Good Morning ROAD TRIPPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today is the day, after a 2-day delay, for which I apologize with my whole heart!! *strolls through the crowd gathering at the Darkpaw Studios anxiously waiting to board the airship and begin the long awaited and much needed SPRING ROAD TRIP* Shortly we will be boarding the airship and off to Puerto Rico where our first stop will be San Juan. We will be checking into the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. This will be our base of operations while in Puerto Rico. This hotel is located between the beach and Old San Juan and all of our King Sized Suites have views of the El Yunque Rainforest or Isla Verde. These are gorgeous suites and from this location, it will be easy to explore Puerto Rico without having to continually pack up and move and I have already sent the Cabana Boys ahead with some of Gero's engineers to set moorings on the rooftop of the hotel so that the airship can be safely docked and hidden once we arrive. After we check in at the hotel, we can set our time delays so that we are back at Saturday, 25 April 2020, and explore San Juan and take a short jaunt over to Isla Culebra which is an archipelago of Islands at the end of the Virgin Island chain but is part of Puerto Rico, this has Flamenco Beach, a white coral beach, which has been rated as the second best beach in the world, all of the islands are home to some type of nature preserve, birds, turtles. There is a lot of history on Isla Culebra to explore!!! As is tradition, every night, we will have a scheduled cocktail hour followed by a scheduled dinner. I hope that as many of you as possible take the time to come to cocktail hour and dinner. After that we either just spend the evening relaxing at our resort, talking with each other in the resort lounge/bar, or we return to a club, amusement park, or whatever else we wish to do. I try to do a short recap of our activities the next morning, sometimes these can be quite long as with time delays sometimes we cover a lot of territory. Over the evolution of the ROAD TRIPS, these recaps have become more detailed to attempt to give the TRIPPERS a more vivid picture. Tonight, cocktail hour is scheduled for 6 pm and dinner at 7 pm at the Meat Market in the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. Remember, you have a GREEN button, keep it with you, if you have forgotten it, there are extra ones on the airship just as you board on a table to the left of the entrance, please take another one, this is how you return to your home and then return to the airship or wherever the TRIPPERS are visiting at any time. You can also call the Cabana Boys to your location if you have been shopping and they will take your purchases to the Airship or to your home, whichever you prefer. Also, remember, this is a Virtual ROAD TRIP!!!! Everybody can eat whatever they want, in whatever quantity they want without fear of allergies, or any impact to their health or welfare due to calories or sugar, there will be no dental impact either. You can drink whatever you wish and how ever much you wish. You will not get a DUI, nobody will be slipping anybody else any mickies or anything, everybody is completely safe from any behavior such as that on this ROAD TRIP. I cannot promise you though, that Ttobey will not attempt a Virtual Massacre, it would not be a ROAD TRIP if he didn't, it is his thing, it is part of his charm and why we love him so much. Additionally, you do not have to worry about Covid-19, you are completely safe!!! Since this is Virtual, you are taking this entire trip from the safety of your electronic device. Also since it is Virtual, you have an unlimited supply of MONEY!!!! You can spend as much or as little as you want. If you see something in a shop you want, buy it, you have the money!!! Live it up!!!! This is the best kind of vacation you will ever take!!! And remember above all else, have fun with this and we are all friends here. Now.......................OFF WE GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have already been loaded onto the airship and are already placed into your cabin, your watchers are standing guard outside of your cabin door and there is no other exit from your cabin!!!! Therefore you will be having fun as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you're talking to Dreamweaver, he is coming with us too so you don't have to wave goodbye or anything he'll be right here with us. I love the cocktail hours where we can all sit around and tell stories and drink and relax with friends.
I've had my first glass of red wine with a brilliant New York steak and baked potato. I might try a vegetable tomorrow. Mmm the chef is on point.
I caught a 57lb Mahi Mahi on the way. Can we put it on ice to have for a nice lunch during our flight? Or see if one of the restaurants can cook it for us? Good thing I was using the 100lb test line.
As Balcerak was reeling in his fish, he noticed a pull on the line.He held on and the pull this time lurched the airship to the side. He looked below and froze in his tracks. The Kraken! Each new pull on the line was the beast taking a new bite up the line, climbing slowly closer. As it finally reached the top of the line, it opened it's huge beak and CRUNCH! The airship was gone, swallowed in one big gulp and the Kraken fell back into it's murky home. What a tragedy!
