A Day In The Life of PR

Well a day in our life in Puerto Rico sort of goes like this. During the week, my husband gets up at 6am to fix breakfast for my grandson before hed goes to school. Then I get up and open up all the doors in our house, which are 4 doors and some windows if they are not open. I like the bright sunshine coming in.

Then I come downstairs and make coffee(the old fashioned way, colando cafe- which is boiling the coffee in a pot and drain it in a colador-sort of a strainer) and tea for my hubby. Maybe have some breakfast.

Then after my grandson leaves for school, I feed our dog- August a Siberian Husky puppy 3 months old. Then clean up the kitchen and start some laundry. My hubby meanwhile, starts using the weed wacker after about 8am since we don't have a mower yet.

Then I hang the clothes up by this time, it is what 9am and we have the entire day ahead of us.  Then I might sweep and mop, if needed (that with these tile floors is needed almost daily.) Then clean the bathrooms and then go upstairs and sweep also and maybe mop.

After a while, I get changed to go into town to go to the post office, we walk by the way, no car yet.It is about 1 mile of so, not a bad walk and sometimes, people give us a "Pon"- a lift. After we might go to the bank, if needed and then to the supermarket to pick up some things and if we know that it will be alot, we might take our cart. If not, we might call our guy, Juan who has a Carro Publico(taxi) to bring us home.

Sometimes, we might go across the Carr. # 2 to the Ferreteria (Hardware store) or to PitUsa or One to Seven(both sort of discount stores) to get some stuff needed for the house.

Then we get home and have some lunch-usually a sandwich or something. I am not one to make Almuerzo-a big lunch like rice or soup. I am still Americanized that way. So maybe tuna fish or grilled cheese. Then we feed the dog.

About 3:30pm, our grandson comes home and we discuss what went on at school and just chat. Maybe get on Facebook or check e-mail and then about 4-430p, I start dinner and we eat about 6pm. Then we sort of sit around the table (one that my hubby made from pieces of wood laying around) and have a few laughs with our grandson. You migh say what about your dining room table??? Well we haven't gotten our household stuff yet (that is the subject of another post which zi will do soon)

Then to the dishes and maybe about 730 or so we close all the doors downstairs and go upstairs- yes, we don't have a t.v. yet(see above). sometimes, we play rummy or dominoes or else we go up to our bedroom balcony and look at the beautiful stars in the sky(if there are no clouds out) and have to periodically duck because of the bats flying around in the dark. If that happens, we put the porch light on and that keeps them away.

Aftetr a while, we might see a movie that my grandson downloaded or just watch one of the few movies we have on the laptop and then go to sleep about 10-11pm. Then we begin the same thing the next day.  For a change, we might take a carro to Isabela to the bank there and that is a nice ride.  That is our typical day now.  Hopefully once we get our stuff and a car, we will have more to report as to putting stuff away and going out more to explore this beautiful area.

I forgot to mention, that we are deliriously happy and would not move back to NY, We love living in Puerto Rico and I am pleasantly surprised that I have gotten so used to life here, like I was meant to live here again.(We lived here in 1969-1970 when my hubby was stationed at Ramey but we lived in Aguadilla near the base). I was happy then also because I was a newlywed and I went where my husband went) Here I am again in this area and feel like we came home.

Oh, tonie, you are so sweet!  I didn't mean quite like that by posting everything from getting up and going to bed, haha.  Just some interesting things you may be doing or are dealing with.  But thank you for being so open about your life, too sweet! 

It's great to hear you are acclimating and loving the island...I can't wait until we can do some long term renting.  Have a blessed day, Dear!

Hi all:

My wife is active duty military and we are living in a military housing development in Bayamón, part of the metro San Juan area.  We lived in Old San Juan for 9 months before moving here, and it is much more comfortable living in housing.  We're coming up on the halfway point of our tour here and thought I might contribute a little to this post.

It may sound trivial, but the biggest differences in everyday life here in PR compared to the States are the difficulties in doing things that I really enjoy.  For me, one of these things is cycling.  I've been an athlete, coach, and more recently co-authored a book on long distance cycling.  I have lived in New York (three different places), New Jersey (two different places), Maine, Virginia, Alaska, Connecticut, and here in PR. 

