Holidays and absences [3]

Oh youuuuuu...

I guess I should briefly fill people in on the fact that I've been in Puerto Rico, mainly Old San Juan for the last week.  I had been to Puerto Rico about 7 years ago for a conference, but missed San Juan completely.  Having since read that Old San Juan is considered the Jewel of the Caribbean, I managed to get myself bumped off a flight for the sake of free tickets, which included the Caribbean.  So here I am.

Given its location and the currents/winds, San Juan was the historic gateway to the Caribbean.  Hence, it was massively fortified from the get-go.



That's just the sea wall to prevent landings away from cannon shot.  You oughtta see the two massive forts; one at each end of the town.  But I figure one set of rocks is enough to clutter up these pages.

One shot will have to cover the basic architectural style of the town.



Note the solid pastels, limned with white frames.  It gives the streets a bit of a fairy confection quality, which I've found nearly impossible to capture fully.  Most streets are long and narrow, and your eye roves back and forth and stitches things together in a way the camera can't.  And when you find an open square like this one, they go and stick trees in the way.

Wandering down the side streets you may catch an old man playing an accordion.



I sat down to have a drink of course, and wondered why I was the only one in the charming sidewalk cafe.  Then the food arrived and I got some insight.  I had ordered chicken tacos, and they came out tasting just like the tacos my mom used to make.  She's from Minnesota.

I found a cobbled path leading up from the marina to the top of the cliffs overlooking the sea.  There resides the restaurant where the Pina Colada was invented.  Of course I had one, and have to say it was the best I've ever had.  Just as I was mulling over what the secret was: did they use fresh pineapples and coco-nut?  ... one of the bartenders started mixing it up in a pot right in front of me.  Pouring in a can of pineapple juice in one hand, a can of coconut milk in the other.  Still don't know what the secret was: I later had the experience while upcountry of picking out my own pineapple to be turned into a fresh made colada, and it just wasn't as good.

But getting back to the restaurant, it had an open courtyard inside where the bar was, which was nice; but no view over the sea cliffs.  So I went and took a picture.



You can see some of the buildings on the upper level, the park below and a mighty cruise ship in the background.  Didn't get the sea in this shot.  Have to download some of those for you later - old San Juan has no real beaches to speak off.  More later sometime.

May seem like Mega-procrastination, but I've actually gotten more work done this week than last.  Just needed a change of venue to knock me loose: there's only so much to see in Old San Juan, so after a while you spend a few hours here and there knocking it out.

this looks fabulous Halfy. very Pirates of the Caribbean. I love your description of how your eyes stitch things together, that's true, it does and photos just cant capture that overall atmosphere and nooks and crannies which knit together to form the atmosphere.

{{{Looks stunning and interesting place historically Halfy. But I do disagree entirely with folks going off like this having exciting lives whilst I'm stuck on the run Its so unfair of everyone }}}

specially as its been raining and snowing for five months straight.

Sounds like a fun trip, Halfy. Nice pictures.

Lovely pics !! can get the full flavour of the place just by those Sounds like you had a relaxing time, which is good
{{{ & dont give me that free ticket explanation, with your camouflage you hid out in the cupboard ( as so says under your avatar ) & winged a freebie, lucky devil !!! }}}
Actually, the place does look relaxing

After the half-day in Chicago I moved on to Minnesota where I'll be for most of this week. There weren't a ton of opportunities for photo taking today due to the fog, but I did have another fun visit with the remarkable Baingil. We visited the Enger Tower at her suggestion, which I was intrigued to learn had been dedicated by the King of Norway (originally by then-Crown Prince Olav in 1939 and rededicated by Harald V in 2011, according to their website). I knew that lots of Norwegian immigrants had settled in Minnesota but I wasn't expecting such a direct Fjordian connection. Anyway, some of you guys have seen my travel pictures so far on FB, but I figured I'd share this one on here to mark the (first?) Forumshire meet-up.

I get it now, you gave up on the top job to be able to focus on intershire relations!

Hope you both had fun!

Hiya Baingil!

Does this really count as a forumshire meet-up if you knew each other before? Though one must admit it IS more significant than Petty having a pint with Nagual. Glad to add another face to the collection!

Ah, you've figured me out, Lance. Thanks tho!

Cheers, halfy.

it IS more significant than Petty having a pint with Nagual- Halfy

{{{Hardly ever happens Halfy- the tension when two Scothobbit are contesting over who will buy the first round is often not worth risking the friendship!}}}}

What follows was mainly written after a drunken swan-song saying goodbye to Old San Juan.  Then I was too sleepy to take the time to upload photos, so I could wait until the next morning and add some more.  Then waited a few more days...but anyway, here's the completion of the San Juan trip (with much of the rest of Puerto Rico left out).

