Scandinavian Tour, Part 1: Trying Something New

We love to travel, but planning a trip can be really labor- and time-intensive. Bob has great ideas for places to go and things to do, but no patience for all those logistical details, so the work falls on my shoulders. Sometimes, when I have been poring over AirBnBs and hotel options, comparing flight prices, looking at rental cars vs. trains, I find myself feeling overwhelmed by all the choices and resentful that it’s keeping me from enjoying the place I am actually in. I have often thought how nice it would be to let someone else do the planning for once! So Bob and I decided to try an organized tour for the first time and see if we liked it.

We knew we wanted to travel in the fall, at the end of our time in Vermont and before settling into our new home in Puerto Rico. We knew we had to work around our oldest child Aryk’s schedule, because they were just finishing their work for their Master’s from Bath Spa University and we wanted to give them the gift of a trip together to celebrate all their hard work. We knew we wanted to see my brother Pat and his family, who live in Germany and whom we haven’t seen since pre-COVID. So that meant the destination was likely northern Europe, and the dates available were mid-September to mid-October.

We decided to start in northern Europe and work our way south as the fall season progressed, in order to enjoy the best weather. I don’t know why we chose Scandinavia for the first ten days, when Bob and I would be traveling alone before meeting up with family for the second half of the vacation. But a company called Tour Radar, tourradar.com, offered a reasonably-priced tour of four countries on the perfect dates for our schedule. (We love traveling, but we’re not rich!) Bob found a 10-day tour of Scandinavia that included breakfasts but no other meals, an option we preferred because sometimes we like to share meals, or just have ice cream for lunch, or try street food while exploring a town. The cost was $1600 apiece. 

The tour looked pretty whirlwind, so we decided to treat it as a “taste” of Scandinavia, with the idea of going back and spending more time in any places we found particularly appealing. It included travel by bus in a clockwise circle around Denmark, Norway, Sweden and FInland, by way of buses, a funicular, several water crossings, a fjord cruise and even an overnight ferry.

The tour was actually conducted by Europamundo, a company of the JTB group, the largest company of tourism and travel in Asia.

This was the itinerary, lifted directly from the provided literature, with some edits for brevity or clarification:

Day 1. Copenhagen (Denmark) 

Arrival and free-time exploration of Copenhagen.   

Day 2. Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus (Denmark)

Bus tour of the Danish capital with a local guide. Travel to Jutland, passing through pleasant scenery on our way. En route we take a 20km bridge over the sea and stop at Odense, where we can visit its gothic cathedral and the house where Hans Christian Andersen grew up. We continue on to Aarhus and our accommodation.

Day 3. Aarhus (Denmark), Ferry to Norway, Kristiansand , Kristiansand , Stavanger (Norway)

We travel to the coastal city of Hirtshals, where we take a 3-hour ferry crossing the North Sea to Kristiansand (Norway). We will continue along Norway’s southern coastline and enjoy its stunning landscapes. Next stop in Flekkefjord, a town with its wooden houses and tiny restaurants on a fjord. Arrival to Stavanger, a small picturesque town that has an active port by the fjord. 

Day 4. Stavanger, Bergen (Norway)

Upon leaving the city, we will stop at the ‘Swords in Rock’ monument, where we will be reminded of the Vikings, before continuing the very beautiful scenic tour. We follow the route going through tunnels, bridges and travel some stretches by boat to go along the fjord coast of Norway. One of its undersea tunnels is the deepest one in the world. This stage gets more relaxed and spectacular with its two boat trips. We will arrive in BERGEN at lunchtime. We take a funicular trip to Mount Fløyen which offers amazing views of the town and Bergen fjord. There will be some leisure time later to enjoy the capital city of fjords.

Day 5. Bergen, Oslo (Norway)

More fantastic landscapes today, images of Norway’s interior region fjords, glaciers, lakes and forests. We will travel to Sognefjord, Norway’s largest fjord. Prior to arrival, we will stop at the beautiful Tvindefossen waterfall. We will take a magnificent cruise through a fjord between the cities of Gudvangen and Flam, and enjoy stunning landscapes and views of glaciers during this two-hour voyage. We continue our journey crossing magnificent snow-covered landscapes. We travel through Lærdal Tunnel, one of the longest in the world. Next, a visit to Borgund’s 12th century wooden church which is considered Norway’s best-preserved medieval church. We arrive in Oslo with free time to check out its port, main streets, and the artworks at Frognerparken. 

Day 6. Oslo (Norway), Orebro, Estocolmo, Stockholm (Sweden)

We include a sightseeing tour with a local guide of the Norwegian capital; this city combines its vibrant modern architecture with its classical buildings, magnificent scenery and large parks with sculptures. It has been nominated the "European green capital". After the tour, if you want you can visit the Vikings museum. Departure for Sweden. Enjoy landscapes with forests and lakes. Next stop in Orebro, a town next to a beautiful lake with a castle and charming historic center. Time for stroll and to take lunch. Continuing to Stockholm, arriving in the evening.

Day 7. Stockholm, Estocolmo  (Sweden)

Today we take a panoramic tour of this very beautiful capital city built on 13 islands joined together. We will see the Gamla Stand or the “City between the Bridges”, the old quarter of the city, full of life where there are many monumental buildings such as the Nobel Museum, alongside the main square of Stortorget, which pays tribute to the winners of the Nobel Prizes, the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. Whenever possible, we will enjoy a pretty view from the Fjällgatan viewpoint. Then leisure time. We recommend visiting the museums and parks. Optionally, we suggest a visit to the City Hall and to the Vasa Museum.

Day 8. Stockholm, Estocolmo (Sweden), Ferry Estocolmo, Turku (Helsinki) 

Enjoy a free day of leisure in Stockholm. In the evening we will board a modern ferry traveling overnight to Finland, where accommodation will be in double cabins with private bathrooms. 

