Our Archived Journal from last time we moved to and lived in Rincon.
See new Journal for new postings..
April 2002
We made our decision to move to Rincon, PR within 1 month of visiting. However, those 4 weeks were spent doing research, feasibility studies and a lot communication between the two of us about how we felt about this endeavor, fears, hopes and most importantly continued encouragement that we could make this happen. We set the date of July 1 and it was approaching fast!
We first setup a budget with itemizing all the expenses by month including plane tickets, shipping dog, rent, phone, electric, food, gas, entertainment, buying a car, etc. We really tried to include everything we could think of in order to not have any major surprise expenses. Our next step was to educate ourselves about PR - culture, government, laws, economy, etc. We even thought about doing an immersion program, but thought once we moved to Rincon that would be enough of an immersion.
Our next step was for us to sell our house and for me to quite my job. We had concerns about selling our house before we left because we didn't want to pay a mortgage and rent, but luckily we sold our house the day it went on the market! We thought it was too good to be true and we were right. I did however tell my workplace I was planning on leaving at the end of June. This was much more difficult than I had anticipated, but it was a relief to finally let everyone know our big plans!
We both received a lot of support from our families. There were those people that thought we were crazy, they didn't actually say it, but we could tell by the expression on their face. There were also the typical questions like "So, you have job down there?" Which our replies were "No." And they replied with "So, you are just going down there without a job?" and we replied confidently "Yes." Most people responded by saying "Well, this is the best time to go, while you are young and don't have children." We felt the same way. When planning a life change such as this, it's important to know your motivations, your expectations and realistic goals. Once you have this straight it's a lot easier to talk about it with other people and feel good about your decision.
We found out that the buyer backed out about 6 weeks before we planned on leaving. We thought this was a major set back, but not one that should change our departure date. This however, did cause additional stress that we had not anticipated. We were crossing things off our list and unfortunately this one had to be added back on the list. We began packing anyway about 5 weeks ahead of time which was also more stressful than we thought it would be. We realized that we were leaving our family, leaving our home, and leaving a steady income to go off into the unknown. I must admit that it was more difficult for my husband than for me because I was still working which preoccupied most of my days and was a nice distraction for me.
The packing process was a huge turning point for us, this simple act made it seem very real and very scary. We knew this was going to be huge change leaving our comfort zone with our family close by, a house we loved and the security of an income.
My husband and I continued to divide all the tasks that needed to be done before we left such as finding health insurance in PR, finding a place to live in PR, learning about the cost of cars in PR, shipping our dog, ticket costs, storage for all of our belongings, packing, moving van, job searching in PR, car insurance in PR, etc. Obviously it was not realistic to take them on alone - way too overwhelming.
I took on the task of finding a place to live. Our living environment is very important to us and we had in in mind what type of living accommodations would make the experience an easier transition for us. Since we had been to Rincon before we knew the area we wanted to live in and also had a budget for what we could afford. I found many vacation rentals online, but almost all of them were too expensive and too extravagant for our needs. The best thing about online searching is that almost every site had pictures and prices. This was extremely important, if neither existed on the site, we moved on. Another consideration was for our dog, we needed a yard. This was more difficult than I had anticipated, but where there is a will there is a way. We knew that an option would be to pay extra to have a pet and we were willing to do so. I found many condo's that were in our price range, but we had been living in a house for two years and the thought of going back to sharing walls was not something we looked forward to. I emailed a couple of rentals to find out monthly prices. Many of the vacation rentals had weekly rates, but knowing that these rentals were not filled year round I knew I could negotiate lower monthly rates,especially for longer term. I did find that a few who were willing to discount the rate significantly for a monthly rate, but still were out of our price range. I did my searching for a few hours over a two day period and found one that was simple, clean and in the area we wanted to live. Since this seemed to fit our needs perfectly, I gave them a call. I spoke to the owners who happened to be Americans and had lived in Rincon for about 20 years. I explained our situation - we wanted to stay for approximately 6 months and had a dog. She and her husband had coincidentally just purchased a studio house and were looking for a long term rental. By the way it was also a 2 minute walk to the beach! This seemed like the perfect fit for us. She emailed pictures of the place a few days later and we sent a down payment. My husband and I were thrilled and felt that maybe this was meant to be.
We continued to cross things off our list and a few weeks after our initial buyer fell through we received another offer. This convinced us it wasn't a fluke and we again breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily the closing date was the week we had planned on leaving. We continued to tell ourselves, "It must be meant to be, right? "
My work was winding down, they had found a replacement for me so I was quickly handing things off. This allowed me to spend more time thinking about moving, picturing myself in our new place, spending time on the beach and really living in PR, not just visiting. The opportunity arose to do some consulting work for my company. This was not something we had anticipated, but allowed me to work out of my home in PR and gave us an income temporarily. This also did wonders for our budget, but we didn't increase our budget because we knew it was only temporary.We continued to pack our things and our house no longer looked like a home. Only 4 days before we left for PR we moved out of our home and said good-bye for the last time.
We found out that it was much more complicated and expensive to ship our dog to PR than we had anticipated. They imposed an embargo from May - September which meant that there are temperature restrictions when shipping animals. We learned that it could not be more than 85 degrees in departure city nor in the arriving city. Well, this was difficult considering San Juan is between on average 75-85 degrees everyday of the year. Luckily we had an early flight out, but the cargo shipping office wasn't open until 7:00 am and our flight was at 6:55 am. This posed a problem because we had to check in our dog 2 hours before departure time which put us around 5:00 am. We went the day before to make sure we could check him in before the office opened. Fortunately, the people were very helpful. The day we left for PR began around 3:00 am. We dropped off our dog around 5:00 with no problems. We even checked right before boarding the plane to make sure our dog made it onto the plane. We landed in SJ, picked up our rental car and picked up our dog at the cargo warehouse. We were off to Rincon and beginning our new life. So far everything had gone perfectly, but this was not by chance. This was due to a lot of preparation, lots of planning and many conversations between my husband and I to keep each other motivated, excited and mentally prepared for our new life.
We made it to Rincon, unpacked our things and got settled. We loved our house even more when we saw it, the view was amazing and the walk really was 2 minutes. Rincon was the same as we remembered, but it was different this time. This time we weren't just visiting, we weren't on vacation, we were living here. We were now residents not visitors.
Upon arriving we had to accomplish a lot in the first few days. We had to get a PO Box, we had to buy a car, we had to get use to not having the vast quantities and varieties of food we were accustomed to in the US. Although there isn't the variety and excessive quantities of food, PR is very "Americanized." For those that need some familiarity of the states it is a comfort to have K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and the like. We quickly learned that most people are fluent in English and in fact experienced some instances where we spoke Spanish or attempted to speak Spanish and the natives would respond in English. After only a few days we were becoming more fluent. I must confess my husband and I both took Spanish in school so this was not our first exposure Spanish.
We decided to venture out only after 2 days after arriving to buy a car. We were unsure whether to buy new or used, but needed to unload the expense of our rental car. This was one area that we did not do a lot of research. All we knew was that cars were more expensive because they have to be imported and have a high import tax. We headed out with a little Spanish and stopped at a dealership. We spoke with a sales person and manager for about 1 hour and learned the ropes. We learned that car insurance was included in the price, it was about $3,000 more than the equivalent in the US. Mind you were weren't interested in buying an expensive car, just a reliable with a good warranty and road side service. We also learned that in order to get loan, one of us had to be employed. As obvious as it seems, this was not something we had thought of beforehand, but because of my job the extra money allowed us to afford a new car. We did negotiate a price for a used car, but thought we could buy a new one for the same price or less. So, we moved on to another dealer. We found a new car we liked and began the negotiation process. This process lasted almost 6 hours. We had to qualify for a loan, but ran into problems because although the sales person had my information, due to the language barrier he had misspelled my name in the computer which caused the computer to return no credit history for me. We knew this was a mistake, but took about 3 hours to figure out. Finally after spending the whole afternoon at the dealership we drove off in our first brand new This was an amazing experience for us. One that really tested our patience, forced us to speak Spanish, and made us feel very empowered because we had just bought a new car in PR, something we hadn't even done in the US!
July 2- Long day - Decided to get health insurance so we could get out from under the very expensive Cobra plan we are currently on. Spent a few minutes trying to find a crack in the language barrier and finding out we needed to get a local physician as well as some lab work to get coverage. Not a huge surprise but definitely not as easy as we thought it would be. We also went to the Obra Publico to get our drivers license for PR but soon realized that like the health insurance it was not so easy. A simple conversion of the PA license was not in the cards. Both of these stops took some wind out of our sails because we had been on a roll but that did not stop us from stopping at the Grande in Mayaguez and buying Pizza ingredients. We ended the evening with a wonderful and comforting home made pepperoni and mushroom pizza. We also noted that the number of english speaking people is far greater in Rincon than in Mayaguez. We continue to work hard on our spanish and hope to continue our good progress to date. Myles still likes the beach!!!!
July 3 - Shut it down hard today and decided to stay at home for sun and relaxation for the first time since arriving. Good sun - big rain in the afternoon - a few cold Medalla Lights and a great evening. Still blown away about waking up in such a beautiful place.
For July 4th we weren't really sure what to expect given that Rincon had no fireworks! Our friendly neighbors told us about a party at one of the local restaurants/bars called Johnny Q's Black Eagle. We went for a nice dinner, but lost our motivation and headed home around 8:00. Little did we know that the parties don't start until much later down here - we may need to revert back to our college days where you don't step foot out your door until at least 10:30. This will take some getting use to.
We decided to find another health insurance provider that may have better coverage and not so many hoops to jump through. We decided to contact Triple SSS (Blue Cross Blue Shield). After calling the local office in Mayaguez with little success due to the language barrier we decided to contact the San Juan office to see if someone spoke English. We were much more productive and actually found out that if there is proof of prior coverage for at least 18 months then it may not be necessary to have to get a physical exam in order to get coverage - we will find out if that in fact is true. It's been few days a and we are still waiting on getting the information in the mail from both the Mayaguez and the San Juan office. Again, examples of how things just don't move as quickly as we are accustomed to.
We were happy to find a local movie store which doesn't have quite the number of video's as blockbuster for example a new release has at maximum 4 copies. Also, many are in dubbed Spanish with English subtitles, but there are many in English with Spanish subtitles which turns out to be a great Spanish lesson for us - we can learn how to say phrases and lots of vocabulary and also how they are spelled.
We took our first trip over the 4th of July weekend. We went to Boqueron which is about 1.15 hours away south of Rincon. We went to the public beach, Balnerio Boqueron which was only a $2 charge for cars. It was a huge sandy area with palm trees for shade. There were large Puerto Rican families throughout the park - they had scouted out their spot and brought food, games, chairs, tables, etc. It was quite a site. There definitely is a much greater sense of family here. The beach was beautiful and rather large, but we decided to continue on to find a more secluded beach named Sucia Beach that we had read about. We drove out of town and eventually ended up off roading. There were several cars ahead of us, the one directly in front of us had Texas license plates (which meant that they had shipped their car and were living in PR). It's not easy or cheap to ship your car from the U.S.. We were weaving in and out of large puddles which was a bit scary because we couldn't really see how deep these puddles were, we just hoped we didn't bottom out. We finally arrived to our destination. We walked up a small hill toward an abandoned lighthouse and we saw one of the most beautiful beaches with white sand and aqua water. It was a slice of paradise. It was a cove that was at the bottom of a cliff. The view was spectacular with waves crashing against the cliffs. For all those that visit this is a must see. We put some pictures of our experience on this site.
