Just back from a trip to finalize the deal on Island Dancer in Puerto Rico…  Had a great time, lots of work and some fun too…  Have a look at the crazy bubble machine they setup downtown..

Welcome to our new home… !!!

Puerto Rico is treating us very nice…  great place!

Not a person you pass doesnt smile, or say buenos días !!.. were slowly converting to spanish..  ok.. we have “good morning” (You do now too).. next is good afternoon..  perhaps tomorrow we will learn that !!

So waking up today, we had a expedition set to FIGURE out the Puerto Rico Bus system..  Now riding a bus can’t be that hard..

Step 1:  Google.. Bus route…   humm.. Google.. hello..  Where’s the bus route..  4 million people here.. must be a bus route..   smack the computer..  only thing we get is a home made map from a guy who has Never Been To San Juan..   ???  Really?

Step 2:  Ok, lets use the home made map..  where do we get on??  Allie and I did a quick jog this morning to scope out the area..  found a “parada de autobús” sign.. humm.. looks like a bus stop.. lets go..

Step 3:  Google schedule..  ya you guessed it.. no map, no schedule… but there was some advice…  “There is no set schedule, you need to do it Puerto Rico way, hunker down and wait..  could be 30 minutes.. perhaps an hour”…  (Really???)

Step 4:  Go for it..

Walking up to the bus stop we saw three buses go by.. not the right numbers per our homemade map.. eventually a bus came with one of the numbers that were on my map..  Entering the bus with 3 one dollar bills, for a .75 cent ride each, the driver said.. only coins…  try to give him the money, but he just waved us on for free..

Riding all over the place and not the right direction, I kept track of our co-ordinates on a tourist map.. humm.. wrong direction, but nice tour!!!

Eventually we start going the right way..  I communicate with the driver, Mall Da America??  I get the following, Last stop u get off..  take 22? my map says M2..  (A connection..  cool, I got this!)

We end up at this train station/Bus station..  very modern,  cool place..

We decide to get a bus pass.. scamming our way will likely fail at some point..

Using an automated machine, a friendly person (buying a pass) offers help (do we look that hopeless?).. ha..  now we have “An Official Bus Pass for Puerto Rico!!!”…

Now to Tourist infomation for a MAP..

“We have them, but we are out of them right now…  ”

ha..  ok.. we have a bus pass but no idea what bus to take..  back to home made.. we determine his M2,, is actually 22..

Off we GO!!!

This bus is full of teenagers in school uniforms, all having fun..  are they skipping school??

We arrive at the mall and it’s HUGE…. 300 stores..  Not something we are used to in the islands..

The whole goal of the day was to outfit Allie’s bedroom with cool caribbean colours..  We’ve got the right place..

I loved watching the action..  In front of Macy’s there is a fountain.. with a stone rail..  with Guy’s sitting all around it.. hard to find a place to sit.. while the girls are shopping..  too funny..  I found many more of these places in the mall!!!…  I actually went shopping.. the guys were questioning me Im Sure!!

Anyway.. we had a great time, and it cost us $0.75 for all Three of us to get to the mall.. even with the transfer!!..  We couldnt lift the stuff that was bought .. so a quick cab ride home was in order… then some boat drinks on ISLAND DANCER… Happy FRIDAY..  beautiful breeze overlooking the harbour!!!  Party boats going out for Friday Cruise’s..

 

 So when did a pound change to 10 oz???  Missed that memo….

Gasoline $0.95 a liter..  too bad I don’t have a real car…

Shopping carts are magical here.. go up escalators??..

Our new ‘car’ is sooooooo freakin fast…  18 hp, but with only 10 feet long, on only 2 inch’s in the water under plane, she screams!!!..

Normally on a dingy you sit on the tubes and ride along..  well thats the old way..  now, you line the fiberglass bottom with life jackets, and sit down and hang on..

We can get to the cruise ships and old san Juan tourist area in 3 minutes..  found a dock to use near the US coast guard

.. all the local vendors selling stuff to the cruiseshipppers stand and look at us docking..  as if we are Strange??

If I could understand spanish I would know if they they making fun at us, or admiring..   so at this point I just go with the later..  

What a strange feeling walking around a complete tourist area.. were not sure if were on vacation, or if we are a vendor..  or whats going on..

were not in a hurry, we don’t care when the ship leaves..  its weird..

cabbies are trying to give us rides back to the ship, and we just say gracias no no, were ok..  shake our head side to side..   (Need more spanish words eh)

So whats with all this shopping..  two days in a row Timbo had to go to a mall…   Walmart is walking distance..  takes about 20 mins I’d say..   One bonus… The beer and liquor section is HUGE !!!

We take a backpack to carry our goodies home..  amazing how much stuff you can get in a backpack.. last trip was 47 items..  most food items

Out to dinner with Allie’s friend and parents..   They are great fun people..  and even have a car!!!

They are taking us to Sam’s club soon to buy 2 stand up boards (SUP)..  They have 6 of them…  really into it!

Allie’s ready for the morning run down the canal…  followed by a swim in the ocean..  same routine each day..  at least until we get some SUP’s..

