Got a few hours to burn in San Juan, Puerto Rico? Here’s something to do.
Got a few hours to kill in the San Juan, Puerto Rico airport? Here’s what to do:
Over the years, I have flown through the San Juan, Puerto Rico airport a number of times. Frequently I have had 3-5 hours between my connecting flights. If you find yourself in this situation I would like to make a couple of suggestions.
First of all, go outside of security. If you try to stay in the gate area you will either drive yourself crazy or have the opportunity to eat some of the worst airport food in the world!
In the main lobby of the airport there are at least a few interesting shops to visit. There is also a fair selection of fast food restaurants. If you are a gambler, there is a casino right across from the American Airlines ticket counter inside the airport lobby.
If you walk outside the airport there are two more restaurants in the parking garage(no kidding!) right across the street . One is a Buffalo Wild Wings and the other is a Wendy’s.
However, my favorite thing to do is to go downstairs to the baggage claim area, grab a taxi and head to the Metropol Café in the Isla Verde area. It is a $12–10 minute taxi ride to this great Cuban restaurant. If you have a Guayabera shirt, put it on! Here is the front of the restaurant:
Metropol Cafe in San Juan, Puerto Rico
If you have never eaten Cuban food then this is your big chance. Bring an appetite and pig out!
After you have eaten plenty of food with lots of garlic and onions, you will want to walk it off. Go outside, turn left, walk two blocks to the famed Hotel El San Juan. If you don’t want to do the Metropol gig first then just go straight to the Hotel El San Juan from the airport. The hotel has a beautiful lobby, interesting lobby bar, and a good size casino. For the shoppers, they have some really nice shops in the hotel where you can spend what little vacation money you may have.
The beautiful lobby of the Hotel El San Juan
If you didn’t eat at the Metropol then treat yourself to a meal at poolside at the hotel.
Pool area of the Hotel El San Juan in Puerto Rico
Make sure you leave yourself enough time to get back the airport and re-clear security.
If you don’t want to do any of the above between flights, then just stay in the gate area, drive yourself crazy and eat some of the worst airport food in the world. Bon Appetit!
Steve
Got a few hours to burn in San Juan, Puerto Rico? Here’s something to do.
Got a few hours to kill in the San Juan, Puerto Rico airport? Here’s what to do:
Over the years, I have flown through the San Juan, Puerto Rico airport a number of times. Frequently I have had 3-5 hours between my connecting flights. If you find yourself in this situation I would like to make a couple of suggestions.
First of all, go outside of security. If you try to stay in the gate area you will either drive yourself crazy or have the opportunity to eat some of the worst airport food in the world!
In the main lobby of the airport there are at least a few interesting shops to visit. There is also a fair selection of fast food restaurants. If you are a gambler, there is a casino right across from the American Airlines ticket counter inside the airport lobby.
If you walk outside the airport there are two more restaurants in the parking garage(no kidding!) right across the street . One is a Buffalo Wild Wings and the other is a Wendy’s.
However, my favorite thing to do is to go downstairs to the baggage claim area, grab a taxi and head to the Metropol Café in the Isla Verde area. It is a $12–10 minute taxi ride to this great Cuban restaurant. If you have a Guayabera shirt, put it on! Here is the front of the restaurant:
Metropol Cafe in San Juan, Puerto Rico
If you have never eaten Cuban food then this is your big chance. Bring an appetite and pig out!
After you have eaten plenty of food with lots of garlic and onions, you will want to walk it off. Go outside, turn left, walk two blocks to the famed Hotel El San Juan. If you don’t want to do the Metropol gig first then just go straight to the Hotel El San Juan from the airport. The hotel has a beautiful lobby, interesting lobby bar, and a good size casino. For the shoppers, they have some really nice shops in the hotel where you can spend what little vacation money you may have.
The beautiful lobby of the Hotel El San Juan
If you didn’t eat at the Metropol then treat yourself to a meal at poolside at the hotel.
Pool area of the Hotel El San Juan in Puerto Rico
Make sure you leave yourself enough time to get back the airport and re-clear security.
If you don’t want to do any of the above between flights, then just stay in the gate area, drive yourself crazy and eat some of the worst airport food in the world. Bon Appetit!
Steve
Colombia (Part 13)-Cartagena, My Journey to Colombia comes to an end
On Thursday, my next to the last day in Cartagena, Jenny insisted in taking the afternoon to accompany me into the center of the city to do some shopping and just generally show me around to some places I might not have seen. Jenny had lived in Cartagena for many years and seemed to know just about everyone. She seemed to enjoy introducing me to all her friends. She even took me to her bank and introduced me. Have to admit, I kind of liked this new found “celebrity status”.