We finally received our packages we had sent from home with some personal belongings to make it feel more like home. It took two weeks to ship by standard mail. Marcus bought a surf rod and net to try to out his fishing skillls and we ventured out to Sam's. When we arrived there was a line in front which was a change for us. We realized that this was the only large food store within miles and therefore everyone was lining up to get their goods. Again, the availability of food/goods is not even close to that in the U.S.. Also, the weekend is when most people do their shopping. You are much better off beating the crowds by going shopping early in the morning or at night.
We met a couple of our neighbors who are very welcoming and kind. We also have gotten to know our neighbors dogs who Myles has become friends with - Mona, Luke and Sophie. There are many stray dogs here, but almost everyone has pets. We spent the evening at Beside the Pointe which is a family owned bar right down the street. During the summer they cook food only on the weekends, but during high season it's 7 days a week. That seems to be the norm for most bar/restaurants. We met the owner and her husband and kids who are from PR. We also met a house painter who moved down here for a 30 day vacation 5 years ago and stayed. He was a really cool guy.
We decided to make another attempt to get our driver's license after finding the form online in English so we could fill them out before we went. We arrived got the proper stamp $11/ea. for our forms and then went to a separate line found out that we had to get a medial exam even though the form online in English said we wouldn't have to do this. We also found out that we would have to take a driver's written exam which also was not indicated on the online form. Basically our hands were tied. We determined that the online form was outdated. Luckily as we blurted profanities in the parking lot trying to figure out where we should go to the doctor a nice man in perfect English said it was right down the street and to follow him and he would show us where. It was literally 1/4 a mile down the road in a nondescript building. We entered into a clean waiting room and a nice gentleman greeted us. Apparently he is the doctor that has a great location near the Dept of Transportation. He had a desk, eye chart and a nice doctors bag on the floor. We both took eye tests, he verified our eye and hair color, height and weight. That was it. It cost $15/each. It took 10 minutes. Amazing it was so simple, but not something you would find in the U.S. We then headed back to the license office to get our photo taken. This was a small hut outside next to the road. When I say hut, it literally was a hut - four pieces of ply wood hammered together with 2x2 foto painted on the outside. A very friendly young man and this cost $5/each. At this point we have spent a total of $62. Not a lot of money, but no one told us it would cost more than $11. We headed to the Walgreens to get the driver's manual in English (it was the last copy) and now have to take the driver's exam. Let's hope we pass.
---------------------------------------------------------updatedd July 25th
To not keep you in suspense any longer we both passed our written driver's test (95% for both of us - and no we did not cheat) and now have PR licenses. There were quite a few people waiting to take the test. One nice woman who was waiting for her teenage daughter to take the test congratulated us on the way out which was very kind. We decided to go to Aguadilla instead of Mayaguez learning that it was not as busy. It's right on the Ramey Base which is an old U.S. armed forces base. We also went to a surf shop next door named El Rincon which is owned by an American woman who moved down here 20 years ago. She was really friendly and out going. If you are in the area you should check it out!
We recently celebrated our two year wedding anniversary and made an authentic Puerto Rican meal which consisted of Tostones (plantains sliced diagonally, deep fried, smashed down to make them flat and deep fried again) we served this with a garlic and olive oil sauce, but this can be served with Russian dressing (mayonnaise and ketchup). We also made a salad with corn, cucumbers, tomato's, manzanilla spanish olives, fresh cilantro and a dash of old bay seasoning with a oil and vinegar dressings. We grilled Dorado
s (MahiMahi) with a lemon garlic and cilantro. It was delicious because we were celebrating our two year anniversary in PR and because it was our first Puerto Rican meal. We discovered only a couple of days after we made tostonnes that we had plantains growing in our yard. We were thrilled and surprised. Since then we have made tostones and tostones chips many times.
To quote a local, "You would have to be stupid to starve to death here." There is fresh fruit everywhere. As we took a closer look at the plants and trees growing in our yard we realized we had quite a few Papaya trees as well. Many people have banana trees, mango, coconut, almond trees, and avocados. Of course not to mention all the fresh fish you can catch. It is amazing to be able to eat things that grow naturally on the island. It really puts you in touch with mother earth.
We have continued to meet people out at the local bars. There is definitely an "American community" here. It's nice to have the familiarity but to truly experience the culture here we are trying immerse ourselves into the local Puerto Rican community too.
One experience that brought us closer to our neighbors was a freak accident that occurred with a woman named Lydia . She was cutting down coconuts in her yard and fell approximately 6-8 feet off her extension ladder and landed on a 2x2 stake that was in the ground.She was impaled by the stake in her right butt cheek. It sounds humorous, but really was not.
We heard someone screaming so we ran up the street. Her sister was yelling and very distressed. Marcus went straight over to Lydia to help. She was on all fours when we arrived and in shock. She knew what had happened, but wasn't sure what to do. About 8 inches of the steak had impaled her while about 3 inches of the broken steak was protruding out of her. It was quite graphic and upsetting. Marcus held Lydia's hand and talked with her to calm her down. She was handling the situation very well. Her arms started to fall asleep so he slowly helped her lay on her side. There was talk of removing the steak, but Marcus quickly assured them that it was safer inside her at that point. After an agonizing 30 minutes, the ambulance arrived and took Lydia to the hospital. By the time Lydia left her whole family from the neighborhood was there, about 10 people. This was the first time we had met everyone, quite an awkward time to get to know your neighbors. We realized since Marcus was the only non-family member he was able to be with Lydia and not have an emotional attachment.
After we went home, Marcus finally processed the situation and was very upset by the whole incident. He realized that the situation could have been much worse and he was glad he was there to help. We later learned that Lydia had three surgeries. They cut a hole above the steak and pulled it through, then had to go back in to remove debris like material from her shorts, splinters, etc. The third surgery was to repair a chip on her hip bone. Lydia was very lucky. There aren't any other places on the body that something 8 inches long could impale you and not seriously damage a major artery or organ. She was up walking around only two days after the surgery and is on her way to a full recovery. We did visit her after she returned home and she was very grateful for Marcus's help. She said he was an "angel" and that we are welcomed into their family. It was quite a moving experience, one we will never forget.
Marcus's mom came to visit for a quick trip to check out some property here. We had a whirlwind of a visit. I was working during the day and she and Marcus we off looking any land or property they came across. We are keeping our fingers crossed that his parents will buy a place down here. As with most family visits we were treated to nice meals. We went to The Landing's for lunch and The Cima Burger and The Lazy Parrot for dinner. The Cima Burger is very casual with great fried food. It is located on the top of a very large hill that overlooks the city and ocean. Great place to go to watch the sun set. Of course, The Lazy Parrot is a renowned restaurant her with a nice atmosphere and great food.
We went snorkeling at Step's Beach which was amazing. We felt like we were in an aquarium. The water was perfectly clear and we saw beautiful fish. The colors were very vibrant - yellow and turquoise fish, deep purple with bright aqua strip along the back, black and yellow striped fish. We also were lucky enough to see two small squids. I also found a silver bracelet in the water. Earlier that day Marcus went to the same spot and saw a 4 foot long barracuda!!
We have learned that shell fish is not easy to find here. Marcus has spoken with a few locals that have caught lobster right off shore, but no one seems to sell fresh shell fish anywhere. There are several fishermen that bring back fresh fish to the marina, but we have not had any success yet. It seems crazy that we are in the Caribbean, but no shell fish can be had. We hope to get to the bottom of this soon.
We decided to take a trip to Jobos Beach in Isabela which is about 45 minutes northeast. The drive down to the mountain is beautiful as you approach the sea. We found a secluded spot near Jobos beach next to the sand dunes. There were only a handful of people, but the beach is so large that we practically had it all to ourselves. There is a lot of coral so we couldn't swim, but we enjoyed the crashing waves and amazing sunshine. We decided to head over to Jobos Beach to take a look. This is a hot spot for surfers when the waves are good and the water is an amazing color. It is rather shallow for about 150 yards out so everyone could spread out. Other than the crowds this is a must see. There were quite a few families with lots of picnics. Parking wasn't a problem, but this beach is in a cove so it is considerably smaller than the other areas.
We have been swapping fruit with our neighbor. She made us boiled bread fruit which tastes is like a potato and then made tostones with breadfruit which is mashed and fried. Both are very good. We made a pasta dish and shared some with her. She also gave us small yellow mangos and a papaya. The papaya is not my favorite because it has a strange odor, but with some lime juice it tastes great. It's a wonderful gesture to share your produce with friends and neighbors something I think we will continue long after we leave PR.
Marcus is continuing to work with Dave helping paint houses and I am still working for AccuWeather. We have met more people. A couple of people moved down here to own and run a guest house. Others moved down here and have started construction and development businesses. It seems that most Americans, at least the ones we have met tend to start their own business or do non-conventional jobs. So, needless to say we still aren't sure what we will end up doing here. We do know that there are jobs in San Juan, but we aren't sure we want to live in the city. We are trying to enjoy everyday and appreciate our surroundings and new friends we have met and continue to make wonderful memories.
We had Dave and Ide (pronounce E-day) over for dinner and experienced The Landing's Monday night for the first time. It is quite a hot spot down here for all the locales. It is a your typical bar scene with very loud live music (many locales participate in the open stage) and $.25 shrimp and wings. Supposedly they sell over 6000 wings and shrimp on Monday nights. We both drank too much and paid for it the next day.
UPDATE AUG. 18th
Marcus's parents came for a week to visit and to close on their house they purchased. It is up in the mountains a bit, but has an 180 degree view of the sea. We are very excited about the prospect of having them live down here during the winter months. Now that they will be locals we wanted to show them the things that we have learned and experienced.
We ran/walked in the mornings on the path. We went to Tropical Jazz in Corcega. It was pretty good and a little overpriced, but a nice atmosphere. We introduced them to Pane which is fried breadfruit. We all went to Beside the Pointe to enjoy some live music and drinks. They met some of our friends, danced, drank, met some locals and vacationers and Marcus sang a Bob Marley song with the entertainment - he was quite good. (Thank you Emily!!) We decided to cook some Puerto Rican food one night which consisted of fish, papaya salsa, yellow rice and beans. We enjoyed the wonderful climate, beautiful view and peaceful evening.
We decided to go for a long walk to watch the surfers. Waves from tropical storm Cristbol arrived and there were some nice waves. For those of you who don't know a lot about surfing (I don't either so don't worry) the real surfing season starts in October so during the summer months it is somewhat of a drought as far as waves go so, this event brought out all the surfers in the area. I knew something was different when I could hear the waves crashing loudly when I woke up. When I walked down for my morning run I saw the sets of waves rolling in. The whole atmosphere of the area changed - there was excitement in air everyone was out either watching the waves or riding them.
We had quite an event with Myles while Marcus' parents were in town. We usually let him off the leash when we walk on Domes trail so this time was no different. On one side of the path is a rocky ledge to the beach on the other side is a rather large hill that has dense vegetation (Jungle). He must have gotten the scent of a lizard or some other animal because he started to wander up the hill. Initially we didn't think anything of it because he is a curious dog and usually comes when we call him - kind of - well actually he doesn't listen too well when on scent.. This time he kept on walking until we could see or hear him anymore. We continued to call for him for about 25 minutes then decided to walk home. I thought he would end up at home, but Marcus didn't feel comfortable just waiting. So, he went out walking to no avail. Then he came home and jumped in the car. Now we had Bob and Judy in the search party. They also walked and drove around. Then all four of us went walking some more. The final time we came home before we were going to put on jeans, long sleeve shirts, hats and lots of bug spray to walk into the jungle we walked into the house and Myles was waiting for us. To put this in perspective we had been looking for him for over 2 1/2 hours. I thought he was hurt and going to have a heat stroke and Marcus was afraid he got hit by a car or was lost. Needless to say we were very relieved and rather tapped out after our marathon walk..
