It’s a hard time to be boat people. That’s not something I say lightly. Normally I’d consider our lifestyle to be far above and beyond pretty much any other, but right now being in Puerto Rico with virtually nothing open (museums, beaches, playgrounds, etc.) it’s just not easy to find things to do, and feel like we’re living a productive, fulfilling life. Our big thing is always to be showing the kids new things and giving them new experiences, and right now, COVID has pretty much stymied all of that. We do our best. We all get along, and nobody thinks twice about the fact we live in a tiny space, but in our normal lives, we’d be out the door every afternoon on some new adventure, and this just isn’t happening right now. Fortunately, it’s through no fault of our own, and pouting and complaining about it isn’t going to do any good, so we continue on as best we can like everyone else.
Ali dug out an umbrella that has been hiding in a boat crawl space for years, if not decades, and the kids turned that into the day’s entertainment. Well, thirty minutes or so, anyway. Mary Poppins rides down the hill, and a stiff trade wind, put a quick end to this poor sombrilla’s life
This green space at the fort is one of the few areas where we can just stretch out and run around a bit.
Piraguas. The kids’ goal this summer is to work their way through every flavor that the piragüero has on his cart. There’s a lot. Lime was a big hit this day.
Rico has made himself at home, thanks in part to the bed with fresh towels laid out for him each night, and the plates full of food, with medicine nicely mixed in. Dude is still a bit of a train wreck as far as his health goes, but Ali is on top of it. Rico is this summer’s project.
This is what happens when you get complacent because you are tied up in a marina instead of out at anchor. Big glass dish slid off the counter after a particularly well timed wake. That thing absolutely exploded.
Strolling the mostly deserted Old San Juan streets.
This is our “street.”
I have a few projects that really demand some fast internet, which is just not possible on the boat. Fortunately, everywhere you look these days there are furnished offices with blazing fast wifi for rent by the month. This is my sparsely decorated space for a couple of weeks, just a few blocks from the marina.
29 Comments on “Dealing in San Juan”
All I can say is I’m blessed to be retired these days, healthy, truck runs well and I’m parked on my own property so the dog can run. Don’t forget the good things. Not quite sure what this winter will bring since I’ll be in the road again as my house build won’t start till next April at the earliest. I think I see a long term rental in my future. At least Nov-Jan to get me through the holidays.
Health and safe travels to you all.
Great to hear it, Rick. We too are just waiting and seeing for November openings. Plans are so tough right now. Especially for us nomads. Maybe Brock wants a cute Puerto Rico kitty to join you? 😉
This is probably the first time where your lives and the lives of many living very mainstream lives in the US seem not very different. Families have slowed down here. Afternoon walks are a common whole family activity. Kids are learning where they live. It’s a weird, languid, sometimes boring, but accepted reality.
This lockdown is leaving an indelible mark on the conscious and unconscious mind of the old, young and everyone in between! But how will this time manifest itself 10, 20 or even 50 years from now. Will it have a lasting impact? One of fear and anxiety? I certainly hope that our children are not negatively scarred by pandemics, forever altering their normalcy of life. It may be too late!
Regardless, the lifestyle you have chosen for your family should negate some of the affects (hopefully ALL)!
Goodonyas, go get’m tiger (s)!
I hear what you are saying – will people stock up more for future events like these, will they change the way they are living to be better able to handle another pandemic in the future. For our own kids, I think they will remember it as just a boring time with everything closed up. We do talk to them about it, and why they aren’t going to the grocery store with us, and why we aren’t able to go to a movie, or beach. And about the deaths. But unlike so many, with no tv and social media, they don’t hear about it constantly. Stay healthy, Scotth!
BUMFUZZLE PODCAST?!?!?!
Ha, it does look like that doesn’t it? No podcast, just some videos for Wanderer Financial.
Hey Pat!
I’ve been reading your blog for years, ever since I read your book about 4 years ago as part of our preparation for our own adventure. We left “normal life” in 2017 and have been living in a van ever since with our daughter, driving from California to Argentina.
The first words of this post struck me – I just posted something similar in the first paragraph of my blog the other day! Vanlife is about constant change every day – new view, new people, new food. So going from vanlife to full lockdown in Argentina is a huge change in lifestyle!
Anyway thought you might be interested to read, since I always love finding other families doing similar things.
We also have the same problem re: crappy internet, but no fancy office space available to rent here haha!
Enjoy your stay cation in San Juan – maybe time to write another book? I loved reading your first one!!
– Mary
Hi Pat,
Just finishing 14 days of quarantine on the boat here in Grenada tomorrow. Looking forward to just walking around and buying boat bits.
Stay safe
Hi Gerry, all settled into Grenada now? We’ve got loads of FB friends down there, and we hope to get down there by Christmas?! Maybe, who the heck knows, with all the closures and uncertainty. And yes, it does seem like island life is a bit more relaxed on the lock-downs. Better? I’m not sure.
With the beautiful architecture, and sunny skies, may be a good time for the kids to take up (or improve skills) watercolor painting. They could also make postcards of their watercolors to send to family.
The buildings do look like they have been watercolor painted themselves. We move into a condo next week in Old Town with a balcony I will see if I can get them onboard.
Thanks for caring for Rico. You’re making a big difference in his life. We’re praying that you will find him a loving home. I agree that it might be time for another book. Loved your first one! I read it while traveling the country doing art shows in an RV with our two cats, Nina & Nomi.
Thanks, Maureen. We are doing what we can – Rico has been at the vet since Wednesday. Tough little guy.
