mas photos de old san juan

We claim to be pretty thrifty travelers, and after five months in Asia, we thought we had it down... but then we came to Puerto Rico. This island is kicking our penny-pinching asses. It is definitely not for the cheap or cheap at heart, although if you are willing to bite the bullet a little, then it is definitely manageable. 

Here is a little list of our expenses so far:

1. Hotel/ guest houses:  we went through air bnb and were given a deal at around $70/ night which is by far the cheapest we've found.  On average, it seems like hotels cost around 100+, but we are traveling during the extreme high-season.

2. Rental cars. It is an absolute MUST (except if you are only going to stay in San Juan)! Which is sad for us, because we hate renting cars, but there is no way around it, you need one to see the island. But on another note, take the publicos from San Juan to the Islands if you are visiting Culebra/ Vieques. They are easy and relatively cheap. Cost us about $30 to get from San Juan to Fajarado and then $4 total to take the ferry to Culebra. 

3. Food. We try and eat "street" food or local food as much as possible, but even that is never cheaper than $7. We end up spending about $20 a meal.

 

Old San Juan Day 3

 If Buenos Aires and Barcelona had a very small love child, Old San Juan would be it! My writing skills (or lack there of) definitely can't do Old San Juan the same justice as our photos can...so without further ado, more photos of this awesome section of Puerto Rico, via Brian.

 Our favorites dishes from San Juan:

1. Mofongo! A dish of smashed plantains, shaped into a kinda volcano type thing and stuffed with shrimp or chicken or pork. It's delicious.

2. Kasalta bakery- Obama went here during his first term, and we had the pleasure of eating there almost everyday! The best is well, everything, but go and wait in line for breakfast of mallorca bread stuffed with ham and cheese.

 

The Forts of Old San Juan

Located in Old San Juan, the forts of El Morro and San Cristobal serve as the guardians of the Caribbean. Both forts, located within a mile of each other, were constructed in the 16th century by Spain in order to guard both Puerto Rico and its ports. The forts were later taken over by the US and used during WWII and on into the 70's. They have been well taken care of and are definitely not to be missed during a trip to Puerto Rico! If you aren't super into history, it is a great place to catch the ocean breeze and amazing views.