After that escapade we were a little tired and decided to go to lunch at the Lebanese bakery. Many establishments are called Panaderia or "bakery" but these usually have essential items like paper towels, shampoo as well as sandwiches, chips, and baked goods. They have very good hummus, falafel, pastrami and roast beef sandwiches. They also have wonderful desserts. We asked if they made the desserts, but to our disappointment they are made in Michigan - go figure. For dinner that night we went to El Coqui which is a lot of really good fried food - fish, chicken, shrimp, tostones, mofongo, etc. This is reasonably priced and has a beautiful view of the sea. This is located in the mountains so the lights from the city light up the hills below and the ocean shimmers in the background.
We headed to Old San Juan for the last night of their visit. It was a real treat to get out of town and spend the day in an enchanted city. Old San Juan has beautiful Spanish colonial architecture and the buildings are painted brilliant colors - bright blue, orange, purple, sage green, etc. The streets are narrow and have cars parked everywhere (parking is hard to find) and the streets are blue tinted adoquines which first reached Puerto Rico as ballast in the ships. El Morros is also located in Old San Juan. This was the fort built as Spain's colonial outpost to defend against attack on the city. There is a self walking tour which is interesting and the size of the fort is astonishing. We shopped and explored the city, admiring all the buildings and homes. We stayed at El Convento which if you didn't guess used to be a convent. This hotels is beautiful with a free wine and cheese bar from 6:00 - 7:00 and a continental breakfast in the morning. There is a courtyard in the center that all the rooms lead to with huge trees and twinkle lights. I highly recommend the El Convento. We went to The Parrot Club for dinner which has a fun atmosphere, is moderate to expensive, but well worth it. The food is excellent. Old San Juan was a wonderful getaway even for a day.
We are experiencing the rainy month of August with raining more frequently and many storms and torrential down pours, but the mornings are usually sunny and pleasant. We are still looking for jobs and hoping something will happen soon.
September We found a great lunch spot in town named The Broadway Deli which has exceptional sandwiches including an out of this world Philly Cheese Steak. They also serve breakfast sandwiches with operating hours of 9:00 - 5:00 daily.
We decided to find the hard to find San Sebastian waterfall. Not previously mentioned, we did make a first attempt to find this off the beaten path destination, but failed miserably. This time we got explicit directions, well sort of. Off 111 between Moca and San Sebastian turn left at the stop light where you can see the McDonald arches in the distance and a Walgreen's on your left. Follow this road passing the Avon and Hanes factories. Take a right crossing over an old concrete bridge. Stay on the main road traveling up hill with many twists and turns. Just when you think you have missed it, keep going until you come to a beautiful piece of property on your right with an immaculate kept lawn and a wood structure house. Across the street you will see an iron gate with two small openings on either side and a "No Trespassing" sign. Apparently, you can ignore the sign. Follow the path down and follow the sound of the rushing waterfall. This walk takes about 10 minutes, but requires good shoes because there is a steep slope that you have to carefully navigate. Once there you won't regret it. There is a nice area to wade in and a ropes swing for the adventurous. When we finally arrived there was a small group of people there who had brought food, a cooler and jam box. They were extremely friendly offering to share their food and drink and were definitely there for the duration of the day. It was an adventure and worth the trip.
We found a Dominican Republic boat anchored the other day at Beside the Pointe (great bar, nice place to stay overnight with friendly owners Mori and Javier). I am amazed that they survived the trip, and almost even more amazed with the boats they arrived in. They are huge wooden boats with small outboards, approximately 20 feet long and about 5 1/2 deep. I have no idea how many people are crammed into the boat to make the long journey, but my guess is more than we think. In a small way, it brings a smile to my face to see the boat - whoever these daring and courageous people are, they made it!
We woke up a few days ago hearing the loud crashing waves and guessed that the surfers were out. Marcus and I headed down to Domes Beach and sure enough at 6:30 am there were 9 surfers already in the water. The waves were bigger than last time and much stronger. We couldn't go to sleep one night because they were so loud. I can't wait until high season when the waves are bigger and stronger. Marcus did go out one day for his first surfing experience. He paddled and tried to catch a few waves, but wasn't successful in standing up. He said it was very tiring, but very exhilarating. He was amazed at how powerful the waves were and is excited about the larger waves which will arrive in October and last most of the winter.
I have started a new hobby, shell and sea glass collecting. I went to Spanish Wall Beach recently and spent an hour walking on the beach. It's a lot like gardening, you are outdoors with nature, bend down a lot, and it is very relaxing. There is nothing like letting all your worries go away by listening to the sea and feeling the sand between your toes. I already made two picture frames, one with shells and one with sea glass. I am just a novice, but very proud of my first creations. Marcus and I went out again this time on Sandy Beach toward Aguada. We found lots of big pieces of colored glass and some nice sized shells. We walked about 1 mile in one direction and saw a total of 4 people. The beach is virtually deserted, it truly is paradise.
Myles is still a happy beach dog. His new fixation is on lizards. In fact he is obsessed with our front stoop convinced that there is a lizard underneath. He is probably right, unfortunately it is impossible for him to get underneath, but of course this doesn't stop him. He is a typical beagle, persistent and determined. I give up.
We are definitely feeling more comfortable here now. We can't believe we have lived here for over two months! We are more relaxed and things are becoming more familiar. We have met some really wonderful people and have no regrets with our decision. We are still hopeful that one of us will get a job, but are still enjoying each day. No matter what, we both feel that the sea feeds our soul and will always be happiest living by the beach.
October We recently went to Rio Camuy Caves near the Arecibo Observatory. In fact, you could probably see both in the same day, but we opted just for the caves. This is easy to get to from Rincon we decided to take the scenic route through San Sebastian, simply follow the map. It took us about 45 minutes.
We arrived at the park paying the $10 per person fee. We were lucky enough to have an English speaking guide apart of our tour, but that was due to the overwhelming number of English speaking tourists. This may not be the case for every tour - most tours are given in Spanish. We climbed aboard a tram and were taken on a scenic relaxing ride through the park to the cave entrance. Once arriving we were guided to the cave entrance which was a refreshing cool temp. The tour does have some slippery parts so wear good shoes. The tour takes approximately 45 minutes with spectacular photo opportunities and some interesting facts. If I remember correctly the cave is 212 feet long and 107 feet wide with wonderful stalagmites and stalactites, bat droppings, fresh water, and a sink hole. Well worth the $10 and a great way to spend an afternoon with nature. Great for kids too!
My in-laws recently purchased a winter getaway here so we have been helping them fix up the property which has been a nice distraction. The house was listed with Island West Realtors which is the most prominent realtor in town. They are easy to work with and very friendly. The property is up in the mountains on a hillside with a fantastic panoramic view. Having spent some time there I see the benefits in a beach property and a hillside property. There are plenty of both in the area, it just takes some patience to find a real gem.
Marcus and I are contemplating starting a guest house here so we have been trying to visit ones to get an idea of the different types of guest houses in the area. We found a great guest house named Casa Islena, on the street before The Landings Restaurant. This is a beautiful house and serves breakfast and lunch served 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. on Sat.-Sun. (low season) and Wed.- Sun. (high season). We went for breakfast and it was delicious. The house has a Mexican flare with beautiful tiles, a fountain and lots of Mexican style furniture. The rooms are very nicely decorated and have reasonable rates. A single room starts at $105 with a Queen bed and a double room starts at $145. The single room with king size bed, a private balcony and Jacuzzi tub is $165.
In our research we realized there are many guest houses/inns in the area. Most of the guest inns are rooms with a small refrigerator or kitchenette and then there are quite a few vacation guest houses. The rental houses are more appropriate for large families and for longer stays, but guest inns are great for weekend stays. The ones in our area are all near Sandy Beach. Beside the Pointe (right on the beach), Casa Verde (across the street from beach), and Pools Beach (across the street from beach) are similar guest inns with a 4-11 rooms, and a lively atmosphere. Both Beside the Pointe and Pools Beach have a bar. Casa Verde recently opened a market that has snacks, sodas and beer for $1 a can. There is a deck where people congregate. Dos Angeles is just a quick walk up the hill, but is brand new with several rooms and with great views of the ocean. Puntas Beach Rentals, Pipons and The Sandy Beach Inn are a walk to the beach, but all near Sandy Beach. This is just a few of the numerous guest inns in the area.
We have tried a couple of more restaurants in town. The Neapolitan pizzeria in town is great pizza, comes in one size, large great for carry out and only takes 8 minutes to make the pizza. We also tried Brother's Pizza which is across from the church also has good pizza, diner style seating inside and great a/c.
The weather has been very nice with some cooler nights greeting us in late September. As you will see in the Current Pictures section of the site we have had waves during the last week of September. The mood of the town changed and the excitement was followed by a mad rush to the water. These waves were from a nearly stationary tropical storm spinning just south of Bermuda named Kyle. Kyle has become a good friend of the locals and as this is being written is supplying the town with another nice swell. I (Marcus) am still trying to pick up surfing but have not been out enough yet. The jobsearch is still ongoing and as discussed above not an easy battle to win. Tenacity will pay off though and when it does you can read it here first :)
October 28th Update:
I went to my hometown for a week recently. I was really curious to see how I would feel leaving Puerto Rico to go visit family in the States. Aside from having a wonderful time visiting my family, my perspective has changed slightly. The first thing I noticed was all the expensive cars people drove. In Rincon, you rarely see Mercedes, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW, but in the states these are a dime a dozen. It wasn't just the nice cars, but the manicured lawns and large homes as well. The opulence and outwardly signs of wealth are the things I noticed. These things don't seem abnormal to me, I grew up with this as a constant focus. It just stood out because for the first time I live in a place where this is not the focus. I also noticed the fast pace. Everyone coming and going, rush, rush, rush. In Rincon, people will stop right in the middle of a busy road to talk to their friend on the street. You can drive around them or wait, but no one honks or yells out the window. You simply wait. Now, that may seem inconsiderate, but really it's more about family, friends, saying hello to your neighbors. Maybe this is small town mentality, but I think it is more about culture and being friendly. A lot of the focus in the U.S. is on work and jobs and getting the American dream, but this is not the focus in Rincon. In fact, people rarely talk about their work as it is more about relaxing and having a good time with friends and family. There are no judgments being passed here simply a comparison of the two different cultures.
We have continued to work on my in-laws house which is coming together nicely. We have done lots of painting, yard work and cleaning up. In our efforts to outfit the house we had to purchase an efficiency stove and refrigerator. We went to a local shop in town Mueblaria La Tuya and found the brands and prices to be better than Home Depot. The appliances were delivered a few days later with no problem. There was also a missing backsplash for the stove after it was delivered that we inquired about which was delivered the next day. We were very pleased with the customer service and prices. We do plan to move their next month so we will no longer be next to the beach, but we will be gaining a fantastic view of the ocean. We will also get to enjoy the sunsets on the porch, something we currently can't do from our house. They have many fruit trees on the property - mango, lemon, grapefruit, avocado, papaya, coconut and banana. It really is amazing how we can live off the land. It really puts you in touch with getting back to basics and to a more simplistic way of eating. We haven't quite figured out what to do with all the avocados - you can only eat so much guacamole.
