Hello... Again

Hey, everyone.  Yes, it’s me, your beloved author.  I know I haven’t been here in a while—not that anyone really noticed—but I plan to change that.  Back when I first decided to start blogging, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it.  First I just starting putting thoughts down and seeing what would manifest from there. Since then, I’ve changed my mind more times than I’ve ever thought possible. Frankly, I’m still a bit iffy on the whole subject.  Yeah, I know that’s strange coming from someone who’s actively sharing thoughts with strangers, but I’m really a pretty quiet and reserved guy.  With that being the case, I never think that what I do is good enough to share. I don’t feel that my contributions are worth people’s time, which has basically made me a horrible self-promoter. That’s probably why I hoard my photos.

Let’s get back on topic here before this turns into a therapy session. I think my biggest mental block has been that I want to do too many things at once.  I want to write about travel, while at the same time writing about tech, while at the same time writing about the ridicoulousness of daily life.  The problem is, with such a broad spectrum of things to write about, and such an overwhelming level of details, it makes me just not want to write anything. Baically, I lack focus.

It’s interesting that I used the word ‘focus’ since that’s how I plan get out of this funk. To help me out of this fog, I’m going back to what I enjoy doing, and that’s taking photos.  My plan is to capture the moments that make life what it is, and write about my experiences. I remember something that one of my Creative Writting teachers taught me back in high school, “show me don’t tell me.” I’m pretty sure she was just teaching me to be descriptive with my words, but I’m going to use this as my way to tell you the story... whatever that story may be (spoiler alert: mostly travel and fixing up our 1927 Bungalow).  

Anyhow, this is getting pretty long for an update blog, especially for one with no pictures. So let’s just see where things go. It should be fun.

Puerto Rico: Paradise Without a Passport

Yes, Puerto Rico is a part of the United States.

International travel can be a headache. Everyone knows that. People typically don't look forward to it. Instead the conversation of international travel is something akin to having major dental work. Naturally, people avoid traveling internationally when possible, unless it's somewhere close. Say, the Caribbean. On top of that, most Caribbean island visitors arrive via ships as large as sky scrapers with populations that rivals some small universities. But what if you wanted to go visit the Caribbean without A) the headache of international travel, and B) being on board a floating buffet? Well, then you have come to the right place, because today I'm going to tell you about how you can get to paradise without a passport.  

A History Lesson

First, let me start off with a little bit of a history lesson about Puerto Rico.  Firstly, I am Puerto Rican.  I know, shocking right?  Not really.  After all, my name is Carlos Martinez.  It's pretty much a dead giveaway.  What is shocking though, is the fact that some people think that I am a Puerto Rican 'immigrant' since I was actually born in Puerto Rico.  Puerto Ricans stopped being immigrants around 1917 when the island's inhabitants were granted U.S. citizenship by Congress.  That also means that, no matter what you believe or may have read, I cannot be deported, or have my citizenship revoked, or whatever other nonsensical lunacy is floating around the interwebz. That line of thinking is equivalent to saying that people that were born or reside in Kentucky can have their citizenship revoked at any given time. Sure, Puerto Rico may at one point gain independence from the United States which means the conversation will be different for future generations, but for the time being, you guys are stuck with me. Sorry. 

What this also means is that you as an American citizen can travel to and from Puerto Rico as much as you desire, without ever having to prove citizenship, go through customs, or any other extra steps required when you travel outside of the United States. Which is good news if you want to have a slice of the Caribbean life without having to worry about exchange rates, customs declarations, and--more importantly--passports.

Flying to Puerto Rico is easy-peasy.

