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Message from above - - There's no place like "home"
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:59 am
by LandLockedBeachLover
Well, hubby & me (along with 2 other couples) just got back from 5 days in Puerto Rico. It RAINED EVERY DAY AND NIGHT

. No beach time, except when we'd had WAY too much rum (Bacardi not Cruzan

) and had a night swim in a drizzle. We had a really awesome time since we were completed rocked all day and night -- but no sun nor sand! We left even paler than when we arrived. Oh well. All for the best with my cancerous spots anyhow.
Indeed we found out there's no place like the VI. Why even try?!?
By the way, just catching up on trip reports. Liamsaunt - - they rock! Your pictures are to die for!
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:23 pm
by PA Girl
Too bad about the rain. Where did you stay? We talk about stopping over in Puerto Rico...
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:34 pm
by nothintolose
Hey Landlocked,
I agree with you on the bit about there being no place like the VI when it comes to Puerto Rico. We stopped there after St. John last summer...no comparison and that's all I have to say.
If you want to see something like Old San Juan, come to New Orleans and go to the French Quarter, you don't have to travel as far and the food is alot better
nothintolose
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:54 pm
by Pia
Hey PA Girl
When we have had a night or two stay over in San Juan, we have stayed at the El Convento Hotel in old San Juan. It is a former Carmlite Convent built three and a half centuries ago - no casino, not glitzy but wonderful and old and the rooms of the convent are sooo cool - good to feel the history there
Here's the link if you are looking for something different than the glitzy modern mega hotels 
http://www.elconvento.com/index.html
Pia
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:54 pm
by sea-nile
LLBL,
That is why I am scared to go to any other island.
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:12 pm
by PA Girl
Pia - thanks for the link, it is just the type of place (from what I saw on the website) that we like. We are thinking (gasp!) about maybe doing Virgin Gorda next year (with a summer STJ trip) and stopping in San Juan on the way down for a night or two.
We went to Provo, T&C a few years back and while we really liked it, it wasn't St. John. Different but not as good for many reasons.
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:44 pm
by LandLockedBeachLover
We stayed at a wonderful place, the Wyndham (formerly Westin) Rio Mar. It's on the NE side of the island about 1/2 hour from San Juan. We wanted to stay further out from the "glitz" in Condado. The break on the Atlantic is just a bit much for me. I like the still bays, snorkeling and uncomparable blue/green in the VI's. The ocean was filled with seaweed too. Maybe because of the rain...
And, yes, we are going to New Orleans in late June (I have a convention there) to see the Quarter. It does indeed remind me of Old San Juan!
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:41 pm
by ccasebolt
My grandparents lived in PR for several years during the early 60s while my grandfather was a foreman for the construction of the Puerto Rico Sheraton (later became the Dupont Plaza Hotel which tragically burned in the mid-eighties). For R&R they would take long weekends on a little island my grandmother used to rave about - the beautiful beaches and scenery, wonderful snorkeling etc etc... she would go on and on. So guess what "little island" it was?
Imagine experiencing STJ during the early 60s! Even while living in PR, STJ was their place to get away from it all.
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:40 am
by PA Girl
Oh ccasebolt, you brought up a good memory. In 2002, we stayed at Caneel over the 4th and met a lovely couple from San Juan on the Caneel ferry. He was an attorney and I think she was an artist.
Anyway, we had several nice conversations during the week with them about St. John, which was also their weekend getaway. They were in their late 50's, early 60's (guessing) and had lots of interesting things to tell us about.
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:31 pm
by ccasebolt
It is interesting, isn't it? I'm sure my grandparents had pictures - they took loads while living in PR - I just wish I knew where they are now...