Day 2: A Taste of Old San Juan

So today was another busy/fun/amazing/beautiful day. Though it certainly is humid! Humidity is a weird thing: you can feel not particularly hot, yet feel completely drenched in sweat and moisture. I guess it's an acquired taste; I'm learning. =)

I woke up around 8:30am (jetlag what?) and headed toward the beach for a short photoshoot. Isla Verde is in a little nook in the coastline like someone took a small bite out of the north side of the island. We're near the center, so either way you look, the sand gently extends into the water until it disappears in the still, crystal-teal ocean. I'm doing alright out here in the tropics:

Yeah...I could get used to this.

After my photo excursion, I was pretty warm - er, wet - after being outside a while, so I jumped in the pool. After drying off in the sun, I went inside to wake Fed up. lol We got lunch at Ruben's Cafe per a recommendation from the front desk. I tried mofongo con pollo. Mofongo is a classic Puerto Rican dish: it's like a bowl made out of mashed green plantains, and then filled with all kinds of stuff, chicken in my case. Though I'm sure there is better on the island, mofongo is a fun and tasty dish:

Mofongo Con Pollo: chicken with sauce in a bowl of mashed green plantains.

For dessert we tried flan de queso, which was also really good. Again I'm sure it's not the best Puerto Rico has to offer, but it's better than any I've had in America. And the sauce makes all the difference.

Flan De Queso: delicious cheese flan

After eating, Fed and I went back to the beach for a while, then in the pool, but the real highlight was Sofo in Old San Juan. Sofo is a wine and food festival. I don't know how often it happens throughout the year, but currently it started tonight and ends Sunday. During Sofo, the quaint city of Old San Juan becomes a huge festivity at night. First, let me just say that Old San Juan is so cool! If you've heard about the blue cobblestone streets, there are truly unique and awesome. Unfortunately, they've started paving over some of this, but hopefully this picture will show you a woefully inadequate representation of the antique beauty lying under some of the pavement:

The blue cobblestone streets in Old San Juan are so cool

But it's not just what you're walking on that's interesting, it's where you're going. Old San Juan is a tight bundle of narrow streets amidst rows of variegated and distinct buildings - as if someone constructed the city by reaching into a grabbag of building designs and colors, then just placed them in rows:

Every little place in Old San Juan is so different

During Sofo there is live music, locals dancing, local woman with tents selling jewelry, booths with artists selling various creations, restaurants setting up shops along the streets, shops displaying merchandise outside hoping to draw you in, some food to sample, and plenty to buy. Here is some of the music/dancing fun:

With live music, the locals just start dancing in the streets!

I bet I ate like 3000 calories of food in Old San Juan. lol In total and in order, I consumed: a pina colada (there is a reason these are a local favorite), a beef empanada, chips and red snapper ceviche with citrus-cilantro sauce, pineapple ice cream, three fried cod fritters with some sort of lime cilantro mayo-type sauce, a beef and plantain empanda (better than the first), and some interesting candy. Here are some pictures:

Chips and red snapper ceviche with citrus-cilantro sauce

Cod fritters and beet and plantain empanada

We toured back and forth through the blue cobblestone streets for a few hours, just enjoying the festivities. It's hard to describe, but it was just such a real and genuine celebration of culture and fun for everyone. The atmosphere, people, and setting are just picture perfect. I just hope I can do it some justice:

One of the many colorful streets in beautiful Old San Juan

Tomorrow's plans include tours of two historic forts (El Morro and Castillo de San Cristobal), two art museums, a new beach, and likely round two of Sofos! Stay tuned and feel free to drop me a comment. =)