Day 9. Ferry Estocolmo (Sweden to Finland), Turku , Naantali, Helsinki  (Finland)

As we arrive in Finland, we recommend that you go to the ship’s deck for sunrise, enjoy mesmerizing landscapes from the sea as we sail along Aland Islands, hundreds of islands covered by forests. We disembark the ferry and have time to walk around Turku, a city with a very strong Swedish influence. We continue our journey to the neighboring city of Naantali, a very picturesque town with wooden houses next to the sea. We travel on until we arrive in Helsinki, reaching at lunchtime. In the afternoon enjoy leisure time, you will be able to explore the city, with its old market, buildings with Russian influence and churches.

Day 10. Helsinki (Finland)

We enjoy a boat trip to Suomenlinna Islands, a group of islands where we can witness a great fortress that used to protect the sea entry to the city, it has been declared World Heritage Site. Take time to walk around, it is possible to cross the islands through small pedestrian bridges. Free time during the afternoon.

We were excited! We scheduled a couple of nights in Copenhagen at the beginning of the tour, packed our KF-94 masks, found house sitters to live with the cat, and set out on Sept. 18 from Boston Logan for a new kind of traveling adventure.

Next up …

Scandinavian Tour, Part 2: Exploring Copenhagen

 

 

 

 

Party taxi

Party taxi in Copenhagen! https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cis09mYpofm/?igshid=NDRkN2NkYzU=

#messysuitcase #Copenhagen #travelblog #travelblogger

Sneaking Around at the International Spy Museum

Sneaking Around at the International Spy Museum

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sneak a video in the International Spy Museum. Good luck!

We spent a winter Monday at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. They shut down Bob’s video, but see what you can decipher! It’s a fascinating place and definitely worth a visit. We couldn’t even begin to capture it. Lisa’s favorite room was the one that showed videos about spying. There’s also an interesting exhibit on women in espionage.

Everyone is issued an interactive spy identity card when they enter, which they test their spy skills at seventeen different digital and physical interactive stations spread throughout the museum.

Unlike the Smithsonian Institution, the International Spy Museum charges admission. It’s right by the waterfront, so just a short walk to some interesting eateries.

Check it out!

Info
Map

Mini-Tour: Montones Beach in Puerto Rico

Playa Montones, or Montones Beach, is a beautiful family-friendly beach in Isabela, Puerto Rico. It has sand dunes as well as rock formations, though not a lot of shade, so bring your umbrella.  

Its shallow water make this natural pool the family-preferred beach in Isabela, a safe environment for kids and toddlers to play around. A natural wall prevents the strong surf from rushing in.

The beach is also right next to the jogging/biking trail in Isabela, so you can add a nice walk to your day out.

Watch where you park, though! We got a ticket for facing the wrong way on the street.

LINKS

Puerto Rico Travel Guide 
Discover Puerto Rico
Map

The Making of a Puerto Rican Carnival Mask

When we lived in San Juan 28 years ago, Bob and I journeyed south to the Ponce home of Puerto Rico’s renowned carnival mask maker, Miguel Caraballo. We commissioned a beautiful mask that dominated the dining room wall of our homes for more than two decades.

That “vejigante” mask is now in storage in Colorado, and a little bent at the tip of one of its horns. Since we spent a few months in Puerto Rico last fall, we decided to commission another one. So last November, we journeyed to Ponce again, and met Miguel Caraballo, his son and his grandson.

Caraballo’s masks are highly regarded. He has a mask on display in the Museum of the Americas in Old San Juan, and another in the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American Art.

These papier-mâché masks are typically worn by young men who don the colorful costume of a vejigante, a character who roams the streets during Carnaval de la Playa de Ponce, or the Ponce Beach Carnival, playfully scaring children and other revelers. The carnival held each February, features a huge parade, with the vejigante as a protagonist along with the kings and queens of carnival.

Miguel Caraballo started making masks as an apprentice to a woman in his neighborhood when he was 15, 66 years ago. The masks are made with cardboard, newspaper and brown paper, pressed onto molds and held together with a glue made of flour and water. His son makes masks now, and his grandson of the same name does the family marketing.

We picked up our new mask five weeks after our visit. We were delighted! But it was so big that we almost didn’t get it onto the plane back to the States. We had to buy a very large bin from Home Depot to accommodate all the protruding horns. Although the package weighed hardly anything, the combined length, width and height exceeded Southwest’s size limitations by 2 inches. It was only after we cut open the package and took out the mask to show the ticket agent what we were carrying that he decided to seek special approval from his manager. We had to pay $75 for the oversized item, and the agent exhorted us never to try to fly with such a large item again.

We would have been heartbroken to have to leave such a special item behind.

Now that we have purchased a home in Puerto Rico, we plan to return to the Caraballo home to commission yet another mask!

LINKS

Peopleareculture.com Article

Museum of the Americas 

Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History 

Facebook

Instagram

 

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Santa in Guanica, Puerto Rico

After indulging ourselves on pinchos (kebabs) at a little food truck park on the way, we spent a peaceful weekday afternoon at Playa Santa, a quiet neighborhood beach in Guanica on the south coast of Puerto Rico.

There were no restrooms, though it looks like on weekends it’s quite lively, and you can take advantage of food kioskos and kayak rentals. The surf is calm and the kids are plentiful.

INFO

Discover Puerto Rico
Map

Puerto Rico’s Pork Highway - “La Ruta del Lechón”

Puerto Rico is more than beaches, coffee and conquistadors. It’s also pork!

For a glimpse into the real Puerto Rico, with a little tourist kitsch thrown in, we suggest you pay a visit to the Pork Highway, or La Ruta del Lechón. https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/guide-to-guavate-la-ruta-del-lechon

Locals and visitors alike gather together friends and family for a day trip to the lechoneras of the mountain town of Guavate.

They drive along winding Route 184 up a mountain to feast on lechonera after lechonera serving slow-roasted whole pork (also chicken), heaping portions of rice and pigeon peas, yuca al mojo, mofongo, and other traditional Puerto Rican dishes, all ni a party atmosphere. Get ready to dance!

Don’t worry, vegetarians – the yuca and rice are also outstanding.

Lechón means roasted whole pork, cooked for hours over hot coals or an open flame, so that the skin gets crispy while the meat remains tender and juicy. This is a dish you can typically only get in the countryside of Puerto Rico. 