In every other place I've lived, I've been able to incorporate cycling in my daily life.  I would hardly use my car – I'd ride to work, to the grocery store, for exercise, go camping, and tour year-round (even in Alaska) on my bike.  Here, it is VERY dangerous to ride.  Many of my Puerto Rican friends, some of them cyclists, have cautioned me about riding here.  There's a different attitude towards cyclists on the roads and the road themselves usually aren't in the best of shape.  There are often several hit-and-runs in the metro area each week that are reported in the news.  However, there is a movement right now to increase awareness for cyclists on the road, but I'm sure it'll take time.  If things get better, PR could promote cycling as a fantastic winter cycling destination to help tourism.  Like I said, it may sound trivial, but cycling makes me happy and I really miss being able to do so.

On the same token is hiking.  I haven't been able to find too many hiking areas in the metro area.  El Yunque is fantastic, but it's an hour's drive away with no traffic.  We plan on spending some time in the Guánica Dry Forest soon, which has some good hiking opportunities.

On a brighter note, here are some of the everyday things I have been enjoying:

*The coffee!  Not the grocery store stuff, but the quality beans.  I've been really enjoying a cup of Cuatro Sombras or Café Hacienda San Pedro each day.

*Gardening.  I'm a newbie at this, but we've got some containers in the yard with herbs, vegetables, wildflowers, and different tropical flowers and plants.  Things grow like crazy here!!

*Fruit.  We have several mango trees nearby.  BEST mangoes I have ever had. 

*Birds.  I really enjoy wildlife and nature photography, so viewing the birds here is really fun.  I need to hook up with a local to learn more and check out new areas, but here in our development we've got all kinds of birds.  We set up a couple of hummingbird feeders and it is fun watching them interact with each other and compete with the Bananaquits.  There's a wooded area behind our development, and every afternoon, like clockwork, a pair of Blue-and-Yellow Macaws stop by to hang out.  Still haven't been able to get a photo though!  One day I spotted a green parrot up in a tree.  I wish I had my binoculars, as it was probably a common species of Amazons, but it could have been a Puerto Rican Amazon – a very rare and endangered bird.

*El Yunque.  I've really enjoyed spending time wandering the trails and photographing the natural beauty of the forest.  It's the only tropical rainforest in the US Forest System.  Hint:  If you are going to visit, try and get there early.  When the cruise ships are in, the trails can seem like Disneyland.  If solitude is what you are after, arrive early, right when the gates open (7:30 AM) to see the popular sites and then head to the southern trails – they are usually much quieter.  The view from the summit of El Yunque Peak is outstanding and is a great spot to have lunch.

Anyway, as we are still relatively new here, we're trying to figure things out.  Living here is pretty much 180 degrees opposite to vacationing here. Some days knowing that we'll leave the island in a year-and-a-half makes things easier to deal with.  There are a lot of neat things here, but there are also things that are REALLY hard to deal with.  I'll certainly contribute more as we continue our journey.

Good morning, trekrider!  Thank you for adding to this thread.  I've heard the same about cycling there but when we were in Rincon, we saw many cyclists.  The streets can be very narrow though in places.

I wonder if you could inland from your location for hiking.  The Dry Forest in Guanica is wonderful to see and hike into.  My husband and I did a little hiking there last year (make sure to bring a camera).  Also, the beaches are wonderful to and very little people there.  No facilities so you'll need to bring everything you need for the day.

Thank you, for your perspective on living there, greatly appreciated! Have a great day today

Having lived here for over a year now I can say that one thing the good Lord wanted to teach me with this experience is PATIENCE.   I can see how far I've come in the past year in dealing with the "FILAS" (lines) that we have in PR  wherever you go (store lines, bank lines, doctor visits, etc.  there is a wait for EVERYTHING so be prepared.) 
I can remember my first few weeks here, going to the grocery store would nearly give me a heart attack.  I'll admit it, I'm an impatient American.  Been a Jersey girl for the last 17 years and I don't do "wait" very well.  I was accustomed to those speedy self-checkout grocery store lines and  Dr. visits and "minute clinics"  where you're in and out in 30 min.   I had a fast paced, no-wait kind of life kwim?    Well,  fast forward to PR life.  Having to wait for 15-20 minutes in the grocery store or Walgreens checkout line irritated me so much I would literally start shaking with frustration.   I didn't know how to wait!  Lots of experiences, like waiting with my child for 5 hours in the health clinic the first time she got sick here.  Wow, have I learned to slow down and relax. Take a deep breath and strike up a conversation to make the time pass faster.   I am happy to say that I no longer stress out and I have learned to slow down and enjoy a chat with a perfect stranger while we both wait.    My daughter had a scheduled dentist appointment yesterday and it took 5 hrs out of my day,  but I knew what to expect and it didn't stress me out like the first time we went to the dentist here and I wanted to punch someone since I supposedly had an "appointment".   So the wonderful thing about humans is that we are able to adapt to our surroundings, and despite all the FILAS and waiting you can meet some very interesting friendly people.