My parents are coming next weekend..  got them an early christmas present… an ocean view room at a very cool resort (muck like the ones in mexico) just 3 minute walk from Island Dancer..  its low season so really cheap.

We now know the back way into the place.. so we can ‘visit’ the swim up pool anytime we want… …  I wonder what puerto rico jails are like??

Whats shakkkin in your part of the world???

Yes Owen and Lisa will always be our neighbours… and certainly very interesting.. and most  forgiving!!  ha!!! But thats Another Story (or 10) !!!

He’s got a few books.. even a kindle edition, just to show his grandkids that technology didn’t leave him behind…
Bill drops by the docks everynight with his dog Pico.. Very cool person, with almost more stories than Al… www.wbutler.com/66DaysAdrift.html

Our other friends Carlos and Andrea swung by on their SUP’s.. we hope to get ours this weekend…
Busy place with lots of friendly people!!… Pico.. leave Robins leg alone… bad dog!!

Well we are slowly getting everything organized on the boat.. a few more days and everything should have a place, and be in it’s place.. as they say..
Thats becomes very important when you leave the dock.. as the first sail goes up you quickly find everything that is NOT in its place crashing the place!!!… and we have a house to store!!! ha..
Good thing Island Dancer has soooo much storage everywhere…
Typical day starts with COFFEE.. Puerto Rico coffee is said to be the best in the world.. Well its pretty darn good thats for sure..
Then the workday starts.. we try to work on Robin’s business for at least 2 hours.. Actually ran a few 1000 people through her online course this week while bobbin at the dock!!! Amazing!
Eventually Allie stir’s and comes to life from the front cabin.. Then its time to hit the road..
It seems most people in Puerto Rico jog, run, walk, do something.. maybe its the area we are in, but everyone is out biking or doing something at all times..
So.. When in Rome.. as they say…
We go for a run a few km around a inlet from the ocean. Its very beautiful.. The city has installed multiple work stations along the way, and put down that rubber matting stuff thats squishy and fun to walk on.
We end each little run with a swim in the ocean.. well its the inlet, only a few hundred yards from the ocean.. Signs say there are manatee’s there.. haven’t seen one yet..
Back to the boat for showers (I fixed the hot water this week!!!).. then cook a breakfast of some kind.. Ummmmmmm…… breakfast….
Check a few more work email’s.. make sure the company hasn’t lost a wheel.. and we have the day to explore..
Today we decided to go snorkelling at a local resort. Allie and I were out swimming about for about 2 hours.. saw tons of cooool fish.. and a squid.. Well Allie saw the squid.. 5 times..
I think the break fluid I spilled in my eyes a few months ago make them invisible???
The resort is 3 minute or so walk from Island Dancer.. I didn’t ask, but I think you have to be a guest… Anyway.. we pretended to be tourists and walked in like we owned the place..
What a great afternoon, fell asleep in a hammock at one point..
Check out Oscar the freaky beast… he actually owns the place.. or acts like it.. You could tell everywhere he has been by the trails in the sand from his tail.. That boy gets around!!!
Back to the boat for afternoon showers.. and time to make dinner.. hummmm… A trip to the market is in order before we can decide the dish tonight…

What a day… Not that we need it (because we are tough and rough sailors), but the A/C crapped out today..
OK.. we made it about an hour… then started going into survival mode… water…. do we have water… (Beer… do we have Beer)
anyway.. what the heck’s up with this thing.. we have 2 systems, one on the fritz.. so I guess we will LIVE…. if we have too….

Mall? For Baskets? Really? Well time for Timbo to be a good sport.. ok.. lets go…
Got the bus route ALL figured out now… I think the locals will be coming to Timbo for advice soon.. what a great system!!
Totally new bus’s all with GREAT A/C.. Not that we need it

$.50 a head to board the bus.. got my pass.. I know how to click it in the machine now.. and walk on like I live here.. soooo cool !!!

Last time at the Mall.. it was a BRIDAL show… OMG… I almost lost it.. but… this time….its a CORVETTE SHOW!!!!! HEY…. this KARMA or WHAT???

Baskets in hand.. beach towels, new sheets, I don’t know what else.. a bunch of “stuff”.. we head out to get the bus home…. RAINING… Like Turkeys and Chickens!!!! Whollly!

Cab it is… back to Island Dancer in no time… We would have destroyed todays cargo waiting in the rain… so $15.00 later we are sitting on the deck enjoying a glass of white wine… and the sun setting..

Out for a walk down the dock… we run into Julian.. he’s the local dock guy, that is ALWAY here, and ALWAYS wanting to help with anything.. hey.. Julian.. A.C don’t work…
“I have your man.. give me 5 mins”… Literally 5 minutes later.. we have an A/C man on Island Dancer.. 2 minutes later, determined it was a simple transistor (switch) problem.. back to his truck.. back to the boat..
Blankets for ALL.. its freakin COLD on here!!!

Breakfest??? oh ya… bought a new toaster at the Mall.. so had to try it out… BEANS, EGGS, BACON, TOAST… UMMMMMM… best dinner since last night !!!! UMMMMMM