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We chose to stay in the area of Isla Verde because it was New Year's Eve and we wanted to be close to the parties without getting into a HUGE crowd that was going to be in Old San Juan. This hotel is close to the airport so you have easy access to your flight home. There is a nice public beach across the street. Each evening from 6-7 there is a one-hour free happy hour for all guests and a free limited breakfast in the morning. There isn't a restaurant on site, but like I said, there are plenty of places within a short walk. Please look at our pictures and enjoy your visit to San Juan!

After check-in, our bags were promptly brought to our oversized suite which had plenty of space for four people. The private balcony overlooked the golf course and also had a view of the ocean (see my pictures for the view). We retreated to poolside very quickly! The pool was great. The ocean-side pool was bordered with lush greenery and flowers. The pool was a "wading entry" type. That means that the pool slope met the deck, so there are no steps to walk down for pool entry, it's just like walking into the ocean. They provided lots of lounges for reading and sun bathing. This hotel does not have a casino, however the Hyatt Dorado does. The Hyatt is about 2 miles via beach walk, or about 3 miles in the car.

Every evening the Embassy suites has two hours of free drinks and snacks. We made our way there each night of our stay to take advantage of their generosity. From 5-7 each night you will get all the beer, wine, and mixed drinks you desire to begin what is bound to be a fun Puerto Rican night.

The night life at the Embassy Suites is generally limited to a few children in the pool and their parents sitting at the cabana bar. There is a nice-looking restaurant in the hotel, however we went out to eat each night (see my dining entries).

Each morning at the Embassy Suites we enjoyed the in-room coffee maker and the wonderful free breakfast. The breakfast was not just bagels and juice. They have a full hot buffet with eggs, sausages, bacon, fruits, potatoes, made to order omelettes, etc.

A couple of tips: Put your towels on your chosen lounge chairs before heading to breakfast (the good ones will go fast); don't buy meals on site, as they are over-priced (either prepare your own in your room with the fridge and mircowave or go off-site); park your own car (they assume you want to valet for $12, ask to park yourself--it's only $7 and very close).

This is a very nice hotel with all the amenities you would expect of an upscale chain hotel. Enjoy your stay here!

No frills, but not bad either. There is a nice deck out back overlooking the canal and ocean. But, there is no pool. Something that I do wish they would have had for some hot afternoons. As long as you know what you're going to get, you will enjoy this place as much as we did.

There is only one menu at Mamacita's--a chalkboard at the front entrance. The menu changes daily, so get an idea of what you want before you sit down. The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD!! I can't possibly give you enough adjectives to tell you how good all the fish was. The atmosphere was great. The service was slow, but that's Puerto Rico . . . slow down with it.

The second night, we wanted to head to Dhingy Dock, but there was a group of 70 high-schoolers on a sailing trip taking up the entire place. We just headed back to Mamacita's for some additional pleasures from the ocean. If you head to Culebra, you must check this place out!

The food is as expected, good and plentiful. This is a paper napkin type of place, so feel free to bring the kids. The beers were cold and inexpensive and the service was good. . .until the end.

We were traveling with another couple and in most cases just split the dinner bills 50/50. This was to be no exception. The tip was already included, which we realized happens a lot on Puerto Rico, and we asked to put half the bill on one credit card and half on the other. Seems simple right? The waitress looks us up and down and then asked, "Is there any way one of you can pay the tab and the other just pay that person cash?" Uh. . .no. "We don't split bills," she explains. Since neiter of us had cash and neither of us wanted to buy the other couple's meal we asked if she could make an exception. She hesitates and then says that she'll ask her manager. About 20 minutes later she returns, not with the bills for us to sign, but with the announcement that she has been able to work it out for us. I would never have thought it was that hard to just divide a check 50/50. Oh well, we're on vacation and it's New Year's Eve! Let's Party!!

There is a bar in this place that looked like it was going to get "happening" later in the night. We were on our way to the El San Juan so we didn't stick around to find out. I would not hesitate to hit this place late on another trip to San Juan.

This restaurant has good food in a casual atmosphere. Enjoy some raw oysters or any other seafood dish that tempts your tummy. It's was worth every penny.

Once you have had your fill of the delicious food, you will want to head to the upstairs terrace for some after-dinner beverages. Enjoying the open-air establishment with a cool drink is the best way. They will have a band on weekends as well as a pool table for your entertainment. It's not a rowdy place, just a laid back Caribbean establishment. Have some Dorado (otherwise known as mahimahi or dolphin) in Dorado... I know that was a cheesy thing to say, but I had to do it.

