Feb. 6 - Aguadilla, PR

“Let’s collect shells as we walk down the beach. Our treasures are many, and all within reach. Sand dollars, scallops, and snails we will find. The starfish we share for it’s one of a kind.” —Lee Nemmers 

We started our day with coffee on our patio overlooking the ocean and a full moon that hadn't set yet. The ocean was drastically different this morning than it was yesterday. The surf was up and we watched surfers along the waterfront of Aguadilla all day. 

We had planned to take it easy today, but our casual little walk into town turned into a 6 1/2 mile trek from our house on the north end of town to Columbus Park on the south end. In between we enjoyed the view of the ocean, watching surfers and doing a little beach combing. The town's waterfront is very pretty with a wonderful concrete path, called Paseo Real Marina. It runs the length of the town with lots of places to sit and watch the ocean or get something to eat or drink. Unfortunately Monday isn't a very busy day and most of the little food kiosks were closed. 

We had lunch in one of the little spots on the square overlooking the water...and the road.

After Hurricane Maria several towns in Puerto Rico wanted to give some of the rundown neighborhoods a face lift. So artists came together with help from the communities to revitalize their area. This area in Aquadilla is called “Amanecer Borincano'' (Borincano Sunrise). Each house looks like a colorful mosaic. You can also find many murals throughout town.

Later in the afternoon we ran to the grocery store and picked up a few things. We enjoy eating out but we also enjoy relaxing at home and fixing something to eat. Our view is amazing from our third floor patio.

The grill master at work.

We even turned on the fire pit for awhile.

Feb. 5 - Aguadilla, PR

“The lower the latitude the better the attitude.” –Unknown

We're spending our first week in Aguadilla. This picturesque oceanfront town was founded in 1775. It's  located on Puerto Rico’s northwest shore. It's known to have some of the best surf breaks on the Island and some of the most beautiful beaches.

Check in wasn't until three so we started our day slowly. We found a nice little coffee shop across the street from our apartment for breakfast, then we came back and enjoyed the view again from the balcony. We decided we'd stop at a few interesting places on our way west. Our first stop was at Cueve del Indio (Indian Cave).

Cueve del Indio is an important archeological treasure. It’s full of petroglyphs, made by the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico, the Tainos. These petroglyphs pre-date Columbus’ arrival to Puerto Rico in 1493, and were probably made many centuries earlier. The cave is said to contain the largest number of petroglyphs found along the coastal zone. The day was very, very windy so walking along the ledge and on the sharp rocks was a little scary. I felt like I could be blown down at any time. The site has been used for filming movies like the Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Island and Perfect Getaway.

Stan looking over the edge.

You climb down into this pit to get into the cave.

There used to be a ladder that you could use to go down into the cave, but that has been removed. Now if you want to get down to the cave you have to go through this crack in the wall. We decided not to try it...too many other people around today.

The cave is opened to the water at the center of this picture.

Looking towards the Seven Arches.

Looking east toward Playita Ines (Little Agnes Beach) and Estatua de Colón (large statue of Columbus).

On our way back to the parking lot.

Our second stop was in Arecibo to spend a little time at The Bishop's Pool. It was a great day to see the water putting on a show. Although it was hard to get a picture of the largest waves coming in.

The Arecibo Lighthouse overlooks The Bishop's Pool.

Beach Paradise...our house for the week.

Our first night in Aquadilla...perfection.

Feb. 4 - San Juan, PR

Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport. – Unknown

This was our first time to fly in three years. I'm happy to say everything went smoothly. It's nice to fly in the morning, the airport is less crowded and our plane was waiting for us. The only thing that could have gone smoother was our car rental. Oh my we won't use Payless in San Juan again. All I can say is I'm glad we stayed close to the airport this evening. 

We spent our first night in Puerto Rico in a posh neighborhood of Carolina called Isla Verde. This award-winning beach area is popular among visitors, because it's close to the airport and full of fancy beach resorts. Isla Verde has golden-sand shores that are framed with tall palm trees, hotels, restaurants, and shops. It might be a great place for some to spend their whole holiday, but we look forward to getting out of the city and seeing more of the real Puerto Rico.

After checking into our apartment we went for a walk on the beach. It was nice to enjoy a rum drink and pizza with our toes in the sand.

It was a little cloudy this evening, but we still enjoyed waking on the beach.

And having dinner with a view at Ocean Breeze.

The view from our balcony this evening.