Speaking of being in touch with nature, I was looking out the window the other evening and noticed a small lizard bobbing his head near the screened window. Upon closer inspection I noticed a moth flying toward the light from inside. Before I knew it the lizard gobbled up the rather large moth. I felt like I was in National Geographic. I can't say that I had ever imagined I would be excited about watching a lizard eat a moth, but I was truly amazed. I continued to watch him/her a while longer and he or she was successfully in eating two more rather large moths. Nothing like watching the food chain in action. Also, a less pretty, but none-the-less a nature moment was watching the little tiny ants that wonder around the walls in our place eat anything and everything. For example, a dead mosquito was on the wall and they slowly get the word out by meeting other ants in transit and actually touching each other before moving on. Before you know it quite a crew has gathered around the mosquito slowly eating away. In about 30 minutes all traces of the dead mosquito have completely vanished. I have never been one to enjoy watching bug eat things, especially when it is in my living quarters, but this is truly a site to see.
Our latest food outing was to El Palacio Chino, its Chinese food. It is really good and inexpensive. You can even call ahead and place a carry out order. It is located right behind the Banco Popular.
We have been here exactly four months now and are still enjoying the climate and continue to meet new people and like Rincon more and more everyday. We still run into problems with the electricity going out every now and again, but it's remarkable how we just adapt to our surroundings and just don't let it bother us. We haven't really had much problem with running out of water, but I do know that it is a problem for other areas. We are beginning to enjoy more of the winter season weather - stronger winds during the day and cooler nights. The weather here is really spectacular - even more enjoyable knowing that if we were in the States we would have our winter coats on. The strange thing about the seasons never changing is that I feel like it is continually July. When you grow up your whole life having the season's change and knowing that Halloween usually means colder weather and then to all of sudden not associate Halloween with cold, but actually hot weather is very strange. It just doesn't seem like that time of year. Having never lived in California or Florida I had no idea that it would feel so out of place. I think I can get use to it. Something else we have learned is that our surroundings are very important to us. We always knew they were, but never really chose a place to live based on the surroundings. No matter what happens we need to live near the ocean - it soothes our souls.
We have our first visitors coming this week and we are very excited about showing off the area and do some site seeing. We attended the annual Halloween party at the Tamboo Tavern (Beside the Pointe guest house) and it truly lived up to all expectations. The band was Los Goyos, a reggae band that played primarily roots and was wonderfully entertaining. There will be more to come in the journal as well as pictures of the party very soon. We will have lots to share in the next coming weeks.
To all the people we have received emails from and who have signed our guestbook- we love hearing from you! We are more than happy to provide recommendations and answers to questions to people coming to visit and to those moving here. We feel so lucky to provide a unique insight to this area and to share our experiences and to know that people appreciate it. Keep the emails coming!
UPDATE 11/22/02
Sorry for the delay on the journal. We have been very busy but are still committed to getting our journal out to everyone who is interested every few weeks. Hope you enjoy.
We had a great time with our Philadelphia visitors Mike and Heather. We ate lots of local cuisine and showed them some of our favorite spots. We took them to Sea Beach which is located in Corcega off Sea Beach Drive. This is a great swimming spot with small waves and sandy bottom with very few rocks. We also saw some dolphins from this beach more recently. We enjoyed The Landing for dinner one night and also went The Tamboo bar and grill for a late afternoon lunch on Saturday. Our most memorable time was taking them to the San Sebastian waterfall. We went early on the weekend to beat the crowds and were all alone for quite some time. There was a hard rain the previous day so the terrain was a bit difficult to navigate, but we managed to make down with no problems. Once we arrived the cool water and the beautiful waterfall were waiting for us. This time Mike and Marcus were daring enough to try to rope swing. After one swing they were hooked and became more daring by venturing up to higher edges to leap from. Needless to say I was a bit nervous, but there weren't any injuries. After Marcus's last swing from the rope he swam up to the ledge and realized his wedding ring had fallen off. He thought for sure it was at the bottom of the swimming hole which was not to be reached without assistance from scuba gear. He retraced his steps and came up to the large boulder that is half in and half out of the water. Low and behold his ring was teetering on the edge of the rock. Marcus was very relieved, but it did occur to us anyone willing to lug down some gear could hit a gold mine (literally) with all the rings lost in this watering hole. The last night of our visit we spent a wonderful time at Marcus's parents house with a visitor they had in town and the neighbors next door. We had a very nice time showing our first visitors our little slice of paradise and are awaiting our next visitors, my sister and brother in-law and my mother.
Soon after Mike and Heather left we moved up into the mountain retreat my in-laws just purchased. We have been working feverishly to have the Casita (small house) finished for us to move into. We installed tile, 3 ceiling fans, full kitchen and purchased furniture. It is very different from living near the water, but offers similar benefits. We have walls which is a change from the studio house, we have an amazing panoramic view of the ocean and valley and have beautiful grounds to admire. We really love living in the Casita. We have also been helping my in-laws with developing plans for a renovation to the main house. This renovation will include adding three bedrooms and two baths as well as a two level deck. They found two contractors and an engineer to help develop the plans. Once we receive the bids they will choose the contractor they prefer and begin construction. We anticipate it will take about 3 months and plan to oversee this project until Marcus's parent return in early January. Having never done a renovation this has been quite a learning experience for us and one that will benefit us down the road I am sure.
We also recently experienced getting our water and electric switched over from the previous owners to Bob and Judy. This was quite the event. We went to the electric company in Aguada on a Friday arriving around 7:45 am - the office door had hours of operation to be 7:30 - 3:30. However, when we arrived the office was not open. We waited until about 8:30 at which time we left because the office was still not open. We went to the water company in Aguadilla and found this main facility to be efficient and the people to be very friendly. We had the water switched in about 20 minutes. We then stopped by at the electric company again and there was a line of about 15 people. It was around 10:15 am and knowing that the lunch break starts at 11:30 we knew that we wouldn't be waited on until after lunch. We decided to try again on Monday. Early Monday morning we arrived at the electric company at 7:15am. We waited until 9:15am when the security guard put up a sign stating it would be closed today. Needless to say we were frustrated, but at the same time not upset because this how things happen in Puerto Rico. The system is not something you can fight, you must roll with the punches which is what we did. We found out later in the day that the office we were going to was not the main office so we went to the main office in Aguadilla. Similar to the water company they were very efficient and friendly and we were out of there in 20 minutes. Live and learn. Another side note is that you can pay your phone bill at the Banco Popular.
We have recently decided to start our own Marketing/Advertising Consulting business. Our focus is on helping small local businesses (guest house, nonprofit, restaurants, etc.) build awareness outside Puerto Rico through a web site and online marketing to improve revenue generation. We named our business Marley Associates. The idea came from people speaking to us about needing help with improving their web sites and wanting to do advertising to generate more interest in their businesses. With our experience in Marketing/Advertising and Sales we think this is a natural fit. If you know of anyone in need of our expertise in Rincon and surrounding areas please let us know. We are very excited about this venture and will keep you posted on our success. Our goal is to run a successful small business that will allow us to consider staying here on a more long term basis. We really do love it here.
December Dec 4th.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and evening. Marcus spent the day at The Tamboo roasting a pig and playing dominos. Both of which are traditional Puerto Rican past times. I spent a few hours on the beach reading and writing X-mas cards. I must say this was one of the most relaxing Thanksgiving's I have ever had. It was nice not having to travel and shuffle between all the relatives homes. We spent the evening with our new neighbors and their friends. We went to the Amirage Guest House which is right on the water in Rincon. This is a beautiful place with a lovely garden and painted murals on the property. We met many interesting people who have lived here for a quite a while and came here either to retire or run a small business like a guest house. I also met a wonderful woman name Joyce who teaches painting. I am going to participate in her upcoming lessons. I have always wanted to take lessons, who would have thought this would be the place it would happen!
We went to the ARF fundraising event held at The Tropical Jazz restaurant. This is a great organization to help educate the community to fix their animals and the promote humane treatment of animals. There was a quite a crowd that were all treated to dinner and an auction. Many of the items were original works done by local artists which were very unique. It was a very nice evening. This was the first time that I actual felt apart of the community here which was a great feeling.
We are still adjusting to mountain living and have had quite a few unique experiences that we must share. Each morning I trek up the 42 steps to the main house and select the perfect grapefruit to eat for breakfast. It tastes far better than any store bought grapefruit and it's free! It really doesn't get much better than that. We often hear thuds around the property and go to investigate which produce has fallen - mostly coconuts and avocados. We still give our avocado's away to our friends because we really enjoying sharing them and can't possibly eat all of them. We were trimming some of the coconut trees one day and suddenly Marcus felt something in his eye. After a few minutes he complained that it still hurt so I went to look and low and behold I found a nice size splinter in his eye lid - yikes! We also have run into a small rodent problem in the Casita. Each morning around 6:00am we are awakened to a loud scratching and scurrying sound on the roof. Apparently, the large orange tree that is next to the house is a great food source for these furry creatures. They have found a few places to retreat to between the wood structure and the roof. Well, after many mornings we finally decided to get traps. Sorry to those that want to save the rats, but we felt we had to try to solve this problem. Actually, it really came out of courtesy to our guests that are coming this month. Anyway, we set the traps and that same evening we heard a few snaps. We actually did feel very badly once this happened. I didn't realize those traps were so barbaric! Marcus went to investigate the carnage, but it was dark out so he couldn't see much. The next morning he went to the main house to look down on the roof of the casita and reported that he could see the tail and the large body of the deceased rat which means this is a very large rat - oh gross! I wouldn't dare assume this is something others will experience because we are in the mountains and surrounded by lots of vegetation, but this is a first for me!
We decorated for X-mas by streaming lights down the hand rail to the Casita which looks really nice at night. I wanted to buy a tree and actually found live Christmas trees for sale at Sam's but decided there was too much accoutrements to go along with that whole process. I settled for a nice potted palm tree which looks very nice in our house. We look forward to our visitors in the next couple of weeks and will detail their visits and update on the rodent situation. Stay tuned
Well, we have had an exciting past couple of weeks. My sister and brother in-law visited for a few days and we had a great time showing them Rincon. Their focus was to sleep and relax on the beach since they have two small children at home. We took them on a tour of all of our favorite beaches - Sea Beach, Sandy Beach, Spanish Wall Beach, Tres Palmas and Jobos Beach. Each one was unique and a different experience. They really liked Jobos with the clear water and cliffs to watch the crashing waves. We also had a nice time snorkeling at Tres Palmas. We spent some time at The Tamboo for a late lunch and a game of dominoes. My brother in-law tried Virgin Fire hot sauce and is now addicted and wants monthly shipments. They enjoyed the atmosphere and view at The Tamboo and completely understood why we like to hang out there.
They requested authentic Puerto Rican food so we tried the El Flamboyan which had a great selection and everyone enjoyed their meal although they only accept cash, no credit cards. They were pleasantly surprised by the holiday spirit in Rincon with downtown decorated and all the lights. All in all they had a relaxing and refreshing vacation and went back home well rested. Afterwards they thought about their most vivid memory of Puerto Rico and what came to mind first for them was the bright blue sky, rich green foliage and in general the colors of everything; land, houses, building, water, etc. being so vivid. They also couldn't get over all the produce that grows here and how much better it tastes then store bought produce. We couldn't agree more.
Recently I saw a funeral procession through town with family and friends walking through the town square behind the casket. This was very somber, but at the same time nice to share with them in a very discrete way the acknowledgement of the loss of a loved one. I have since seen quite a few of these which really makes me stop whatever I am doing at the moment and really think about all the things I am grateful for and what is really important in life. Within the same week of witnessing a funeral procession we also saw two weddings in one day. This was really fantastic with all the convertible cars and honking and yelling in celebration. Since downtown is so small you really get to see everything up close which makes you feel apart of the whole event in a small way. I guess this is what small town living is all about.