Good Morning ROAD TRIPPERS!!! Yesterday after checking into our Resort, the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel, we spent the day exploring the Capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan. We set our time delays so that we were back at Saturday Morning and by the real world time of 6 pm local time on Monday, we had explored a lot that San Juan had to offer. Here is a recap of some of what we saw: We used this first day to discover the history of Puerto Rico by seeing the Forts, museums, and taking a walking tour with a local guide. Our resort is located between the beach and Old San Juan, so stepping out the front of the resort we are in Old San Juan and a shuttle took us to Castillo San Felipe del Morro, the first of two important citadels built by the Spanish to protect the city by land and by sea. Here is a link to more in depth information on this citadel as they describe it much better than I can, but it took 250 years to build it!!! https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/castillo-san-felipe-del-morro/8024 Then the shuttle took us to the second citadel Castillo San Cristóbal. This citadel took approximately 131 years to build and is the citadel that was built to protect the city from enemies approaching by land. Here is a link to more in depth information for this citadel: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/fuerte-san-cristobal/8023 These are both combined into a National Park and serviced by the US National Park Service. Next, the shuttle took us to Museo Casa Blanca. This was built in 1521 as the main residence for the first Governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de León. This is Old San Juan's oldest residence and now houses 16th and 17th century artifacts. Next, we visited the San Juan Cathedral or Catedral de San Juan Bautista. This is the grandest religious building in Puerto Rico and is the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese, it is the second oldest church in the Western Hemisphere, and the oldest church on US soil. The history of the church dates to 1521, but the current structure was built in 1540, the original structure, built in 1521 was demolished by a hurricane. Our next stop was the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery *shudders*. This cemetary only dates to 1863. It is built by the walls of Castillo San Felipe del Morro on one edge, La Perla on the other edge, La Perla is the oldest slum in Puerto Rico and probably the last in existence, it is quite safe due to a large police presence and the residents respect for tourists, the last edge of the cemetary is the Atlantic Ocean, the Spanish situated the cemetary this way out of fear of death because it was a mystery and to symbolize the crossing into the afterlife. The cemetary is shaped like a pie wedge on a hill. Next was the Museo de las Américas. From the Puerto Rico Website, This museum offers three permanent collections as well as temporary exhibitions all emphasizing the conservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of Puerto Rico and the Americas, with a firm commitment to the community. The museum's permanent exhibitions are Folk Arts in the Americas, Our African Heritage, and Conquest and Colonization. The Museo de las Américas is located inside the historic Cuartel de Ballajá, which in Spanish colonial times was used as the military's barracks. Our next visit was to the San José Church. From the Puerto Rico Website, The second oldest church in the Americas was established in 1532 under Spanish rule, and it highlights the Gothic architecture of the time. It was the resting place of Juan Ponce de León for 350 years, and it still bears his coat of arms. It remains the final resting place of José Campeche, one of Puerto Rico's most revered artists. Since 2003, the church has been under works for preservation, and it was named one of the US' most endangered sites due to its deterioration. So far, all of this has been so fascinating, I have never done any research on Puerto Rico before!!! One more stop and then we will have a bite to eat!! So here we go to the Plazuela de la Rogativa. From the Puerto Rico Website, Hidden away to the right side of Puerto Rico's governor's mansion, La Fortaleza, you'll find La Rogativa sculpture. With one of the best views of the San Juan Bay, the sculpture commemorates a women-led religious procession that took place in 1797. The legend goes that the British Armada was planning to invade San Juan, but were spooked away by hundreds of torches that they saw on land and believing that they were reinforcements they halted their invasion. Wow!!!!!!! You go girls!!!! Lets eat!!! We stopped for some lunch in Old San Juan at El Patio de Sam. The menu featured cuisines from American, Caribbean, Latin, and Puerto Rican cultures and there was a full service bar. The wait staff was excellent and the food was fantastic. There was something for everybody on the menu and there was full access for disabilities, so Leloes was not impaired in any way from enjoying lunch with us. They have the best Margaritas in all of Puerto Rico in this restaurant, or so I am told, I do not drink Margaritas but I did see Ttobey and Dreamweaver downing quite a few and they are huge and so for a Ratonga and a Froglok to down that many, I do not think they felt a thing the rest of the day!!!! After lunch, we ventured on to One of Old San Juan's most emblematic plazas, Plaza de Armas. Plaza de Armas dates back to Spanish colonial times when it was designed as the city's main town square. To one side of the plaza, you'll find San Juan's official town hall building and on another the Puerto Rico Department of State. A popular photo-op spot in the plaza is the bronze statue of famous Puerto Rican salsa composer Tito Curet Alonso. Next was the Plaza Colón - San Juan. From the Puerto Rico Website, Plaza Colón is one of the most important plazas in all of San Juan. If you enter the San Juan islet by land, through Puerta de Tierra, this plaza will be right at the entrance of the walled city. Before 1897, this eastern part of San Juan was protected by the Puerta de Santiago, one of the stone walls that encircled Old San Juan. Later on, this wall was deemed unnecessary and an obstacle to San Juan’s economic progress, and it was quickly demolished in May of that year. In the center of the plaza, you'll find a monument of Christopher Columbus, which commemorate the fourth centenary of the arrival of the Spanish. I think two more stops should round out the day and then we can return to the resort, shower, rest a bit and then have cocktails at 6 pm and dinner at 7 pm at Morton's - The Steakhouse in Old San Juan. This is another restaurant with a mix of American, Puerto Rican, and Caribbean cuisine. Balcerak, 1/2 of your Mahi Mahi has been delivered to the chefs at this restaurant to prepare for you any way you prefer, the other half is on ice in the airship. Our next stop, was the Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española. From the Puerto Rico Website, The old Navy Arsenal was built in the 1800s by the Spanish to store ammunition and weapons. After the Spanish-American War, the Americans handed it over to the local government for use as government offices. Nowadays, the old Navy Arsenal is managed by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, who rents it out for special events and exhibitions such as the MECA Art Fair. Our final stop for the day was, the Fortín de San Jerónimo del Boquerón. From the Puerto Rico Website, The Fortress of San Jerónimo del Boquerón is a small fort located at the mouth of the Condado Lagoon, across from the historic sector of Miramar in San Juan. It was built during the 18th century to replace a smaller battery (called El Boquerón) that stood at the easternmost end of the San Juan islet. The original Boquerón battery was used by the Spanish to defend the city of San Juan from attacks by Sir Francis Drake in 1595 and George Clifford, the third Earl of Cumberland in 1598, who managed to destroy it during his attack. San Jerónimo became part of San Juan's first line of defense, along with the San Antonio Fort/Bridge and Escambrón Fort, being the fourth and last line of defense the formidable Castillo San Cristóbal, which guarded the city entrance proper. We saw about half of the historical and cultural sites in San Juan today. So tomorrow will be another day of culture and history. After dinner we can just sit and relax in the hotel lounge and chat, or we can go into Old San Juan and see some of the nightlife or if you like you can go to sleep early, it was a long day!!! Depending upon how we set our time delays, we may even get in some shopping tomorrow!!!! Make sure you have your green buttons with you!!!!!
Just don't get it fouled in the propellors taking us through the air. The robot repair crew can call on Kusanagi, Motoko to take care of problems.
Hey Kraken ! How is it going with you ? "Sorry, didn't know this was your airship. Bye !" And with that conversation the Kraken lets go of the line and goes back into the depths. edit: Gero drops a case of good Puerto Rico rum into the depths for his Kraken buddy. And put a case away for himself.
I think Ttobey forgot that Uwkete taught his Kraken a lesson and then taught him to be a bartender!!!
"Balcerak, 1/2 of your Mahi Mahi has been delivered to the chefs at this restaurant to prepare for you any way you prefer, the other half is on ice in the airship." Simply grilled with butter and herbs. I can't eat the whole half of it though!
I love the history, and the architecture is sublime! I like that we can drink too and not have hangovers the next day LOL
After golfing in the hot sun all day in Hawaii a few years back, I had dinner with 7 double Mai Tais (over about 3 hours). Our rented condo was across the street so no driving. When we got back to the condo, I drank two large glasses of water, went to bed and was fine the next morning. My friends were not so lucky Keep hydrated!
