As you well know, I'm a big fan of vacation anticipation. In my opinion, working hard to build the anticipation of those going on the trip is a key detail in the trip planner's quiver. It makes the payoff, if planned right, even better. Maybe that's why people don't do a lot related to the anticipation, then. Maybe they're afraid that the payoff won't match the build up. I guess that's a possible risk, but I like a challenge.
But while anticipation is grand, the trip itself is truly wondrous. And if I had to pinpoint my absolute favorite moment on every trip, it's waking up on the first full day of the adventure. Travel is behind you. You're at least somewhat rested and have likely had a good meal to make the stomach happy. And the rest of the trip is entirely in front of you. All the days, activities, adventures are sprawled out in sequence. It's such a special moment, and usually one shared in the silence of the hotel room while everyone else is still asleep.
Like other trips, I had such a moment. I woke up and the room was still quiet. I checked my phone, which was showing 6:30AM. No one was stirring, though there was definitely more light in the room than when we had gone to sleep. A band of gold streaked across the room, peaking between the curtains. I just smiled. Vacation was here and the work to get to our vacation was long past. Today was a fun day.
I always like to try and kick my trips off in style. Where others (Elisa likely included) might enjoy just laying around the first full day, I need something big. I had booked today's adventure long in advance, after a lot of my planning had indicated a need to get away from the big island of Puerto Rico and onto one of the smaller surrounding ones. I crawled out of bed and stepped out onto the balcony. Below me, work crews were busily preparing the pool area. Another employee was setting up the towels for guests. I looked out over the ocean and could tell that the sunrise would be occurring just outside of my view, to the right. I sat out there for a bit, watching the colors change, as everything started to be covered by that same liquid gold.
Back inside, the crew was starting to move around. We got up and got ready. It wasn't an "early" day per se, but it wasn't a sleep in one either. We got everyone situated in proper beach/swimming attire, I grabbed my camera and GoPro, and we set off downstairs. The resort we were staying at (the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar) had a nice little counter service restaurant where we could order all sorts of breakfast items. Most of the crew went for a breakfast sandwich, while my Mom and Sam went for a cinnamon roll and I couldn't resist the donut filled with Nutella. When in Rome, right? I had worked, over the last 6 months, to lose 15 extra pounds that I didn't like. What self respecting vacationer wouldn't do their best to gain that back over the next 10 days?
While the crew started nibbling on breakfast, I went and got the car so that we could be ready to go. Everyone grabbed the remnants of their breakfast, as we had to get going. I got into the car and, true to form, missed the first major turn while driving. This expanded our drive to Fajardo by about 5 minutes, but I played it off as though it was just the way we had to go and to look around at the beauty. As I took this detour, however, we had a problem. We brought up Google Maps, and I knew it wasn't working so well? How would I know? It showed us currently in the ocean. While I definitely missed a turn, it wasn't THAT bad of a turn. So while my phone freaked out and couldn't really place me, I had my Dad try on his. That seemed to be working for the moment, so we had dueling phones trying to navigate me about 20 minutes south to a small town called Fajardo.
It was during this drive (while I wolfed down the donut with Nutella) that Sam started his favorite subject of the Puerto Rico portion of our trip...storms and natural disasters. It started innocent enough. He saw damage and asked if that was due to the hurricane. But quickly, his focus expanded to asking about earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, as well as further details about hurricanes. Later in the day, he would stump us all and create a lively discussion when he asked "what is the worst disaster and why?" So Sam was on the search for hurricane damage and asking why tornadoes form and we got to Fajardo right on time. We got parked and headed over to a line at our Excursion company. East Island Excursions got us set up with the requisite waivers that said anything that happened was definitely our fault, we got Sam and Miles fitted for snorkel fins, and then we waited for our turn to board. It appeared that East Island was taking 3-4 catamarans out in various directions, so making sure that we got on the right boat was the first line of business.
I should step back and give a few details about Elisa's motion sickness, since we were going to be getting on a boat and I mentioned her hesitation in general about cruising. In my research, I certainly saw a lot of people that tried the patch behind the ear, but I also didn't like the potential complications, so I kept looking. I stumbled on an over the counter called Bonine. Most of the people that used this said it worked wonders, especially when you started before the boat and continued well after you were off of it. I had ordered Elisa a couple boxes and she had dutifully started taking the Bonine before we headed out. I'm happy to report that for the most part of Puerto Rico, she was doing really well. Don't worry, I'll fill you in on how it went on the cruise. I'm such a tease.