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I wasn't planning to do any more so soon, but this was my last night in San Juan, and you're gonna get a full accounting of it, for Halfwise is safely enconsed back in the hotel, thoroughly drunk, and thus in the mood to write.

On my drive back from the south of the island I stopped to have a late lunch at one of those outdoor kitchens I love: often picking their spot by the side of the road for the view, with a roof of old corrugated zinc pan over the picnic tables which in the beloved tropical aesthetic are otherwise completely open to the outside world.  The typical Puerto Rican meal is heavy on rice and meats, leaving me in no mood for more solid food by the time I hit San Juan.  Liquid diet: I was gonna drink myself across the Old Town peninsula to say goodbye.

This is what Old San Juan looks like at dusk.  The whole damn place looks like this, though not always with sidewalk cafes.



First stop of my evening frolics was Ballenchina's, mentioned before as the birth place of the Pina Colada.  I found one P.C.  to be insufficient, but during the second found myself ruminating at length over one of the bartenders.

Halfwise's rumination wrote: // my drunken ruminations have been edited by my sober state //

...and then Halfwise realizes than when he's holding a soliliquey on someone half his age, it's time to move on.

Next stop was the El Convento Hotel.  I had been told to look for an old white washed hotel that was well worth the visit, but my source forgot the name.  I wandered past it several times earlier in the week, but it looked plain and small and passed it by.  Since it was my last night I decided to give it one more chance.  I had read that they had the best brunch in Old San Juan, and thought on the strength of that they might have a bar as well.

I walked in, turned a corner down a long passageway, and saw a courtyard that took my breath away.



This is a view from above taken later; the bar is under the pavilion to the right. It had gone through several modifications before finally returning to its old-world grandeur earlier in this century. The bartender was speaking French to an elderly couple who I assumed from their looks to be French as well.  Turns out they were from St Croix, and she was from Gaudalupe; but the Caribbean peoples make up one happy culture irregardless of nationality or background.  You can't help but feel envious.

She mixed me up a Chi-chi, basically the same as the Pina Colada, but not whirled with ice plus it had a pinch of cinnamon added.  She explained that it preceded the Pina Colada, which had to wait for the advent of the blender.  Her recipe was rich and good.  Impressed by her talent I finished with a Mojito flavored with passion fruit.

My evening so far had totalled 4 drinks and I needed some air, so headed up to the El Morro Fortress at the tip of the island, which is exposed to the sea on both sides, ceaselessly washed with the ocean breezes.  This was the original fort that dates back to the 1600's, added to over the centuries without ever losing its pleasing symmetry.  You approach it over a grassy ridge that falls away to the sea on both sides.  The Spanish originally cleared the ridge of trees to leave any attackers exposed to cannon fire, and it has remained so ever since.



At night the ridge remains dark in obeisance to the exalted fort, bathed with light.  Young lovers are drawn to its ancient power and dreaming mystery, and so long after it was decommissioned it still maintains a devoted patrol far into the watches of the night; but now they hold hands rather than muskets.



My alcohol-hot blood cooled by the breezes, I headed back, passing a spanish tapas bar.  In the mood both for Sangria and some veggies to balance out my still digesting meat and rice, I poked my head in.  It turned out to be the back side of the El Convento Hotel!  So I sat down to a salad and sauted mushrooms with my sangria.

The food was not bad, but the ambience was better.  The crowning touch was the cat who knew a good thing when it saw it, and I leave here for Figgy.



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The next morning I first stopped by the Choco-bar, a place I had walked by every day early in the week in favor of more exotic haunts, but had since found that it was a world-renowned estabilshment, written about by the likes of Gourmet Magazine for mixing of chocolate and savory .... they serve cheddar with their chocolate bars.  Knowing what my afternoon entailed (coming up) I opted for what I thought would be a comparitively light breakfast of hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a croissant filled with chocolate hazelnut.  I didn't take a picture because they both looked no more than advertised.

Then I tried to drink the hot chocolate.  The cream was whipped so vigorously that it lodged in the top of the glass like a plug of dense ice cream, and the liquid could not pass even with the mug turned sideways. I had to punch a hole with my spoon to liberate the steaming concoction below.  Then I tore off part of the croissant, and had another surprise as a wave of chocolate-hazelnut cream flowed over my hands.  After some emergency licking and wiping I resumed with a fork and knife.  It all lived up to the hype.

later that morning I carefully threaded my rental car out through the narrow alleys and headed for La Casita Blanca in San Juan proper for lunch.  It's located in a rather poor neighborhood, run by a family rather than a celebrity chef, yet manages to be perhaps the most celebrated restaurant in San Juan, frequented by the likes of Ricky Martin.