The service was very good--the same as you would expect at any fine dining establishment. After dinner, on your way back to the Embassy Suites, you might want to swing into the Hyatt Dorado for some light gambling before turning in. The Hyatt Dorado is a great place to visit if you're a single person or a couple ready to party. . .do not take kids to this place after dark. I hope your visit to Pepe's is as good as my wife's.

We found the shop very easily. The crew on our boat was great, and they only have "six-pack" boats--no cattle boats here. We dove with divemaster Carlos. He took us through the reefs safely, and they helped my wife with all her gear. She's a small person and has had trouble in the past getting all the gear on and then getting into the water. They made it very easy. Carlos showed us some stingrays, a lobster, an eel, and some various fish that we would have not seen without his guidance. The "viz" could have been better, at only about 25 to 30 feet, but it was still a great day for a couple of dives.

When you arrive and park you'll be directed to a large, modern-looking, covered, building-type thing (that's the best way I know how to decribe it--if you want to see what I'm talking about, look at the picture). Make tour arrangements and get your pass for the tour and tickets for drinks. You're going to have a little bit of a wait until your tour group is called to the tram to begin your tour of the facility. There is a gift shop that you may want to enjoy. You can take advantage of your two free drinks. The tour is not that impressive. It's more of a show than a tour. We wanted to see them actually making the rum--that didn't happen. There was some "staged" things that showed the process of making rum, but not the actual workers bottling the alcohol. . .but it's free.

Once they drop you back off at the modern-shaped building thing, you can use your tickets for some rum drinks or buy your gifts for folks back home. The prices are indeed better than in the stores--well, slightly. The cheaper price is more a result of no taxes, then of Barcardi's generosity to provide booze at reduced prices. There are also some different rum flavors that you might not be able to get back home. All and all, it was a worthwhile few hours (about 3 hours total). It is one of those things that you aren't sorry you did, but now that you've done it, you're not going to do it again. . .confused yet? I would not pay any tour operator to take me on this tour. It is free to the public and is very easy to find and tour on your own.

A few tips: go at about lunch time (noon) because the crowds are less; don't hand the bartender your drink tickets (make him ask for them--we got a few extra freebies that way); don't buy anything from the gift shop until after your tour (you don't have to carry all your crap with you that way); and don't let your driver drink (you'll be better off with a sober driver going home).

It takes about an hour to drive from San Juan to Fajardo...if you don't get lost, which we did, adding about 20 minutes to our journey. We stopped for some lunch on the way, too, which was literally out of the back of a pick-up truck on the side of the highway.

Arriving in Fajardo in plenty of time to catch the 2pm ferry to Culebra was no problem...except that the Port Authorities changed the posted times and failed to let ANYONE know. We waited until 3pm in the crowded pier before being allowed to board. Not a huge deal, and since this was the worst thing about our vacation, I'm not complaining. (Note to Port Authority: Just post the actual times the boats are leaving.) The ferries are nice, with air-conditioning or open-air seating. The cost is only US$2.25 each way per person. The ride to Culebra was about an hour and then we disembarked in the village of Dewey on Culebra. There are some small airlines that will bring you to Culebra for about US$70 per person, and it only takes about 20 minutes from San Juan. We decided to see the island and save some money. (See my "Culebra" report for additional information).

We arrived at the Posada la Hamoca to find it closed (they only open from 10-12 and 2-4), but they left our key right there on the counter with a sign "Room 6"... that should tell you something about this town. We made our way to the top floor (actually the second floor, but who's counting?) and into room 6. By the way, there are actually 10 rooms in the Posada La Hamoca (see my journal "Posada La Hamoca") and it is the largest hotel on Culebra. After settling in, we decided to find our dive shop to confirm our dive excusion for the following the morning. It couldn't be that far in this village, right? It wasn't. About 100 steps from our room we found the Culebra Dive Shop, one of two SCUBA dive outfitters on the island. After confirming our dive time in the morning, we asked for some help with dinner choices...the choice was pretty simple due to a notable lack of restaurants--Mamasita's or Dhingy Dock. We arrived at Mamsita's about 7pm, (a casual, open-air canal side place) which was directly next to our hotel, there was a wait of about 45 minutes. The time passed very quickly with a local band playing "musica caribe" and the Medella's (a local Puerto Rican beer) flowing. As a point of interest, I think that Medella is a cruel joke that the Puerto Ricans play on us gringos, since every local Puerto Rican I spotted was drinking Coors Light, not once did I see anyone drink Medella. Oh well, we played their game and drank the Medella, which was actually very good beer.

