Puerto Rico

I enjoyed Puerto Rico. It has the well known western culture, yet it has  relaxed island atmosphere.
The Old City in San Juan is a must see. And the Island of Vieques is a must visit.
It's a place I could return to.  Thanks for watching.

What a delightful change this was. Holding is good which is neseccary for the leeshore anchorage infront of Culebra town where we cleared customs. The customs lady was extremely thorough and informative. Culebra Island makes it living off Flamenco Beach. But unfortunately the seaweed-plague is taking over what should be pristine. At the Dinghy Dock restaurant were a school of  BiiiiiiiiiiiG fish. I loved the wall art.
We spent a few nights behind the reef of Culebra. It was nice. You know, that Pacific Island feeling; beautiful coloured water, pounding waves and the wind. The big fish - I think it was Atlantic Tarpon - hung around our boat and were clearly visible with the anchorlight on at night.
Sailing to Isla Vieques was south and into the wind. Eelco was thrilled after so many miles of downwind sailing. It was just a short hop. We dared not going into Ensenada Honda with our draft, but opted to achor between the reefs in deeper water where we could see the different colours and open space.
After two nights we moved to the next bay 5 miles away, Bahia de la Chiva. Weather was nice, the place was nice, so we spent a week and did some serious work for Mylady. Monday morning at 6am they knocked on the boat and gave us an hour to get out. And we were not an hour away when a big bang vibrated through rock, water and bone and an enormous mushroom cloud went up in the air. Wow! what a bomb that was.
We skipped Ferro Bay and Mosquito Bay with its bio-luminescence because it was full moon and touch-n-go shallow with our boat. Sun Bay was pretty but very roly. Skipper got us sideways to the wind and bow into the swell, and then Mylady rocked ever so gentle and we slept like babies. All of Vieques southcoast has caracterful sandstone and rock formations. At Ezperanza we stopped again for a few days. We loved it. It's a big small town. The feeling and attitude spell holiday. Elblok Hotel has interesting 600kg window shutters. We had very good large pizza for a neglegeable price.
We sailed to Isla Palominos where the last hurricane had washed away the adjacent island Palominitos, and had to share the anchorage with twenty-or-so dayboats from the mainland. We sailed to Cayo Lobos which had an industrial noisemaker on it and choppy seas. So we continued sailing and eventually anchored off Cayo Icacos, the playpark of mainland PR. Nighttime it's only the wind and the waves. But daytime it's a colourful holiday beach with hundreds of people and boats. 
We arrived in Sun Juan amidst a heavy continual rain storm. Fortunately not too much wind came out of it.
There is the old city in Sun Juan, and the new. Bus service is excellent and cheap, with the main terminal in the old city across from the cruiseships dock.  Spanish is the language but the people were all very helpful and friendly. More than was needed. The old city is picturesque and very tourist friendly. One can (and really should) spend more than a couple of days there. The bus service offers a free trolley ride to almost anywhere in the old city. I am thrilled to the bones and ever so inspired by the mosaic we saw in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is a place I could return to.