ejcrowe's trip report: Vieques and Old San Juan, May 2006
May 25th, 2006, 06:12 PM
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Emily,
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your trip report as well. Nothing like a good read to take away the stresses of the day. You really are descriptive in your writing. Thanks also for letting us get to know you a little better. I can't believe how quick it seemed and you were back home, time flies!
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your trip report as well. Nothing like a good read to take away the stresses of the day. You really are descriptive in your writing. Thanks also for letting us get to know you a little better. I can't believe how quick it seemed and you were back home, time flies!
May 25th, 2006, 06:17 PM
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hi ej, this is the best trip report i've read. your attention to detail is amazing. not to mention your patience in an interesting situation. my best friend has been on vieques and described her bio bay experience much as you did. the look on her face whenever she describes feeling like she had diamonds dripping from her arms is priceless. she too could not convince her companions to wear bathing suits. lol
between the two of you i would quite like to go now myself. thank you for writing!!
between the two of you i would quite like to go now myself. thank you for writing!!
May 25th, 2006, 06:38 PM
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EJ--wow, what an incredible TR! Thanks, really, if you are not already a noted writer, you certainly should be one--I feel like I went onthe trip with all of you.
Can realate to blended family issues, as well as age differences.
Thank you for the reading enjoyment,
Carol
Can realate to blended family issues, as well as age differences.
Thank you for the reading enjoyment,
Carol
May 26th, 2006, 05:31 AM
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Just wanted to say thank you to everybody for their kind words. I'm not a writer, just a good old-fashioned English major from school. But it puts a smile on my face to read your compliments. Real Life has intervened, so the last installment of trip report probably won't be until this weekend...
putch, because Cara has booked for a trip this summed, I got to see several rooms while she made her choice. If one wanted privacy, there is a room that is a free-standing cottage on the other side of the swimming pool. It only has a queen size bed, but it has a VERY private patio. The other room I liked best (of the ones I saw) is the room that is right next to the honor bar--the door is recessed quite a bit, so noise shouldn't be a problem, and the room has a king size bed and a nice little Juliet balcony with a beautiful view. I don't remember the room numbers in either scenario.
Our bedroom had no noise problems at all, it was just the sitting room that heard noise from the kitchen. However, we had tall windows on two sides (corner room) that had no shades, so the light did awaken us first thing.
putch, because Cara has booked for a trip this summed, I got to see several rooms while she made her choice. If one wanted privacy, there is a room that is a free-standing cottage on the other side of the swimming pool. It only has a queen size bed, but it has a VERY private patio. The other room I liked best (of the ones I saw) is the room that is right next to the honor bar--the door is recessed quite a bit, so noise shouldn't be a problem, and the room has a king size bed and a nice little Juliet balcony with a beautiful view. I don't remember the room numbers in either scenario.
Our bedroom had no noise problems at all, it was just the sitting room that heard noise from the kitchen. However, we had tall windows on two sides (corner room) that had no shades, so the light did awaken us first thing.
May 26th, 2006, 11:19 AM
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Thanks for the great trip report...I didn't realize that there was "gamboling" on the island (wink, wink).
I also feel that we only scratched the surface during our visit in 05...can't wait to return. We thought the citizens were wonderful and quite gracious.
http://www.pbase.com/peterb/vieques05
I also feel that we only scratched the surface during our visit in 05...can't wait to return. We thought the citizens were wonderful and quite gracious.
http://www.pbase.com/peterb/vieques05
May 27th, 2006, 02:45 PM
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Final Trip Report Installment
ACTIVITIES – As a concession to my somewhat domineering schedule on Vieques, we spent a good bit of our time just walking around and exploring the streets and shops of Old San Juan, without a particular destination. It really is a beautiful part of the city and I could easily spend a few more days exploring it by foot. Following the brick-laid streets to the bustling cruise ship port, seeing the modern Banco Popular set amidst buildings of another era was an interesting study in juxtaposition. In general, OSJ reminded me a good deal of the French Quarter in New Orleans in many ways, not least because there were tacky tourist shops cheek-by-jowl with very upscale boutiques, and because you never knew when you crossed a street what the next block would bring.
