San Juan and Environs

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Trip Start May 01, 2009 Trip End May 04, 2009

  San juan, Puerto Rico
Friday, May 1, 2009

Friday afternoon happy hour is taken to a whole new level at La Placita in Condado.  The clientele is mostly local, as women in stilettos drink $1.25 Medalla's in the central square. If you are lucky, an old Puerto Rican guy will be dancing along with the pulsing salsa music in the streets, or you will catch sight of a local politician drinking it up at el Popular.  After you have had a few of the Medalla's, you will definitely need to partake of the empanadas.  Stick with the chicken sin queso from the lady with the little cart and you won't be disappointed.  The ones from the larger stall across the street are a lot greasier and not as good.

If you decide to get in touch with nature at El Yunque, be prepared for a crowd on par with New Years Eve in New York City.  The Jardin Botanica in Rio Piedras is a little more off the beaten track and has a lovely collection of flora.  Or head up to Lago Dos Bocas to take in the the tranquil scenery. You can try to take the free ferry, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't run on any type of schedule.  So instead, you can always take the Rancho Marina boat that will take you to their restaurant about a 15 minute ride from the main pier. Rancho Marina offers a quiet spot to look out over the water, watch the pelicans dive-bombing for fish, and listen to the wind rustle through the bamboo.  We were lucky enough to have the patio to ourselves, so we could enjoy the mofongo with skirt steak rancho style in peace.  We ordered a pitcher of the sangria, but it was a little too sweet for my taste.

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