Once on the catamaran, the boys, my parents, and Connie went inside (kids had to ride inside) and Elisa and I sat on the back. I thought being outside would be kinder to her motion sickness (and for once, I was right). Today's excursion was taking us away from Fajardo and the main island and over to Culebra, which is regarded as one of the best islands near Puerto Rico. However, unless you're taking an excursion, it's not an easy place to get to. There is apparently only one ferry each day (back and forth) and you must get on them or you'll be stranded. You can also take a puddle jumper, but the chances of me getting Elisa on one of those is probably one in a million. So we went the excursion route. The itinerary was simple. We would head over to Culebra and stop for some snorkeling. Then we would head over to Flamenco Beach, considered one of the best in the world. If you're scratching your head wondering if that sounds familiar, Flamenco is pretty famous for having a couple abandoned tanks left on the beach. Over time, people have spray painted the rusted hulks and it has become a pretty cool photo spot.
After lunch on the catamaran, we would head onto Flamenco Beach for some playtime, get back on, and then head back to Fajardo. It was meant to be about a 7 hour adventure. So away we went. The catamaran trip over was quite calm (they stated that the ocean was insanely calm...which was nice for this time of year). I ended up making small talk about...what else...football. He was from Omaha and was a big Cornhusker fan. He also happened to drop (often and loudly) that he had played for Osborne during the glory days of Nebraska football. By the end, I was resisting the urge to say "hey, did you by chance play football at Nebraska?" We talked a lot about the changes in the Nebraska program and then I got bored and started trying to engage in Elisa to end such conversations. The crew was especially nice. The excursion lead made a point to talk to each of the couples at the back of the catamaran. And before we knew it, we had arrived at Culebra and were getting ready to snorkel!
When the family went to Hawaii in 2015, Elisa and I had discovered the absolute best way to enjoy snorkeling. Instead of the typical set up of snorkel mask and tube, it was newer technology to have full face masks. Not only did this keep your mouth from becoming sore, but it had the better benefit of allowing you to breathe normally through your nose. Holy cow, what a difference. Instead of fighting the snorkel equipment, you were able to calmly just enjoy what you were seeing. In advance, we had purchased some full face mask snorkels and were eager to try them. Lukas, being a fish out of water, suited up and was off into the ocean. Elisa wasn't far behind him. Miles and Sam wanted to stay on the catamaran. I was convinced that Miles would love it, but he was unsure of the deeper water. I should clarify that Sam was actually ready to get in the water. We suited him up, gave him a kids mask, and then I got in the water with him. About 4 seconds later, he declared the ocean too cold and wanted to get out. I pulled him out to hang out with Connie and Miles and I disembarked.
It always takes a minute to get used to breathing while snorkeling. You almost have to avoid hyperventilating but once you get control, it is such a wonderful experience. I found a lot of fish immediately, and was especially struck by the coral and various sea urchins about. I kept running into Lukas and followed him a lot, especially proud of how independent he'd become and how much he was enjoying the experience. Every once in awhile I would see Elisa too. Apparently, while we were snorkeling, she came upon a stingray. No one else got to see it, which made me jealous. I did happen to run into a school of black colored Dory's and I followed them for awhile. In the end, it was a wonderful snorkeling experience but by the time we crawled back onto the catamaran, everyone was hungry.
We ate lunch while the catamaran headed over to Flamenco Beach. I knew when we arrived that it was truly a special place. It was so pristine, you could have been looking at a postcard. Yet, there was definitely going to be a trick to Flamenco. The catamaran couldn't just drop you off on shore. No, you were a good 50 yards away from shore, so you'd have to swim for it. They were cool about it, though. You could wear flotation devices and for those especially worried about it, they said their excursion employees were basically an Uber and would transport weary swimmers over with their help. I was in charge of getting over to Flamenco Beach with Sam. While he had a flotation device, I failed to grab one. Maybe I was just overconfident. It was a mistake.
I very nearly died trying to swim over that distance without flotation and with Sam holding onto dear life. By the end, I nearly had to toss Sam in front of me to my Dad just to recover. I wanted the world's longest nap. Holy. Hell. Did I mention that going without a flotation device on myself was a mistake? Yowza.
