Hola San Juan!

  San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tuesday, August 14, 2007

We arrived at San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport elated, albeit a bit tired. We immediately felt the humidity. We took a taxi to our hotel, The Caribe Hilton, in the Condado section of San Juan. We arrived at about 11 am, which was too early to check in, and that really sucked. So we checked our bags with the valet, and headed to a restaurant, Palmeras. They weren't quite ready for lunch, so we went out to the cafe by the pools.

It was quite windy, but the pools, ocean beyond, and the palm trees were quite a gorgeous sight. We had our first taste of tostones (a mooshed and fried plantain patty) that you dip in a sauce, and other than that we just had salads and sandwiches (nothing too exciting).

That Caribbean View

We saw a cool Pirates of the Caribbean looking place (Fort Geronimo) next to the hotel, so we walked over and took a look. It was blocked off, so we couldn't walk up to it. I read later that it needs to be reinforced for safety, and then they will open it up as a museum. It is very cool looking though.

By then our room was done, so we got settled in. We were a little disappointed in the hotel, as it seemed a bit shabby, a little run down. It could be a gem if it were touched up in places, but it is in disrepair (paint, fixtures, etc).

We then took a taxi (~$10+tip) into Old San Juan. We were dropped off at Plaza de Colon (which is also where you go to get a taxi). We walked down Calle de Fortaleza, a small, one-way street that is packed with pedestrians and cars. The buildings are great--very colorful, lots of wrought iron, and plenty of character. Reminded me a great deal of New Orleans.

We ate dinner at a place called Tamarind: A Latino Steakhouse & Seafood Bar. Here is a list of the food we ate, prices and my comments. It was a great place, we enjoyed it very much. Our server was very nice also.

~ Mussels Al Ajillo (sauteed mussels in lemon and chimichurri garlic mojo) $5.50 (small plate of mussels, tasty)

~ Crispy Coconut Shrimp (with spicy passion fruit ponzu) $12 (we got 3 shrimp with the skewers still in, rather bland and a total rip off--the only dish we were disappointed in)

~ Chimmi-Shrooms (mushrooms sauteed in garlic, onions, white wine, spanish olive oil, and cilantro-parsley mojo) $4.95 (One of our fav dishes...absolutely delicious!)

~ Hangar Steak Quesadilla (self explanatory) $11.95 (pricey, but you got a fair amt of steak, pretty good, great guacamole)

~ Cheezy Black Bean Fundido (with manchego) $3.95 (they were out of plantain chips, so they gave us tostones with it instead...this dish was a steal...very good!)

Fundido n Sweet n Spicy Plantains

~ Sweet & Spicy Plantains (didn't write down the price, but this dish was incredible. The plantains were split lengthwise, and sauteed in butter, brown sugar, and spices...amazing!)

They had been out of several of the dishes (like the Plantain Crusted Calamari). We found out that the guy who buys the seafood for the restaurant had been hurt, so the manager was doing the buying, and unfortunately, he had not been able to keep up with everything--he was a bit overwhelmed. But the restaurant is fantastic, so hopefully it all works out for them, and their buyer gets back on his feet.

After dinner we walked around a bit more, then headed back to the plaza to get a taxi back to the hotel.

Sunset, San Juan