Day four at sea was another pleasant day as far as the seas and temps go. Still a bit choppy, the swells and most of yesterday's clouds were gone today. It may have rained during the evening, but blue skies were peeking through early on. If it stays this way, we will be happy, as it is not cold as our usual crossings are.
Since we are getting closer to San Juan, Puerto Rico, we may as well add some info here because we have the time. The population of Puerto Rico is 3.5 million folks that speak Spanish and English. There are actually four main islands here, with the largest, San Juan, having a population of 555,000 people. Christopher Colombus landed here followed by Pone de Leon, who became the first governor of this 500 year old city.
It is said to have a swashbuckling history due to its proximity to the United States. These days the islands boast salty sea breezes at numerous resorts and beaches as well as casinos for the gamblers and a high-gloss city after dark. San Juan, the capital has the old cobblestone streets, pastel colors of the colonial buildings and a famous fortress of days past. El Morro is a prime example of what this island was all about.
Now it is a city of bars and clubs reverberating with "salsa" (not the dip) but the rhythms on the dance floors. The music has lasted through generations. What kind of food do they like here? The four main ingredients of Puerto Rican food are rice, beans, plantains and pork. Fried, grilled, stewed or skewered pork is the King. Their favorite lunch is a savory spit-roasted suckling pig cooked for over 8 hours until it is smoky and tender.
Have any of you seen bioluminescent bays? It is nature's magical trick, where in some parts of the world you can experience the jewel-like flicker of light dripping from your hands while night-snorkeling or kayaking. There is actually a tour offered tomorrow that will take some folks to the tiny island to kayak in the darkness of night. Interesting for sure. Many years ago, while sailing somewhere in the world, we did witness this phenomenon when we happened to look out our window in the middle of the night. The water was glowing and we could not believe our eyes. The following day, Captain Mercer explained what we had seen. Pretty cool and we didn't have to snorkel or kayak to see it.
Too bad there will not be enough time to sink our toes into the white sands and turquoise waters, as we will be arriving late in the afternoon. Captain Friso did mention he would try to get us to the port by 2pm, but then we have to deal with customs and immigrations, slowing everything down for sure.
Today was a busy one with many things happening. Borrowed books had to be brought back to the library, and the photo contest has wrapped up, and we were able to get the one photo for free just for entering. Any extra ones would have a charge of $5. We had to sort through five piles of photos to locate the one we entered. Then we had some cashable credit on our account, and took care of that, getting a complete copy of the entire statement. Thanks to the refunded port charges for the change of itinerary and extra SB credit to help cover unexpected visa charges, we still had some left to take home.
While getting "take-out" at the Dive In Grill, we noticed there was a White Elephant sale in progress in the Lido Poolside. Fellow guests were invited to sell whatever they chose not to take home to other guests. Many people who have done these long cruises do not need the extra gifts we got, nor do they wish to pay more to send them back home with Luggage Forward. We have heard of many people giving their small suitcases, or duffels, jackets, canvas hand bags, and even the Delft plates to their room stewards or waiters. And we do know for a fact that much of this memorabilia shows up on eBay. Believe it or not, there is a market for dated HAL items that command some nice prices.
This evening was "Surprise Night" where the guests and crew were invited to the hottest club on the high seas – the Lido Poolside. DJ Nyron would be spinning the tunes, while the guests sipped complimentary sparkling wine or indulged with drink specials and a late night snack. This began at 9pm to 11pm with snacks at 10 to 11pm. This would definitely be targeted for the early diners, since we were still eating our dinners at 9pm. Our meal started with shrimp cocktails and Caesar salads. Our mains were one BBQ pork ribs, and one ziti pasta with andouille sausage (a bit heavy on the cayenne). It took a scoop of biscotti ice cream to soothe the burn.
And the clocks went back one more hour, putting us on Eastern time now. Puerto Rico….here we come.
Bill & Mary Ann
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