Probably the part my husband and I enjoyed the most was walking through El Morro. I could have spent half a day there, ducking in and out of dark staircases, peeking through parapets, and in general enjoying walking in and around a perfectly intact piece of history. I would have enjoyed seeing Cristobal, too, but there wasn’t time to take everything in. We did not have time to breeze through a single art gallery or museum, which Cara and Eliza were patently uninterested in anyway, so my husband and I will save those for our future visit.
DINING – Our first food in OSJ was stopping for ice cream from a street vendor—coconut, pina colada, or passionfruit flavors. It was just the pick-me-up we needed for walking back to the hotel before dinner. Another time we stopped for a shaved ice, which turned out to be better in theory than concept—there was a nasty flavor to the ice shavings, and the flavored syrup tasted strongly of something chemical. Very disappointing.
Our breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel was quite good, accompanied by excellent coffee, which my husband and I drank while waiting for our companions to join us. The fare was varied and priced in keeping with hotel’s prices.
Lunch on our last day was a bit of a mixed bag. I don’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it is located a few blocks up from the pier, where Fortaleza meets the street where El Convento sits. There were a couple of nicely dressed local business people, which made it seem promising, but the place was out of everything that we ordered the first time around, and after a few moments an unpleasant odor wafted out of the double doors behind the bar. Oh, well, no biggie—we just enjoy our garlic toast and planter’s punch while we wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, she brings out our food. We had two Caesar salads, which were drenched in dressing, but in case it wasn’t enough for our American taste, the server thoughtfully brought a bottle of French dressing and placed it in front of us with a gesture of supreme magnanimity. Cara and Eliza decide the salads are unedible and walk next door to order something else. Barry and I persevered, however, and I discovered that his crab-stuffed plantains were actually quite good. Between surreptitiously wiping off the salad dressing from my lettuce and sharing the stuffed plantains, it wasn’t a bad meal—and it would certainly give us fodder for conversation. But then something happened that quickly erased our reservations about the place. A homeless man, whom we had passed a few times on our walks, stood outside and coughed as if he were coughing up a lung. The bartender hurried outside, presumably to tell him to not to loiter outside the restaurant, but instead he came back in to fetch a tall glass of water for the man. We could hear murmured words but couldn’t make anything out. The bartender came back in, went back into the kitchen, and emerged with a plate of food—looked like rice and beans—and presented the food to the man. By this time I had craned around in my seat to see if I could see more of the scene being played out. The homeless man reached into his pocket, as if to pull out some money, but the bartender just said no. The homeless man made to leave with the food, but the bartended gestured to an umbrella table a few feet away from me. So, the food wasn’t anything to travel for, but dining in a restaurant run by kind-hearted people more than makes up for it.
Our big meal splurge of the whole trip was at Aguaviva our last night, a restaurant recommended to me here and elsewhere. Dressed in our finery, we picked our way back to the restaurant where we had made reservations just that afternoon. The décor, ostensibly relaxing in a dozen shades of blue, didn’t quite jibe with the extremely lively atmosphere that greeted us. We promptly ordered a round of drinks—watermelon sangria for me, mojitos for Cara and Barry, and yet another virgin pina colada for Eliza. Part of the deal for taking our granddaughters on these trips is that they have to try new foods. When Eliza told us that she had never before eaten various seafood, we ordered several appetizers, including coconut shrimp, blackened scallops, and just to push the envelope, grilled octopus. Well, she gamely tried them all and pronounced them all edible. With another round of drinks to toast our lovely vacation, we got down to work with our entrees and then dessert. In the meantime, Eliza’s eyes and nose start to itch and water, but we put it down to the chef chopping onions in the open kitchen. By the time we get back to our hotel room, the poor girl has broken out in a nasty rash all over her body and she cannot stop itching. We deduce that she must have a shellfish allergy, and feeling lower than whale scum that we were the ones who forced her to eat it, we do our best to make her comfortable.
