ItsRubyChavez

Puerto Rico: La Isla del Encanto

Hello Loves,

Welcome back to today’s blog post. Today, I will be sharing my recent trip to Puerto Rico (La Isla del Encanto). Every year around the last week of December I always start brainstorming what I want to manifest into the next year which leads to a vision board. This vision board is then framed in my room right in front of my getting ready area so I can see every single day. Manifestation is real and you guessed right, Puerto Rico was one of those places. I manifested Puerto Rico for 2019 and it became a reality.

Here is a mini recap of my time at La Isla del Encanto:

Day 1: Isla Verde and Placita Santurce

The first day I decided to walk from the hotel to the local beach, which was Isla Verde. The hotel was nice enough to provide hotel guests with a beach chair, towel and umbrella to chill on the beach. They win extra points for this. Also, this was the first time I got into the water more than knee height. I don’t know how to swim but the water felt so good. Definitely, the water and beach have become my new favorite place. 
At night, I checked out Placita Santurce which is where the nightlife was poppin. It was nothing but good music and vibes. It’s a must check it out!



Day 2: Isla Verde and San Juan Water and Beach Club 
This day was a chill day, I woke up with chills and a sinus/headache of which wasn’t fun but I made sure to buy some medicine for this year and continue with the vacationing. This was another day of relaxing at the local beach and relaxing. Nothing beats the beach, a cool breeze, warm clear waters. 

In the afternoon, I caught dinner and drinks at the San Juan Water and Beach Club where you can catch the beautiful sunset with beautiful views on a rooftop bar with great music and vibes. They had a live DJ mixing and they had the best fish tacos! Highly recommend!


Day 3: Old San Juan

Day 3 was traveling to around Old San Juan, Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, and Castillo San Cristobal. This was the day to explore around San Juan and take all the Instagram worthy pictures. On top of exploring the beautiful colorful places around Old San Juan, the city itself is full of history. I can’t believe the Castillos were used for battles and just seeing how tactical each castle was built for the defense was pretty dam amazing. I felt like a little bit of history I was able to learn and experience makes appreciate the history of Puerto Rico. I definitely need to learn more, maybe next time.


Day 4: Culebra Island
Last but least, I could not leave Puerto Rico without going to Culebra. I have heard from many friends that this was a must stop and must see when going to Puerto Rico. Well, guess what they were not wrong. Other than having an adventure that day with the kayaking and snorkeling (I was physically drained) it was one of the most memorable things to do in PR. I saw a sea turtle and one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Definitely, something I will always remember. This little island and Flamenco beach has my heart!

Lessons Learned:

  • Be present and live in the moment
    • My phone got wet the first day after trusting this amazon waterproof case and I thought I was going to be phoneless for the whole week there. Don’t trust this case! My phone survived but I was on paranoid mode after that.
    • I learned to embrace that I was a different place and felt grateful for being able to travel, explore and be in such a beautiful place. So so grateful!
    • Also, not stressing about “work” or anything else, in general, made me enjoy more of time on the beach. 
  • Take a second to do nothing at all
    • The second day I woke up with chills, horrible sinus and headache congestion. All did was on the second day was take a nap at the beach and take it easy. I think this was a sign that sometimes we need to stop our “fast” always on the go lifestyle to chill and just truly enjoy life. I enjoyed this feeling. 
  • Enjoy the beauty of this earth.
    • Absolutely breathtaking beautiful beaches.
    • I saw sea turtles and beautiful coral reefs. I will never forget being able to swim in beautiful waters.
    • Leaving Culebra Island around 7:30pm was an adventure within itself. It was such a dark ferry ride but nevertheless, the sound of the waves and the beautiful star sky made it a night I won’t forget. I have never seen so many stars in my life. Such beauty!
  • Being a Latina and knowing Spanish/English has been a lifesaver
    • Puerto Ricans speak Spanglish and being fluent in both was very rewarding. I truly enjoyed being to interact with such ease. Although every Spanish is different it is always interesting to learn what different words mean like beans.
    • Beans in Mexican Spanish: Frijoles and in Puerto Rican Spanish: Habichuelas
  • Have fun
    • Truly being able to go with the flow and trust the process is what makes trips fun and spontaneous. 
    • Kayaking and Snorkeling was one of those things that lightweight scares me because I don’t know how to swim but once I am in the water I love it. As a Pisces, I do love the water. Even though it was physically exhausting I want to say that the highlight of the trip. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
    • I drank a couple Medalla Light Beers (Puerto Rican Beer) and they were delicious! 

Overall thoughts of Puerto Rico: GO!
Would I go again? Yes, I hope to be able to make it a yearly trip!
#ManifestingforLife

XO,
Ruby

Published by ItsRubyChavez

Ruby Chavez is a Latin Music Content Creator and Educator. She was born and raised in a Mexican household in the San Francisco Bay Area to immigrant parents and is the oldest of four. Her content is heavily influenced by her upbringing as a first-generation Mexican-American. She enjoys showcasing her Latina roots through Music related content highlighting Latin Music. Ruby is the author of the weekly music newsletter called, "Musica Mondays" where she shares the top 10 new songs in Latin Music for the week including songs from popular Latin artists, emerging artists, and diverse Latin genres. Follow along her journey on all her social media channels: @itsrubychavez

Leave a comment