It was 5:00 am when the first alarm went off. Snooze. It felt good relaxing in the warm covers... Realizing the huge day that lie ahead. But soon enough the excitement took over and Scott and I were running about getting ready, prepping breakfast and loading the vehicle. The ride to the airport was super sweet with the kids singing praise songs as we drove in awe of the beautiful and bright full moon. We timed it just perfectly, arriving at our gate just 20 minutes before boarding. The flight to Chicago was uneventful and quick. Then we had quite a hike to get to our next flight with less than an hour.
Sammy and I hit the restroom and apparently she didn't hear me say I was in the stall next door. When she finished, she assumed she was lost and ran out to the hallway by Scott. I found her hiding her face, in tears. Oh gosh did I feel terrible and feared it could throw off the rest of the day... But after a long hug and apology, she seemed better.
Because of the snow storms hitting the east coast, the flight (which is normally 3 hrs and 25ish minutes) detoured around the Carolinas and lasted 4:11 hrs. By far our longest flight.
Thankfully though, the seat next to Sammy remained empty... It was welcome space when at the 1 hr mark she started complaining she was bored and then started getting angry. Nothing seemed to help so I tried to minimalize the problem and after another hour got her redirectioned. We played Uno, we watched movies, we colored pictures, we braided string, we ate lots of Brown Bears... anything to keep her busy!
We were thrilled when we landed!! Our longest flight and she did pretty well!
We easily found the Disney rep who would show us to our ride. While Scott and Tyler got our bags, I asked Ingrid how long of a wait it would be... She said we were waiting on four flights. After explaining our difficulty with waiting, I offered to get a cab instead but Ingrid instead offered to send a driver then with just us. Thank you Lord! It's amazing how He goes before us and lays out these simple "coincidences" to make the way smooth.
It was 89* and pretty humid when we landed. The city is quite large with beautiful mountains looming to the south and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean lapping to the north.
We are staying at the Caribe Hilton and it is gorgeous with so many activities and amenities. We already decided we would love to come back again and spend more time here!
The hotel is only about a 5 minute drive from Old San Juan so we decided to grab a taxi and head over to see the historic district and grab some food. We had a father-son team drive us to town, both named William. They gave us lots of suggestions on where to go, what to see/do and where to eat.
They highly recommended we visit at least one of the city's 3 forts. We visited the Castillo San Cristobal, originally built in 1634, but most of the remaining structures built in the 1760s-1780s. It was beautiful and super interesting as we climbed the lookouts, walked through the tunnels and even explored the dungeon. In one prison cell, we saw drawings on the wall that were likely left by a Spanish captain awaiting execution. We even saw scrapes and holes in the ceilings of the tunnels where bayonettes or swords must have left their mark as soldiers marched through. It was just so fascinating!
After we finished up at the fort, we wandered the cobble stone streets and found supper at a highly recommended restaurant that serves "authentic Puerto Rican food". We knew the kids were super hungry, so Scott and I both asked the waiter for a recommendation and went with that.
While Scott was ordering, Sammy bit into her ice, dropped her silverware and screamed, big tears rolling down her cheeks and a panicked look in her eye. I immediately remembered the dentist telling me that Sammy had some loose teeth that would likely come out in 2-3wks (that was 2 was ago). So, she and I proceeded to the ladies rest room. Lots of tears, some sustained screaming, and a long line outside the women's bathroom later... And Sammy had lost her tooth.
We went back to the table and waited for our meal. Scott and I both ordered a mofongo relleno. It's essentially a bowl made out of cassava or plantain that is served with your choice of meat, covered in either a tomato sauce or wine reduction. I ordered the skirt steak with cassava (like a potato) and Scott did the shrimp with sweet plantains. Both were excellent!
We snapped one more pic by a fountain in the plaza... Then grabbed a cab to head back to the hotel.
It was after 6:30 and getting dark, but we had promised the kids a swim... So we quick changed and headed down to the pool.
We grabbed snacks from Starbucks for a bedtime treat, took showers and finished a fabulous day with a family movie. It's just after 9:15 and the lights are off and everyone is settled in bed.
It was a GREAT day!
