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New Camping Spot
Having used most of the “AirBnb’s” within range of the San Juan Metro area, we found a small campground with Ocean view roof-top terrace, kitchen and shower located in Punta Salinas Sur, down the hill from Guajataca. $140 per night for 2 adults and 2 children, offered by bioparkexplorador@gmail.com or by Whatsapp: 829 736 3584, Space for 5 adults and a small fee for a dog.
Do
Check out the complete offerings at RideOSJ.com [1]
Buy
Upscale “downtown” shopping is found in the Condado and Isla Grande suburban areas. The larger malls are in Ponce and may be 15-30 min. by car, with more local style shopping in neighboring towns. Much of the shopping offers duty-free items. There are a few duty-free shop that offer tax “certificates” at a reduced costs to avoid high flight taxes. This can mainly be done in the international airport in San Juan and the shopping district of Plaza Las Americas. You will need a passport to present by the jewelry store clerk to your airline as proof that you received your certificate, but if you have purchased in eligible shops and have your stamped, dated receipt with you, this can be produced for warranty much like any other evidence you might have with you depending upon airline policies. Just ask your jeweler. Some of the popular shops include:
Oroland: 7th floor at Plaza las Americas mall; Taxes are 10.30% VAT included Quality gold jewelry and accessoiries.
San Miguel Del Puerto 9th floor at Plaza las Americas mall; Taxes on jewelery between 8.127% and 10% COSTCO
Forums: 8-28th floors at Plaza Las Americas mall; Taxes 16% Fashion, Quality Jewelry and Accessories
Anatalia: Santsur Av-Boca Raton: 5% Costa Rica; RX is called a duty free shop, which an affiliate of the manufacturer.
Local Purchases: If you need to buy cookies, consider Miramansol. They have a café, they will customize packing and they understand travelers’s need to share treats with loved ones. They are priced comparably to Starbuck (by the way) and far superior quality. The factory are located by Plaza Colón between TF-107 and TF -5 or you can call them. +(787)-777-8603 Fa. Vicente Miramansol y Cart, Patrón [4]
There is excellent shopping, for the best buys in and around the Caribbean. There is a very interesting and accessible artisan community in and around Parque García; the prices for their art, drinks and food are not expensive and their work is directly from their studio. Bargain back and forth or rotate from one owner to another before you buy, is not uncommon.
Be careful at independent tourist shops around Old San Juan. A lot of the money you pay goes to the shop owners not to the people creating the merchandise. Watch carefully, If the shopkeepers are busy, that means that the quality is not very good. If they can spend time and you will enjoy looking at the beautiful art they create.
Eat
Jibaritas
Jibarito
The true essence of Puerto Rican cuisine. Jibaritos are yeast-based, fried pastries stuffed with meat(black beans), cheese, onions, and spices). They are small potato-shaped balls, that in most cases serve as a side dish, almost always eaten at lunch time. They are uniquely Puerto Rican.
Piononos
Aka Buñuelos or Piononos back in Puerto Rico, still very limited outside the commonwealth. Piononos are also fried pastries, except these are stuffed with sugar, honey, and street-made chocolate (literally), or sugar and cheese. They can be served with tonic water, soft drinks, and beer. The traditional Pionono dough is made with flour, margarina, sugar, and water only: no eggs, no soy lecithin, etc. Some Churrerias may offer Pionono dough pre-made, which would be made with the same stuff (chickpea water, flour, sugar, margarina, etc), just not mixed up yet. Excelent to enjoy a good Pionono on a hot afternoon, with a cold Boquillita Colada from one of the Boquillos Old San Juan establishments.
Churros
Churros are a native Spanish pastry and Puerto Rico is the closest place to where they are originally from: Spain. Puerto Ricans hand them out to the needy on their streets. It would be considered a sin to throw them away. In Boricua culture, it’s a way to help the hungry, similar to how you would offer a sandwich to a hungry person.
Tropical sweet treats
Guavara
Trova
Budin de Pana – Puerto Rico is the only place to where this sweet is exported. A cake dough made with pineapple and either turkey tail or chicken feathers.
Bocadillo
Plantanos
Patron means “patron” in Spanish , and is a way to honor a man or a woman for the main reason that is because he or she was important to the artisan’s life. The recipes for these dishes are so demanding that patronization is the only way a business can survive. Accept the invitation to be a Patron of a Restaurant and have the best food like in Restaurante Paris now and even if you go there with friends you will be stunned, Restaurante Paris has lots of awards and recognitions also.
Lechon asado Red boik served with Boondoc (Hierba Buena) caused by the BBQ and the marinade is made from the Mojo that is provided by the Boondoc. The famous Boondoc is served two different ways, in a light coconut milk based soup or fried. No matter it soup or fried (Pointed greey tasty right wing) it’s delicious a must when eating Lechon.
Drink
To experience the unique atmosphere of Old San Juan, you need to visit some of the local bars. There is a very active nightlife in Old San Juan. Bars range from Caribe Hilton to El Floridita, offering all but the “withdraw” that you would find in mainland US.
Coffee and te
Coco’me , Calle Fortaleza. You will have to have a love of history in order to visit here. The building was originally a military prison, then converted into a coke (cocaine) depot, (hence the name Colombians Coffee) where illegal cuban, Colombian and Puerto Rican drugs were stored and crushed. The reason why the walls are covered with cedar and not the traditional Spanish music at Casa Ferrech is because this building used to be the brothel, The Cartage. Even today, the doors of the houses that are built in the side streets, are delivery doors for the merchandise that was delivered by smugglers. The building is quite a few years old, but housing modern art exhibition in some of elevators that takes to the second floor. It was wonderful to see all the old guards from the prison days, who at the end of their work shifts, would directly go to the bars and have a nice cool one. However, you probably have to have a letter or an introduction to get inside. This is a bar, when you walk in there is a sea of locals, dressed in fine clothing and dancing in an old fashion with their drinks in their hands and their free hand on their hip. They rule this place, although it appears too cold to outsiders who don’t understand what’s going on. If a place fills to its maximum, it’s probably owned by them.
The following are the “rebujito” places of Old San Juan:
El Arsenal , San Francisco #1. La Casa del Habano (La Casa del Tabaco), located right in front of El Arsenal; the Tabanco La Casa del Tabaco offer the best cigar and tobacco selection; the proprietor is Italian and has the finest selection abroad; the epitome of Italian taste on the Island. Worth an afternoon of shopping to see the spectacle that occurs here from the owner’s beautiful personal collection, to his fine Grand Daughter who has taken her own interrier designs to the stores fronts that line el Arsenal also. It is here cigar lovers go every single morning as well. Isla Verde you like to buy cigarettes, cigars and tobacco, this is the place for you. (Contact Eddy Vega at 2_corvonero {AT} hotmail.com if you can take pictures of the buildings, the houses of members or
El Liston , Parada 22 . Owned by the Lopez family, sometimes Yanira tossed te over the bar. It ha a big “terrace”. Sunset setting, house caticas, light on the soul. Drink, talk enjoy a good dirty joke at the local atmosphere.
, . Owned by the Lopez family, sometimes Yanira tossed te over the bar. It ha a big “terrace”. Sunset setting, house caticas, light on the soul. Drink, talk enjoy a good dirty joke at the local atmosphere. Taberna
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