Really nice photos of the architecture! This too shall pass, right? Enjoy each day. Life changes on a dime. Thank you for sharing your beautiful life with us!
I am a BIG fan of yours Pat and Ali. Don’t sell yourselves short. Even in these trying time Ouest and Lowe are always watching and learning from you. What they learn about how you are facing this unexpected obstacle in your lives together will pay rich dividends for them in the future. I guarantee it. Carry on!
Thanks, Rex. We hear you, positivity creates positivity (same the other way unfortunately). So we just keep on, keeping on. You too, okay.
Loved seeing you all, and the pictures! Miss being on Mahi, but taking it day by day. May our paths cross again one day.
Miss you all as well. Nobody could have predicted this for hurricane season.
Add a whiteboard, and it would look just like every office in Houston — all of which have been empty since March.
Hi there! I recently began following your adventure after seeing your beautiful photo on the cover of PassageMaker magazine. What a great adventure you and your family are on!
When we were in PR on our boat we found the hiking in El Yunque National Forest to be wonderful, which is something you can still do during the pandemic. It’s a bit of a haul from San Juan, but you could relocate to Fajardo for a change of pace when you’re ready to get out of San Juan (we spent one winter based at Sunbay Marina in Fajardo).
The other nice thing about Fajardo is that it provides easy access to Culebra and Vieques if you want to get away for the weekend (or a week). The mooring field behind the reef at the south end of Ensenada Honda on Culebra is a nice spot to spend some time. There’s good T-Mobile cellular coverage there, so with the right SIM card you can easily stay connected (and work).
Have fun!
David
Hey David B., welcome to our blog. Glad you found us from PassageMaker. Pat has an article due soon, so there will be more!
Unfortunately El Yunque is closed right now from TS Isaias that passed us a few weeks ago. Pandemic and storms – what a year to be “stuck” on a small island. I’m sure we will get over there at some point in the coming weeks. It’s been on our list. Update: just read that it is letting in a limited number of people, you must get a ticket with date and time – to be allowed in. So a bit more planning.
Culebra and Vieques are open only to residents right now, and I’m not sure if they would give us a hard time being off island there or not. We are hoping by the time hurricane season winds down, we will be able to explore over there. Fingers crossed.
Yes, the pandemic and seasonal storms are definitely limiting your options. Enjoy your time with the family, and eventually other options will open up. Cheers!
Pat and Ali,
You should have Ouest and Lowe start a youtube video channel making videos of your adventures.
I’ll bet they will have a lot of subscribers and generate some extra spending money.
Plus, it may be a fun project/job for them.
Yeah, I understand what you are saying, but the last thing in the world we would ever want for our kids is for them to be scrambline for “Likes” and approval online. It’s hard enough for grown adults to be themselves in their online presence, it’s utterly impossible for children. If they chose to do youtube or something on their own, we would support their efforts, but it’s not something we would ever actively encourage them to do. Creating videos because it is something you enjoy, and creating them to earn money and a youtube following, are two completely different things.
I think that people may be able to disable the comment and Like or Dislike sections on their youtube channels, in order to prevent people from commenting on the videos and Liking or Not Liking the videos.
Maybe just do surrounding scenery videos without them or you and Ali actually appearing in the videos.
I really enjoy reading your blog and looking at your great photos of all the places that I’ll never be able to visit in person.
Yeah, they do their own thing. They have nice cameras, they enjoy photography and video, and they know all about how youtube works, but whether they decide they want to do something more with it is their call.
Ahoy BUMFUZZLE Crew (ABC),
I recently discovered your travel blog and feel that I’ve met a kindred spirit! We share that spirit of adventure and willingness to risk, so I wish you well.
I sold my beloved catamaran just days before the announcement of the Global Pandemic. Since 2017, I parked her in a slip only 100 yards from the slip you rented in the Club Nautico Marina – (across the way at the San Juan Bay Marina alongside the blue roof building, near the Sizzler restaurant). The airport makes for some noise living doesn’t it?!
Sadly, a few months earlier a small airplane crashed in the bay killing two souls.
You speak of hurricane damaged boats alongside you … well, my lovely Fountaine Pajot was damaged in both Irma & Maria in 2017 and Puerto Rico hasn’t recovered from either.
Add to that the constant earthquakes, plus government upheavals, plus COVID. PR needs a break from the string of bad luck she’s experiencing.
I love San Juan and Puerto Rico.
I hope to return to my good friends and the beautiful islands.
Your hurricane plan is a good one. The southern mangroves east of Salinas are a good spot to hide during wind/surge. I have friends in Las Mareas (10 miles east), so if you find you need assistance, please send me a message and I’ll connect you. The people of Puerto Rico will give you the shirt off their back … they know what suffering is!
I wish we would grant them statehood.
Fair winds and a following sea ?
From a fellow St. Paul, MN resident (who would trade this northern life for Puerto Rico ‘ANY’ day) as I sail the frosty waters of ‘Gitche-Gumee’.
If only I were 20 years younger…,
Marc
PS
I placed this same message in a later posting. Thought I’d be more up-to-date!
Hi Marc, welcome! Funny every morning when we have coffee on the front of our boat we are staring right at your old cat. There is a couple that is living aboard and they go out running every morning – but then we never see them during the days or nights. I would say you were a bit lucky to get her sold before all the PR lockdowns and hurricane season.
We have always had a good time in PR and the people – yup they are awesome. We too would choose island life over frosty waters.