Great holiday with Tamara, I'm really glad we had the chance to have a week to hang out and talk -
she's such a great lady!

Scott and I are working on our plans for our first trip - and we are off to Sydney Australia later on tonight!

Just enough time to do laundry and repack.

Link below is for a few pictures from Puerto Rico.
You can click on details if you want to read some of my ramblings, or use the slideshow function. Enjoy!

Puerto Rico photos

To unpathed waters, undreamed shores - William Shakespeare

Yesterday was a great day of adventures. We drove up to El Yunque (say it with me, in a great latin american deep voice "El j-yunque") and spent time on some trails and enjoying the peace and quiet. The only rain forest in the US. It is home of the "coqui" the small PR frog that has a lovely 2-note chirp; and the Puerto Rican green parrot - very rare only about 45 left in the wild. We then drove into Farjida to join a kayak tour into Laguna Grande to experience the bioluminescent microorganisms in the bay - when you distrub the water in any way it glows like a green fire, or comet tail, or glow sticks in the dark (we were kayaking in the dark). It was amazing! When you dip your hand in the water it sparkles, thanks to clusters of hundreds of the organisms. It is so difficult to describe, has to be experienced. Even more amazing when fish swim by under water, as they create patterns. Supposedly its incredible in a rainstorm. We were like kids playing in the water. The stars overhead were also amazing, as it was pitch black. Kayaking back in the pitch black through a mangrove was quite an experience as well, when you can barely see the boat in front of you. Highlight of the trip!
Today we took a ferry over to the other side of the bay in San Juan to visit the Bacardi factory - an interesting information centre with lots of information, and free samples - Tam enjoyed my extras! (Graeme, sorry can't carry any on board - we wanted to get you the Special Reserve, aged 12 years and only available in PR...too bad). Then we had lunch at a great little find of a restaurant in Old San Juan - finally an affordable and tasty place - St Germain Bistro & Cafe (Sol and Cruz). Got caught in a major rainstorm and were soaked. Back out now to go to the Hilton and try the pina colada so we can compare in the "war".

Going to have to figure out how to get some pictures on here during my travels vs always having to wait until home to load up.
Today was a great day - we rented a car from a local agency "Afro Car rental" across the street from our hotel. We drove off to Ponce in the south. Amazing change in geography, topography and weather as we travelled the 90 minutes - went through rain forest, mountains and arid hills, then back into an area that looked like a never-ending garden. The town is a great little town of very old colonial buildings - some falling down and some being built back up. I love the old and decrepit beauty of a place like this (this you will have to wait and see in pictures). Then we headed off to an old coffee plantation - we arrived in time for the last tour of the day which should have been in Spanish, but the guide did an amazing job of juggling both languages.
Had dinner at a popular local place and tried Mofongo - smashed plantain mixed with veggies, etc. Could have used some hot sauce or something to make it a bit more punchy.
So remind me to tell you about the guy watching "adult entertainment" in the internet cafe - full blast, no cares in the world...and it wasn't until 2 guys complained that the employees gave him a headset - have to love the hot-blooded latin americans :)
Teresa - wish I could be around but we are likely flying out on the plane you come in on - what a shame, would have been fun to hang on the beach. Try the pina colada at the Hilton and then compare to the Barranchia bar downtown - there is a famous "war" going on as to where it was invented and which one is best (we still have to try the Hilton's).

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!!!!! One day late, but I was thinking of myself (and all of you) when I was enjoying my day in Old San Juan yesterday :)

It was a gorgeous day, sunny, not a cloud in the sky, with beautiful breezes off the ocean. We wandered the streets lined with brightly-coloured, colonial-styled houses - reminded me a lot of New Orleans. We explored the El Morro - the fort out at the promentory, 6 levels high and covering several football fields - the spaniards were serious about protecting the island! If you stay off the cruiseline/touristy track there are some neat little shops. People are very friendly and helpful here (we get lost a lot :)

Today was spent checking out the Contemporary Art gallery, the market area and the Belles Artes gallery. Loved the name of the cafe we found for lunch - Bla Bla

We made it OK to San Juan - actually it was a great trip. We zoomed through security, and actually had assigned seats even before we went through. So the plane was pretty open. We even got upgraded to the front - what a treat to start off our holidays! The crew was great, very friendly. When we first pushed back there was a technical problem, but thankfully they were able to fix it quickly. Once at the airport it was super quick to get a taxi, they set you up with a car and tell you how much you will be paying. $18 including tip. There was a mix up in that they wrote down Miramar (the area we are staying in) and the driver thought we were going to hotel Miramar. After a little re-routing we ended up at Olympi Court Hotel. What a gem! All updated, big rooms, super clean, with kitchenette, 2 full beds - all for only $85 including all taxes (usually there is a 13% tax and $5 per person charge for electricity). The man at the front was super helpful. We have now walked over the bridge to the beach area - very Miami. Cars all lined up cruising. Art deco buildings. Kids jumping off bridges and walls into the water. Little beaches dotted along. Lots of new building mixed in with old ones being taken down - an area changing all the time.

Spent my first week off getting lots of errands done, including getting my travel shots and medications all up-to-date so am ready for anything now (except perhaps Japanese encephalitis but I just won't go near pigs in remote villages ;) Also needed a bit of time to let go of work - that is taking a little longer then I thought it would, hard to turn off after so many years. I realized I have been working non-stop (even during school/university) since I was 16 years old. (Except for a period due to a car accident, but that I'm not counting). Not counting all the various odds and ends, babysitting, etc I did prior - but being on a payroll for 25+ years... That thought finally made me let go - and start to enjoy every moment of this break.

My first trip is with my niece Tamara - we're going to run off together for a girls' week before she has to start hanging out with the oncology gang again. I offered her the world - "where do you want to go"... only to find out I couldn't take her there - ARGH! Didn't realize I couldn't take family on other airlines standby - Scott could take her, but I can't. Then there were so many places that I could get us into, but couldn't guarantee I could get us home... not such a bad thought being stranded in Chile or Hawaii, but we both have places to be. Wanting a place with culture and history, warm weather, new to both of us - this was getting challenging! Finally landed on Puerto Rico - throw in a rain forest and some beaches... and I think we have met our criteria! We leave Sunday at 10:30AM if all goes well - I'm just worried my karma has taken a turn for the worst - think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts...