Cruise 2011: Day 1

 TRIP INTRODUCTION: 

I am going to blog about our trip port by port for a few reasons, one so I can remember each little funny story and place we went to and also because I have had many people ask me exactly what we did in these places and things we liked so that they could know for when they may go in the future. So here we go. Read all you want or just look at the pictures which is what I do when I read magazines. 

Some friends and us or do I say we and some friends?? Anyway, we all decided to go on a cruise. Matson as a child never traveled much and my family is big on traveling so I just want to show him the world and all my favorite places that I have been. BUT the Caribbean, I had not been to many places there so we decided to cruise there. Matson and our group besides me had never been on a cruise either so Matson was very excited to even just see our cruise ship! 

Day 1: San Juan
we arrived in San Juan a day early before our cruise left so that we could tour around San Juan. I had been there when I was a little kid but do not remember that. So we got there in the afternoon and went to our Courtyard Marriott where we all ZONKED out. We were exhausted from our flight that left SLC at 1am. We woke up and right away left outside to explore San Juan.

Right below our hotel was this restaurant called "801". Matson loved that. Our phone #?

We were all freaked out that their gas prices were so cheap! 99 cents!? Then after walking a little longer we all realized it is in liters. DUH! I do not do math, so I do not know if it really is cheaper or more expensive.

We were all CRACKING up because we had been back from the airport for 3+ hours and Matson's sister, T*, had this sticker from her luggage stuck to her that long.

The video below might be a good little introduction to us just walking around San Juan and there is something Matson likes to zoom in on in almost EVERY video (my Dad also has done this to my Mom their whole married life), so I thought I would just go ahead and show you it now so by the end of our trip blog you will be use to my bottom. You'll also see how Matson and T* both record on their video cameras at the same time and video tape each other. T* was always recording, he even recorded taxi rides? One of the trip jokes was about how F* and T* are going to have 15 children so in their videos we always talked to their 15 children and gave them advice and told them about their parents.

So that first day in San Juan after walking around for a long time, we ate at a really yummy Pizza restaurant (because we all weren't up for some Puerto Rican style food) called Pizza e Birra in Old San Juan. Go there! So good. We actually went there twice before we left for our cruise. This day for dinner and then on Day 2 for lunch before we got on the ship!

T* and Matson waiting for their pizza.

Me, F*, and T* were all so happy to get into some AC after walking around sweating through every single layer!

We then headed to walk around Old San Juan some more. We went into the Coach store and somehow ended up at this cool park that apparently was the Pigeon HANG OUT.

This wall had hundreds of little boxed holes for the birds to stay in. It was actually really cool.

I definitely feel that the holes were man made, but I wonder if at first the birds started making them themselves?

It was super scary because we were walking around and all the sudden at 8pm-ish which is not very late (to me at least) everyone was off the streets and it was only local people or creepies. So San Juan shuts down when it gets dark, we learned that quick and headed right back to our hotel where some of us went swimming at the hotel pool and played the pool game, Categories. Apparently, I am the only true child out of the group because I had to teach everyone (even Matson) how to play. some of you right now are probably thinking...yeah, what is this Categories game? It's just like the games Colors where you try to get across the pool without the "it" person hearing you but you can do all kind of categories like candy bars, movies, clothing brands, etc. and now even some of you are still think what the heck is Colors? well sorry to you people, just come swimming with me sometime and I can teach you. We played for a while and it was hilarious watching Matson and our friend T* try to be all graceful across the pool. After swimming we all went to sleep so we could wake up for our next day of exploring San Juan.

(Read this like an announcer at the end of pretty much every television show) In our next post on Every Saturday is Waffle Day, you'll read more about our adventures in San Juan and our first night on the cruise ship!