WEATHER – Overall we had very pleasant but unseasonably warm weather for our stay. Each day was over 90, and folks both in San Juan and Vieques told us how unusual it was. We had a bit of rain each night, evidenced by the wet grounds and pavement I saw upon waking, but I didn’t actually see any rain until our last morning on Vieques when the heavens opened up and rained down with a vengeance. Thankfully the storm was over before our puddlejumper flight to the mainland. The only time the heat really bothered us was in El Morro, so much of which is completely unshaded. We were all pretty wilted by the time we left.
GENERAL THOUGHTS – All in all, this was a wonderful trip, though there were times when it felt just short of disastrous, notably the seasickness in Vieques and Eliza’s horrible food allergy. It is always educational when one travels with new people, and I learned just as much about myself and my own travel style as I learned about Cara and Eliza. Vieques will definitely be a return trip for my husband and me when we have more time to devote to it. Four nights isn’t really enough to see any place sufficiently, but it certainly sharpened our appetite to see more. This has turned into a pretty lengthy report, so thanks for hanging in there with me. Please let me know if I can answer any more specific questions.
ACTIVITIES – As a concession to my somewhat domineering schedule on Vieques, we spent a good bit of our time just walking around and exploring the streets and shops of Old San Juan, without a particular destination. It really is a beautiful part of the city and I could easily spend a few more days exploring it by foot. Following the brick-laid streets to the bustling cruise ship port, seeing the modern Banco Popular set amidst buildings of another era was an interesting study in juxtaposition. In general, OSJ reminded me a good deal of the French Quarter in New Orleans in many ways, not least because there were tacky tourist shops cheek-by-jowl with very upscale boutiques, and because you never knew when you crossed a street what the next block would bring.
Probably the part my husband and I enjoyed the most was walking through El Morro. I could have spent half a day there, ducking in and out of dark staircases, peeking through parapets, and in general enjoying walking in and around a perfectly intact piece of history. I would have enjoyed seeing Cristobal, too, but there wasn’t time to take everything in. We did not have time to breeze through a single art gallery or museum, which Cara and Eliza were patently uninterested in anyway, so my husband and I will save those for our future visit.
DINING – Our first food in OSJ was stopping for ice cream from a street vendor—coconut, pina colada, or passionfruit flavors. It was just the pick-me-up we needed for walking back to the hotel before dinner. Another time we stopped for a shaved ice, which turned out to be better in theory than concept—there was a nasty flavor to the ice shavings, and the flavored syrup tasted strongly of something chemical. Very disappointing.
Our breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel was quite good, accompanied by excellent coffee, which my husband and I drank while waiting for our companions to join us. The fare was varied and priced in keeping with hotel’s prices.
Lunch on our last day was a bit of a mixed bag. I don’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it is located a few blocks up from the pier, where Fortaleza meets the street where El Convento sits. There were a couple of nicely dressed local business people, which made it seem promising, but the place was out of everything that we ordered the first time around, and after a few moments an unpleasant odor wafted out of the double doors behind the bar. Oh, well, no biggie—we just enjoy our garlic toast and planter’s punch while we wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, she brings out our food. We had two Caesar salads, which were drenched in dressing, but in case it wasn’t enough for our American taste, the server thoughtfully brought a bottle of French dressing and placed it in front of us with a gesture of supreme magnanimity. Cara and Eliza decide the salads are unedible and walk next door to order something else. Barry and I persevered, however, and I discovered that his crab-stuffed plantains were actually quite good. Between surreptitiously wiping off the salad dressing from my lettuce and sharing the stuffed plantains, it wasn’t a bad meal—and it would certainly give us fodder for conversation. But then something happened that quickly erased our reservations about the place. A homeless man, whom we had passed a few times on our walks, stood outside and coughed as if he were coughing up a lung. The bartender hurried outside, presumably to tell him to not to loiter outside the restaurant, but instead he came back in to fetch a tall glass of water for the man. We could hear murmured words but couldn’t make anything out. The bartender came back in, went back into the kitchen, and emerged with a plate of food—looked like rice and beans—and presented the food to the man. By this time I had craned around in my seat to see if I could see more of the scene being played out. The homeless man reached into his pocket, as if to pull out some money, but the bartender just said no. The homeless man made to leave with the food, but the bartended gestured to an umbrella table a few feet away from me. So, the food wasn’t anything to travel for, but dining in a restaurant run by kind-hearted people more than makes up for it.
