Greater San Juan Metroplex, Old San Juan

The Coqui Inn of San Juan

A Mixed Blessing..

I want to state upfront that I really liked this place.. A laid back experience with a definite island vibe. I would stay here again, for sure.

However, its not the Howard Johnson by any stretch of the imagination. If that is your minimum comfort requirement, then this place is not for you. I suspect (but need to confirm) that the Coqui Inn is pretty much ‘average’ for much of the islands locally owned hotels.

The rooms were small from what I could see. Each had their own air conditioner, a small TV and a nice little refrigerator with mini freezer. I did not find the ice machine until the last day there… they keep some ice, loose in a big plastic cooler right next to the lobby for everyone to dip into. [Read more…] about The Coqui Inn of San Juan

The Bacardi Distillery, ohhh yea!

I rode the A5 into Old San Juan again, but got off a little early so I could get shots of the cruise ships unloading. Then I took the opportunity to take the ferry over to Cataño where the Bacardi Distillery is for the big tour. [Read more…] about The Bacardi Distillery, ohhh yea!

Riding the Tren Urbano Transit System…

One of my goals was to try out the Caribbean’s only mass transit system. It costs a buck-50 each way so its pretty cheap. It cuts across the Greater San Juan Metroplex serving several communities. Its just under 11 miles long with 16 stations spread along it. Puerto Rico spent a pile of money setting it up and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I had planned to get off at each station and photograph the (mandated) art that was unique to each station. [Read more…] about Riding the Tren Urbano Transit System…

Old San Juan…

Its everything they say it is & then some

The architecture and narrow, blue cobble stone streets are right out of the past. Very romantic. Too bad I was there by myself. Doh! [Read more…] about Old San Juan…

Plaza Las Americas, San Juan, PR

The Largest Mall in the Caribbean..

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a mall person, but this is one beautiful, immaculately maintained mall. Its just off the Las Americas Expressway at Roosevelt. Every conceivable retail franchise has a presence here. I was able to go directly to the AT&T store and get a SIM card for the unlocked GSM cell phone I brought with me. There was a US Post Office too where I finally scored some postcard stamps. The Sears Craftsman area looked just like any I have ever been in… spooky.

I was also surprised to discover that the ‘Ponce Museum of Art’ had a small gallery set up in the mall. The main museum in Ponce is currently closed to the public for structural renovation. So this was my only chance to see any of it. I will detail that in another Post.

Update: The Ponce Museum of Art is now open to the public.

There was a wonderful antique shop with thousands of interesting things. Much of it, reasonably priced. There was a dedicated area for local Artesanos too, selling hand-crafted wares from all over the island. You could easily spend a day just working your way through this ‘mega-mall’.

I was politely told that photography was not allowed in the mall so these shots were had before that.

If you can’t find what you need here, you need to go home.