LINKS:

Discover Puerto Rico Guide to the Pork Highway - https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/guide-to-guavate-la-ruta-del-lechon

El Rancho Original - https://www.elranchooriginalpr.com/

El Nuevo Rancho - http://www.buenapetitopr.com/paginas/restaurantes/lechonera_el_nuevo_rancho.php

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/vKDYDpq758HtK6y7A

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Peña Blanca

One of our favorite beaches on the NW corner of Puerto Rico is Playa Peña Blanca, a secluded beach in Aguadilla distinguished by white cliffs and interesting snorkeling. It’s tucked away behind a neighborhood, and almost impossible to find, with hole-pocked dirt roads that aren’t found on GPS.

If you require amenities, don’t come here. There are no bathrooms, no official parking lot, no food stands or restaurants. But if you’re willing to pack your own food and drinks, have a sense of adventure and want to experience something different, by all means, come!

We paid a local to park in a yard in the neighborhood, not wanting to receive a parking ticket as we had done at Playa Montones a week earlier. It was $5 well spent. The walk to Playa Peña Blanca from the neighborhood was short, though a little rugged closer to the beach. We came back another day via a back road not found on GPS, which took us to a small parking area right beside the beach. 

Playa Peña Blanca is a clean, intimate, secluded spot with crystal clear waters and interesting snorkeling. The left side is a little wilder, with stone steps down a hillside to where white karst cliff walls and caves abut the golden sand.

It’s hard to describe the appeal. You just have to experience it yourself!

Info: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/pena-blanca-beach/9468#profile-overview

https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/playa-pena-blanca/

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/4sQw4xQ8HoWNQpgj7

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Crash Boat Beach

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Crash Boat Beach

Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla is one of Puerto Rico’s most popular beaches. It’s a party beach with a festive atmosphere, highlighted by the colorful pier perfect for diving off of or snorkeling beside.

Bring the family and enjoy the gentle surf and the pincho (kebab) kiosks.

It’s supposed to have bathrooms but we couldn’t find any.

Feel free to enjoy our video about snorkeling Crash Boat – the undersea world is astonishing. It’s at https://youtu.be/HOsYt4y6pYY

Info: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/crash-boat-beach/8911

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/FnQBxi1g4pkbujWb6

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Carolina Terraplen La Posita Beaches

Balneario Carolina and Terraplen La Posita de Piñones are among the most popular local beaches for people living in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Here’s why.

Balneario Carolina is a lovely public beach and a local favorite just east of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You pay $5 for parking, and in return have a clean white-sand beach with minimal waves, as well as clean bathrooms, showers and food stands. Is there anything better than enjoying a mojito from your beach chair while you watch the waves? The beach has attractions for every age and stage, with watersports, a Beach Volleyball court, and a small water park for the kids. At the far end, a stage is sometimes set up for major concert events.

For an even calmer and distinctly Puerto Rican experience, head a little farther east to & Terraplen La Posita de Piñones. You’ll park (for free) on the road or in one of several small parking lots, and there are no facilities. However, there is a beach chair vendor and several little eateries to buy your Puerto Rican frituras (various fried foods). This is a great beach for families because a reef protects the shoreline from waves, so small children can play in the shallow water without causing their parents worry.

Info:

Balneario Carolina – https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/balneario-de-carolina/7704

Terraplen La Posita de Piñones -- https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/playa-la-posita/8954

 

Maps:

Balneario Carolina - https://goo.gl/maps/vzuMf9c3Yigeg4BS6

Terraplen La Posita de Piñones -- https://goo.gl/maps/cCuq2eiRJjDwW4AK8

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Sucia, Puerto Rico

It’s a long haul to get to breathtaking Playa Sucia, one of the most beautiful beaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, but worth every mile and bump in the road.

This crescent-shaped stretch of sand is at the end of the road in the extreme southwest corner of the island, Cabo Rojo. It’s framed by Los Morillos Lighthouse on the bluff to the right and rock arches and the beach La Playuela to the left. It offers breathtaking views and plenty of wilderness to explore. The beach is part of the town’s nature reserve, with no services, not even bathrooms, but plenty of shady spots among the mangroves. It requires a little walking from the limited parking; arrive early to get a spot. On the way in you will pass the famous Salt Flats.

Bring lots to drink and eat because you can’t buy anything there. Bring hiking shoes and a camera  for the spectacular cliffside trail around the lighthouse.

Info

Map

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Isla Verde Beach in San Juan, PR

Travelers to Puerto Rico who stay in Isla Verde at first behold a cluster of high-rises soaring above the palm trees. But behind the tall hotels and condos is a clean, bustling tropical beach in the heart of the city, one of the finest urban beaches you’ll find anywhere.

Info
Map

Palmas Del Mar: a Huge Planned Resort in Puerto Rico

When we started looking for a home in Puerto Rico, realtor after realtor recommended that we buy in Palmas del Mar, a massive resort development with six miles of ocean frontage on the southeast coast. This is the largest planned resort development in the Caribbean, and calls itself “Puerto Rico’s #1 vacation destination.” But is it? Not for us.

The many rings of gated security work for some people, but for us they made us feel disconnected from real Puerto Rico. We visited the beach and were underwhelmed, and access to it is extremely limited.

Palmas del Mar started as a vacation spot and evolved to include residential opportunities, and features a golf course, tennis club, athletic club, equestrian area, a forest (Bosque Pterocarpus), marina, school (Palmas Academy), shopping area, hotels, restaurants and more. The residents ride around in golf carts, and their association has regular social events.

So what’s it like? Take a tour and see if it’s your cup of tea. We decided it’s not ours. Lisa calls it Gringolandia.

Links:

Info
Palmas Online Promotional Brochure
Map

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Isla Verde

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Let's take a quick tour of Isla Verde, a beachfront high-rise neighborhood on the eastern end of San Juan, Puerto Rico, that offers a wealth of amenities and options for upscale travelers and residents.

Isla Verde is a resort strip of San Juan known for its beautiful urban beaches. This neighborhood offers a plethora of dining and lodging options for upscale travelers to the Enchanted Island, as well as for well-to-do homeowners with deep pockets. Its popular white-sand beach backs up to high-rise hotels and condos, with shade trees and many dining and drinking options.

