Because life is short & the world is big
We are spending the day enjoying Playa Almendros in Rincón after yesterday’s house closing.
That’s right, we now own a house in Cabo Rojo!
There’s a sea turtle swimming around out there, poking his head up now and then. A sea turtle greeted us at a different beach, Playa Ostiones, the day our offer was accepted a month and a half ago! Do you think it’s the same turtle, welcoming us to the island?
I feel a new sense of belonging here now that I own a home, even though I don’t live in it yet!
Join us for a tour of Puerto Rico’s first agricola (farmer) rum estate distillery!
San Juan Artisan Distillers (Destilería San Juan) in Vega Alta is the only rum factory in Puerto Rico that makes its rum from sugar cane plants, inspired by the island’s tradition. Most rum distillers import molasses from other countries. But at this plant just half an hour west of San Juan, we got to walk through sugar cane fields, visit the barrel room, see the distillation tanks, learn what experimental flavors are brewing in the lab, watch staff label the bottles, and of course taste the various flavors of rum!
A family-owned company that launched in 2011, San Juan Artisan Distillers produce handcrafted ron caña (sugar cane rum) of exceptional quality infused with local tropical fruit, natural flavors and spices. The distillery makes six fruit-infused rums under the brand Tresclavos—Ginger Spice, Sweet Piña, Passion Parcha, Rumba Mango, Coco Loco, and Bili Quenepa—as well as an award-winning signature rum called Ron Pepón.
It’s the only rum distiller on the island that can offer a tour of the rum process from the sugar can plant all the way to your lips!
Thank you, Monica, for the informative — and delicious! — tour.
While trying to enter Ocean Lab Brewing Company from the beach at Carolina, Puerto Rico, we were stopped by a burly security guard. He told us we couldn’t walk through this private club named Vivo, and pointed us around the building to the street side to enter the restaurant from the parking lot with the rest of the lowly non-members.
Well, exc-u-u-u-u-se me! (Fellow Boomers will recognize that reference.)
Our table on the third-floor balcony at Ocean Lab gave us a bird’s eye view of the Vivo Beach Club, so we googled it. It calls itself “the hottest private beach club in town.” You can join, or pay $40 for a day pass. This video shows you what you get.
After lunch, Bob tried to sneak through the club again to get out to the beach. Despite putting on his very best I-belong-here-don’t-mess-with-me act, he was stopped by the alert security guards and rerouted to the pedestrian exit. Foiled again!
We’re starting to explore beaches on Puerto Rico’s southeast coast, beginning with Playa de Guayanés in Yabucoa. The warmest water my tootsies have ever been dipped in! It’s a popular local beach, but still very quiet. The sand offered up magnificent seashells in various shades of brown.
But watch out for the red ants that sting in the grassy sand under the palm trees!
Our family visited Arecibo Observatory to see the 1,000-foot radio-telescope constructed in a sinkhole in the karst region of western Puerto Rico during a vacation in April 2008. The radio-telescope and its visitors center offered a fascinating exploration of space for my two science-minded kids. Naturally, they don’t remember it all today. But Bob and I do! That’s why, when we heard that the colossal radio-telescope had collapsed last year, we booked tickets as soon as the facility reopened to see how it looks now.
Here are some photos from our 2008 visit with our kids, Aryk and Gavin, who were 10 and 7.
And here is what it looks like, almost exactly 14 years later.
The first three cables snapped in November 2019, and the rest a month later. A couple of years earlier, Puerto Rico experienced a number of earthquakes, which may have compromised the structure’s integrity. But there really is no definitive answer as to why it collapsed.
The Arecibo facility has asked the National Science Foundation for funds to build back better, but has received no answer.
Watch a spectacular YouTube video of the crash here.
Despite the collapse of the giant radio-telescope, scientists continue their work at the Arecibo Observatory (AO) to study the huge amount of data collected over 50 years. It is still recognized as a world-leading radio astronomy, solar system radar, and atmospheric physics facility. It contributes highly relevant data to support discovery, innovation, and the advancement of science for the well-being of humankind.
The state-of-the-art Science and Visitors Center holds a lively interactive museum where kids can watch a film, build a spaceship, play games, and see a model of the original telescope. It’s definitely worth the trip!
The Arecibo Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under a cooperative agreement by the University of Central Florida.
Watch for Bob’s YouTube video, coming soon!
LINKS
As Messy Suitcase makes the rounds of rum distilleries across Puerto Rico, we discovered a new boutique one in Old San Juan and decided to pay a visit. Scryer Rum Barrelhouse & Rooftop is a small-batch, pot-distilled sipping rum distillery in a gorgeous historic building.
“Sipping” is industry-speak for expensive – the good stuff you drink on its own, as opposed to the cheap stuff you pour into a cocktail.
Scryer was founded by a couple of buddies shortly before the pandemic. Garrett, who led our tour, started his alcohol education in whiskey and brought that expertise to rum distilling. But while the partners have created a delicious sipping rum, a lovely bar and a delightful rooftop, they have a lot to learn about running a good tour! They missed out on a lot of opportunities. Find out why in this video.
(Sorry in advance for the loud music in the background – they conduct the tour right next to the noisy bar.)
Kaylee has claimed a new spot.
This innocuous baggy contains the freshest coffee I will ever drink.
It came from beans collected at our friend John Lombardo’s 10-acre mountain home in Utuado, Puerto Rico. John then dried the beans in the sun, roasted them in a wok, ground them, and delivered them to us yesterday. I wish the Internet could deliver to you the incredible smell. I can’t wait to drink!
Brewed to perfection. Smells like heaven.
Add some leche (milk) and drink!
Delicious.
We got this reward because we picked coffee with John at his hacienda last fall. And we hope to do it again, many times!
We spent a morning flying across the rainforest canopy at JungleQui Zipline Park in El Yunque National Forest. I don’t know which was more spectacular – the adrenaline rush of the ziplines as we flew from tree to tree like Tarzan, the incredible views of the lush flora and the river far below, or the sparkling personalities of our tour guides.
There was a little bit of hiking involved, some on a steep trail, so if you do this, you need to be in reasonable physical condition. Make sure to wear good shoes. We wished we had realized we could carry water bottles, because it took 2 ½ hours long to navigate 11 ziplines and one exhilarating rappel. And it got hot!
We drove to Junglequi, but they also operate a service that will pick you up at your hotel, if you don’t rent a car or prefer not to drive.
Across from the parking lot at the entrance of Junglequi, our local friend Julio, who operates Rosario Tours, took us down a trail to a locals spot by the river, where you can jump off a rock into the water or even swing out on a rope! If you’re ever looking for a personalized tour of any part of Puerto Rico from someone who has a true passion for discovery and a contagious joy, Julio Flores is your man!
No trip to Puerto Rico is complete without going deep underground to explore Camuy Caverns, officially known as Rio Camuy Cave Park. It’s located in the karst mountains of northwestern Puerto Rico, where the towns of Camuy, Hatillo, and Lares come together. It was fascinating to see what nature wrought over millions of years, as well as the huge impact of Hurricane Maria.
Make sure you stay till the end: There is surprise bonus material you won’t want to miss!