To go along with the small town feel there was a very endearing and special story my husband experienced. We had a leak in our sink and asked the plumber who is doing all the work for the addition to stop by the Casita. Once he was done with his work my husband asked how much he owed him and he simply asked for a few banana's and would call it even. We both found this gesture so special. We feel so fortunate to be apart of this lifestyle, culture and unique town.
My mom also just visited Rincon and had a wonderful time. She loved the landscape and was surprised by the mountains and hills. We also took her to the beach, but unfortunately didn't have great weather so we never got to snorkel or spend a lot of time on the beach. On her first day we went to Sandy Beach and ran into an older woman I had met and saw the stray dog Marcus and I feed for a few days and its new owner, Connie. The dog named Luna looks so healthy and happy. My mom enjoyed meeting the people we have met during our time here and was glad to see we had made Rincon our home. Of course, she wants us to stay so she can come visit again in the spring. We treated my mom to some great meals, but she really went above and beyond the call of duty when she treated us to a lobster feast. Our friends Jim and Karen gave us the lowdown on finding lobster from fisherman Fred so we tracked him down and got 11 pounds worth of lobster. We grilled it and boiled it and ate until we couldn't eat anymore. This was the first time that Marcus and I have had leftover lobster. The lobster was delicious and truly the best lobster any of us had every tasted.
My mom wanted to not only experience the cuisine, but also the local arts and crafts so we went to Playa Oeste which is right off of 413. I can't tell you how many times I have driven past that sign and told myself I needed to stop in. Well, we finally did and we weren't disappointed. They have wonderful arts and crafts and a very nicely decorated store. I highly recommend it to locals and visitors. We also went to El Faro and The Tamboo gift shop for some trinkets. We also took my mom to Old San Juan since she was flying out of San Juan. The weather was fair, but we managed to shop and walk and see all the sights. We saw the humongous cruise ships which are larger than I had ever imagined. We had a great meal at The Parrot Club and dessert at Ben and Jerry's. She really enjoyed her time here and went home with some wonderful treasures and memories.
In our stay in San Juan we saw some friends from Marcus's graduate program Jackie is from San Juan and here fiancé was visiting to help plan for their wedding next August. We had a great time telling them about our adventure in Rincon. We went to a fabulous Mexican restaurant and to a local bar. It was a nice ending to all the visiting we have done over the past few weeks.
Last week Marcus received a postcard with a beautiful Caribbean beach and words across the top saying "You Could Be Here!!". Perplexed and amused he turned the postcard over to see who it was from. It turns out it was from a student loan consolidation company soliciting business by telling graduates they could save money by consolidating their loans and use it for a trip to the Caribbean. Needless to say we got a big kick out of it and Marcus wants to send them a picture of us on the beach with words across the top that say "We ARE Here!!"
This is the first Christmas that we have spent alone without family. It's a little bitter sweet. We love being here and not having to travel and experience the horrible cold, but it would be nice to spend time with our families, opening gifts and eating ourselves into a food coma. However, we are going to have a special Caribbean Christmas with grilled Red Snapper and apple pie. We are going to spend time at the beach, relaxing and reading. Marcus got a world band radio and I got a great paint set among other things. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine that we would be spending the holidays in the Caribbean!
January 16th:
We spent our first Christmas away from family and friends and found this Christmas to be one of the most relaxing and interesting yet. We headed to The Tamboo for the evening. The owners wanted it to be a family gathering so they brought their two young children as well as family and friends and cranked up the Puerto Rican music and danced and sang. They had a couple of people playing a few instruments like Maraca's. It was captivating and very special to witness. We really felt apart of this intimate and joyous occasion and found it very uplifting. Needless to say we had a wonderful time.
We went to La Parguera with our good friends Gaby and Ivelisse . This is a place Gaby has been many times so we were thrilled when he asked us to go. We headed down south only about an hour and a half away. It is amazing how much the landscape changes in such a short amount of time. It is very dry and arid in the south (similar to Arizona), but still has beautiful hillsides. La Parguera is a quaint fishing town with nice shops and restaurants and many inns and small hotels. There are many boat rentals here, but we rented from Johnny Boat Rental for only about $15/hr. As we headed to the mangrove cays out through the channels we saw all the beautiful boat houses. These are cottage type houses painted wonderful tropical colors with intricate Victorian detail. We went to one of the mangrove cays and anchored there for a couple of hours. The water is crystal clear and shallow enough to stand. It wasn't crowded even for a Saturday so we virtually had the place to ourselves. We went to a local restaurant for some good fried food and then headed home. We stopped in San German which is only about 30 minutes away. This is a historic town with amazing architecture and old buildings. This would be a great place to spend a couple of hours wandering around, unfortunately we didn't have time and were exhausted from spending the day in the sun. This was a memorable outing, especially with Gaby and Ivelisse being our tour guides.
We also spent our New Year's Eve at The Tamboo which had a Salsa band which brought out all ages, locals and tourists. There were fireworks right after midnight which was a great way to end the evening. I had a few too many drinks, but still had a great time with our friends, Carlos, Gaby, Dave and the rest of the gang.
Judy and Bob returned to Puerto Rico right after the new year. We headed to San Juan to pick them up along with their two dogs and two cats in their 1990 full-size Bronco. This was quite the experience. We made several laps at the airport trying to find them on the curb with their loot. Finally we tracked them down and the Jack Hanna Wilderness adventure began. We packed their luggage along with four animal carriers into the back of the Bronco. Bob and I were in front and the beasts along with Marcus and Judy were in the back seat. Note: one of the dogs is a 90 pound yellow lab and the other is a 35 pound mutt. We started the 2 ½ hour trip back. The dogs were extremely thirsty so they had some water, the cats were disturbed and peed in their cages. Of course, the odor was not pleasant so we rolled down the windows. If you have ever had a Lab, these dogs shed a lot. So, there was dog hair flying around along with the various odors and we were one big happy family. We like to refer to it as "Wild Kingdom". Now we have three dogs and two cats living in Puerto Rico. Myles is very excited to have his friends Jake and Freida here. He is not so thrilled about the cat Stone who antagonizes him relentlessly. He is also guilty of chasing the cat and barking at it.
On the job front, we have decided to start looking for full-time work here, which may unfortunately take us out of Rincon and into the big city of San Juan. We haven't resigned ourselves to this, but we aren't ruling it out either. We realize now that we absolutely have to become fluent in Spanish and are starting our lessons soon. Learn from our experience…….if you want to live here you can enhance your experience and increase your chances of finding work if you learn Spanish. We are getting close the point where we have to find work or we will soon run out of our dwindling Puerto Rico fund. Keep your fingers crossed!
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. The pressure began to mount after the New Year to find work and take Spanish lessons so I began searching for intensive Spanish lessons in Mayaguez and didn't find anything, but came across a school in San Juan. The name of the school I found was the New England School of Languages (NESOL). After researching the courses, teaching style and price I got very excited that this might be the perfect thing for us. It is 20/hr week, 4/hrs a day with a quick oral conversation with the Director to determine your Spanish speaking level. It is $300/wk, no school books required. We contacted the school on a Wednesday and began classes the following Monday. We found a reasonable hotel in Condado, opting not to do the host family route (which is an option through the school). We drove down on Monday morning because the classes are from 1:00 - 5:00 every day except Friday from 9:00 - 1:00. The staff were extremely friendly and the Director was very helpful with information regarding the job market in Puerto Rico. We were in different classes, I was one on one with my instructor and Marcus had two other students in his class. The classes are totally in Spanish even for beginners with written and oral exercises. We both felt the classes were well worth the money and both left knowing at least three times more than when we arrived.
Also apart of this trip was the experience of staying San Juan. As I said before we stayed in Condado. We have been to Old San Juan several times and considered staying there, but wanted to experience a different area. We stayed at the El Canario Inn on Ashford which is only 1 block from the beach. It wasn't the homiest place, but was a great location and had a good continental breakfast. I went running in the morning right out my front door down Ashford toward Old San Juan and felt very safe and enjoyed the change of running through a city. There are many other joggers in the morning and even more in the evening.
There are several great restaurants in Condado and many unique shops, but we didn't eat out too much because we were trying to save money. We did take walks in the evening the check out Condado which was fun. One night we did decide to eat out at a nice restaurant we decided to walk down Ashford until we found something we liked. We walked quite a ways and saw many restaurants from fast food to Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Indian as well as Puerto Rican cuisine and a couple of fine dining restaurants. We did find a great place called Waikiki Bar and Grill. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but has fantastic outdoor seating in the back of the restaurant that sits right above the water. The food was reasonable and very good and the service was also good. My favorite part of the evening was walking home next to the water and the contrast of the bright lights of the hotels and the sounds of the city.
We did venture out before class one day to explore the East side of the island which had been a big mystery to us since we arrived in Puerto Rico. We drove to the Westin Rio Del Mar resort which was spectacular and very posh. Then we headed to Luquillo Beach which was beautiful. We went to the public park which was very well maintained with lots of picnic areas and facilities. There were also a couple of food stands and tourist shops. The water was beautiful, crystal blue color and the sand was soft. This is a great place to take a family and a very quite and peaceful place, especially during the week. We were going to go to El Yunque, but ran out of time. We did go to Plaza Las America's which is a huge mall with three stories and practically took up a whole square block.
After having been in San Juan for a week we realized that we would enjoy living in San Juan, especially in Old San Juan or Condado. Most of the negative things you hear about San Juan are from people who have never lived there, so don't believe everything you hear. Although we will admit that even on the last day we still got confused when driving around! We hope to go back for more lessons soon (Spanish an d Driving!!).
We saw a couple of bands recently in Rincon. Los Goyos (very popular Puerto Rican band) played an impromptu practice session at The Tamboo one Sunday afternoon which was fabulous. We also saw the reggae band Culture next to The Faro with Gaby for his birthday. This was a great concert, very intimate compared to the concerts I have been to in the states. There were about 1000 people there so it wasn't too crowded and we even went to the front row to get a peak at the band up close. Marcus used Gaby's backstage pass so it was a big thrill for him to see Culture backstage. Marcus is a huge reggae fan and has converted me as well.
Our marketing/consulting business, Marley Associates is still coming along, we have had a couple more clients that we have built sites for and have many inquiries coming in for the properties on RinconLuxuryEstates,com. After our trip to San Juan we did begin to look for jobs in the Sunday edition El Nuevo Dia classifieds and also go directly to corporate sites of companies that are of interest. Marcus does have an interview this week so we are excited about the opportunity.
We have lots of relatives coming in the next few weeks, Marcus's grandmother comes next week for a month and his Aunt and Uncle and little girl are coming at the end of February for two weeks. Then his sister and brother in-law are coming with their good friends for ten days! Lots of visitors, but we are happy to show off where we live and spend time with family who have been missed very much.
Marcus's grandmother, known as Gram arrived a couple of weeks ago and Adam, Stephanie and Alia came to visit this past two weeks so we have been busy. Gram thinks Puerto Rico is beautiful and is so happy to be out of the cold winter in Pennsylvania. She is reading many books about the history of Puerto Rico so she can learn as much as she can about this wonderful and enchanting island. The construction is still going on and the sleeping arrangements for my in-laws and grandmother have been less than ideal. Unfortunately, as with all construction projects, it is taking longer than expected. Due to this small inconvenience we moved to our next door neighbors Guest House while my mother in-laws brother Adam, wife Stephanie and young daughter Alia came to visit. This was a wonderful visit and one that allowed us to reconnect to family.
Stephanie, Adam and Alia were also very eager to escape the horrible winter in PA. They came here and immediately took in the warm climate and exhaled. Alia is almost 3 years old and is a beautiful and expressive young child. Marcus and I have never spent this much time with a young child so it was a real enlightening experience for us. We also have never spent this much time with Adam and Stephanie so we really got to strengthen our relationship with them. We took them to the beach almost everyday which was exactly what they wanted to do. Alia loves the sand and jumping around letting the sand squeeze between her toes. She was a little afraid of the water at first, but slowly came around and by the end of the trip couldn't get enough of the water. That child is destined to live in a beach town!