Most travel articles describe Isla Verde’s exquisite urban beach in the heart of the city, but we thought we’d show you the other side of the neighborhood: the avenue that offers all the amenities you need to enjoy your time on the eastern end of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Enjoy our mini-tour!

Info

Map

Loon Bathing on Lake Rescue

The fog lured me out of bed before 6 AM. I brewed coffee, lazily made my way down to the dock at Lake Rescue, VT, and dropped into a kayak. For almost an hour it was just me and the mist, floating on a mirror-like lake. No breeze. No other watercraft. No eagles. No birds. Total serenity.

On the way back home, I encountered this solitary loon giving himself a bath. So fun to just sit and watch him frolic in the lake! Enjoy.

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Pelican Feeding Time at Palmas del Mar

We wandered down to the coastal area of Palmas del Mar and discovered pelicans having a feeding frenzy on fish in the Atlantic Ocean. It was an amazing sight! Thought we’d share.

We wandered down to the coastal area of Palmas del Mar and discovered pelicans having a feeding frenzy on fish in the Atlantic Ocean. It was an amazing sight! Thought we’d share. Palmas del Mar is a lush golf course/tennis resort development on the southeast end of the island of Puerto Rico. We spent 12 nights there. The beach is largely inaccessible, except by golf cart or walking over to this stretch. There was a lot of sargassum, and it stunk. But the views were gorgeous and clearly the fish -- and thus, the seabirds -- loved it!

Does Melones Beach on Culebra Have the Best Snorkeling in the World?

Judge for yourself!

Locals on the island of Culebra told us we would find the best snorkeling at Melones Beach. This area didn't show much promise at first -- we were greeted by screeching chickens, not much in the way of sand, and stones underfoot. But we decided to give it a go anyway!

The undersea world was truly spectacular. The video doesn’t do it justice. You will have to go see for yourself.

The Pterocarpus Forest: A Nature Enclave Within a Sprawling Resort

Who would expect to find a beautifully preserved nature preserve in the middle of the largest resort development in Puerto Rico? But that’s what we discovered when we entered the Pterocarpus Forest.

The Pterocarpus Forest nature preserve at Palmas del Mar is a 51-acre swamp forest, one of the largest remaining swamp forests in Puerto Rico. It serves as a habitat for 44 species of flora and 52 species of fauna, and this is a relief to see when elsewhere in Palmas del Mar, trees are being razed to create the latest luxury developments.

This wetland forest is named after the Pterocarpus Officinalis tree (“Dragonsblood Tree”), which has awesome roots that spread out majestically. It can grow more than 65 feet tall.

There’s also a lookout tower and a pond, which provide lively bird, turtle and iguana-watching.

Although Palmas is a private development, the Pterocarpus Forest is open to the public. Just tell the guard at the gate that’s where you are going. They have even been known to give out forest maps. There’s also an app that offers a walking tour of the forest.

Links

Info
Map

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Guayanés Beach in Yabucoa

  

Guayanés Beach in Yabucoa: Swimming Horses and Stinging Ants

Guayanés Beach, in Yabucoa on the southeast coast of Puerto Rico, was lovely, quiet, and tranquil, for most of the day. It even had bathrooms! It was a beautiful crescent of sand and turquoise sea with lively waves. I walked down to one end and found the most beautiful seashells I have seen on any beach in Puerto Rico, including a sand dollar.

Mid-afternoon, the peace was broken when a rural Puerto Rican family arrived with their horses in a trailer, and inadvertently entertained us by riding back and forth along the beach, and even taking their horses into the waves for a swim! By mid-afternoon, they had set up a party, complete with blasting speaker, behind us by the parking lot.

About then, we noticed the ants under our feet in the grassy sand under a palm tree were starting to bite us viciously. We ended up with burning, itching bites and blisters on our feet for days.

I have a feeling that Guayanés Beach is a rollicking party on weekends! If you want quiet, weekday mornings are probably best. Just watch out for the red ants underfoot!

Links

Info
Map

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: La Pared Beach in Luquillo

La Pared Beach is a year-round popular surfing spot a block from Luquillo's main town square. We never swam there because the waves were too high, but we did enjoy watching the surfers, including kids' classes and competitions, while enjoying munchies and libations at Boardrider’s Restaurant.

Enjoy the mini-tour!

Links

Info
Maps

Tour of St. Croix, the largest US Virgin Island

It’s only a 30-minute flight from San Juan, so Bob and I decided to spend a few days in St. Croix, the largest US Virgin Island and the only one we had not yet visited.

St. Croix is an island paradise complete with lush tropical hills, inviting white-sand beaches beside warm turquoise water teeming with colorful coral and tropical fish, a rich history (with seven different flags and even young Alexander Hamilton), two interesting cities, and a wonderful tropical climate.

We enjoyed three days packed with history, nature, food, drink, undersea delights, shopping, and more. One thing we didn’t find was crowds. We did discover a lot of places we need to return to!

LINKS:

St. Croix

Map

Touring Hacienda Muñoz, the Closest Coffee Hacienda to San Juan

We took a tour of Hacienda Muñoz in San Lorenzo, a half an hour up the mountains from San Juan. Its coffee has won the Best Coffee People’s Choice Award at the Puerto Rico Coffee and Chocolate Expo for three years running. Is it really that good?

The tour focused on the coffee-growing industry and its history, as well as the methods used to grow, process, and roasting coffee. The detail was sometimes excruciating, as we stood on the hillside in the hot sun listening to our impassioned guide go one and on and on.

While small, it’s a much larger operation than Hacienda Iluminada, the small hacienda we toured last fall which focused its tour on sustainable practices and integration into the forest. Here, we saw neat rows of coffee plants planted in full sun. In addition to its coffee fields, Hacienda Muñoz operates a small café, where we enjoyed fresh turkey sandwiches on baguettes, and a larger restaurant.

Lisa bought a bag of medium-roast coffee, and it was indeed exemplary.

The cost for the tour was $20, or $10 for kids and those over 60. It included a tasting.