Getting There

The first step after deciding to go anywhere is to look for a way to get there.  Unless you own a yacht or are willing to swim to Puerto Rico, you'll need a plane ticket.  Luckily for you, almost all the major airlines fly into and out of Puerto Rico's main airport based in the capital of San Juan (SJU).  Another bonus is that most of these flights are non-stop depending on your origin.  If you're flying from the East coast of the mainland, there's a high probability that you'll be on a flight that will last between 3-4 hours.  And less face it, the least amount of time you can spend in a tin can filled with recycled air, the better. Some airlines offer more flights per day than others.  For instance, JetBlue averages 51 flights per day to San Juan which offers you a lot of good options for comfortable flights without having to break the bank. Speaking of not breaking the bank, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2015 the average cost of a flight to San Juan was just over $330. Using this as your baseline you can see that air you travel during non-peak seasons and you'll save yourself a considerable amount of money in just airfare alone.  

One of the benefits of Puerto Rico's relationship with the United States is that airport is very easy to navigate for those who can't or don't read Spanish. It's also filled with a variety of different chain stores and restaurants that are familiar to the American traveler (think Starbucks).  While things on the secure side of the airport are par for the course, where things get interesting is in the baggage claim area.  The baggage claim is more like a fish bowl than a typical baggage claim.  It's surrounded by semi-frosted windows where the people that are waiting for their cherished travelers have their noses pressed against the glass like zombies looking for food.  That's because many years ago, baggage theft at the baggage claim could be considered a sport in Puerto Rico. It became such a problem that the only way to combat it was to institute a No-One-Not-Traveling-Is-Allowed-In policy. Think of it as an extension of the secure area of the terminals. To this point, it is crucial that you keep your luggage receipts that are given to you when you check your bags.  Not only do they check these when you are departing the secure zone, they check them religiously.  Seriously. On one of my trips there, I misplaced my receipts and I was not allowed to leave until they could verify the tag on my bag with the receipt. Luckily it was just in a different part of my backpack so it wasn't a big deal. I can only imagine what would have happened if I wouldn't have found it.

Guerite on Castillo San Felipe del Morro.

Getting Around

Being part of the United State is a benefit when traveling to Puerto Rico over other Caribbean islands mainly because driving on the island doesn't require any special permits, licenses, or anything else.  If you can rent a car in Nebraska, you can rent a car in Puerto Rico.  That's the easy part.  The hard part is actually driving on the island.  Saying that the traffic is a nightmare is an understatement.  It's a nightmare, wrapped in a ball of spiders, covered in wasps, and set on fire.  Driving on the island will test your patience in ways you never thought possible and could possibly take you right to the brink of insanity.  So why is traffic so bad?  Well, it's quite simple: there are close to 3.7 million people on an island 100 miles by 35 miles.  In short, there are people literally everywhere.  And since there is really one major highway to get around the island, it makes navigating in rush hour the chore to end all chores.  It also doesn't help that street names can be non-existent throughout the island.  While the main roads do have dedicated names that are easy to follow, the smaller streets typically don't.  Or if they do, it's a generic name, like "Calle 3" for example.  This can make getting around a challenge, especially if you aren't familiar with an area and suddenly find yourself at the corner of Calle 3 and Carretera 3.

Another big thing to understand is that in Puerto Rico there is a strange belief that if a cop/emergency vehicle does not have their emergency lights on, they must not be working.  What this means is that you will notice that every single emergency vehicle on the island on one point or another will have its emergency lights on and flashing.  This doesn't indicate that there is an actual emergency, it's just a way of letting people know that their civil servants are there and working to improve their lives.  Crazy, right?  

Staying Put

As with any vacation, where you stay can make or break your trip. When it comes to traveling to Puerto Rico, all the standard chain hotels are available for you to pick from when trying to plan a stay.  Where it can get tricky is trying to figure out which region to stay in.  The best way to go about figuring this out is by first looking at the island as 4 vastly different regions, and since they aren't officially named, we'll just split the island into 4 quadrants: Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest.

Tank on Culebra Beach. Photo by Angel Xavier Viera-Vargas

Northeast
The Northeast region of the island is where the bulk of the travelers coming in and out of the island typically stay.  The reason behind this is simple: this is where both the main airport and the main cruise terminals reside.  Beyond those two points of entry, some of the best beaches on the planet reside within this region, one if which--Flamenco Beach on the island of Cluebra--consistently ranks as one of the best beaches on planet Earth.  The Northeast region is also where you'll find the majority of the top tier, and name brand hotels most of which are nestled on an orange sand beach or if not, close to it.  