Hi trekrider.

Just FYI, the blue & yellow macaws are not native to Puerto Rico. They are introduced. Nonetheless, very cool sighting. The only native Amazon in Puerto Rico is the Puerto Rican parrot; however Dominican Amazons are also introduced to PR. They are very similar to Puerto Rican parrots & are even sometimes used as foster parents for Puerto Rican parrots in the captive breeding program. Even though the program has been successful in recent years, it is extremely unlikely that the Amazon that you saw was a Puerto Rican parrot (unless you were very close to the Rio Abajo state forest or El Yunque).

In my experience the best hiking in PR (aside from, perhaps, El Yunque) is in Guajataca. The trails there are well maintained and you can get a good trail map from the ranger center. Hiking is also good in Cambalache state forest. For cycling, you could try the Loiza bikepath that starts just east of the airport in Carolina. It is sometimes a paved path and other times a boardwalk. I'm not sure how long it is because I am a runner, not a cyclist, so I've never made it to the end. Mountain biking is also a very popular activity in Cambalache state forest. Cambalache is quite a bit closer to San Juan (particularly if you are in Bayamon) than Guajataca. The last time I was there I also discovered a new bike path in Isabela.

When you are feeling more adventurous you should check out Monte del Estado in Maricao or Bosque Estatal de Toro Negro in Jayuya. There are hikeable trails in these forests, but they require a little more work to uncover.

Right in town you should check out Bosque Estatal San Patricio. It is very small, but still worth exploring.

Good luck!

Wow, that is good information, thank you for sharing!

meljai97, It sounds like you are starting to relax and go with the flow.  It is something of a trial to not be on a time schedule all the time, lol.  Thank you for contributing and welcome to the forum!

Anolis,

Wow!  Thanks for the leads on places to explore.  I've seen Bosque Estal San Patricio on the map, but couldn't really find any information about it.  Since it is so close, I'll definitely go over and take a look.  I have ridden from OSJ through Condado and Isla Verde to Piñones, but not on the boardwalk.  I'll give that a go one of these days.  Great info on the other trails - my PR travel guides do not have those trails listed.

I kind of figured it probably wasn't a Puerto Rican Parrot.  I hope they make a comeback.  I did read a couple of weeks ago that two were born near Rio Abajo that marked the first time in 144 years that a pair were born outside a national forest.

I forgot to mention two other interesting birds that are regular visitors - the Pin Tailed Wydah and Venezuelan Troupial.  Beautiful birds!  Our neighbor puts out a sugar dish and the Troupials are there quite a bit.  They also try and get into my hummingbird feeders!

Thanks again!

I agree with you the "filas" are a pain the butt and I would get very frustrated with them in Walmart especially. I would tell my comadte, " I thought that there Was no money here by the stores are jammed packed in the middle of the day and not just with woman and kids but with many men. I would say. doesn't anybody work anymore? If they don't his could they afford all the stuff they get.
I also have gotten used to waiting a little. I am from Long Island and not used to waiting too long but that is thevwsy it is here and as the mail person at the Post Office keeps saying "Welcome to Puerto Rico"!!
All I could do is laugh.

I'm so enjoying everyone's participation, thank you and keep it going, please~   

Hi, Everyone!  Hope you all have a great weekend and please share if you doing some fun stuff or anything you'd like to share, lol.

a day in my life includes driving m son 17 minutes to school every weekday and trying to potty train my 2 year old.  Same as I would be doing in Wis.  But my errands tend to be a bit more haphazard because I don't have a system yet.

I try to interact with the neighbors.  And the nice couple from next door over for dinner last night.  I think we made new friends

Today I need to find a car mechanic because I ripped off the side view mirror coming down the mountain

Thank you, ladylauram!  Anything you would like to share here is welcome.  My kids are grown but I certainly remember the potty training, haha, good luck!

I pretty much write about my day to day activities on my blog: www.polarrico.com Mundane and observations