The front immediately shows the love and charm, and the inside manages to be both tidy yet slightly cluttered, with bric-a-brac lining the walls like grandma's house.  Every table has flowers. The back room was actually the back yard, with a large tree growing through a wall (you can see it above - not a small tree either).

The food was just straight-ahead Puerta Rican comfort food; nothing flashy, but well done.  I think it's celebrated for conveying the very soul of Puerto Rico without a touch of pretension despite the current fame.  I'd go again given the chance, but it's a cultural rather than a culinary destination.



Some day I'll go back to Old San Juan.  The rest of Puerto Rico I love mainly for its outdoor family restuarants, its winding mountain roads, its sudden beaches, and its people who are so warm and sweet you can forgive them for their love of ear-shatteringly loud music. But Old San Juan stands alone (don't confuse it with the rest of San Juan!).  I've of course left out a lot here, but others can discover it.  It's well worth the visit.

Sounds like you had a good time Halfy. I will have to visit myself some time!!

I loved the pics, & I loved the way you spoke so warmly of a visit you obviously enjoyed Sometimes its the way people speak of a thing that makes you want to see the 'thing'. Ive gone back & read this twice as it was so comforting

Eldorion wrote:After the half-day in Chicago I moved on to Minnesota where I'll be for most of this week. There weren't a ton of opportunities for photo taking today due to the fog, but I did have another fun visit with the remarkable Baingil. We visited the Enger Tower at her suggestion, which I was intrigued to learn had been dedicated by the King of Norway (originally by then-Crown Prince Olav in 1939 and rededicated by Harald V in 2011, according to their website). I knew that lots of Norwegian immigrants had settled in Minnesota but I wasn't expecting such a direct Fjordian connection. Anyway, some of you guys have seen my travel pictures so far on FB, but I figured I'd share this one on here to mark the (first?) Forumshire meet-up.

What? You're in town? What they heck are you doing here? There's nothing to do here!

I was warned about that. I synced my trip with UMD's spring break and she opened up her schedule so we were able to hang out for several days in a row. We saw Deadpool the other day (second time for me) which was a blast. I was gonna swing by Minneapolis too but instead went more directly east (wanted to drive across the Mackinac Bridge). Ended up driving for 19.5 straight hours on the way back.

Well if I were swinging by MN I'd rather stop in Duluth than the TC. More scenic for sure and just a few less crazy drivers. Did you go down to the lake front by the lift bridge? That was always exciting to watch the ships come in when I was a kid.

Went to Mackinac island when I was a wee little one. I just remember fudge shops and horse shit everywhere. Couldn't tell the fudge from the horse shit near the end.

My hotel was in the downtown area so I went to the Canal Park area a few times and we walked around by it too. There wasn't a lot of ice on the lake but it seemed to be enough that I didn't see any big ships going through. The weather was pretty nice for late winter though and actually Bain seemed to think it perfect.

I was hoping to get some cool pictures of the Bridge but it was dark by the time I got to it (the UP of Michigan took forever to get across; no Interstates up there I learned). Watched the sun set in my rear view mirror as I was still near the shore of Lake Superior. I did get a picture I liked of dawn from the Pennsylvania Turnpike 11 or 12 hours later though.

Yeah the weather has been really kind to us. Today is beautiful. Northern Wisconsin and the UP are kind of a no man's land.

Man you drove a ways for sure. 20 hours straight on the way back? Yikes! Hope you were careful!

If you're ever out this way again swing on down to Murderapolis and I'll buy you a non alcoholic beverage.

and I'll buy you a non alcoholic beverage.- Bungo

{{{{{{ I strongly disapprove of this message }}}}

{{{{the "non-alchoholic" or the "buying" part?}}}}

{{{Both? Either? }}}

bungobaggins wrote:Yeah the weather has been really kind to us. Today is beautiful. Northern Wisconsin and the UP are kind of a no man's land.

Man you drove a ways for sure. 20 hours straight on the way back? Yikes! Hope you were careful!

If you're ever out this way again swing on down to Murderapolis and I'll buy you a non alcoholic beverage.

My brother was like "you'll see so much more of America if you stay off the Interstates" so I decided to try that on the way back and ... yeah, it's not for me. Was definitely a trek. I hit up Chicago on the way out though (drove over two days) which was nice.

I was prepared to sleep at a rest stop (brought a sleeping bag and comforter to stay warm in) but wasn't sure if the cops would approve of that. Would've done so anyway but I drank a red bull, and one of my meds, an anti-depressant that is prescribed for sleep, will actually keep you up all night if you don't go to bed and try to clear your mind very quickly. Helped that there were so few cars on the road as well of course. But I would've stopped if I felt unable to drive safely.

I think I've got the travel bug out of my system for now, but that could just be a desire not to spend so long in the car again just yet. Will keep you in mind if I make it to Minneapolis in the future (I did kind of want to visit the Mall of America too).