After a very enjoyable dinner at Mamasita's, we decided to head to another establishment for some "refreshments." As we walked I spotted a local man walking out of his house with a beer (Coors Light) in his hand, so I asked him for directions to the closest bar. Ernest turned out to be one of the nicest men we've ever met. He literally walked us to a local open-air bar on the corner of two of the three streets. It wasn't much of a party scene since they only had four stools in the entire 10 by 12 room. We just got our beers and joined Ernest on the stoop outside. We chatted about Culebra and learned all about Ernest's very interesting yet uneventful life. I longingly thought of life on this remote, yet somewhat developed, island. I wonder what it must have been like 30-40 years ago when the only people those on the island knew were themselves and the occasional wayward sailboat with a Hemingway look-a-like. Earnest owns a small guest house and the next time we go to Puerto Rico we'll be staying there...no offence to Posada La Hamoca.

Everything in Dewey closes at 9 or at the latest 11pm. Don't expect any late night romps, this place goes to bed early. The next morning we headed out for our SCUBA trip (see Culebra Dive Shop journal). Upon our return and after getting cleaned up we sought a place for a late lunch...this turned out to be a mistake. We thought we'd head to Gordo's, an American burger-type place, or so it said on the menu at the hotel. However, after about an hour's worth of walking, and walking, and walking, we never found the place. Now Dewey is not a big place, remember earlier I said that there was only three main streets? I was not exaggerating. However, all three form a kind of triangle and then "spoke" off in different directions across the island. At any rate, I don't think that Gordo's exists. We eventually walked back to our dive shop to ask for help. They suggested that we go to Batey, which was just what the doctor ordered! About two blocks from the Culebra Dive Shop, a couple of burgers and beers later we were feeling like new people.

After lunch we thought it was a good time to do some souvenir shopping. Shopping on Culebra is rather limited (like two or three stores), two additional places by the pier open when the ferry is arriving.

Culebra is one of the most unspoiled places I've seen in the Caribbean. There are some of the most beautiful and secluded beaches in the world on this island. You will most likely have to hike a little to get to them, but with a little adventurous spirt, you will find the all the great qualities of this small charming island. If you can rent a jeep, you should. You'll enjoy taking in all the sights that this spectacular island has to offer. While you're there, long after sunset, take a moment to look up, enjoy the stars and take a deep breath... You're on vacation...

The pier was a lot less crowded than on our way over, I'm certain, due to the hour. We slept most of the way to Fajardo, the small town on the east coast of Puerto Rico where you can catch a ferry to Culebra and Vieques. Once we arrived and got to our car which was right were we left it in a pay parking lot, we headed west toward Dorado, with a planned side trip into the El Yunke rain forest.

The El Yunke is the only rain forest in North America. It's stunning to look at from the main highway--the lush green mountians with stunning cliffs and occasional red blooming tree. We planned to make the detour and head into the rainforest. It was breathtaking. The greenery is something to see. Large trees over small trees over bushes over ground cover. I had no idea that there was that many types of plants growing in one place. Beautiful wild orchids line the road. Wild Cocketiels flew over our heads. We climbed the mountain in our car over 3,000 feet from the sea, which was our starting point. At each clearing, the views of the island and ocean got better and better.

Once we reached the summit, we decided to do a little exploration on foot. The paths were very well maintained and not overgrown. most were gravel or paved. I would not suggest getting off the trail. The morning we were there two girls got lost and ended up spending the night in the El Yunke. They found them the next day, but that must have been a hell of a night. I would definitely get into the rainforest early, like we did. On the way back down the moutain we passed bus load after bus load of tours. I'm certain our trip into the rainforest was more enjoyable than the one they were about to endure.

The drive down seemed like it took half as long as entering the rainforest. We pretty much just coasted all the way to the foothills and then back onto the highway. We stopped at a local roadside shop for some lunch/breakfast. As we entered San Juan we got a little lost, but not too bad. We went back across the same toll bridge that we accidentally crossed upon our arrival...we did our fair share for the economy in San Juan.