Our big meal splurge of the whole trip was at Aguaviva our last night, a restaurant recommended to me here and elsewhere. Dressed in our finery, we picked our way back to the restaurant where we had made reservations just that afternoon. The décor, ostensibly relaxing in a dozen shades of blue, didn’t quite jibe with the extremely lively atmosphere that greeted us. We promptly ordered a round of drinks—watermelon sangria for me, mojitos for Cara and Barry, and yet another virgin pina colada for Eliza. Part of the deal for taking our granddaughters on these trips is that they have to try new foods. When Eliza told us that she had never before eaten various seafood, we ordered several appetizers, including coconut shrimp, blackened scallops, and just to push the envelope, grilled octopus. Well, she gamely tried them all and pronounced them all edible. With another round of drinks to toast our lovely vacation, we got down to work with our entrees and then dessert. In the meantime, Eliza’s eyes and nose start to itch and water, but we put it down to the chef chopping onions in the open kitchen. By the time we get back to our hotel room, the poor girl has broken out in a nasty rash all over her body and she cannot stop itching. We deduce that she must have a shellfish allergy, and feeling lower than whale scum that we were the ones who forced her to eat it, we do our best to make her comfortable.
WEATHER – Overall we had very pleasant but unseasonably warm weather for our stay. Each day was over 90, and folks both in San Juan and Vieques told us how unusual it was. We had a bit of rain each night, evidenced by the wet grounds and pavement I saw upon waking, but I didn’t actually see any rain until our last morning on Vieques when the heavens opened up and rained down with a vengeance. Thankfully the storm was over before our puddlejumper flight to the mainland. The only time the heat really bothered us was in El Morro, so much of which is completely unshaded. We were all pretty wilted by the time we left.
GENERAL THOUGHTS – All in all, this was a wonderful trip, though there were times when it felt just short of disastrous, notably the seasickness in Vieques and Eliza’s horrible food allergy. It is always educational when one travels with new people, and I learned just as much about myself and my own travel style as I learned about Cara and Eliza. Vieques will definitely be a return trip for my husband and me when we have more time to devote to it. Four nights isn’t really enough to see any place sufficiently, but it certainly sharpened our appetite to see more. This has turned into a pretty lengthy report, so thanks for hanging in there with me. Please let me know if I can answer any more specific questions.
May 27th, 2006, 03:48 PM
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I thought of one last note to end on, something that proves that we should never make a judgment until we hear the whole story. In the San Juan airport, we’re standing in line waiting to clear security. There’s a family with two boys behind us, also going to Hartford. At one point I hear one of the boys say, “I sure hope all these Puerto Ricans aren’t going to Connecticut…” at which point I’m about to turn around and give him a piece of my mind, or at least his parents. But then he continues, “Because they sure will be disappointed once they get here ‘cause there’s nothing to do. Puerto Rico’s got Connecticut beat, hands down.”
May 30th, 2006, 10:04 AM
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Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your trip report! Vieques sounds wonderful, and the BioBay trip sounds like something really special. I can sympathize with the family issues as well, as I always plan a trip every summer with my husband and kids, my mother-in-law, and my parents, and I always end up feeling like the tour guide--in addition to chief cook and bottle-washer!
I also wanted to ask if your granddaughter was okay after her allergic reaction? My son has food allergies (to nuts and eggs) and has never eaten shellfish, but it's always been a fear that trying something new could cause a problem. If you or her family would like any info on dealing with food allergies, I'd be glad to help. There's a great national organization that offers a lot of info and support (www.foodallergy.org).
JS
I also wanted to ask if your granddaughter was okay after her allergic reaction? My son has food allergies (to nuts and eggs) and has never eaten shellfish, but it's always been a fear that trying something new could cause a problem. If you or her family would like any info on dealing with food allergies, I'd be glad to help. There's a great national organization that offers a lot of info and support (www.foodallergy.org).