We went to many beaches - Sandy Beach, Sea Beach, Steps Beach, Parking Lots, Jobos Beach and La Parguera. Adam and Marcus took surfing lessons and were eager to test their skills wherever there might be waves. I must admit I do have a little fear of surfing only because I have seen how powerful the water can be and the strength, confidence and skill it takes to be a safe surfer. I am happy to report both Marcus and Adam did stand up a few times on their board. For a novice that is definitely success! For those interested, Melissa and Darren are giving surf lessons in Rincon (787-823-3618) and surf boards and racks are available for rent at West Coast Surf Shop in town.
We also turned them onto The Tamboo which they also love! We spent a few evenings there and taught them how to play dominoes. They also go to experience the band Los Goyos which played again at The Tamboo. There is nothing like spending the end of another day at the beach sitting on the deck of Tamboo watching dusk fall, hearing the wave's crash, listening to music and hearing the chatter and laughter of everyone around!
The whole family took a trip to La Parguera which was just as beautiful this time as the last time we went. We rented a boat big enough for seven people for only $20/hr and cooler full of drinks and snacks. We found a perfect mangrove that had 2ft. deep water that was crystal clear with white sand and perfect for Alia. We also headed out to deeper water to snorkel which was exciting and a little scary because of the swift current. Adam found a saw a huge star fish - the biggest one he had ever seen. We also showed them the unique and quaint houses that are right on shore. We ate at the Reef Top again, which had great fried food. The trip from Rincon only takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes even less if traveling early in the morning.
The whole family also went Whale Watching with John and Tim from Taino Divers. It cost $25/per person and takes about 2 hours. We went from 4 o'clock to 6 o'clock in the evening. The whales come every year from February to March. I have to say that this was the most amazing, spectacular and awesome experience. As we were heading out we saw in the far distance whales breaching about 5-6 times. If you know anything about whales this is a rare and privileged sight. I really can't put into words how this experience touched me. We found a mother and her baby swimming around in one particular area and stayed there the whole time. They were swimming and playing showing their backs and even showing their heads and flippers. The closest we came to the whales was about 50 feet because they moved closer to us. The size of the mother was extraordinary and to see this gigantic whale in her natural habitat and to picture so many whales out in the vast ocean is something I will never forget. The whole time I felt like they were interacting and staying near the surface just because they knew it would make us happy. I would like to learn more about whales, but my guess would be that they recognized the hum of the engine of the boat and knew that this was a friendly and safe boat for them to come to the surface. Check out our pictures from out whale watching trip to get a taste of what we saw.
After our whale watching we went to a new hotel named Rincon of the Sea (Rincon Del Mar) to eat dinner. There are two restaurants, one more expensive and one more casual and less expensive. The hotel is beautiful, on the beach with a bar in the swimming pool, very Caribbean. The service was very good and the food was descent. Great ambiance. We also went to The Lazy Parrot which is really a must for any tourist. They really enjoyed the gift shop and lush surroundings. Alia had a nice conversation with the parrot too!
Stephanie, Adam and Alia enjoyed their visit very much and intend to come back soon. Adam who is a certified Rolfer which is a form of physical manipulation did a few sessions with our neighbor and intends to return to possibly work her a few months out of the year. We are slowly recruiting all family members to come to Puerto Rico to live!
Our business is going well; we assisted a client in selling two properties which was a big thrill. We have also done a few more websites for a couple of people. We are going to another weekly Spanish lesson next week so we are continuing to pursue becoming fluent. Marcus did have a very good interview in San Juan, but was declined a job offer because he is not bilingual - even more proof that it really is necessary to be fluent if you want to work in San Juan or anywhere for that matter!
I recently took painting lessons with Joyce Gaven here in Rincon. She is a local artist that has painted many murals on guest houses and restaurants in town. She teaches all levels in 6 classes, 2 times a week for $95. She provides most of the materials including paints and canvas. This was wonderful experience for me and something I have always wanted to do. I never thought that this would be the place I would finally take lessons. The goal of the class is to have a painting after the three weeks, which is exactly what I have and it is hanging in the porch. I am very proud of my first painting and hope to do many more.
We headed to San Juan again for more Spanish lessons in March. This time was more relaxed then before because we knew our way around and knew what to expect. All the instructors and staff at New England School of Languages were so glad to see us again and really made us feel at home. We learned more than before and were glad to take another week of class.
We stayed at Embassy Guest Suite which is on the beach in Condado, but not the most up to date in the area. We nick named our room "The Cave" because it was so dark. Needless to say we didn't stay in the room very much. We enjoyed our mornings before class by studying on the beach or lying in the grass at El Morro. The one day we went to El Morro a few hundred kids were on a field trip to fly kites. It was wonderful to see all the different kites in the sky and the joy it brought to the children. We have pictures on the site, but you really don't get a feel for how spectacular it was. It was very nostalgic for me to think back to that age; no worries, and fascination with everything. The parents also seemed to be enjoying it as much as kids. Some of the more interesting kites were a lady bug, an eagle, and three dimensional boat kite.
We also went to El Yunque early one morning. It was a lot to fit into a couple of hours before class, but well worth the effort. The self guided tour we took was a driving tour with pull offs for photos. We went to as far the road would go and then went on foot. We really hadn't anticipated walking so we weren't prepared, but the path was nicely paved, but very natural with stones imbedded into the cement. It would have been a mud slide without the path. The quietness and lush tropical vegetation was amazing.
We also went a lot of movies in the evening after class because we just couldn't bring ourselves to go back to "The Cave". We went to Plaza Las Americas to see the movies which is quite a mall to say the least. We thought the week went by much faster this time around and we really enjoyed ourselves.
We had a little reprieve from visitors with a house empty when we returned from San Juan. We did help one of our clients find a couple of buyers for their property we are marketing which we were very excited about and we will continue to pursue that in our business. On the other hand, we also decided that it would be good for one of us to get a job in Rincon to have more stability. Luckily, I got a job at The Horned Dorset Primavera, a 5 star hotel in Rincon. I am very excited about the opportunity and will keep you informed of my experience.
We also have a new addition to the family, no not a baby, but a new dog. His name is Hopkins and we adopted him at an ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) fundraiser. He is 1 year old and has a lot of energy. Myles is still adjusting and isn't quite sure what to think of him yet. We have a picture of Hopkins on the site. He is a very affectionate, fun-loving dog and we are happy to welcome him to our family.
Marcus's sisters and their significant others came to visit which was very nice. Adam also came back to promote his Rolfing practice and set up at The Tamboo one day and got quite a few walk-ups. He intends to come down a few times a year for a couple of weeks to Rolf locales. We have never all been together on a vacation before so it was nice to have them down here. We all came to Rincon a year ago with my in-laws for vacation. It was nice to show them around this time. We went to a mountain bike competition at El Faro which was fun. There were a lot of participants and many different heats with different levels. The guy that one is a World Champion so he was very impressive. We took them to The Tamboo, of course and ate lunch and drank a few Medalla. We also went to El Flamboyan, and Casa Islena which they really enjoyed. We took them to our favorite place, La Parguera which everyone loved! It is so beautiful it takes your breath away. We also ate at our favorite greasy spoon so we just slide our way back to Rincon. There was also a surfing contest at Domes Beach when they were here which was also fun to watch. There were some amazing surfers and the waves were decent so it was exciting. There were a lot of people at this event as well, but I believe that was the end of the high season and things will start to slow a down a bit. Their visit was relaxing, laid back and it was good to catch-up on everything going on in each others lives. We all come from very different backgrounds and all have had unique experiences and we always seem to have interesting conversations. It's nice to have a good family.
We are getting ready for the major lifestyle change of me working and Marcus working on the business so I am sure it will be quite an adjustment. My in-laws will be back soon for a couple of weeks and Marcus's other Uncle, John will be visiting. So, we will be back to a bustling house again!
Well it has been too long since I updated the journal, so for all you avid readers I sincerely apologize. It looks as if we have officially fallen into daily routine of life. I have been working at the Horned Dorset Primavera www.horneddorset.com for about a month and a half and am official a working woman. I work six days a week, which sounds worse, and then it really is, I promise. I must say that the tourism industry is much different then the corporate world I am accustomed to. No meetings or sitting in front of the computer all day that is a nice change. On the other hand, having holidays off is out of the question and there are times when it is so busy you can hardly think straight and there are times when it's not so busy. That is the hotel business for you. I have met some great people at work, of which many have worked at HDP for many years. I have also met many wonderful people that have visited the hotel, which is a nice aspect of the job.
Marcus is working for our business, Marley Associates, which is going well. We have a few clients coming into to town soon to look at some of the properties we have for sale so we are excited about the sales potential. He is also doing some consulting work for a U.S. based company and has designed a couple of more websites.
I guess you could say we are going to stay put for a while. We are beginning to long for our stuff that we left behind in Pennsylvania and can't really ship it here until we have a place for it all so the house search will begin soon. We also do want to go back to the States to visit our families, especially since Marcus hasn't left Puerto Rico since we got here. We have realized that we are people who enjoy change and the itch for change happens about once every couple of years so we figure we should call it home for a while.
We are almost at our year anniversary (June 26th), which seems very weird. It seems as if the year has gone really quickly in some respects, but also very slowly. Because it has been such a unique and different experience for us we have a vivid memory of most of the things that we have experienced over the past year. I can see though that the days and months will slowly start to blur together as our life has more stability and consistency.
We still have many places we want to see, so for anyone that questions that there isn't enough to do on this island, I beg to differ. We would still like to go to Ponce and the southern part of the island as well as more of the interior of the island. We also have heard wonderful things about Culebra and would like to spend a few days there as well. We are going to a wedding in San Juan in August so we may get a chance to go then.
We haven't taken any more Spanish lessons because everything has changed so much now that we are both working. I am learning at work and Marcus continues to speak Spanish everyday. I really admire people who can speak more than once language. I do believe that people who learn another language as an adult are just wired differently and can pick it up, while others (like me) really struggle with it. I always struggled in high school and college with learning another language, but I do continue to learn little by little everyday.
The main house is nearly complete. We love our little casita and don't really spend much time in the main house, but it turned out very well. We will put some pictures up on the site for all to see. We also have lots of things happening at the investment property we went in on with the family. We have been overseeing the whole process for rehabbing the house and right now we are almost finished with the dry wall in the interior of the house. After that the painting will start on the inside and out and then the landscaping. We hope to have it rented by August. We will also take some pictures of the house once it is finished. I am excited about taking on the responsibility of decorating the rehab because I love interior design especially on a budget, I feel like I am on one of those shows on HGTV!
The weather has recently changed to the rainy season with a light or heavy rain about six days a week. I forgot how much it rains here! It is a nice relief from the hot sun and at night it stays cool. I also just rearranged the casita and bought some things to make it feel more like our home, Kmart and Marshall's have been my daily haunts. That has been fun, but just reinforces how much we would like to have our own house.
Things have definitely slowed down a bit now that low season has started. The waves are smaller, less tourists and restaurants are starting to change their hours. We like the low season when for the locals it seems like it's back the way it should be, slow and steady.
By the way, our dogs are doing well, Hopkins and Myles are like brothers, they play and fight just like siblings.