Dorado is a small resort town about half an hour west of San Juan on the North coast of Puerto Rico. Its where the upper crust go to relax and unwind. Quite a change from Culebra (see my other entry). Golf courses lined the road side along with multi-level condos and resorts. This is my wife's type of place! We entered the Del Mar resort by passing inspection of a guard. You don't just "get in" this place, you have to have a reason. Our's... "we're staying at the Embassy Suites." More golf courses and palm trees guided us to a large seven-storey building rising ocean-side like a monument. It was astonishing. (See Dorado and Embassy Suites for additional info)

After filling the tanks, we decided to head to the El San Juan Casino for a Puerto Rican New Year''s fiesta (this was a mistake).

We earlier asked a number of people where to go and they all said the same thing. . .The El San Juan. However, I didn''t see any of them standing in line or paying the $35 each to get into the hotel. Yep, $35. Now, I know it''s New Year''s Eve, so I figured "what the hell." For my $35 I got exactly one thing. . .entry. No complimentry champagne toast at midnight, no late night buffet, not even a smile and a "gracias" for letting us take your money. To be fair, there was a band playing some funky Latin music, but for $35 I should have seen Ricky Martin. The worst part was that the drinks were very expensive once we were able to actually get someone''s attention at the extremely over-crowded bar. I paid $9 for a 12oz beer. I''ve stayed in some very posh hotels that don''t charge $9 for bottled beer, and this place has a casino. I thought drinks were usually free or less expensive in a casino in order to get you to stay. Sure, this place was beautifully decorated with lots of teak wood and mohagany, but all I could think about was paying $70 (my wife and I) bucks for nothing. We stuck around through midnight and then promptly left for a more private, less expensive establishment (see my picture of Lupi''s).

As we walked toward our hotel we spotted a place that looked more our speed--Lupi''s. A fairly large place with a bar, dance floor, and seating inside, and an additional bar and seating outside. This place ROCKED! We should have skipped the El San Juan and headed straight here. There was no cover at all. There was a great band playing both 80s rock and Latin rock with a smattering of disco. The beers were priced right(about 3 bucks). We celebrated New Year''s again for Eastern Standard Time (our time back home) and began the night over. Our party lasted until about 4am, at which time I had "pour" my wife into bed for a long sleep until the morning''s hangover set in. My suggestion: unless you are a very high roller, stay clear of the El San Juan. There are plenty of very nice places to go without the unnecessary expense.

Old San Juan (OSJ) is indeed the oldest North American city, dating back to Columbus' second exploration in 1496. Parking in OSJ can be a bit tricky. There are many tight streets and several of them only travel in one direction. Find a parking garage fast and get out of the car and walk. You'll find the one we used on the north shore near the cruise boat piers.

Shopping in OSJ consists of everything! You'll find plenty of typical souvenirs (magnets, T-shirts, hats, etc.) as well as any other shopping that you might like to endure. There are loads of jewlery shops all displaying tons of precious metals and stones. There was no shortage of clothing boutiques either. If you like to shop while on vacation (like my wife), you'll find just about anything you could want.

Along with the shopping, you're going to note some of the most beautiful Spanish-influenced architecture anywhere in the world (see my picutes).

If you are a history lover then you'll enjoy all the small parks and monuments in OSJ, each explaining another little-known fact about San Juan's history. It would be impossible for me to list and explain all the sites in OSJ, so I'll just stick to the larger ones. We visited El Morro, a Spanish fort built in the 1400s. Unfortunately, we could only view it from the outside--it was closed for New Year's Eve. There is a beautiful castle from about this same period on the southern side of OSJ. You might also like to visit the longest continuously occupied governor's mansion. All of this is within a short walk of each stop, and along your route you're bound to find many smaller parks and monuments to attract your attention.

OSJ is a stopping point for many cruise ships. When we were there, seven were at port. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Good in the respect that you'll find plenty of shopping, restaurants, bars, street entertainment, and local culture (e.g., plenty of things to do). But it's "bad" in the respect that there are generally a lot of people. OSJ is a great place to party as well as visit local historical sites, but if you are looking for peace and quiet, you better head else where. We truly enjoyed our day in OSJ, but by 5pm, after 7 hours, we were ready to leave.

Tips: Find your parking spot fast once you enter OSJ section of town; map out your day according to historical sites you wish to visit (you're going to encounter all the shops along as you go between sites); wear walking shoes, comfortable clothing, and plenty of sun screen (it's a slightly hilly and even though you're not on the beach the sun is still strong); the locals are generally very nice people, so if you get lost just ask for directions, most people speak Spanish with English as a second language (both are official languages of Puerto Rico).

I can see no reason why anyone would need more than two days/one night in OSJ. It's really neat, but the crowds of people from all those cruise ships can get tiresome. Enjoy the stay, but don't over stay!