She took me to a number of stores and gave me her opinion on many of the products on the shelves. She would tell me which products were overpriced and which ones she thought were reasonable.The most interesting store was one named “Exito”. It was like the Wal-Mart of Cartagena, but on a smaller scale. She walked me down aisle after aisle often times running into people she knew. All of her friends were extremely polite to me and all wanted to know my opinion of Colombia
Exito store, the Wal-Mart of Cartagena
After spending the afternoon shopping, we stopped at a sidewalk café for coffee. Jenny told me about her life and her goals for her family. Sitting in a sidewalk café, far away from home, drinking rich Colombian coffee with a relative stranger with whom you have shared their home for only 72 hours, reaches deep into your travel soul. Whether it is going to language schools with other people from around the world, talking with Dr. Olga in her country home, walking the streets of Cartagena with Jenny, or having Germán giving us the “Pablo Escobar tour”, this type of travel in my opinion, is about as good as it gets.
Here’s a twilight shot of one of the town squares where the Colombianos would stroll through in the evening.
The next morning it was time to leave Cartagena. Jenny and Gustavo wanted to take us to the airport. We agreed, but only with the promise that we would help with the cost of the gas. At the airport, they insisted on taking us inside, patiently waited for us while we stood in the ticket line, and wanted some last minute conversation with us before we cleared security. They were genuinely interested in helping us and making sure we left Colombia with a positive image of the country and the people. I can assure you, we did. It was a great trip and one that I will remember forever. I hope you enjoyed this blog about Colombia. I am interested in any and all comments or questions you may have. Feel free to post a comment here.
My next series of blogs will be about a recent trip through Southern Mexico.
Until the next trip,
–Steve
See my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:
Colombia:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/ Mexico:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/
Caribbean island of Barbuda: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/
San Juan with a 5 hour layover: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/
Fly around the U.S. for the day: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/
You like to fly?-Try this for something different!!
If you like to fly–I mean REALLY like to fly then this may be something of interest to you.
A couple of years ago I asked my wife, Carol, what she would like to do for her birthday that was fast approaching. She said “I don’t know, but make it something different, surprise me”!
So, being the ardent traveler I am, I bought 2 round trip tickets for $150 each to fly us around the U.S. for the entire day to celebrate her birthday.We left OKC at 6:30 a.m. and flew to Chicago (ORD) where we had her birthday breakfast.
Here’s Carol having her birthday breakfast in the Admiral’s Club at Chicago, O’Hare
From ORD we flew to Tampa (TPA) and had brunch. From TPA we flew to Miami (MIA). In the Miami airport outside of security, but still in the airport, there is a hotel. On the 7th floor of the hotel is a restaurant with panoramic views of the runway. It was there where we had her birthday dinner while watching the big jumbo jets land from around the world.
The view from the Miami Airport hotel restaurant that overlooks the runways
Carol getting ready to order birthday dinner at the Miami Airport hotel Restaurant
Here’s dinner. Chicken Fettuccine on the left, in the middle is what’s left of conch fritters. I had the salmon salad–great!
After dinner, we boarded a plane for the flight back to Chicago for a late night snack and then back to OKC where we landed around midnight. 5 flight segments in total. It was 18 hours of being together on her birthday.
On each leg, e.g. OKC-ORD, I gave her a different birthday present with the city codes marked on the outside of the package. Did the same for ORD-TPA, TPA-MIA, MIA-ORD, ORD-OKC legs. They were small gifts like a Borders gift card, small box of Godivas, etc, etc, you get the idea. 5 presents in all.
Naturally, all the meals were in the airports because of the connection time needed to do that many flights.The fun part of the trip was telling the story to the people we met along the way in airports and on the flights. They really enjoyed hearing about a most unusual birthday present.
For Carol, it was certainly a most unusual present. She couldn’t wait to get back and tell all her friends what an crazy birthday she had!
Steve–
See my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:
Colombia:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/ Mexico:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/
Caribbean island of Barbuda: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/
San Juan with a 5 hour layover: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/
Fly around the U.S. for the day: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/
Colombia (Part 12), Cartagena, The hospitality of my Colombian family
We would usually return to our respective homes in the evening for dinner with the families we were staying with in Cartagena, Colombia . This is where it could get really lively because I never knew who would be at my house for dinner. Jenny had 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters who were always stopping by. Both the daughters were married. Gustavo was engaged to be married in July. Everyone was very friendly and we enjoyed each other’s company. They were very curious about my life.The one thing I enjoyed about Jenny’s family is that they were all very well read and enjoyed discussing the political and economic issues of Colombia and Latin America which is also something I like. Their Spanish was at times very difficult to follow and my accent was at times difficult for them. When they got excited about a topic there was no slowing them down! Often times I just sat there nodding as if I understood them while they left me in the dust.