Links

Info

Discover Puerto Rico Article

Map 

 

We Were Here 14 Years Ago! Arecibo Observatory after the Crash (And Before)

Our family visited Arecibo Observatory to see the 1,000-foot radio-telescope constructed in a sinkhole in the karst region of western Puerto Rico during a vacation in April 2008. The radio-telescope and its visitors center offered a fascinating exploration of space for my two science-minded kids. Naturally, they don’t remember it all today. But Bob and I do! That’s why, when we heard that the colossal radio-telescope had collapsed last year, we booked tickets as soon as the facility reopened to see how it looks now.

Visit our blog to see photos and learn more about the observatory and the crash. 

LINKS

Info: https://www.naic.edu/ao/landing

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/TZoNRfRuUZUMgi9U6

Sneaking into Vivo Beach Club on Carolina Beach

While trying to enter Ocean Lab Brewing Company from the beach at Carolina, Puerto Rico, we were stopped by a burly security guard. He told us we couldn’t walk through this private club named Vivo, and pointed us around the building to the street side to enter the restaurant from the parking lot with the rest of the lowly non-members.

Well, exc-u-u-u-u-se me! (Fellow Boomers will recognize that reference.)

Our table on the third-floor balcony at Ocean Lab gave us a bird’s eye view of the Vivo Beach Club, so we googled it. It calls itself “the hottest private beach club in town.” You can join, or pay $40 for a day pass. This video shows you what you get.

After lunch, Bob tried to sneak through the club again to get out to the beach. Despite putting on his very best I-belong-here-don’t-mess-with-me act, he was stopped by the alert security guards and rerouted to the pedestrian exit. Foiled again!

Links

Info:

Vivo Beach Club

Ocean Lab Brewing Company

Map

Exploring the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England

When we took a Thames River Cruise from London to Greenwich to see the Royal Meridien, we discovered the National Maritime Museum, one of a quartet of the Royal Museums in Greenwich. The others are the Royal Observatory Greenwich, where the Meridien resides, and two others that will have to wait till next time: the historic ship Cutty Sark and the Queen's House.

The National Maritime Museum takes you on an exploration of British naval history and Imperial arrogance, with a ship simulator, nautical oddities and interactive games. We loved the giant message in a bottle and the colorful exhibit of ship figureheads. Admission was free.

What a fun discovery! Greenwich deserves more than a day.

LINKS

Info

Museum 

CityCruises

Thames RiverSightseeing

Uber Boat

Map

 

Scryer Rum in Old San Juan: Missed Opportunities

As Messy Suitcase makes the rounds of rum distilleries across Puerto Rico, we discovered a new boutique one in Old San Juan and decided to pay a visit. Scryer Rum Barrelhouse & Rooftop is a small-batch, pot-distilled sipping rum distillery in a gorgeous historic building.

“Sipping” is industry-speak for expensive – the good stuff you drink on its own, as opposed to the cheap stuff you pour into a cocktail.

Scryer was founded by a couple of buddies shortly before the pandemic. Garrett, who led our tour, started his alcohol education in whiskey and brought that expertise to rum distilling. But while the partners have created a delicious sipping rum, a lovely bar and a delightful rooftop, they have a lot to learn about running a good tour! They missed out on a lot of opportunities. Find out why in this video.

(Sorry in advance for the loud music in the background – they conduct the tour right next to the noisy bar.)

Links

Info: https://scryerrum.com/

Map: https://g.page/scryer-rum?share

Museo de San Juan: No Video Allowed

Museo de San Juan: No Video Allowed

It was hard to find the Museo de San Juan, and once we got it in, they made making this video even harder: No photos or videos! 

Fine. We enjoyed the air conditioning on a hot day.

But it was free, and worth 20 minutes of your time, if you're near El Morro and can find your way in.

There were some silver religious artifacts in one room, and old maps and historical photos and art in the second gallery.

That's it.

Links:

Info 
Map

 

Snorkeling Buck Island, St. Croix. Four Thumbs Up!

No visit to St. Croix is complete without a trip to its crown jewel of underwater glory: Buck Island.

Located one and a half miles from the dock at Christiansted across the turquoise sea, Buck Island Reef National Monument offers over 19,000 acres of both submerged and dry lands that are pristine and perfect for nature exploration. The only way to get there is on a National Park Service-approved boat tour. We chose to take a half-day catamaran trip with Big Beard Adventures.

Hiking

There are hiking trails on Buck Island will take you through a tropical dry forest to the hilltop; we didn’t have time to do this. (Take the full-day tour if you want to hike.)

Beaching

But we did have time to visit the beach, where we watched gray pelicans and magnificent frigatebirds fish while novices were back at the boat learning how to snorkel. Then the Big Beard crew honked the horn for us the board the boat, and took us around to the other side of the island.

Snorkeling

We pulled on our masks and fins and jumped in with the first group and snorkeled for an hour and a half above an outstanding reef teeming with colorful fish and majestic elkhorn coral.

Drinking

On the way back to Christiansted, we enjoyed punch made with St. Croix’s own Mutiny Vodka (we will visit their distillery on our next visit to the island) while visiting with our new friends, Jane and Rick from St. Louis! (Jane originally hails from Adelaide, Australia, and both are scuba divers.)

Messy Suitcase heartily recommends Big Beard’s Adventure Tours. Four thumbs up! The captain made the safety instructions hilarious; his crew did a great job of getting to know every participant’s needs and aspirations for the trip; and they were all extremely capable – and fun! (And yes, all the men did indeed sport big beards, though the new guy’s was still a bit scraggly.)

LINKS

Buck Island Reef: https://www.nps.gov/buis/index.htm

Big Beard’s Adventure Tours: https://www.bigbeards.com/

St. Croix Activities: https://www.vinow.com/stcroix/activities/

The Queen Conch: https://www.vinow.com/blog/nature/the-queen-conch/

Maps

Buck Island: https://www.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/maps.htm

Big Beard Tours: https://goo.gl/maps/26mvdQttsbnfGuBr5

We Ziplined Through a Rain Forest!

We spent a morning flying across the rainforest canopy at JungleQui Zipline Park in El Yunque National Forest. I don’t know which was more spectacular – the adrenaline rush of the ziplines as we flew from tree to tree like Tarzan, the incredible views of the lush flora and the river far below, or the sparkling personalities of our tour guides.

