there, held in place by a wire from the ground
* It’s been there over 20 years!
* This is the 3^rd one. 1^st blew away & was lost. 2^nd was shot down!

SAN JUAN

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: I just spent 3 days exploring San Juan!

Wow, it’s a gorgeous city full of fantastic panoramas and colorful historic architecture.

Here are several panoramic shots to give you an overview of the city.

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO:

Check this gorgeous architecture in Old San Juan…

I just LOVE architecture! And restored colonial architectures are some of my very favorite… especially in such vivid colors.

What do you think of these buildings in Old San Juan?

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Beautiful cobbled streets in San Juan!

San Juan must have some of the prettiest cobbled streets.

Many of them are made of Blue Bricks! I have never seen a blue-brick road before! Have you?

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO:

I ate Afogato for the 1^st time! Yummm!

Do you know Afogato?

If not, you should! It’s Ammmazing!

Afogato is: vanilla icecream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a shot of espresso poured over all.

Wowie!!! Deeeelicious.

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO:

San Juan is home to hundreds of pigeons…

They congregate in the city’s many plazas. But especially in aptly named Pigeon Park…

…where they perch in trees and even have homes in the wall!

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO:

Great street musicians in Old San Juan!

Wandering around Old SAn Juan, I came across many musicians playing for their keep.

This violinist was a particularly skilled musician. Wowie!

And it might be my 1st time to hear an Electric Violin! Check out the cool instrument design, too.

My mom plays violin, so I could really appreciate this guys’ skills.

TRAVEL UPDATE PUERTO RICO: Amazing 4-mast sailing ship~! May 4

Much to my astonishment, this incredible – huge – & historic sailboat was docked at San Juan harbor while I was there.

I have never seen a 4 MASTED ship before!

Even better, we got to photograph it and go on board for a tour of the deck.

Turns out this is a Spanish naval training ship. They make an annual crossing UNDER SAIL of the Atlantic with naval students, officers and instructors.

For 4-6 months they tour around the Americas, giving hand’s on training to naval academy students.

Wow, what a way to learn!

What a ship!