Week 22: Babymoon

Before we found out we were pregnant, Justin and I were planning on taking a trip to Thailand. It was our very delayed honeymoon since we never got one. However, just before we were about to book the airline tickets, we found out about our little one. I didn't feel comfortable going that far away and being on a plane for 15+ hours while pregnant, so we decided to change our destination. We instead chose Puerto Rico. It is so much easier since a passport is not required. We left early on July 24th and arrived in San Juan around 7pm. I decided that we should stay in Old San Juan instead of the resort part of the city. Justin loves history and I did not want to be around a bunch of drunk college kids.

We stayed at the Hotel El Convento in Old San Juan. It was built over 350 years ago and served as a convent for the Cathedral San Juan across the street, which is the second oldest cathedral in the Americas and serves as the burial place of Puerto Rico's first governor Ponce de Leon, who arrived in search of the fountain of youth. 

The hotel is full of old Spanish charm and modern luxury. There is a huge courtyard in the center of the hotel where the three restaurants are on each floor.

Courtyard

Hallway with door to each room.

Our Room

After we arrived, we ate some dinner at the hotel and walked around the city for a bit, just exploring. The next day we walked about 4 miles around the city seeing everything it had to offer. It is so beautiful, but I was exhausted, sweaty, and swollen. The old fort surrounds the city with its massive stone walls and look out towers. We took a tour of the main buildings.

Handsome hubby at the top

3 story spiral staircase we had to climb to get to the top

Justin really wanted authentic Puerto Rican food for lunch so we ate at Mojito's. We definitely were not in Denver anymore. The power went out several times, which caused the AC to shut off so it got hot quickly. Justin ordered mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish made of fried mashed plantains with your choice of meat. It looks icky, but it tasted really good.

We loved the architecture and bright colors of all the buildings. About three hours into the trip, Justin was planning our next trip and the potential of purchasing a vacation home.

The following day, we went to La Concha, which is a resort in the main part of San Juan that our hotel was affiliated with. We had access to their beach, pools, and other amenities. It was a wonderfully relaxing day and the water was so warm.

On our last day, we walked around Ponce de Leon's mansion. It had beautiful gardens and the house was restored to its original integrity with original furniture pieces. After the walking, I needed ice cream. Luckily, there was a Ben and Jerry's on the corner.

 

The trip was so great and we cannot wait to go back! It was the perfect balance of far away and close to home.