There was a little bit of hiking involved, some on steep trail, so if you do this, you need to be in reasonable physical condition. Make sure to wear good shoes. We wished we had realized we could carry water bottles, because it took 2 ½ hours long to navigate 11 ziplines and one exhilarating rappel. And it got hot!

We drove to Junglequi, but they also operate a service that will pick you up at your hotel, if you don’t rent a car or prefer not to drive.

Across from the parking lot at the entrance of Junglequi, our local friend Julio, who operates Rosario Tours, took us down a trail to a locals spot by the river, where you can jump off a rock into the water or even swing out on a rope.! If you’re ever looking for a personalized tour of any part of Puerto Rico, Julio Flores is your man!  

LINKS

JungleQui

Rosario Tours

Map

 

Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (Museum of Art of Puerto Rico)

Sunburned after too many beach days in Puerto Rico? Need a break from the relentless sun? Head indoors for an afternoon in the air-conditioned Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (Museum of Art of Puerto Rico)!

This museum is a beautiful, modern facility with 24 exhibition galleries wandering through 130,000 square feet on four floors. The mostly contemporary pieces are distributed between a historic building in the west wing, the former municipal hospital, and an addition in the east wing.

The Puerto Rican art to be found inside is astonishing. All the pieces are labeled and interpreted in both Spanish and English. The sculpture garden behind, in the middle of an urban neighborhood of theatres, restaurants, and office buildings, is also a sublime discovery. Don’t miss it!

When you’re done strolling through this cultural wonder in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan, relax for an hour with an artisanal cocktail at Chimera rooftop bar, half a block away.

LINKS

Info:

Museum - https://www.mapr.org/es

Chimera - https://chimera-rooftop.business.site/

Maps:

Museum - https://goo.gl/maps/yufDPpKkF5MV8CMAA

Chimera – https://goo.gl/maps/EgeQ7k1T6hPSVNAe7

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Condado

The Condado area of San Juan has a lot to offer, for both the mostly-professional crowd who lives here, and the tourists who come to Puerto Rico and stay in one of the many hotels facing the Atlantic Ocean. Let's take a stroll through the neighborhood! Map: https://goo.gl/maps/Fy847dSUadoAbVnB8

 

Braving Camuy Caverns, and a Special Surprise!

No trip to Puerto Rico is complete without going deep underground to explore Camuy Caverns, officially known as Rio Camuy Cave Park. It’s located in the karst mountains of northwestern Puerto Rico, where the towns of Camuy, Hatillo, and Lares come together. It was fascinating to see what nature wrought over millions of years, as well as the huge impact of Hurricane Maria.

Make sure you stay till the end: There is surprise bonus material you won’t want to miss!

LINKS:

Info: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/rio-camuy-cave-park/9932

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/955aGxVZb4CqgahHA

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Discovering Luquillo

Two of the spots most often recommended to tourists visiting Puerto Rico are Luquillo Beach and the Kioskos. Time to take a tour!

Trouble in Paradise, Part 2: Traveling with a Pet

We travel with a very sweet cat, Kaylee. She’s a petite Maine Coon, very affectionate but also very nervous. She technically belongs to our oldest child, Aryk, but as Aryk is still finishing grad school in England, Kaylee travels with us.

And she doesn’t like it.

It’s not easy for us, either. But we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cats and Planes

Flying with a cat companion is a logistical challenge. Here are the many steps:

·      

You have to call the airline to reserve the cat’s spot, hoping that she won’t exceed their quota of pets per plane.

• You have to pay a fee; in the case of Southwest, it’s $95 each way.
• You have to purchase a carrier that fulfills their requirements.
• Then you have to tote her all over the airport, make sure the skittish kitty doesn’t have a panic attack, and get her through the security line without her bolting. (Hint: Make sure she’s on a leash so she can’t run, but since she can still shred you in a panic, also ask for a private screening. That’s where they take you and the cat into a small room and then take her carrier away to be x-rayed.)
• During the flight, you have to listen to her cry from inside her carrier between your feet (so comfortable). If you’re lucky, the middle seat will be clear and you can put her there instead. We have an expandable carrier, and it greatly reduces her anxiety to be able to spread out.
• During transfers between planes, you have to find a place for her to do her business in the portable litter box you packed (with the litter that made security red-flag your backpack as a security risk), and give her some food and water, all of which she will ignore.

In addition, to bring Kaylee to Puerto Rico, we had to get an international health certificate, which entailed finding a specific kind of vet and paying $240 for the paperwork, an extra exam, and extra shots. And then the authorities in PR didn’t even ask to see any of it! We have done this twice. I spoke to a dog owner here who did it for three dogs, at much greater expense because of their large size, and no one asked to see their paperwork, either. I know if we skip this step, though, the authorities will ask for it and send her back to the States.

Alleviating Kaylee’s anxiety about flying is crucial, so we got gabapentin, an anti-anxiety medicine, from the vet, which has helped Kaylee endure the terrifying airport screenings and long periods stuck in the carrier. Usually. It does wear out, though. You can tell because she starts thrashing and meowing. A friend who operates a doggie daycare suggested I play a calming playlist from Amazon music. This works miracles! I just place the phone on her carrier to act as her private concert hall, and she is calmed instantly. 

Managing Feline Anxiety While Living Like a Nomad

Cats like routine, and life is always changing when you travel. We manage Kaylee’s stress as best we can, but there’s a limit to what we can do. Sometimes local cats meow outside the windows at night, or come up to the door during the day. Humans shove her into carriers with no warning, and sometimes leave her there for hours while we travel in cars or planes. Food on the road is inconsistent, depending on what’s available where we are loving at the time. The environment changes monthly, when we move to a new condo. (This is part of the reason we bought the house in Cabo Rojo.) Kaylee’s buddy Ellie, our Russian Blue who lives at college with Gavin, may be in the house for months (over summer break), and then, just when they have finally adjusted to each other (again), will abruptly disappear with no explanation. 