Besides beaches, the Northeast is also the home to some of best food, the best nightlife experiences, and the best 'tourist' attractions on the island.  There are two forts--Castillo San Cristobal and its more famous sister, Castillo San Felipe del Morro--that date back to the 16th and 18th Century.  These forts are littered with history which is evident when you walk through or around them.  Scars of the prisoners it housed as well as the battles it endured are visible just about everywhere you look.  Something that's necessary to point out about San Juan and the surrounding area is that the volume of things to see is almost endless.  I've been a tourist in the region more times than I can remember, yet every time I go, I always come across something new.  My best advice: take in as much as you can but don't overwhelm yourself.

Palomino Island, exclusively for the guests of El Conquistador.

Outside of the hustle and bustle of San Juan are places like Luquillo, Fajardo, both of which are known for their amazing food and their amazing beaches, Fajardo specifically.  One of the more famous hotels in Fajardo is the El Conquistador, which has been continuously ranked as one of islands most luxurious hotels.  It even has its own private island--Palomino Island--with access provided solely for guests.  Fajardo, which is on the extreme Eastern tip of the island, is also the gateway to some of the more pristine waters you'll ever come across. Culebra is the easiest island to get to as there is a daily ferry to get you there and back.  The other islands, such as Icacos, require getting there by private boat.  Luckily there are plenty of options when it comes to island hopping tours which gives you ample opportunity to visit these waters.  

Lastly, as I could really go on and on about this portion of the island, is the only Rainforest in the US Forest System.  El Yunque is a unique place to say the least.  Being more than just an overgrown section of trees, there are quite a lot of things to see and do in the park.  All of those things involve copious amounts of humidity.  The humidity aside, El Yunque National Forest provides some epic views of the island as well as some excellent hiking trails where you can experience the island as it once was and possibly come across native Taino petroglyphs.

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Southeast
While the Southeastern quadrant of the island is mostly agricultural and rural, there is one area in this portion of the island that has garnered worldwide attention.  The island of Vieques, which is situated a few miles off the Eastern shore, has been shrouded in international controversy.  As far back the early 1940's, the United States Navy controlled Vieques and used it as a bombing and targeting range.  In the early 2000's, after numerous high-profile protests, the Navy relented and relinquished control of the island to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which maintain the island and the National Wildlife Refuge contained on the island.  Given its rough history, the sister island is flourishing.  Flights and ferry's launch to the island daily, and if you feel like staying the night, there are a handful of hotels on the island, with the W Retreat & Spa being the most prominent.  Getting around the island is easy as well as there are Jeep rental locations scattered throughout the area.  One definite thing to see while on Vieques, besides the sugar white sand and the crystal waters, are the remnants of the military stronghold on the island.  It can help put into perspective the struggles of the island and its pivotal role in world history. 

Southwest
The Southwest portion of the island is anchored by Ponce, which is the largest city right behind San Juan, is the unofficial capital of the southern region of the island. While San Juan is considered a progressive city, Ponce is the exact opposite. It is a town which takes pride in its historical roots and traditions.  This is evident in the styling and architecture spread throughout the city which are more in line with traditional Puerto Rico.  Something unique to the area is the frequency of well-known festivals which occur within the city headlined by the Carnaval de Ponce, the oldest carnival in the western hemisphere.  

Crash Boat Beach.  Photo by Ben Schmitt

Northwest
There's a running theme in the Northwest of Puerto Rico: Beach Life or No Life.  Just about everything you encounter in this part of the island revolves around the beach and the beach life.  More specifically, the surfing lifestyle.  While San Juan and the surrounding areas are about the big chain hotels and chain stores, the Northwest caters more to the boutique establishments. The biggest draws of the region are Rincon and Aguadilla, both of which are known for their amazing surf and their beautiful beaches.  In Aguadilla, there's Crash Boat Beach, the beach made famous by the painted fishing boats that line the beach front, and the piers left behind by the military.  These piers make for excellent snorkel points and jumping off points for the clear waters below.  My advice is to just keep your head on a swivel since this is also a popular fishing spot. 

