I was approached a couple of months to do give a more extensive tale of my adventure to Puerto Rico. Hopefully this post comes in time to help someone in their decision to go to Puerto Rico for the first time, a return trip, or just to travel!
Knowing that the Memorial Holiday was fast approaching and ticket prices would once again inflate. I was in a good position with work and life to take an inexpensive trip ( budget of $600) somewhere I had never been before. I live in Saint Louis Missouri and I know from experience that if I am able to travel to a major airline hub like Chicago via bus, train, or lucky enough to find a friend road tripping, I can fly out at a cheaper rate than in my hometown. Saving somewhere between $50-$100+ depending on date, time of departure, and distance.
I did a simple google search ” price calendar flying out of Chicago” and was patient enough to excuse the two sites that I wasted my time on before coming to the third site which was with www.fly.com. I knew that I wanted to find a destination that I could brag about to my friends but I just didn’t know where I could go. With their site breaking down domestic and international flights in a list and showing price on a calendar as simple as it does, I knew that I not only bookmarking the site for future use but ended up purchasing a ticket at before the end of that day. Their fare calendar automatically convinced me that Puerto Rico was the place for me. An international flight for as cheap as $296 (taxes included); It’s hard to go cross-country for those prices let alone cross international waters. This fact allowed me to stay true to myself and be cheap as hell but feel unique in my decisions.
After catching a really cheap bus ticket with Megabus that was equal to a meal for two at Applebees I was in Chicago. Staying overnight with a friend saved me money and I caught the early 9:15 am flight the next morning. It was my first time riding on Airtran and I had no problems what so ever. Had a 40 minute layover in Atlanta and landed in San Juan on time at 4:10 pm just as the sky was clearing from a brief rain.
Before I left I got a lonely planet travel guide from my local library but really didn’t need it as much as I thought considering mostly all signs were in English and every single person I met spoke English along with Spanish; which was slightly disappointing because I wanted to practice my Spanish while I was there and didn’t have the best success. Puerto Ricans are so used to English speaking tourist and with their relations with the United States its they grow up bi lingual; but when you’re a black guy from the Midwest their response is just naturally in English. My most opportunistic times with Spanish were late night at the bars and with the local women.
Because I was traveling alone and I am super cheap I downloaded an app called hostelworld on my Iphone and found a reasonable ($24/night mixed room) hostel in the Condado neighborhood called The Palace. Very friendly staff, quaint, and an adventurer friendly place to stay. Because of the time of year I booked this trip I didn’t have any problems finding a room but if you are traveling during the high season you may want to check availability in advance. My trip there from the airport including tip was $20 USD. Any taxi ride from the airport to an Old San Juan neighborhood shouldn’t cost any more than that.
I enjoyed my time at that hostel, the first night I was there they had a toga party, the had a bike rental, one of the nights we all had a picnic on the beach for dinner, and it was easier to find people to go out to the bars with. Mainly I met people from the states ( NY, IL, WI, TX) but there were two groups of Dutch staying there. Which for me I find as a rewarding omen because any place I’ve ever traveled to I’ve found a Dutch person there and they give great travel advice and excitement for my next adventure. I was fortunate enough to be sharing a room with a group that had rented a car. So we all took a road trip to the eastern side of the island to visit the El Yunca National Rainforest. This is at least a half a day trip, I would recommend to dress in layers, wear comfortable waterproof hiking shoes, and take plenty food and water to snack on because there are so many trails and traffic can be crazy.
If you are interested in going to the rainforest, the Bio Luminescent bay, or even the island Culebra just rent a car. Its totally worth it, especially going to Culebra. If you ever want to achieve that feeling that being in the middle of nowhere with the bare minimum is sufficient enough and where you were meant to be then the small island off the east coast is just for you. Nature at its best and by far the best beach I have every been to in my life,this socially under developed island is a godsend for the classical traveler that wants to escape from everything and everyone. It just requires a brief and cheap ferry ride (check times/ask a local). This was by far the number one spot all the locals told me to go to and they were right.
Other interesting places to go to are all the historic sites like old military fortresses, you can generally get a day pass that is good enough for all of them in San Juan, the Bacardi distillery and Nuyorican Cafe for salsa dancing is exceptionally fun. You may have a tough time finding it because it’s just an unassuming hole in the wall but is one of the liveliest places in Old San Juan and very much for all ranges of dancers. I feel like I am decent at salsa but there were definitely some moves that I learned from couples and individuals who you would have never thought were so good on their feet. Also walking around to local shops and restaurants will prove to be adventurous. If you are meat eater I swear they cook some of the best pork and beef that you will ever have in your life (on the street too). Obviously its an island so the seafood is tasteful and fresh.
It just so happened that the weekend I was there a lot of national pride was in the air. A boxing match with Floyd Mayweather and local Miguel Cotto was being televised that night. In every bar/restaurant people were glued to the TV and drinks specials were abundant. There was also a week long Caribbean and Americas art festival in Old San Juan so creativity and unique crafts were in abundance. And when things started to die down cruise ships came to port just in time to liven everything up with fresh bodies and a re-energizing spirit of commerce and awe.
In the 6 days I was there I spent $350. It would have been a $100 less if I hadn’t gone crazy at the bars and clubs 3 days in a row buying cheap drinks til 4 am.Puerto Rico can be a very inexpensive trip (especially taking advantage of the fare calendar fly.com offers if you go a route similar to the one I took. Aw well as if you are hanging out at the beach the majority of the day.
Don’t be afraid to ask the locals for advice and direction, whither or not they work in the tourist industry they are very prideful people who want to show off their country and ensure your enjoyment. Its seemed to be instinctual for them, to go out their way to in ways most wouldn’t to make sure by the time you went to sleep you put a smile on your face, food in your stomach, and just enjoyed yourself.
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