7:00 Breakfast at Jane’s-today is our BIKE ride-go to Blackbeards. Trail-no cars-just horses-see where ammunition was stored during war. Stopped for pictures-don’t see rest of group-only John is bringing up rear. STOP-FLAT TIRE-takes both of us over an hr to fix-pump was difficult to use-NO ONE CAME TO FIND US. John asks if I still want to finish bike ride-really don’t care about biking-just want to eat lunch. Hilight of day-came up on group of horses-mother had just given birth. Got pictures of babies 1st steps☺☺. Found group on mile long cement peer eating lunch-another wonderful meal. Go back to motel-play in water before dinner-very nice outside restaurant. I have to cut back on food or never going to get on bike. Decide to go back to San Juan because John & Jane are leaving Mon for NY-on Tues they fly to ISTANBOL-others going to San Juan on Sat. Hostel is now full. Jane likes DAHOUSE-Ask for cheapest room. $90-we get a room w/very loud music playing next door from 9:00-3:00 AM. OK-have earplugs.
FRAN-was the “oldest” women on our tour at 69. She had run marathons & took up biking because of knee problems. In 2002 she biked over 10,000 including our trip. At 83, she’s slowing down to 6,000 a yr-mainly because she has a new obsession-geocaching. With the use of her phone she has found over 700 hidden treasures-including 4 or 5 in Vieques-on our bike trip & on way to airport. She is always positive-she’s my hero.

(5/9-Anne helped me find all my lost pictures-now I just need to find how to put them on the blog)
Wed-8:00 Breakfast @ Jane’s-delicious. Shows us her guest room-I want to make reservations now. Then we load up in 2 cars (Armands permanent place is to crawl in back) & go for island tour. Don’t know how people drive here-no stop lights on island, very narrow streets w/cars parked on 1 side. HORSES HERE ROAM FREE & HAVE RIGHT OF WAY-everything is very dry-never saw where horses get water. Stopped at old fort-now a museum, lighthouse, ate lunch-went to pool (water perfect temp). Mary Pat taught me to throw rubber duck from 1 end of pool to other (never learned to throw). Went to eat again-bus picked us up-took us to Mosquito Bay on Caribbean. Completely dark so we could see luminescents-light up when disturbed. Just found out that John & Amy came here on their honeymoon. Was given 2 types of earplugs-wax worked to block out ROAR OF WAVES!

Go to Los Americas Museum-very interesting but closed from 12-1. Eat-our bags are locked up at hostel for lunch too. Time to go-cancel our reservation-taxis lined up in square. Agree on $80-can go to $100 (hr drive to ferry) Mario is from DRepublic-1st opportunity to practice my Spanish. Agrees to pick us up when we leave. Donna (Lake Tahoe), Lynn (Seattle), Mary Pat (FL)-are already there-all flew in today. 1 hr crowded ride-can’t even see water. John & Jane waiting for us-take us to Casa La Lanchita-a few min away & near their house. See our room-porch backs up to ocean-arrived in paradise. Fantastic dinner is served on roof that night. Jane & John (our hosts from NY-have home here), Chloe (AZ), Anne (CO), Fran & Fred (VA)-8 women from our 2002 Cross Country tour (out of 12) are here for our 7th reunion in 7 different locations. Amazing group-will share later about them. Everyone tired after long trip to VIEQUES. PARADISE-our room is not at night-the waves are so loud I can’t sleep😣😴 Remember seeing email about waves & earplugs.

Up early-went to cemetery at fort-no one around-just the dead. Going to be a day for museums, guided fort tour, beach. NO-everything is closed on Mon! Get on bus to beach-seniors pay .35. Meet 2 couples from CA-tell them our biking story of West Coast-miss beach stop because I can’t stop talking! Ride to end-told to get off-last stop. But we need to go to OLD SAN JUAN & We’re in New San Juan. Bus driver very nice-tells us  where to go.  Armand buys M&Ms & gatorade. Get on bus-see BBUY sign.  Need to ask how To download pictures from camera. NOT a Best Buy-we’re at a huge convention center-vendors for BB are setting up! Now we don’t have enough money for bus & no where to get change-it went for M&M’s.  Bus comes-tengo .sola .53. He lets us on.  Decide to walk to beach-see Capitol across street. Let us go inside-beautiful. Finally walk down to beach-reading sign in Spanish. A woman helps me w/pronunciation.  Turns out the other woman is her cousin from New Orleans.  Get a 20 min history lesson standing in the sand. Took trolley back-went out to eat Mex food-didn’t enjoy it-eating too much.  Talked to Jane-told her we would take late ferry to Vieques tomorrow-want to see museum. Donna (Lake Tahoe), Lynn (Seattle), Chloe (AZ) would be on the same one.  Canceled our reservation at the hostel-going to spend the time in Vieques.

Up early-dropped in on mass in Spanish. Took ferry ($1)  to Bacardi rum factory-biggest rum factory in the world.  Bacardi family started in Cuba-exiled by Castro-moved to Puerto Rico. Went back to hostel for siesta-Armand watched golf.  Ate at Subway-walked around for another  2 hrs

Today is Fri-haven’t written because Armand tried to download pictures to notebook-somehow ALL pictures from PR were deleted from notebook & camera.

Up at 7 Patrick again-will miss my alarm clock-very nice visit. Traffic to air port terrible-3 lanes closed.  Armand missed turn but we still made it in time.  Take taxi to hostel-walk up 6 flights of steps-will take elevator next time-room is clean-bathroom is across hall.  Visit San Crestobal Fort & San Felipe Del Marro Fort. Spain had control of Puerto Rico for 400 yrs. Forts very impressive. Eat & go to bed early while Armand watches golf!!!

What a view!

6.044

walls on fort-up to 18 ft thick-very impressive

Up at 7 Patrick again.  Went to Best Buy-bought new camera-hopefully to have pictures on blog.  (Can’t figure it out yet). Went to Patrick’s school to watch him in a play done completely in Portuguese. Both boys go to same public school-K-8th grade, wear uniforms, 40% of classes are in Portuguese.  Plays were put on by 1st, 2nd, 3rd graders-didn’t understand it but very impressive. Went to Patrick’s soccer practice that night. Beat Armand & John in a game of H-O-R-S-E.

Patrick wakes us up at 7:00. Leave at 9:00 for Key largo-50 m.  Larry at VCenter recommends Everglades Eco  Safari-6 of us on pontoon boat w/guide. ENPark is largest national park. Pythons have eaten 90% of animals-are now after birds.  Saw manatee-related  to elephants-baby stays w/mom for life. Ate Mex food & went home.

Nathan took us to airport.  Ate chocolates Veye-90 yr old neighbor gave me-before plane took off.  Arrived at ft. Lauderdale airport-John’s in court-can’t pick us up until 7:30. Rent car. Eat & beat them home. Good to see John, Amy, Patrick (3rd grade), Phillip  (K)