We just celebrated our 1 year Anniversary of living in Rincón! We have really come a long way. There were times when we didn't think we would be able to stay for a year, but we found a way to make it happen. It's quite a thrill for us, we really feel like locals now and find that we know people almost everywhere we go - the post office, the bank, the grocery store, etc. it's really given us a sense of community which we haven't felt before in other places. We have experienced so many emotions this past year - fear, worry, lonliness, joy, respect, fascination, determination and love. We have met so many wonderful people and have truly experienced a different culture, unique place, different language and a beautiful location. No matter what happens we will always have this experience to look back on and just be very proud that we did something that most people say they want to do, but never do it. We did it and are still doing it and our lives are changed forever.
We also both celebrated our 30th birthdays - only 6 days apart this past month. We each had our special request for dinner and dessert. Marcus's meal was Yellow fin tuna farfalla with artichokes, sundried tomatoes and feta and chocolate cake for dessert. My dinner request was homemade fish and chips with lots of tartar sauce and strawberry pie for dessert. A woman I work with named Linda made me the most delicious strawberry, pound cake with whipped cream and Cherry liquor drizzed on top. She also bought me some gifts - I was totally surprised and very touched that she would do that for me. It was an amazing coincidence that I asked for Strawberry pie for my birthday dessert, so Marcus and I ate both.
We also spent a day in La Paguera, just the two of us. We bought a "couch raft" to float in the clear blue water. Sounds romantic, but after blowing it up and feeling dizzy it lost it's charm. We went snorkeling and swam through huge schools of tiny fish a little creepy and fascinating at the sametime. Of course, after the long day in the sun we went to our greasy diner and had a great deep fried meal.
On top of celebrating our 1 year, the past month has also been very exciting here in Rincón. We are selling property like hot cakes and are thrilled. We actually sold 3 properties in one weekend - all from people in the States. This has gone much better than expected and we are ecstatic about the response we have received from our site www.rinconluxuryestates.com. Hint Hint, knudge knudge, wink wink.
We also learned how Puerto Ricans celebrate Father's day - the same as all the other holidays really, lots of gifts, lot of family members getting together and spending the day together eating and celebrating the day. It really is amazing the excitement and empahsis on Father's Day. I never remember Father's or Mother's day ever being a big deal growing up. We drove around the area and so many houses had cars lined up on the street, wonderful aromas of food in the air and everyone outside laughing and talking. A woman from work (who is Puerto Rican) said "any excuse we have to celebrate we do it!" Since I didn't really have much to do that day I decided to head to the mall for some shopping. The drive is about 35 minutes and I knew something was wrong when I drove into the empty parking lot. Yes, on Father's Day they close the Malls, grocery stores, etc. and it wasn't just because it was Sunday. I sort smiled and thought to myself well of course it's closed and drove home.
As if all that celebrating wasn't enough we were treated to a fine dining experience at the Horned Dorest to celebrate our neighbors birthday. Having worked here for a few months now I have heard amazing things about the food, but to experience it first hand was wonderful. The food was delicious, the presentation was beautiful and the ambience was romantic and fun. We had a 5 course meal, lots of wine and a specially made birthday cake. After a long nice dinner with wonderful company we went home. I thought about it the next day and many days since then, it was that good! We are looking forward to my Dad and stepmother Mary coming to visit next week. Maybe we can convince them to take us to HDP for dinner! I will let you know if we succeed.
Our rental house is still in the final phases. The furnishing will be done this week, the plumbing, electrical, painting, landscaping, bees, roof, etc. have all be done. We are thrilled to see the transformation and will reveal the finished house soon on the website. The rental house is three bedrooms, 1 ½ baths, full kitchen and ocean views. The house is only 50 steps to the beach! We are excited about offering a new vacation rental house in Rincon to bring more people here to visit this wonderful place.
Now that the month of July is almost over, it is interesting to compare last year to this year. We were totally oblivious last year to all the holidays that are celebrated in July in Puerto Rico. We thought that the summer time was the "off season", but it was amazing how this year we were much more in-tune with what was happening and enjoyed ourselves much more. The hotel was really busy with mostly couples from San Juan enjoying the extended weekends. It is really fun to drive to work (past many beaches) and see all the cars lined up on the side of the road with people spilling out of the cars and kids, parents, coolers, etc making their way to the beach. By the time I leave work everyone is slowly shuffling to their cars, lugging their kids and coolers looking completely spent. One particular day I drove by the two fast food restaurants and they were packed! Nothing like some good grease food after a day at the beach.
My parents came to visit also during July and stayed at the Horned Dorset Primavera. They had a wonderful time and enjoyed Puerto Rico very much. They were here for 6 days and we took them around town - The Tamboo, our rental house, our casita, etc. We cooked some great dinners for them which they thoroughly enjoyed and we had fun making them too! One night we made "Salsa Rosa con Vodka" (penne pasta with a cream, tomato and vodka sauce) with a pear and cashew salad and the second night we made breaded chicken filets with a homemade marinara sauce and parmesan with homemade Italian bread and homemade lemon puff pastry with chocolate drizzled on top. Marcus made this whole meal while I was at work and did a fabulous job. These are recipes we learned from Marcus' uncle and when we took Italian cooking classes in PA. Needless to say they were impressed We also were treated to some great meals at The Lazy Parrot which is a great place to take any visitor and the Horned Dorset Primavera, Blue Room for dinner as well as Casa Islena for lunch. They also ventured out on their own during the day and went to La Paguera and also walked around town. It was interesting to me that they even walked around the Econo grocery store to see the different types of food items they carried, price compared and got a good sense of the local flavor. I think that is so important to do when visiting a different place with different foods, cultures and customs. They admitted that their expectations of Puerto Rico were far exceeded and were really pleasantly surprised. We had a wonderful time with them and were so pleased that they came to visit us.
We have really been looking forward to going to a wedding in San Juan this weekend. Two colleagues of Marcus's from Penn State graduate school are getting married and we are thrilled to go away for the weekend. We plan to have a relaxing day before the wedding and then get dressed up for a fun filled evening with good food, good company and lots of dancing. We will take plenty of pictures. Our neighbors are kind enough to look after our boys for us. We have continued to put up more fence to keep our dogs contained in the yard. We did learn that our newly adopted dog, Hopkins is a Rodesian Ridgeback mix and that they can basically jump over anything 4 feet high - of course our fencing is 4 feet high so it is a daily routine to put up additional reinforcements. Marcus seems obsessed with this task I on the other hand don't concern myself with it. We have started to call him Houdini. We have also had a tick problem with our dogs which at times has been quite disgusting. They seem to come in phases and last a week or so and then go away only to come back again. We do have tick powder, shampoo and tick bombs to get rid of them which seems to be working. Time to change the subject!
I recently had a wonderful massage by our Masseuse at the HDP. I went to her house which has beautiful panoramic views of the ocean. She did a form of aromatherapy, heated rocks and a great body massage outside on her deck with the sea breeze. After my massage she gave me some fruit - star fruit and mango's from her property which was delicious. I also met her beautiful and mature 10 year old daughter. She really enjoys cooking and watches Great Chefs of the World which I found endearing and adorable for someone her age. How many ten year olds watch Great Chefs of the World? I thought it was fantastic! She made me a wondeful handmade mask, but said she wished she had more time to make it more elaborate with sparkles. It was a wonderful day at the home Spa!
We continue to finalize the details on the rental house - new screen and porch door were put in, more plumbing and a new wooden fence it going up next week. Unfortunately, someone stole 20 gardenia plants from our new landscaped front yard which was really disappointing. So, we are going to buy more plants to put in their place. We hope to have it available for rent in September. Stay tuned for more!
Well we have been very busy the past few weeks. We had a fabulous time in San Juan for the wedding of Jackie and Tom. We had a couple of Marcus's classmates come to our house a couple of days before the wedding to relax. They really enjoyed their time here and loved Puerto Rico. Of course, we made them our classic meals and Marcus took them to La Paguera. Then, we all headed over to San Juan for the wedding. We arrived early afternoon and hung out at the bar for a couple of hours and ate lunch. We had the honor of seeing the bride and groom before the wedding which was a treat - both very relaxed.
The hotel room at The Ritz was extravagant. I loved the marble bathroom which had an amazing shower. I was tickled to get ready for a fancy wedding in a room like that! I also treated myself to a pedicure at the Day Spa. I have only had one other pedicure (before my own wedding) which was nice, but this was wonderful. It was very relaxing and of course my feet looked beautiful. Being a runner, my feet take a serious beating so this was a huge improvement. We did have a bit of a snafu with our luggage at the hotel. To make a long story short, we checked in and left our bags in the lobby until our room was ready. When we went to our room (two hours later) we still didn't have our bags, after my pedicure (1 ½ hours later) still no bags. Finally, about 45 minutes before we are supposed to leave for the wedding, we get our bags! I was beginning to wonder if they even had our bags.
Off to the wedding we went in a bus for all the out-of-towners to the church. It was Catholic wedding, but without the mass. I have to admit I am not a big fan of wedding ceremonies so for me the shorter the better. After the ceremony, all the pictures were taken in front of all the guests (different, but fun to watch). We all hopped onto the bus for the reception. We went to Club Nautico which is right on a pier in San Juan. The band was fantastic and we there were some guests that could do some serious salsa and tango dancing. The food was Puerto Rican style which was good and of course, the wedding cake. No cutting of the cake - must not be a tradition here. We got home around 12:30 which wasn't too late. Marcus went out with his friends to the casino in the hotel and I went to bed. The other memorable experience was the bed. Now, it sounds funny, the bed was delicious. Everything was down filled - pillows, comforter, feather bed, high thread count sheets, etc. We loved the feather bed so much I bought one. Just a little something to remember our great weekend in San Juan!
We also had family come and visit for about a week, Chad and Reba (my brother-in laws mother and brother). Neither of them have ever been to the Caribbean so this was a real treat for them. They adapted to the relaxed pace right away. They enjoyed the property very much and spent time in each area. They ate fruit from the property and really just took everything in. We made them dinner a couple of times and they also made dinner for us. We also went to Sea Beach one day and had the pleasure of listening to a steel drum band that was playing at Rincon of the Seas hotel. It truly felt like a Caribbean getaway, even for us and we live here! We also went snorkeling at Steps Beach where Chad saw a sea turtle and some jelly fish. Reba had never been snorkeling before so this was a great experience for her. We took them to the Lazy Parrot (of course) and also to La Paguera. They both thought La Paguera was beautiful and it was by far their favorite part of the whole visit. We saw and sting ray there and went snorkeling again. We had a great visit with them and felt very honored that their first Caribbean vacation was with us.
The day after Chad and Reba left, Marcus's parents came to visit for 10 days. Their main goal was to get the rental house finished. They worked very hard, almost every single day they were here and did an amazing job. We definitely wouldn't have been able to finish it without them. We did get more Gardenias for the front yard, the fence is now finished, we have molding in the whole place and finished all the fine details. I believe they worked a total of 100 hours while they were here! They left not feeling like they had been on vacation, but were very pleased with all the work they got accomplished. And by the way, during all this craziness, the threat of Hurricane Fabian was breathing down our necks. Luckily it passed, but unfortunately did a lot of damage to Bermuda. It is very scary to think about a hurricane coming here and I hope to never have to experience it.
We have started to look for a house to buy which has been going well. We realized that many of the places we had seen a year ago are all sold and being renovated or improved which is quite remarkable. Actually, there are many things happening in Rincon that makes you think things are picking up momentum. The town square is coming along - totally renovated from the ground up. There is a new outdoor market going up on one of the public beaches in town which is suppose to be very nice with a couple of restaurants and some shops. The elections are in full swing - lots of megaphones and rally's going on around town. People seem very passionate about the politics which is nice to see. We really believe the real estate market is getting back to where it was before 9/11. So, we have been having fun trying to find something just for us.
