February 20, 2019
We took a few days and worked our way around the south side of Puerto Rico and then up the east coast to the Yacht Club at Palmas Del Mar. The anchorages we chose were peaceful and calm and every time we were the only boat there. The second one, Cayo Puerca was surrounded by mangroves so I took the kayak down and paddled around one morning. Lots of birds and something big in the water that kept swimming away from me (probably a manatee) but I never got a good look as the water was a bit murky. I’ve definitely been spoiled by the beautiful water in the Bahamas and now anything less than crystal clear, turquoise water just doesn’t look inviting.
This is a pretty yacht club that is well protected and will be my home for the next two weeks. I say mine as Gary is flying back to Virginia tomorrow for a week or two.
I have a pool, small but nice view of the harbor and the crashing waves, lots of restaurants within walking distance for lunch breaks, and a gated marina with 24/7 security. All in all, Isabella and I will be fine on our own. I may even get that pesky “to-do” list completely taken care of.
We’ve also had a car the last few days and it’s quite easy to get around so if I start going crazy I can always rent a car for the day and go shopping or sight seeing.
Puerto Rico is still suffering the after effects of Hurricane Irma even in the coastal tourist areas. Lots of houses are missing tile roofs and several of the surrounding houses and condos need major work.
The main roads are not bad and there are no motor scooters here so driving is a lot less hectic than it was in DR. But there are a LOT of cars. Like the US it is a very mobile island. Without a car it’s not that easy to get around. Good thing there is a car rental place just outside the marina gates.
The weather is starting to kick up a bit so we’re expecting the marina to start filling up. At the moment it’s only about ⅓ full. There are condos surrounding the marina and they all have private slips so it looks much bigger than it really is.
No more updates until we get back underway again. Next stop will be a small island with good diving to get us back into the swing of it.