As the rain poured in sheets down on the soggy city, Mike and Tami once again braved the D bus to downtown and then the light rail with wheeled bags in tow. Heading off for a midnight flight to warmer climes, it was vaguely familiar to be riding the bus, waiting in the bus tunnel, and catching the light rail to the airport in the dark and rain. We got there early, as is our usual practice, being the perpetual early arrivers that we are.

With our TSA precheck status and the late hour, we were very soon at the gate. Or so we thought. No sooner had we arrived and settled into seats but it was announced that the actual departure gate was not D7, but truly D8. So we shuffled over one gate. And sat. And read. And watched the arrival of a lot of very tall young men wearing matching purple sports shoes and jackets with TCU all over them. A basketball team! We were flying to Dallas on the first leg so Mike guessed it was Texas Christian University. With hindsight we can say that he was correct, and in fact, they are called the Horned Frogs. They apparently lost to the Huskies and were headed home. GO DAWGS!

Ah, but there was also to be yet another gate change. Back to D7. Shuffle back we did. With all the rain in the PNW, planes to Portland were apparently being diverted to Seattle, something about flooding, perhaps at the airport? Many flights were being shuffled around, so we left late, but not very late, and after a change in Dallas we were soon landing in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The colors of San Juan.

We were here 5 years ago for our 30th anniversary and a cruise to the Caribbean to celebrate. We had such a wonderful time that when our 35th anniversary rolled around, we could think of nothing better to do than to revisit both San Juan and the Caribbean. We are trying a different cruise line because frankly, when you step on a ship and already know where everything is, a little of the mystique has dissipated. So we are trying Celebrity this time just to add a tiny bit of mystery. And we will be stopping at a bunch of new islands for us.

Last time we arrived at Da House, our hotel, in the dark. This time it was mid-afternoon and we knew the drill at Da House, which is a very funky hotel self-described as “Bohemian”. It doubles as an art gallery, overlooks a street with very loud salsa band parties every night, and has no elevator. So of course we stay on the top floor because that is where you can get a room overlooking a private patio and removed from the VERY loud music that arrives from the street at all hours of the night. But the atmosphere is very fun and atmospheric and you can step from the hotel room to the vibrant activity of Old Town, which includes funky shops, wonderful restaurants, old churches, constant salsa music, old cars cruising, oodles of feral cats, old forts, surf crashing, and palms, sun and warmth.

First staircase to the fourth floor.

We were seriously sleep deprived after the midnight departure from Seattle and the afternoon arrival in San Juan, but we had to step out to see if San Juan was as wonderful as we remembered. Yes, it was. It definitely was. The cobbled streets lined with beautiful old colonial-type buildings in a colorful palette had not changed. Some of the shops were different and we noted several new restaurants, and it was encouraging to see how many of the old run-down buildings were being renovated.

Feliz navidad.

Cool hat, dude!

We made sure we ended up back at El Convento, an old convent that has been converted into a hotel and bar, and where we enjoyed a delicious pitcher of sangria on our last visit. We can attest that the sangria is just as good as it used to be.

Sangria… good!

Yes, sangria still good!

It was ridiculously early but we were ridiculously tired, so we ordered a dinner of tapas and made that our final meal of the day. Unfortunately we are having trouble remembering to take our food pictures BEFORE we dive in. It is only after we have slowed down on the eating that we recall our blog duties!

Tapas at the convent.

We lounged on our outdoor patio as long as we could stay upright, then climbed in bed to read. That did not last long, and we embarked on a nearly 12 hour slumber. Phew! What a day.

San Juan at sunset.