I also was in my first car accident (not hurt), scary. I must admit that I have been sort of anticipating this to happen. There are quite a few car accidents here (many vendor benders) and I knew I was bound to get in one as well. I was coming home from work one night (around 10:00 pm) and going up a rather steep hill when a car came down the hill, on the wrong side. Luckily I hit my breaks and then began to roll down the hill when we hit so the impact was minimal. Both cars were fine, but to have headlights coming right at you is not something you forget easily. The gentleman was with his wife and baby and didn't speak any English, but neighbors came out to make sure everyone was okay and a nice man translated for me. The police came to write a report and everything was over within 30 minutes. Poor Marcus knew something had happened because I didn't come home on time. When the police left they took the road toward our house so of course Marcus thought they were coming to tell him something horrible. Luckily I was right behind them so he was relieved right away, but very scary for both of us. I am actually glad I got it over with because now I know how the system works and what happens, etc. it is all very orderly and efficient.
Los Goyos and a visiting band played at the Tamboo last weekend and marcus returned home to tell me that he was able to sing with the band at the end of the night. The song was Redemption Songs by Bob Marley. I told Marcus that Bob Marley is the only music that he can sing well so I was glad he chose that song. He agreed and as I talked to a few of his friends a few days later I heard the whole story of his singing debut at the Tamboo. There were some great pictures of him singing that we are trying to get our hands on to share with all of you.
We are looking forward to leaving the island in a few weeks to go to a family wedding and to visit my family in Louisville. This will be the first time Marcus has left the island and it will have been over a year for me. We are very excited to see family, but to also see how our perspective has changed since we moved here.
The other day I got home from work on an exceptionally beautiful day - very sunny, breezy and not too hot. One of those perfect days that you don't want to end and just want to be outside for as long as you possibly can! I was really in the mood to go sit at the Tamboo on the beach and enjoy the end of a beautiful day. We had a great time and really thought about how lucky we are that we are able to jump in the car and 10 minutes later be on a beautiful beach, with an amazing sunset and think, we live here! It was one of those moments where everything feels just right.
My goodness it has been a long time since my last update, my apologies. Time seems to be flying these days. Well, we did manage to see quite a few houses since the last entry. We found a great townhouse which is quite funny because we always watch the show House Hunters on HGTV and laugh when people decide not to buy a house, but instead buy a townhome (probably because the show takes place in California where the real estate prices are incredible) and we always said that we would never live in a townhouse, well never say never. Anyway, we loved this townhouse and really wanted to buy it so we went to the various banks Coopertiva and WesternBank to find out about mortgages. We got some really good information and the people were very friendly and helpful. However, after lots of thought and discussion we decided not to buy the townhouse. We aren’t ready to make that kind of commitment at this point in time.
We tried a couple of more restaurants recently, Bambino’s (Italian) and Rincon Tropical (Puerto Rican) and found both to be good. I got the Eggplant Parmesan and Marcus had the Chicken Parmesan. You get plenty of food and the prices are very reasonable. Rincon Tropical has traditional Puerto Rican food and the Aranitas (fried shredded plantain) are out of this world. I also found a great car wash right behind Rincon Tropical – very clean, user friendly and good vacuums – works well with getting sand out of the car! In town they opened a new Berrios furniture store which seems very nice. Downtown is still undergoing major construction in the town square, but it is looking beautiful. Very Old San Juan. There is an archway that goes over the main street which is a nice architectural add. They are also renovating a couple of buildings in the town square so the place is really shaping up.
Our dogs are still fighting the tick investation going on. We finally took Myles to the vet because he was scratching incessantly. The vet believes it is an allergic reaction to the tick bites. Both dogs are on Frontline plus, but this doesn’t really work, the ticks are still among us. We are hoping this investation will go away soon.
We just got back from the U.S. a couple of weeks ago. The trip was fantastic and very overdue. We first went to the wedding of Marcus’s cousin (Jason and Danelle) which was in Upstate NY. My mother in-law brought some warm clothes for us and shoes (I only have flip flops and sandles). The drive to the hotel was a beautiful fall day and the leaves were definitely changing. The rehearsal dinner was a great time followed by lots of dancing for Marcus and me. It was great to see his family and catch-up on everything. We went running the next morning in a steady rain with temperatures in the 40’s. Very cold for us, but exhilirating at the sametime. The wedding ceremony was short and sweet (my favorite kind), maximum of 10 minutes followed by a cocktail hour and dinner and then the party continued in the hotel rooms and finally to the lounge. Marcus’s family knows how to have a good time! The next day we were off to Louisville to visit my family. I saw my nephews, Hunter 3 and Clayton 1.5 years. They are too cute and absolutely clung to Marcus or Marseus I should say which is what they call him, I am called Ommi.
We did a lot of visiting with family and some friends. We did do our daily run as well, the temperatures we also a bit cold, but warmer than N.Y. It was nice to be on my old stomping ground, very comforting. Everyone was asking if it was weird to be back in the States and my answer was no because everything there is familiar. I knew going back to PR would be more different than arriving in the U.S.
We arrived back to nice warm air and few pounds heavier from all the entertaining. It was difficult to get back into the swing of things. Going back really made us think hard about our future, our goals and dreams that are still out there for us to pursue. Moving to PR was a definitely a dream for us and a very challenging one to realize, but we made it and are truly changed by this experience. But we know in our hearts that there are other places, people and experiences waiting for us and we will eventually want seek out those new places. We have learned that we are perpetual seekers of new adventures and a new adventure awaits us. We will keep you posted as this unfolds.
The journal seems to be getting harder and harder to update these days. I think it is because we have too many things going on and it just seems to be the thing that has suffered. Marcus’s uncle Adam came to visit to do some surfing and a little rest and relaxation. It was nice spending time with him just the three of us. I always find that I am much better in smaller groups than larger ones. I really enjoy having meaningful conversations with people where you cut through all the surface talk. So, we had some nice talks and really caught up on everything with him.
Halloween was a fun time this year. Linda (the masseuse at work) had a Halloween party for all the employees which was fun. She went all out with the decorations and made a full spread for everyone with all Puerto Rican style food. It’s nice to see everyone outside of work in a more relaxed and social environment. I rarely go out and therefore don’t drink very often…. well let’s just say that I did drink a little too much and ended up sleeping at her house which was very sweet and kind of her to take care of me. Then a few days later on Oct 31st Marcus went down to the Tamboo for Halloween, but didn’t want to stay out too long so I went to pick him up. The whole street down in Puntas was wall to wall cars, he had to walk a couple of blocks to get to the car. He said there were some great outfits and hundreds of people that showed up. Halloween is a very big holiday here and people go all out.
Soon after Halloween, my friend Linda had a girl’s spa night with people from work and some other friends. Now, when you go to Linda’s house she doesn’t do anything half way, she completely goes out of her way and over and beyond any expectations anyone may have. So, we all went to her house for a spa evening. We show up met with flower petals on her walk way to her door and when we peered through the door it was the most magnificent and spectacular room I have ever seen. The setting for the party was right out of Colin Cowie’s entertaining book. She had a Moroccan theme with beaded pillows all over the floor, low tables for sitting and eating, tons of organic healthy foods, lots of candles and beautiful fabric drapped over everything and perfect ethnic music to set the mood.
Everything was set up for pedicures/manicures, a massage and a couple of people even had their hair cut. She made a fantastic French onion soup with potatoes and a great cheese cake and cookies and ice cream. No one went home hungry. As if that wasn’t enough she gave everyone a special spa gift – I got a lavender body scrub and then she also gave everyone a candle holder with colored rocks and a flower. She is one of the most generous, loving and giving people I have ever met. Of course I was the only “American” there which is just the way I liked it. I loved listening to all the chatter and seeing Puerto Rican women in this type of environment. It was a lot of fun and the first time I have ever done anything like this here or anywhere. A truly memorable experience that I will never forget.
My mom also came to visit in early November which was nice. She had a heck of a time getting here. She had planned to take the bus from San Juan airport to Rincon, but you are allowed to make reservations because it is first come first serve. Well she was unable to get on the 5:00pm bus because it was already full. So, she waited for the next bus at 7:00pm, but it never showed up. So, she finally just booked a flight to Mayaguez airport and arrived at 10:30pm that night. Luckily she bought a round trip ticket so she didn’t have to worry about the return trip. Needless to say, her trip didn’t start off the way she had anticipated, but she met some nice people in the airport that she befriended. The weather also wasn’t cooperating with us during her stay – gray and rainy most days so we didn’t get to take her to La Paguera. We did however go to Ponce to the Art Museum which was really good and the great gift shop was nice too. We also went El Museo Castillo Serralles the home of the founders of Don Q rum. It was quite a magnificent house and the tour guide was excellent. They do give tours in English and Spanish every half hour 7 days a week 9-5. Ponce was much larger than I had anticipated and the old downtown is pretty much deserted, but has some great architecture. Of course, I took her to the Lazy Parrot which she enjoyed. We made our specialty meals for her as well and spent one afternoon at Sea Beach. All in all a good visit. We also had some extended family come for about 3 weeks. Linda and Jack who stayed in our rental house for a few days and then stayed at the main house for the remainder of their trip. They also had some bad weather for the first two weeks that they were here. They treated us to dinner at the Flamboyan which we chose so they could experience some authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. They also became big fans of the Tostones and our home grown bananas and grapefruit. Since they were here over Thanksgiving and a friend of Marcus’s was on business in San Juan and stayed over we decided to go to the Horned Dorset for Thanksgiving dinner. We had a wonderful time and everyone really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. It really is a fine dining experience and highly recommended for anyone to experience just once.
I had another unfortunate car accident, on the same road as the first time, but it was my fault. I was coming down the hill going around a curve and a cement truck (with a steel bumper) was coming up. I slammed on my breaks (the road was too narrow for both of us to fit) and due to the slick road I slowly slid into him head on. Luckily I wasn’t hurt and he said he didn’t even feel my car hit him. Needless to say my friend Evelyn at work made me promise to never drive on that road again. I have kept my promise. My car had a good amount of damage about $1500 dollars worth. The great thing was when we bought our car we included double interest insurance through Seguros Multiples. So, I went to get an estimate, made the claim, got a free rent a car until my car was fixed, and the insurance company paid the body shop directly. The car looks beautiful (brand new) and it was almost hassle free. I was quite impressed with the efficiency of Seguros Multiples and highly recommend them for car insurance. The body shop was also excellent – Centro Compacto in Aguadilla on route 115.
We have had some renters with our vacation rental recently. Mostly weekend rentals, but we have been busy managing that business. We had a group come for the 1rst annual motorcycle convention (think of Monster’s Garage) here in Rincon held at El Faro and we have a family coming this week too. We are ready to hand over the responsibility to Marcus’s mom when she arrives at the end of December.
We also helped sell the house next door which closed this past week so, we now have new neighbors who are very nice. We all went out to dinner to an Italian restaurant called Capriccio’s in downtown Anasco. We had never been there before and we really enjoyed the food and the company. The restaurant only has a few table, probably seats about 30 people. It has a very intimate setting, low lighting, lots of curtains and slipped covered chairs. Much different then anything you would find in Rincon. It was also reasonably priced – they do have market price lobster and were serving surf and turf, but they mostly meat, fish or pasta entrees all between $10 and $18 dollars. We will definitely introduce Marcus’s parent and grandmother to this restaurant when they arrive.
We are preparing for Christmas now and bought our tree (at Sam’s) and decorated it. We did some shopping in San Juan at Plaza Las Americas because we needed to take back the DSL for our computer (offered through Coqui and PRT) because it was broken. It is a great deal to get DSL only $40/month