Puerto Rico - Day 3

Well, I was right.  Sleep did NOT come easy last night.

Everything hurt so bad!  Couldn't lay on my back because it was too sore.  Couldn't lay on my front because the front of my legs were just burning up!

Seriously can't believe I let myself get THIS burnt.  I mean, look at those legs!  It doesn't even look like human skin!

Needless to say, the only thing I was putting on that day was a super soft long skirt.  Pants were an absolute NO.  They hurt too bad.  And shorts were out, too, because I didn't want any more sun.  Even a bra was questionable...but I decided I had to at least do that much.

Since it was Valentine's Day, the guys couldn't find any team that wanted to play them.  Valentine's Day is like a national holiday in Puerto Rico!  People were all dressed up, the whole city was decorated with red hearts... or maybe that's how it is here, too, and I just haven't ever noticed because I don't really celebrate it?  Who knows.  Either way, it meant we had a free day to be a tourist in San Juan!

Some people had gone down to Old San Juan and the fort yesterday while we were on the boat, so that's what we did today. And to save some money, we even decided to take the good 'ole public transportation (bus for $0.75)!

 

Ryan got Shannon a little stuffed snoopy with a heart box of chocolates :)

It didn't take long to get to Old San Juan.  We were all seriously hurting from the sunburn, so we were lathering on this bottle of aloe lotion stuff we had brought with us.  Shannon and I also jumped in a store right before the bus came and bought cheap little umbrellas to keep the sun off of us.  I absolutely couldn't take any more sun.  My whole body was fried!

I was hungry, of course, so the first stop for us was somewhere for lunch.  Of course we went to the most touristy street there was where prices were ridiculous.  We actually got up and left from the first place we sat down at because they wanted $18 for a sandwich.  Everything was so expensive, so we went next door, which turned out to be great.  

While we were waiting on our food, I ran in to a little souvenir shop and found a Christmas tree ornament and a bottle of sand to put by a picture frame. 

I don't remember what I got...some sort of fish and a root vegetable and plantains I think.  It really was all pretty good!  Just doesn't look like it!

Once we were done eating, we walked all around Old San Juan trying to find the fort.  We walked...and walked...and walked.  Under our umbrellas, of course.  Old San Juan really reminded me of Lisbon, Portugal and/or Barcelona, Spain.  It just had that old Spanish feel to it.

 

After not being able to find the free trolley to take us there, not being able to get a taxi, and almost giving up because we were tired of walking...we finally found the fort!

It was a windy day and our cheap umbrellas seriously sucked.  

Any time the wind blew, they were flipped inside out.

Once we got up to the fort, we were pleasantly surprised to find out we didn't have to pay to go in since it was President's Day weekend!  Yay for free things!

Even though I'm not much for history, walking around the old fort was pretty neat.  Just thinking about what all went on right where I was standing was kind of cool.

 

Since it had taken us SO long to find the place, we really didn't have much time to look around.  And when we saw the free trolley pulling up, we all ran for it.  None of us were interested in walking all the way back to the bus stop.

 

We were already late getting back, so instead of getting on the bus, we thought we would save some time and grab a mini-van taxi.  Well, that would have worked out well if our taxi driver hadn't taken us to the wrong Marriott!  So we were really late for the worship/devotion time at the hotel, but Shannon and I had to get our gummy bear treat bags put together for everyone!  So we were even more late. 

Thankfully, everyone loved them, so they weren't too upset when we handed them out before we got up in front to introduce ourselves and share a little.

After the worship time, we all walked to Chili's for dinner.  Yea, of all the cool places in Puerto Rico, we ended up at Chili's on Valentine's Day, haha!  I just thought it was ridiculous at the time, but really, it was a safe call for 30-some people to get in and have regular food.

Walking to dinner through Miramar area of San Juan

While we were waiting for our large table to be set up, I ran across the street to another souvenir shop...and ended up buying a bag and a little seashell/sand thing for Allie.  She deserved a little something since she made me so many bracelets to give out down here.  And then I had to get Brody a ball since I was getting Allie something.  It's only fair!

I ended up making friends with the guy who owned the shop.  He was from Pakistan, but obviously was doing well with this store because he also owns a condo in Hawaii!  He told me everything in the store was either from India, China, or Ecuador.  Kind of disappointing,but I bought stuff anyways.  I also asked him for a discount (I know how things work) and after some haggling, he agreed and even let me have a free bottle of water and gave me a Puerto Rican quarter.  I in turn told him I would bring everyone over after dinner!

Somehow we all managed to squeeze around numerous tables and have an enjoyable dinner.  I ordered salmon and it was pretty tasty!

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel, but not before a quick stop on the beach, and then at Starbucks for some cafeine for Ryan. 

I LOVE the sound of the waves...

Shannon has had some health issues going on for about a month know, and I think her body was having some sort of reaction to the sun and her medication.  Her feet and ankles started to swell, and she got two big blisters on the bottoms of her feet that popped on our walk home.  She actually thought they were bleeding, but it was just the fluid from the blister squishing around.  Poor thing.  I don't even remember why I took this picture.  I guess just to remember the walk home and Shannon about dying!  

It was much later than I thought when we finally got back to the hotel room...and even though I was tired, I HAD TO get to a Wal-Mart or Walgreens or something.  I needed tampons -- in a bad way.  So we got one of the guys from the team who had rented a car to take us...because the taxi we got in told us it was going to be $20 each way to take us about .3 miles.  (We got back out.)  

This Wal-Mart was right across the street from where we actually went (Walgreens).  But I had to take a pictures of it because I always give Shannon a hard time about going to Wal-Mart wherever I am -- she hates it.  So anyways, we got Shannon some blister band-aids and I grabbed what I needed (with Ryan standing right next to me -- and it didn't eve phase him) and went back to the hotel.  Late.  

I was exhausted.  But doubtful that much sleep would happen this night either.  

My back and legs were still just burning!  

And tomorrow is going to be another up early and full day...