The food is my house was very good and quite diversified. For breakfast I would usually have juice, Colombian coffee, and fruit or eggs. One morning for breakfast, I was served a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with fruit. Strange combination, but good. I would eat lunch out everyday and dinner at the apartment. The family usually didn’t eat with me but someone in the house was always at the table talking with me. Here is representative photo of breakfast one morning. That is eggs in the plate with a couple of bowls of fruit. 
Jenny was always concerned about how I felt about my accommodations and she went out of her way to make sure I was comfortable. There was no air conditioning in the apartment and it was very hot, but I kept the windows open all the time. She seemed concerned that I never turned on the fan in my room so she would come in every night and turn it on for me.
One day while I was doing homework in my room, Jenny insisted I come out to meet a friend of hers. Her friend was a vendor of homemade desserts and sold them door to door. Her bowl of desserts was full and she balanced it on her head. Jenny insisted we take some pictures. I bought some desserts to share with Jenny. Talk about carbs!! I was on a sugar high for hours after that. Here is a pic of the vendor and her desserts. She looks a little unhappy. I guess you would be too if you walked around all day with that bowl of desserts on your head!
Hang with me, there is only one more post about my Colombia trip and it will be my final one.
Next-My journey to Colombia comes to an end–
See my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:
Colombia:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/ Mexico:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/
Caribbean island of Barbuda: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/
San Juan with a 5 hour layover: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/
Fly around the U.S. for the day: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/
Colombia (Part 11)-Cartagena, Living Our Daily Lives in Colombia
Cartagena-Living Our Daily Lives in Colombia
The overall structure of each day was pretty much the same: Breakfast at 6:45, walk in the heat to school, classes begin at 8 a.m. and finish at noon. We would have a 15 minute break each morning where they would serve us “Cafe Tinto” which was very black, strong, Colombian coffee. 
During the break the students would all intermingle and discuss options for the afternoon. The school offered gratis tours in the afternoons for those interested. Usually several of us would eat lunch together and then go our separate ways for the afternoons. I would sometimes walk back to my apartment (about 1.5 miles) just to check in with Jenny or rest a little while before venturing back out into the heat. Often times, Jay and I would meet in the afternoons at an internet cafe and then spend the rest of the day walking through the old walled city of Cartagena. Sometimes we would meet up with other students to visit various tourist sites or just meet for “cafe tinto” to discuss what we were each discovering on our own.
Many of the streets in Cartagena are very narrow and it is easy to get run over. Taxi drivers abound. You have to nail down the price with the taxi driver in advance. You can take a taxi anywhere for around $2 
Shopping in Cartagena is diverse. There are many vendors on the streets mainly selling jewelry and assorted crafts. Colombia is known for emeralds and there are plenty of opportunities to purchase them. There are people on the street that will sometimes try to steer you towards a particular store for “special emerald discounts” but I wasn’t a buyer.
I had read on the internet that the accent of the Cartageneros (persons that live in Cartagena) would be quite different than the rest of the country. I found that to be very true. At first I was quite intimidated by the heavy accent, but the school director told me if I could understand the Spanish of Cartagena then I could understand it any place in the world. After a few days I relished the challenge of going into the streets to talk to the people to help my ear get accustomed to the special accent. I’m not sure how much I really got, but it was a confidence booster!
Everyone I met would ask me: “What is the perception of Colombia in the U.S?”. I always told them the truth: “From afar, many people in the U.S. consider Colombia to be a very dangerous place with killings, kidnappings, and drugs”. The Colombians always agreed that they knew their reputation is not always good, but it is a reputation of the past. Then they would ask me what my perception was after being in their country after a few days. I always told them I was really surprised it wasn’t the terribly dangerous place that everyone thought it was. It was a beautiful country and the Colombians were very friendly people. Of course, there were plenty of opportunities for danger in Colombia–you had to watch what you were doing and where you were going—just like any big city. The F.A.R.C. guerillas don’t help the cause any. With over 700 hostages it does make you think a little. For me, it really wasn’t too different from any other Latin American country to which I have traveled –or Los Angeles or Miami for that matter!
Next-Cartagena-Interaction with my family
See my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:
Colombia:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/ Mexico:http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/
Caribbean island of Barbuda: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/
San Juan with a 5 hour layover: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/
Fly around the U.S. for the day: http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/