But we did finally arrive on the beach and Sam was thrilled. He just started playing around in the waves and Lukas joined him. Miles, with less deep water, wanted to start trying to snorkel with the new mask set up. After a bit of playing, Elisa and I decided to leave the boys with my parents and make the trek over to the aforementioned tank on the far side of the beach. It ended up being about a 20 minute walk over, but it was bliss. We walked through the light surf and chatted. I got some great shots of the beach and of her and by the time we made it over to the tanks, I was in a wonderful mood. When we got to the tanks, a few couples were busy taking pictures of each other on top of the actual tank. At first, Elisa and I weren't going to do it but after a bit of prodding, we decided to climb up. We boarded the tank and a friendly stranger took a few photos of us. When we were getting down, Elisa sliced her finger pretty good, which led to interesting conversations about her Tetanus shot and being glad that she had recently gotten one for work.
Nothing like walking on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, talking about Tetanus shots. But hey, it was good talking about it because in the back of my mind, I was trying to not dread the reality that I would have to swim back to the catamaran with Sam in tow. Yep, I still had no flotation device. By the time we got back to the boys, it was about time to head back, so I strategized how to make this work while not drowning. My lasting plan was to have Sam get on my back (while not choking me), so that at least my arms could be free. We started the slow trek and before long, my plan was backfiring. I was spending half of my time reminding Sam not to choke me and the other half expending my remaining energy in keeping us both from going under. As we neared the catamaran, I had to eventually turn around and swim backward to my destination. In the end, it did the trick. Instead of constantly seeing how close I was, I just swam. And when I turned around, Sam was there at the back of the catamaran and we had made it. Only one problem. One of the other guests was attempting to get back on the boat and found it was a brilliant strategy to take 74 minutes to do so. So here I was, treading water with Sam while I watched this person slowly decide whether or not to get off the ladder. They might have found motivation when I lovingly said "oh move over!"
With that, I was able to grab the ladder and hoist Sam up. Sam was fine. It was a great swimming expedition. I wanted to collapse. I pulled myself out of the water, and felt my arms and legs shaking. So I did what any exhausted parent would do. I headed straight in and got some rum punch. Yep, that did the trick. For a few more minutes before departing, we drank some more rum punch and laid on the top deck. But before we knew it, we were heading back. The boys went back inside with my parents and Connie, and Elisa and I sat outside and I think we both fell asleep. Ahhhhh...vacation.
That dozing off considerably sped up the trip home. We departed the catamaran, jumped back into the rental car, and were heading back to the Wyndham. And yes, Sam immediately started talking about hurricane damage and other natural disasters.
Back at the hotel, it was too late for swimming, so we headed back to the bar and I discovered my favorite drink of the trip. As an ode to our vacation, we all got Souvenir mugs that looked like mini blenders and I ordered what was called "Havanas Bananas". Oh, I would have 3 more of these bad boys before the end of our time at the Wyndham. Holy cow, it was divine. Rum, creme de banana, Pina colada, Bailey's Irish cream. Yes, have some.
We also checked out a restaurant on property called Palio. I was worried because the website stated that near formal attire was required, but no one in the group had any energy to get dolled up. However, when we stopped, they said that any attire was fine. I wonder if they were just being nice or if they too realized that the restaurant was 3/4 empty and they just wanted the business.
We sat for a fancy and nice (but in the end, long) meal. We had some wonderful appetizers and many had prime rib, while my dad had lamb and Elisa had a salad. By the time everyone got their food, Sam and Miles were fading, so Elisa ate quickly and took them up to relax. The rest of us finished our dinner and then headed up for bed. By the time I got up there, Sam and Miles had showered and Sam was practically asleep. Everyone settled in for the night.
I could see that everyone was pretty tired, so I promised them that my balanced itinerary would pay off. Tomorrow would start with a much more relaxed morning and even the activities were pretty calm. Everyone seemed happy with that.
I crawled into bed, thrilled that only one major day of the trip was over and most of the trip was still in front of us. But it wasn't QUITE the same as that morning, when the entirety of the trip sprawled before us. No, the reality was part of our trip was now in our memories, and the feeling was...bittersweet.
As for next time, we definitely chill out in the morning, and head to polar opposites of Puerto Rico just in time for margaritas as big as your head.
1 comment:
How do you remember all this. But reminded,I remember our swim to the beach at flamingo. Thanks for your blog
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