JS
May 30th, 2006, 10:46 AM
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Thanks for your concern, jspen. Granddaughter is completely fine now. Back at the hotel we called her doctor, who happens to be a family friend, and since she had no breathing problems we just administered antihistamines which stopped the itching after about an hour. Playing several rounds of Skip-Bo helped her take her mind off the itching! 
I guess we're fortunate that it didn't turn out to be a life-threatening allergy, and now we know better than to force her to eat any kind of seafood.
I guess we're fortunate that it didn't turn out to be a life-threatening allergy, and now we know better than to force her to eat any kind of seafood.
May 30th, 2006, 04:04 PM
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Emily, thank you for your delightful and pertinent update. My husband, 14-year old daughter and I are headed to San Juan for 2 nights and then on to Vieques for a week in August. We are lucky to be the guests in Vieques of two lifelong friends in their brand new villa. I read the great reviews of El Convento on TripAdvisor and am all set to book there, reaffirmed by your review of this property. Some of the TA comments talk about some of the rooms being loud if they're above the wedding area. Do you have an opinion as to what part of the hotel best to ask for? We do care about quiet. And did you book directly w/the hotel? I'm nervous about going to expedia et al as I don't want property's least desirable room. Thanks so much.
Maureen Crow
Pasadena, CA
Maureen Crow
Pasadena, CA
May 31st, 2006, 05:12 AM
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Hi, Maureen. I researched various sites for prices for El Convento, found the best one, and called the hotel directly to see if they would honor the lowerr price I found on the AAA site. They agreed to it, and at that time I requested a quiet room because of the occasional noise complaints on tripadvisor.
It could be that we were given a quiet room, or it could be that the hotel and streets were quiet during our stay. Either way, we had no complaints.
Hope you enjoy your trip, and I look forward to hearing all about it when you return!
It could be that we were given a quiet room, or it could be that the hotel and streets were quiet during our stay. Either way, we had no complaints.
Hope you enjoy your trip, and I look forward to hearing all about it when you return!
Jun 3rd, 2006, 09:48 AM
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Emily - thanks so much for your advice. I found the AAA rate and will ask for that when I call. I also saw on hotel website that they have a very low rate - $165 per night - for pre and post cruise visitors. That's not us, but I may see if I can get that rate in August as it's their low season. Anyway, thanks so much and I'll let you know how much we'll love El Convento - seems like a special place.
Maureen
Maureen
Jun 16th, 2006, 05:24 PM
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ejcrowe-on trip advisor someone recommended room 5 at hacienda tamarindo.
are you familiar with that room? we are planning for next february so i'm hoping it's possible to specify a room since it's such a small place. thanks.
are you familiar with that room? we are planning for next february so i'm hoping it's possible to specify a room since it's such a small place. thanks.
Jun 16th, 2006, 05:28 PM
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putch, I can't really remember the rooms by number, except for our room and room #1, which is the detached cottage on the far side of the swimming pool. If you can tell me the location, I could tell you whether it was one of the rooms I looked at...
I know it's on the first floor, but what I don't know is whether it is one of the rooms that you have to enter through the library, or if it is on the opposite side next to the honor bar. Sorry!
I know it's on the first floor, but what I don't know is whether it is one of the rooms that you have to enter through the library, or if it is on the opposite side next to the honor bar. Sorry!
Jun 19th, 2006, 12:08 PM
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ejcrowe...i have been in contact with hacienda tamarindo and i'm trying to figure out what kind of room to reserve.
would you recommend a caribbean deluxe room rather than a caribbean room? the difference is about $15 per night for the later. thanks. putch
would you recommend a caribbean deluxe room rather than a caribbean room? the difference is about $15 per night for the later. thanks. putch
Jun 19th, 2006, 04:52 PM
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ejcrowe...we are planning to go for a week in february. they've e-mailed me that feb. 2007 is available. since there are so few rooms i believe i should book it well in advance. do you know if they allow you to select a room? many places in the caribbean tell you that when you arrive is when your room is determined. i just don't want a room where we don't feel like we have our privacy. thanks for any help you can give me. putch
