The
Barrington parents and one Barrington sister came for a whole week, and it was
absolutely wonderful (for me and John…they did stay with us, so they experienced
a little bit of our lives that they probably didn’t think was wonderful). What
I thought I’d do is take this opportunity for folks planning a visit and for
folks on the island to do some review of the scrumptious places we learned
about while joining in on our family’s vacation.
First
of all, there are already pictures of this on this blog, but if you’ve never
been to the Cabo Rojo lighthouse, you absolutely must go. The view reminds you
of how big God is, and we all need that sometimes, right?
Then,
we found a great restaurant in Joyuda: El Bohio. http://www.restauranteelbohiojoyuda.com/
It’s slightly pricey, but it’s on the water, and the food is worth it. I was extra
excited about flan because I had finally ventured into my second trimester and
was keeping food down! For some history, un
bohio is a house the Taino used to build, so the restaurant is based on
that. Very fun paintings there and a great view of the Caribbean.
We
decided to give more business to Coastal Marine. www.coastalmarinepr.com It’s a little
boating company that gives tours. We decided the sunset tour was the right one
for us, and it was! You can bring anything you like on the boat, so we packed
dinner and snacks and relaxed. Beautiful.
John
and I were introduced to Hotel Confresi in Rincon when we first made some
friends here. http://www.villacofresi.com/
It’s a beautiful hotel that is known for its signature drinks in fresh
coconuts. It has a few restaurants and its own beach that you can swim at even
if you’re not staying at the hotel. It also has a pool that you can get a day pass
at if you’d like. John and Erika loved the pool and ping pong tables! We stayed
there for lunch and dinner. Bliss.
John
and I live just perfectly across from San Juan. We can choose to go either
direction on the main highway that we’d like. One goes through Isabella,
Arecibo, Aguadilla…more cities. The other goes through more mountains and has
more views of the water. One of our favorite stops during that drive is a strip
in Ponce that has several restaurants on the ocean. One we’ve kind of adopted
is Pito’s Seafood Café and Restaurant. www.pitoseafoodpr.com
Now, if you’ve never been to Puerto Rico before, something you need to realize
about all of these places is that they are on island time. When you eat out,
you need to go to relax and take your time. It is a not a place for the impatient.
However, we believe that’s a better way to live anyway. Especially if you’re on
vacation. Don’t rush. Chill out. Off of my soapbox now. Their menu at Pito’s is
a little pricey as well, but you can get by with sharing or having an appetizer
as a meal. John and I like to get two appetizers and share them. We love their
garlic bread!
Lastly
of course, we had to show family around San Juan and do all of the touristy
things there. El Moro, Old San Juan, Bacardi Factory, and the strip at Condado:
Ave. Ashford. We LOVE Ashford. It’s full of a great variety of restaurants and
a fantastic nightlife…even for those like us who have no interest in clubs. Our
favorite sushi place of all time is there. Tayzan Bar and Grill. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147320-d968515-Reviews-Tayzan_Bar_and_Grill-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html
Here’s the deal, the only negative any person could possible come up with at
this place is that it can be despacio,
slow. But, if you have that mindset, just stay away and miss out on the best
sushi EVER. We have, literally, eaten there twice in one day before. Another
secret is to go for lunch during the week if possible. It’s hopping busy at night,
which makes for a great atmosphere, but they change the menus on the weekends
to make more moolah. I mean, I guess I might do that too. Don’t be afraid to
try any of the sushi with sweet plantain! We were hesitant, but now we get it
EVERY time! During the Barringtons’ trip, we introduced the parents to sushi,
and I think they liked it! How couldn’t they…they were at the best sushi place
EVER.
All in
all, I think the Barringtons’ enjoyed themselves…despite having to heat up
their water on an electric stove burner for showers, having five adults
sleeping in one room, and not having air conditioning at home during the day.
They were great sports, and I cried like a baby when they left. Only one more
week until we see family again, and we can’t wait!! We have been given so many
reassurances that we are where we’re supposed to be, but goodness it can be
challenging sometimes.