Once, while living in Mexico City, we put Kaylee in boarding while we took a short jaunt to Acapulco. We had to return early due to COVID, but the vet was calling anyway, saying our kitty was freaked out by another cat who wouldn’t stop yowling. We arrived to find her hiding in the kitty playroom, her body tucked deeply into the bottom tire in a stack.

Kaylee was recently diagnosed with alopecia, after she licked all the hair off one of her furry legs. The vet said this could be caused by fleas – and told us all cats in PR should be regularly treated for fleas and heartworm – by food allergies, or by stress. We are treating her for fleas, and we’ll test for food allergies this summer if her symptoms persist. But in all likelihood, it’s anxiety. So, we make her life as easy as possible, give her tons of attention, staying home some days just to provide a lap for her to nap in, and keeping up her routines as much as we can (within limits).

Finding Vet Services for Pets

Finding vets to care for cats in a place where you don't speak the language well is a constant challenge. Their front claws must be trimmed regularly, they must be treated to prevent fleas and heartworm, and sometimes they get sick. The upside is that it's usually less expensive anywhere else than in the States.

Our cat Equinox took ill a week into our Mexico City stay in early 2020. We found a vet within walking distance whose convenient office we had noted while exploring the city, and rushed him there. Fortunately, one vet spoke English, and he got the city's best kitty cardiologist involved when it turned out our cat had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In humans, this condition is called "the widow maker" because often it's often undetected until the patient, usually a man, has a sudden fatal heart attack. Alas, the same was true for our dear Noxy. He was hospitalized but only lived through a weekend, and had to be put to sleep in the middle of the night when he became agitated and had trouble breathing.

But he got excellent care. We were called in, we brought Kaylee to say goodbye to her friend, the children were called, and it was as good a pt death experience as is possible, And the cost for that care and his subsequent cremation was a fraction of the cost for the same in the States.

Stress and Health

However, the stress of traveling and then moving to a mile-high city probably contributed to his demise, and this is why I am vigilant about managing Kaylee's stress. I hope the move to Cabo Rojo in winters will give her a more settled life. Alternating between two households should be much easier than adjusting to a new home every month! And when she finally moves in with her owner, our oldest child Aryk, we will probably stick to healing aid organizations care for all the stray cats in Puerto Rico

Meanwhile, whenever I sit down to use the computer, read a book, or watch TV, I lay Kaylee's favorite towel across my lap and call her name. She is here in an instant, ready to cuddle while I work. In fact, she is in my lap right now!

Because despite all the stress, the most important thing I can do for my traveling cat is give her love.

 

Another Elusive Puerto Rican Cave: Cueva de las Golondrinas

It took some digging to find the well-hidden Cueva de las Golandrinas (Cave of the Swallows), on the jagged coast near Arecibo. We made a wrong turn before getting some guidance from the ancient, toothless man with the machete to whom we had paid a few bucks "propina" (tip) to watch our car on the dirt road.

Tip: If someone is on the roadside or has a yard nearby and offers to let you park, or watch your car, for maybe $5, do it. It's good manners and pragmatic, and the cops in Puerto Rico are pretty vicious about writing tickets to unsuspecting drivers for infractions such as parking with your car facing the wrong direction, or parking with any part of your car blocking the roadway.

This man, whose Spanish was almost unintelligible, likely used that machete to clear branches on the roadside so our car wouldn't get scratched. He was lean and brown and muscular, despite appearing to be well into his 80s. He kept an eye on our vehicle while we were hiking, and kindly showed us the hidden trailhead without us even asking. 

Then on to find the cave! It was very difficult to find, as the trails are not well marked. We were halfway there when we finally chanced upon a sign, the only one sign, plunked in the middle of a meadow. If you’re going to do this hike, wear water shoes and a swimsuit, because you have to wade into the water to get a clear view of the cave. It's gorgeous, and the beach is lovely. Definitely worth the walk.

LINKS:

Cueva de las Golondrinas

Map

Alltrails Hike (The cave is at the very western end of this hike.)

 

Northcoast Puerto Rico Tourist Attractions

We drove west from Isabela to explore the Cara del Indio (Face of the Indian), Cueva del Indio (Cave of the Indian) and anything else we stumbled upon, including Taino and Spanish ruins, ocean arches and one disgraced explorer.

Read all about it in our blog. 

LINKS

Cara del Indio: https://www.puertoricotravelguide.com/cara-del-indio-mabodomaca/
Cueva del Indio: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/cueva-del-indio-arecibo/8721
Ermita San Antonio de Padua de la Tuna: https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/san-antonio-de-la-tuna/
Christopher Columbus History: https://www.history.com/news/columbus-day-controversy

The Museo de las Americas: An Undiscovered Gem in Old San Juan

We had a goal in mind when we visited the Museo de las Americas in Old San Juan: to find a mask created by Miguel Caraballo, the legendary carnival maskmaker from Ponce. We had commissioned one of his gorgeous vejigante masks in 1995 and then again this past year. (A vejigante is a folkloric character in Puerto Rican festival celebrations, mainly seen during Carnival time.) Caraballo, whose business has expanded to include his artisan son Miguel the 2nd and marketer grandson Miguel the 3rd, is a legend in the maskmaking world, with a mask in this museum as well as one in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The mask in the Smithsonian is not currently on display in the Museum of American History, but we found his mask high on a wall in the Museum of the Americas! We also found a lot of colorful, fantastical, fascinating art that captivated us for several hours. The Museum of the Americas is a non-profit institution founded in 1992 to “offer a synoptic vision of the history and culture of the American continent, emphasizing Puerto Rico, through our exhibition programs and cultural activities.” It’s located near El Morro.

LINKS

Info: Museum of the Americas - museolasamericas.org/ Miguel Caraballo - https://www.facebook.com/ Map: Museo De Las Americas, Calle Beneficencia, San Juan

The Messy Suitcase Guide to Eating in Puerto Rico, Part 3

 Messy Suitcase Restaurant Recommendations

Although we have expounded upon the value of being adventurous and experimenting with cuisine, we also understand that your time on the island is limited, and you might want to be pointed toward some proven winners. So here are Messy Suitcase’s recommendations for the best places we have eaten on the island. But remember, everyone has different taste.

Food Truck Parks

San Juan: Miramar Food Truck Park in San Juan.

