I was awakened by the speaker at 7 o’clock to say that you could now disembark. Instead, I took a shower, got dressed, stuffed the last items into my backpack, and headed to Tides Restaurant for some breakfast. I was seated at 7:45, had the same server as the first night, and we recognized each other. Half an hour later, I left the ship.
One last scan of the SeaPass when I stepped off the ship, and inside the terminal, Customs and Border Patrol (I assume) took a photo of each passenger. I guess like a light passport control. Last night I bought a cellular data plan for Puerto Rico since I’m staying here for three nights. So this time I took an Uber to the hotel. Even though it was further away, it was still half the price (including tips!) I had to pay when getting to the ship. Have I said I don’t like negotiating?
I arrived at the At Wind Chimes Boutique Hotel at 8:45, check-in opened at 16:00. My plan was to dump my luggage, sit down in their lounge or whatever, and then watch three simultaneous games on my laptop at 10:00. Outside was a bit warm, and the chairs were wet after a morning rain shower, so I took a seat in their lobby. The receptionist forgot I was sitting there, so I managed to scare her once. I managed to get some admin out of the way before the games started. Sirius won over Hammarby, Leksand got really beat up by Skellefteå, and Örgryte got 0-0 vs Norrköping, which means they advanced to Allsvenskan. The last game, however, had several interruptions because of improper behaviour by fans, so instead of finishing at 12 as I had planned, it took until 14:30 before it was finished. I was lucky enough to have a power outlet just beside the chair.
During my time in the lobby, a family was about to check out, and I saw some luggage tags that looked awfully familiar. It turned out they were going on a cruise, today, with the Jewel of the Seas. I gave them a couple of tips and the magnetic hooks that I didn’t need anymore. They returned the favour by recommending a couple of restaurants.
I left the hotel to do some laundry. I had checked out a laundromat a few blocks away, so I took off with a backpack with dirty clothes. It wasn’t very clear how the stuff worked. I managed to download an app, add $10 to it, and then load a machine. However, it didn’t start, so a staff member pushed a few buttons in a special order, and suddenly it began spinning. The dryer only took coins, so I went through my small coin purse and scrambled $2 in quarters. The clothes got almost dry. While waiting for the washer, I went across the street to McDonald’s to get some late lunch. Tried out the Big Mac to compare it to the Swedish version. It felt bigger, but I can’t remember when I ate a Big Mac in Sweden last time so…
On the walk back to the hotel, I saw a small motorcycle that had a holder for a surfboard on the side. Pretty cool! I came back to the hotel just after 16 and checked in. It was now a male receptionist, and I suddenly realized how differently you can treat customers. He wasn’t rude, but rather short, factual, and demanding. He showed me to my room, thankfully on the bottom floor since my bag was quite heavy and I couldn’t see any lifts.
I talked with Peter for a bit, trying to summarize the cruising experience in a few sentences. Then, I just took it slow in the room while looking for some dinner. It seemed like everything was on the street a block over from the hotel, so I headed over there and started walking. Found a nice Italian restaurant called Nonna Cucina Rustica. It wasn’t even half full when I asked if she had a table for one, but I could sit in the bar. During my time there, though, people kept dropping in, so I guess they had a bunch of reservations this Saturday evening.
I ordered a pizza, Prosciutto & Rucola, and a Coke Zero. While waiting for the food, I read some. The pizza was really delicious, just a good thing it wasn’t bigger, cause I would have eaten it all! I paid the bill and walked back to the hotel. Tomorrow I’ll head into Old San Juan and visit a fortress.
