The next morning, we woke up to the beautiful sounds of waves crashing on the beach and a spectacular view of the private beach/cove from our balcony. I love the sound of the ocean and was instantly relaxed. I decided at this point in time that I was not going to check emails at all during the duration of the vacation…and stuck to this promise.

Trying to continue my “spirit of being local” from the previous evening. I decided to taste a local soda called Malta Polar. Basically this is a carbonated chocolate malt beverage popular in the islands. I figured at the least it would taste like Chocolate Malt Balls. Big mistake…boiled rhino taint is a more apt description for the horror my taste buds transmitted to my brain. That being said…I was not going to be denied. It took me the rest of the day but I finished the can without throwing up.

We headed down to the beach and the Sun. The entire complex was beautiful. Trish had done a wonderful job of finding this hotel. Multiple pools, hot tubs, and of course the private cove/beach.

The beach was some of the nicest sand I have seen outside of Clearwater Beach. Very soft and it just felt good to walk on. The water wasn’t crystal clear but it was clear enough. Much of the beach was surrounded by rocky out croppings and the like that we spent time exploring. It was very beautiful.

We spent most of the day on the beach and took a nap and decided to visit Old San Juan in the evening. Old San Juan is the “historic” part of the capital city full of buildings, forts, etc. There is also an area where many cruise ships stop at port and the passengers disembark and explore. So there are many bars, clubs, restaurants, and touristy places as well.

This evening we stopped by one of the major forts of the island and wandered around. It was just beginning to turn to dusk and overlooking Old San Juan from the fort walls as it began to light up was beautiful. We also enjoyed a show at the fort showcasing local music and dancing before rain sent us in search of cover.

We headed a few blocks over to the restaurant/shop/club area. There were many vendor stands setup in the squares selling everything from hand rolled cigars to knick-knacks to wandering turistas. I blasphemed a nativity scene by a large statue of Christopher Columbus. After walking around for a bit, we chose a nice looking restaurant for dinner. While the portions were on the small side, the Churrasco was the best I’ve ever had. I can say one thing…I would be a total fat ass if I lived in Puerto Rico…the food is wonderful!

After dinner and a little more walking around, we headed back to the hotel where we fell asleep listening to the beach with the balcony doors open.