Also in the Northwest is Rincon Beach and Domes Beach.  Here you will find some insanely secluded beaches where relaxation is key.  Not much goes on around these areas, so when you get to the beach, make sure you unplug. While you can swim at Domes Beach, it's more for the surfers as it produces decent waves year round.  Domes Beach gets its name from the nuclear reactor that's nestled right on the beach front.  The reactor isn't active and the resulting sea-foam green dome is the tomb of the reactor and its components which were encased in solid concrete. 

The "Dome" in Domes Beach

To the North, there are two areas in particular that have nothing to do with beaches or surfing but are great stopping points never the less.  The first is La Cueva del Indio (The Indian's Cave).  This area is a natural rock formation that has some great vantage points to the ocean below.  Scattered throughout the area is prehistoric rock art that was left over by the native Taino people.  Something to note about this place. It currently sits on private property.  Even though this may be the case, there are signs throughout the area directing you how to get there, and when you arrive, the family that owns the home is quite accommodating in welcoming you through their property.

Arecibo Observatory

Lastly, is the Arecibo Observatory. Until July of 2016, the Observatory was the largest radio telescope on the planet when it was surpassed by the telescope constructed in China.  The observatory has had many functions during its service life with its most famous objective was the work that it performed for SETI--Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Beyond that, it has also been the setting for numerous films including the James Bond movie Golden Eye and Contact to name a few.  While it's definitely not beach oriented and doesn't speak to many people as a good stop on a vacation, I would highly recommend it as it is something that you don't get to see very often.   

Wrap it up, yo!

Alright, I understand this went on FAR longer than it should have.  But, Puerto Rico is a very unique place.  It's not the run of the mill places you'll visit and has something for everyone.  No two experiences will ever be the same and that's because of the quantity of things that there are to do on the island.  Regardless of what kind of vacation you are looking for, your budget, or what you expect to do, there's a good chance Puerto Rico will offer you something memorable.  The tagline for the island is "La Isla de Encanto" which means "The Island of Enchantment" and the island really lives up to that.  So plan a trip already!  What are you waiting for?  Make sure you stop by the birthplace of the Pina Colada and bring lots of sun screen!  Just don't worry about your passport, you won't need it.  

The Case for Local

Sometimes you don't have to go far to get away from it all.  

When people think of taking a vacation, they typically look for a destination that's somewhere other than where they currently live.  While this is good for the mind and body--to get away from the normal day in and day out routines you've come to expect--it's sometimes not necessary.  I know it sounds strange for my first 'official' travel blog post to be about staying local, but that's exactly what I'm going to do.  Sometimes, you don't have to go far to travel big or be able to relax.  Sometimes, all you have to do is hop in the car and just go.  

Most people overlook taking a "Staycation" as a viable option when they want to get away from it all, but I'm here to tell you that if done right, a Staycation can rival any far away destination that you can conjure up.  Don't believe me?  Well, keep reading and you'll see that it's not only possible, but beneficial.  
 

"It's not really a vacation if you don't leave."

“According to American Express, the average vacation expense per person in the United States is $1,145, or $4,580 for a family of four.”

— Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes Magazine

Typically, when people look to vacation, they don't see their backyard as a viable option.  This can be for a variety of reasons, but justifiably, staying within the confines of your own neighborhood can cause the same stresses that we face on a daily basis to remain.  Obviously I don't mean 'backyard' and 'neighborhood' in a literal sense here, but you get the idea.  Justifiably, staycations can be hard to be seen as true vacations, but as with most things, proper planning can turn any staycation into a vacation that you'll remember for years to come.  Staying local can provide you with some great benefits compared to going long distances.  Traveling far away from home--especially for a short period of time (think less than a week)--can be cost prohibitive, difficult to plan, and can even be bad for your health.  So, while going off to a far away place can help with the immediate stresses and strains of day-to-day life, if done right, staying local can bring you the same amount of stress relief you would get by traveling long distances.  

