Posted by Warning, this is a long post full of videos and lots of photos of Puerto Rico.
I previously planned a trip to Puerto Rico in January with my sisters to see my 85-year-old father. Obviously that didn’t work out because of all of the earthquakes the island was experiencing at that time. We rescheduled for February and had a great time, not only did I get to visit my father and sister that live there but also a few more family members.
One thing that surprised me was the way the island looked, I was expecting to some remnants of Hurricane Maria and the effect of the economic decline in Puerto Rico. Well, I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least; I should have known that the island would be right back on its feet! Puerto Ricans are strong and make the best of what we have and my fellow Puerto Ricans on the Island did me proud!
My three sisters along with my brother-in-law went to visit Old San Juan for a few hours. Here are a few photos of our adventure there.
My Dad aka Papi
Here I am with my wonderful father Angel Luis Figueroa Vazquez. Look at this man, he is 85 and looks great!
The following day we all went to visit my dad’s 90-year-old sister, Carmen Julia Figueroa. My father’s side of the family has really good genes as you can see.
Later on, my dad’s younger sister (77-year-old), Edith Figueroa came for a visit. I love her hair! My aunt Edith is a very hard worker, she owns and operates her own Awning Curtain company. She measures, cuts and sews the curtains then someone else installs them. I wish to have that amount of stamina when I reach her age.
Chinchorreo
While my father went to his doctor’s appointments, my sisters and brother-in-law went on a Chinchorreo. A Chinchorreo in the most basic sense is a group of people driving around and having some drinks and food and having fun.
Our first stop was the town of Naranjito. We had to cross the Atirantado bridge which is the only Cable-stayed bridge on the Island. There we stopped at the Atirantado Bar & Grill for our first taste of Puerto Rican Fritters!
Our next stop was Kmilas Bakery in Baranquitas, a modern bakery with a restaurant, wine bar, coffee bar, pastries and much more. It was a surprise to find this type of bakery in a very rural part of Baranquitas. I loved their set up and they have a picture window with a beautiful view. Two other great features were their walls, one at the entrance with a script written on the ceiling going down to the wall and the center wall with a saying “Ojalá que lleuve café en el campo”. This translates to “I wish it rained coffee in the country” and it’s a quote from a Juan Luis Guerra song.
After coffee and pastries, we stopped to pick up a couple of avocados at a local stand on the road which just so happens to have a bar & grill across the street! Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos at the bar & grill.
The ultimate Chinchoreo stop, Luquillo Beach Kiosks! There is a row of 60 roadside kiosks where you can eat your way to a pure delicious bliss of gastronomic contentment.
Luquillo is also famous for its beach as you can see from the video and photos below.
I hope you enjoyed my short videos and photos of my island Puerto Rico. Now back to the main reason for my visit, my dad! I enjoyed our time with him and my sisters and I look forward to visiting him again soon.
I figured this was the best time to share this while we are all hunkered down in quarantine. Now if you’re looking for something to do craft-wise I’ve got a few options.
There are 3 All-Inclusive Card Kits that can keep you and/or your children busy and creating.
Looking Up Card Kit
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Notes of Kindness Card Kit
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Lots of Happy Card Kit
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Watch the videos below
I don’t have a video for the Notes of Kindness kit, but take a look at the photos below.
