Rummy

PR can be noisy, the people, the music, the bugs and coqui frogs at night. Also there is a mango tree in the back, and every so often a mango falls and makes a loud crash that sends chills up your spine. And wakes me up. So, we ate them.

There is a first time for everything, and today, it was my first time renting a car. I guess there is one benefit to being over 25! It was a bit stressful to drive here, the other drivers rarely signal, they blow through yield and stop signs, the motor bikes weave through the cars, lots of speed bumps and potholes to swerve around. But now that I knew the terrors of the fire swamp, the trees were actually quite lovely.

Our big tour for the day was at Bacardi rum distillery! Right from the front gate it is beautiful!  And they are next to the coast, and we can see Old San Juan and El Morro from a distance. We booked our tour and had our complimentary cocktail while we waited on their breezy patio. The pavilion was designed to replicate the shape of a bat’s wings in flight. On the tour we learned that they found a slew of bats in their old warehouse or something, and they symbolize 

prosperity, so it became their logo. I’m a little foggy on the details, Felix talked so fast. But Casie was quick to type up some notes: This distillery alone produces 100,000 gallons per day, and 80% of the the rum consumed in the world. Yep, it’s huge. They’re storing half a million barrels, aging 1-20 years, on site. The fermenting yeast is a family secret they’ve maintained, and the quality control is very technical and he used the term “master” something – rum mixer? Haha- but basically a cool chemist that gets to taste test all the batches.

There are two wind turbines that produce enough power for the entire operation, and also they have two huge vats that hold the waste product, which they decompose into a substance that isn’t environmentally harmful. That process produces methane gas, which they also use as another energy source on site. The neat thing about the barrels is they reuse barrels from whiskey makers, like Jack Daniels. And after they’re done with them, they go to artists, etc, who make other products, like the wooden sunglasses in the gift shop. So green.

iguana!

can you spot El Morro?

not a good day for hair

At the end we became certified mixologists! They taught us how to mix three cocktails: Cuba Libre, Mojito, and Daiquiri. It was a lot of fun! The Daiquiri was our favorite, so lemony and fresh! Ask us to make some for you.

 

We had a late lunch at a tiny little place Gene knew, and then we maneuvered our way through the crazy traffic to the Mall of San Juan. It’s a really nice and new mall. And they have Nordstrom!! I loved it, so pretty and clean and bright. I asked a guy if I could stop in on the tailor shop and he was like “Yea! Follow me I’ll take you there!” The tailor shop was also so clean and bright. Their Juki machines are sweet! The manager, originally from New Jersey, was happy to meet us. She said most of their business is on the weekends when the cruise ships visit, and people need their alterations finished on the spot. Today it was nearly empty, only one tailor sewing.

After the mall we just had to grab some groceries for our trip to the beach tomorrow! I got the watermelon sliced, and we packed up our bags (yes with sunscreen and bug spray). Woohoo!

do I look like I know what I'm doing?

this mall is fancy

We're fancy