Benefits of Staying Local

By now you're probably wondering how you can benefit from staying local when staying local, frankly, sucks.  Firstly, let's clear something up.  When I say 'Stay Local', I'm not implying staying at your house and throwing rocks.  Quite the contrary actually.  The point I'm trying to make is to not overlook what's right within your own city or state just because it's an area that you're familiar with.  This brings be to my first benefit of Staying Local: first hand knowledge.  

Ybor City State Museum.  Ybor City, FL

Be a Tourist

I'm sure by now you've seen a commercial or two on TV focusing on getting you to not be a tourist.  Since I'm not trying to sell you anything, I'm going to tell you the exact opposite.  Be a tourist.  Especially if it's in your own city.  Let me explain.  When people travel to an unfamiliar area, some experience a certain degree of anxiety that comes with being in an unknown area.  Sometimes it manifests as excitement and wonder while other times it can present itself as a debilitating anxiety.  If you stay in an area that's familiar, you can bypass the jitters and go straight to making memories.  I know it sounds like useless advice to say to be a tourist in a place you already know, but think about this: people typically go to where you live to vacation.  Remember: somewhere else is always somewhere else to somebody else.  

By being staying local, you have a distinct advantage over the typical tourist.  You know when the peak seasons are.  You know when places are open.  You know what areas to avoid.  And if you live in Florida, you'll know when bad weather is coming. 3 o'clock if your curious. By being a tourist, you'll allow yourself to see the parts of your area that you may have not known existed.  See museums that you typically pass right by and learn the history of what formed your town/city/state.  Sure, you can do this without having to take a staycation, but that's not the point.  By doing it as a tourist, you can see things from an outsiders point of view.  Take the audio tours.  Listen to the docents.  All those things that you as a local think you know about your town, but never really took the time to understand.  By allowing yourself to not think like a local and see your town from an outsiders point of view, you can gain a new appreciation for where you live.  And not only that, you'll do it durning non-peak season, and (hopefully) stress free. 

Kona International Airport.  Kona, HI.

Long Distances are For the birds

Another distinct advantage over long distance travel is the time and resources needed in order to just to get where you want to go.  Distance and time are two things that a lot of people overlook when try to plan a vacation that involves going halfway around the world or even closer.  Here's an example.  Say you finally got that week long vacation approved from work.  That's 40 hours of sweet relaxation that you've earned by putting in a MUCH higher amount of input.  If you were to plan a Monday - Friday vacation (as most people do), you have to account for the travel time.  So let's start with a baseline.  A week long vacation is 120 hours.  Factor in recommended sleeping time, and you lose 40 hours, leaving you with 80 hours to do whatever you want.  That's plenty of time, right?  Well... yes, and no.  

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)--you know, the folks in the blue shirts at the airport that people love to hate--it is recommended that you arrive no less than 2 hours before any domestic flight and no less than 3 hours for international flights.  So by doing simple math, you'll need to allot 4 hours of time just waiting around at the airport before you even go anywhere if you fly domestic. 6 if you're international.  Before you even leave, you're down from 120 hours of vacation to somewhere between 74 and 76 hours.  Factor in an average of about 3 hours domestic flight time or 7 hours international flight time and you're down to 68 hours for domestic flights or 69 hours for international.  What that equates to is your 5 day vacation being truncated down by almost an entire day, just in travel.  See?  Science.

