Why visit Puerto Rico ?
The weather: average year round is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Very few homes have, including where I am staying. There is always a nice breeze coming through the windows. At this time of year it doesn’t rain too often. Sometimes we get a little shower in the early morning, but by the time we load up our rental car to go off to a big adventure for the day the sun will come out, and it will be a beautiful day after all.
The Time: Atlantic Standard. Never have to set your clocks back and forth! I like that. I don’t know why the United States can’t do that. I get so tired of setting my clocks and appliances forward and back.
They use U. S. Currency. That’s a BIG plus for me. When I went to Costa Rica that was a big minus for me. I never did learn their monetary system. I felt lilke I was paying $25.00 for a hamburger there because of the money exchange.
The language: Spanish and English. I don’t speak Spanish, , but that has not been a big problem because most of the people speak both languages. It was a little bit of a challenge when we rented a car. We couldn’t read the road signs. We just had to guess at it. Their main highways are like our interstates They are in very good condition. They do have a lot of toll roads: maybe that’s why the main roads are in such good repair.
The streets in San Juan are in very good condition. There are no potholes. When you walk on their sidewalks, you don’t have to watch out for cracks or holes. I couldn’t help but notice the late model white vans that are taxis parked all along the street waiting for a fare. I asked a driver about that, and he told me that they have to renew their licenses every two years and upgrade their cabs. No beat up yellow cabs here.
The people are very polite. Cashiers in the stores always greet you with a smile, then they say “thank you” or “gracias” when they finish ringing up your purchase.
The women are quite beautiful. When they go shopping (even for groceries) they dress in nice fitting Jeans, with high heeled shoes. I saw two mothers pushing their babies in strollers in the Mall one day. They wore tight jeans and four inch heels!
Puerto Rico Has Many Beautiful Beaches
When you look at Puerto Rico on a map, you realize that is an island, which means there are beaches all around the island. Some of the beaches have white fine sand, and some have brown course sand. We went to one beach called Marchiquita that had these unusual big dark grey rocks. The ocean would rush in between these rocks. It was a beautiful sight. I am told that this rock is called Aeolianite (cemented sand dune). I am also told that the cross is erected because someone was killed in that spot, and the family is asking for prayers for that person. I think that is SO touching.
Some Other Reasons I Love Puerto Rico
Gambling is legal (not that I care), but Casinos are in all the major hotels. You don’t see slot machines in stores, though.
Seniors like myself: ride the city buses free! Senior citizens enjoy discounts for movies. Regular price for general admission is only $4.00. I paid $3.00 to see the movie.
Seniors over 75 years old get in National Parks and Attractions FREE! I really lliked that.
They don’t seem to have ANY INSECTS (Or at least not many) after four weeks, I have not seen even a common house fly. I have not seen ANY mosquitoes. I’m told they only come out in June, the rainy season. I saw one little lizard on the patio one day.
The grass they use for lawns doesn’t grow up, it stays pretty flat. It does not have to be cut often. I wish I could grow this kind of grass. I’ll have to investigate that some more.
We went to the local WalMart. It was huge. It had a two story parking garage. I checked out the price of groceries, and they compared to what I pay at home. Gasoline is about the same price as we pay in Florida. They sell gasoline by the liter (don’t ask me why). I asked a worker at a Texaco how much that would cost in gallons, and he told me.
Puerto Ricans Love Horses
At the entrance of Old San Juan, we saw many horses. We knew something was going on, but just didn’t know what. Someone told us they were having a horse festival that day. Sure enough about 200 horses lined up and began to parade. They were Paso Fino horses. We were not expecting to see a horse festival, so that was a fun surprise.
They love to eat, but you see very few overweight people. Maybe that’s because they eat chicken, beef, and lots of fruits and veggies.Rice and Red beans are a staple, but it doesn’t seem to put weight on them We went to a little town called Guavate. The locals go there on Friday nights to play their music, dance and eat pig roasted on a spit. It was one of the best meals I have ever eaten.