This park in a chic urban neighbrohood has an excellent beer place, Greek, Chinese/Latin fusion, vegan, frappes, Mexican, and more. On weekends, enjoy live music.
Info: facebook.com/MiramarFoodTruckPark
Map: 1006 Ave. Ponce de Leon 00907 San Juan, Puerto Rico

Luquillo: Playa La Pared

Food trucks set up shop on weekend nights across from the beach at La Pared in Luquillo. There are only two or three, including the taco truck Mi Parcela, but they are excellent.
Info: No website
Map: Calle Herminio Diaz Navarro, Luquillo, Puerto Rico

Rio Grande: Pa'l Yunque Food Park

We found this on the way home from hiking El Yunque. I enjoyed a falafel while Bob had a burger. The food park was small, accessible, cheap and delicious. Nice shelter from a rainstorm, too. Perfect end of a hiking day.
Info: facebook.com/palyunquefoodpark/
Map: 40 PR-955 00721 Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Vieques: Rincon del Sabor

We only ate at the coffee place here, which serves up a good breakfast and the best shakes I have ever had. There are other food trucks with traditional Puerto Rican food, but they were closed due to COVID.
Info: facebook.com/rincondelsaborvqs
Map: Carretera 200 km 0.6, Florida, Vieques, Puerto Rico, 00765

Luquillo: The Kioskos

The Luquillo Kioskos (food kiosks) aren’t a food truck park, but a long row of around 60 family-owned kiosks selling food, drinks, and souvenirs, located on a service road just north of Route 3, near the Luquillo Public Beach. Right behind them is a slightly rundown beach that locals love to hang out in, blasting music and jet skiing. Tourists often get it confused with Balneario (Pubic Beach) Luquillo, which is just east but still walking distance to the kioskos for lunch. The kioskos themselves are pretty rundown and some are closed, but don’t let their appearance discourage you from having a truly Puerto Rican dining experience. Most have outdoor dining in the rear with views of the Atlantic Ocean. Avoid overrated La Parrilla Restaurant on the west end, which attracts diners with its large parking lot and aggressive advertising, but provides nothing special in service, ambience or food quality. Our favorite restaurant here is Revolution Pizza.
Info: puertoricodaytrips.com/uquillo-kiosks
Map: goo.gl/maps/4rkEoCWX2h22zduJ9

Restaurants

Here are some favorites from around the island.

Aguadilla: Cinco

Creative Caribbean cuisine, served up in a stylish atmosphere. Pricy and elegant, with excellent cocktails. The menu is unique and the food is delicious. You would find a place like this on New York’s Upper East Side.
Info: facebook.com/cincorestaurant/
Map: KM. 9.2 PR-110, Aguadilla Pueblo, Aguadilla 00603

Fajardo: Las Vistas Cafe at Las Croabas

This restaurant served up the best meal I had in eastern Puerto Rico. Get reservations, as it’s very popular and COVID careful, even though you are dining on a rooftop with 360° views of Las Croabas Bay, Seven Seas Beach, and the islands of Vieques and Culebra. The owner, Gladys, treats every customer like her best friend. The food is exquisite. Breakfast, lunch and brunch only.
Info: lasvistascafepr.com/
Map: goo.gl/maps/uVZ2jgMv7EFj7a138

Pinky's in Condado

This is a lovely little breakfast discovery, but forget about getting in on a weekend day. There’s also one on Calle Loiza.
Info: facebook.com/Pinkys-112452892183010
Map: 1351 1351 Ashford Ave., Condado, Puerto Rico

Manatí: Pollo Costero BBQ

Another roadside discovery. The friendly, English-fluent proprietor let us pick a la carte whatever looked interesting in the food case, and charged hardly anything. The rotisserie chicken was mouthwatering; we speculated it could be as fresh as the chicken roadkill we had seen on the way there. (Just kidding.)

Info: facebook.com/pollocosterobbq
Map: Carretera 685 00674 Manati, Puerto Rico

Cabo Rojo: Annie’s Place

Who cares if the food is any good? Which it is, but that’s not the point. The location right next to glorious Combate Beach is the bomb, and the sunsets are not to be believed. The menu is seafood, seafood and more seafood, with the choice of the same sauces we saw at every other seafood restaurant. The drinks are great. Did I mention the spectacular sunsets?
Info: facebook.com/Annies-Place-Combate-Beach-Cabo-Rojo-1552167661708533/
Map: Playa El Combate Beach, PR-3301, Boquerón, 00622

Cabo Rojo: Coco Loco BBQ Smokehouse

Great BBQ in unassuming outdoor setting. One-woman show.
Info: No website.
Map: Carr 102 km 15.9, Cabo Rojo, 00623

Cabo Rojo: El Bohio, Joyuda

Joyuda is a fisherman’s village with a bunch of excellent seafood restaurants to choose from. We chose El Bohio because of its large back deck,. Which faces the ocean and provides the best sunset views. A gang of enormous gray fish hangs out in the shallow water right by the ready to jump on sfood craps the staff throws, which provides excellent entertainment. Families love this place. Probably any restaurant in this town would be excellent.

Info: facebook.com/elbohio.restaurant, puertoricodaytrips.com/joyuda-seafood/
Map: Carretera 102 km.14.1, Cabo Rojo, 00623

Luquillo: Boardriders Surf Bar and Grill

This was our favorite restaurant while living in Luquillo. It provides two levels of outdoor seating, all with views of the crashing surf at La Pared Beach. Expect excellent passion fruit mojitos, healthy vegetarian options, and really friendly staff. Live entertainment on the weekends features sounds of roots, reggae, jazz, rumba and more.
Info: boardriderssurfbar.com/
Map: US, 25 Calle Miguel Veve Calzada, Luquillo, 00773

Culebra: Dinghy Dock Restaurant

This popular place right on the water offers up outstanding Bushwhackers and excellent American food. It’s popular; come early or be prepared to wait in line.

Info: facebook.com/Dinghy-Dock-Culebra-970553193101653
Map: 372 Calle Fulladoza 00775 Culebra, Puerto Rico

Up next … Finding New York-Quality Pizza in Puerto Rico