Mt. Charleston.  Lee Canyon, NV

Money Over Everything

Money Over Everything is a terrible song.  Seriously, don't listen to it.  And unless you're extremely wealthy or willing to get into copious amounts of debt for a vacation, money will always be a determining factor when deciding where, when, and how you travel. There's no shame in not being able to take a vacation that is the equivalent to a downpayment on a house.  Vacationing isn't about outdoing someone else, it's about making sure you get a chance to "get away from it all" without brining on more stress in the process. Since resources are a sticking point for most of us, why not maximize your budget by cutting out a huge chunk of the expenditure process?  By staying local you can be provided the opportunity to experience things you wouldn't get to experience if you had to shell out an extra thousand or so dollars in just travel costs. In a 2015 report published by Expedia, the average domestic airfare is somewhere around $496.  $496!  If you want to travel internationally, that fare jumps to $1,368 on average.  Multiply those numbers by however many people are traveling with you and you can see that your budget shrinks rather quickly.  

Let’s do some simple math again (I know, I know).  Let’s say that you’re starting with a modest budget for vacation, for the sake of this exercise, let’s say $2,500.  This immediately rules out international travel unless you snag a sweet deal on airfare or are willing to sleep in a Hostel. Or perhaps a bus station.  Any way you slice it, $2, 500 is not a small amount of money by any stretch of the imagination when you consider the median household income in the United States is $53,482. Since so many things can go into how much you’d pay in taxes and subsequently take home, let’s just assume that the $53,482 is your take home pay.  Divide that number evenly by 26 (the number of paychecks received on bi-weekly pay) and you take home $2,057 per paycheck.  Modestly saving money for your vacation—let’s say $500 per check—it’ll take about two and a half months to save for your vacation.  That’s a lot of work.  If you were to fly somewhere for your week-notweek vacation, if you’re a family of 3, you’ve already burned through $1,488 just in travel fees. That leaves $1,012 for the remainder of your vacation which can include hotel stay, car, food, entertainment, etc. Which, if you use the average prices for all of those categories, would put you well over the remaining amount in your budget.  

Now, on the other hand, if you decided to stay local, with the same budget, you could live the life of upgrades.  The average price of a hotel room is currently $137 per night.  While that’s not always a bad deal, you’re typically not going to get many frills for that price.  Sure, it’ll be nice, but it won’t be extra nice.  Staying locally will allow you to you spend more for the nicer hotel, or eat at the swanky restaurant, or rent the wave-runners. Basically, if you cut out the biggest expenditure by opting to stay local , you’ll still be able to enjoy yourself and even might get to enjoy things you might not get to experience on a regular vacation.

Valley of Fire State Park.  Las Vegas, NV

Bottom Line

By now, I’ve given you a lot of information that’s, well, just information.  But let’s be clear on something: I’m by no means telling you to NOT travel.  That actually goes against everything I believe in.  What I’m trying to tell you is that if you weigh your options, staying locally may bring you just as much of that much needed ‘R&R’ as you can get from traveling long distances.  The bottom line is this: Staycations can be--and are--just as fun as typical Vacations.  Enjoy where you go and don’t worry about the conventional norms of travel.  Think outside the box, go wherever you want, and enjoy it.  Just don’t overlook what’s in your backyard just because you’ve seen it before.  

That’s it for now, friends.  Keep exploring!

The Destination

“It’s not about the destination, but the journey.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let's Roam!

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "It's not about the destination, but the journey."  While I typically subscribe to that line of thinking, this page is dedicated to the destination.  Welcome to my travel blog!  Most everyone that knows me knows that one of the things I'm passionate about is seeing the world.  Most of my bucket list items consist of traveling to different places and experiencing life in the process.  As my hobby is photography it makes it a win win. if I can go somewhere new, capture it, and then share it with anyone who will listen, then I've done my job. While the 'interwebz' is currently saturated with 'bloggers'--apparently, I'm now one of them--,I intend on being different and unique with my perspective.  How?  Well, to be honest, I'm not sure.  But what I intend on doing is just sharing what I know and where I've been with you.  If that brings you some sort of existential enlightenment, well, then so be it.   As is the case, one of my main goals is to bring you content that's solely produced by me.  That means that either I've been there, am planning on going there, or have a desire to go there.  So, with that being the case, welcome to The Destination! Let's go exploring!