Dry Socket
Submitted by Willie at 2010-03-28 02:15:05
I just learned another name for Hell: it's called Dry Socket. Holy mother of pearl…. When I got hit by a car years ago I thought I knew what pain was - every toe broken on my right foot, a hematoma on my right butt cheek, deep lacerations on my legs requiring many stitches, and generous portions of road rash – Disneyland.
A few weeks ago I had a problem wisdom tooth extracted and my dentist broke away from his humorous light hearted banter to give me a stern warning on how NOT to get a condition known as dry socket. 'No sucking from straws, spitting, or using tobacco or you my friend will find a new religion that begins and ends with pain.
I don't remember spitting and I consciously passed on straws and tobacco wasn't a problem but still somehow I earned the condition called dry socket.
Trying to describe the pain would be a disgrace and insult to the level we're talking about here. I can however tell you that at it's worse all I could do was close my eyes, rock back an forth while curling into fetal position and moan. During this process I found myself forgetting to breath and having to catch up with quick breaths. Time seemed to stand still as seconds seemed like minutes and I wondered how much I could endure before passing out. I don't drink - in fact it's against my religion but I was seriously considering breaking that rule because the pain was mocking the lortabs, vicodin, and morphine I threw at it. It’s a scary world when your pain is immune to what you once thought were heavy weight drugs.
The relief I found didn't come from the liquor store - it actually came from Wallgreens. My wife researched dry socket online and found this site where everyone was swearing by the Red Cross Tooth Ache kit. It was hard to believe that something so simple as clove oil could provide such miraculous relief but if your curled up like a baby suffering from dry socket and your wife says lets stuff some cotton dipped in clove oil in your tooth hole you’ll muster a barely visible nod and slowly open wide.
Trust me: lock/key fries/ketchup foot/shoe….dry socket/clove oil.
Friday, December 17, 2010
36 Hours in Paris
36 Hours in Paris
Ed Alcock
Copyright by The New York Times
Dupleks is one of the boutiques on the Canal St.-Martin. More Photos »
By GISELA WILLIAMS
Published: December 16, 2010
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/travel/19hours-paris.html?hpw
HAS Paris lost its edge? Mais non! The city’s bohemians are just harder to find. The artsy denizens and creative tastemakers, always on the hunt for cheaper rents, have migrated to the city’s fringes, like Belleville and the former red-light district of Pigalle. There are even fashion-forward hangouts in the postcard-perfect center — a pop-up restaurant here, a taxidermy-stuffed speakeasy there. And, of course, a modern take on the classic Parisian bistro or boulangerie will never go out of style.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) GALLERY GHETTO
The ghosts of Paris’s master artists are everywhere, but if you want to dive into the city’s contemporary art scene, head to Belleville, where the steep hilltop streets are dotted with upstart galleries and cozy wine bars. Among the earliest galleries was Bugada & Cargnel (7-9, rue de l’Équerre; 33-1-42-71-72-73; bugadacargnel.com), which specializes in both French and international emerging artists. Newer arrivals include Gaudel de Stampa (3, rue de Vaucouleurs; 33-1-40-21-37-38; gaudeldestampa.fr) and Marcelle Alix (4, rue Jouye-Rouve; 33-9-50-04-16-80; marcellealix.com). For a mix of art and fashion, swing by Andrea Crews (25, rue de Vaucouleurs; 33-1-45-26-36-68; andreacrews.com), where vintage duds are transformed into fast fashion.
6 p.m.
2) LA BOHèME WINE BAR
Perched above the Belleville park, Le Baratin (3, rue Jouye-Rouve; 33-1-43-49-39-70 ) is an unpretentious and intimate wine bar with antique tile floors and worn wood tables. Despite the local buzz, it has managed to stay low-key, so it’s still possible to walk in at an odd hour, sans reservations, and join the bohemian crowd as they sample the dozen or so small-production wines, scratched on the chalkboard.
8:30 p.m.
3) CHIC BISTRONOMIQUE
Here’s the trick to getting a table at always-packed Le Chateaubriand (129, avenue Parmentier; 33-1-43-57-45-95). Park yourself at the bar around 8:30 p.m. the day of, and fortify yourself with wine and snacks — and people watching — while you wait for a table. It’s first come first served for the 9:30 seating. (Otherwise, you have to make reservations at least two weeks in advance for the 7:30 seating.) The young Basque chef, Iñaki Aizpitarte, serves a five-course menu that changes daily. Recent meals included a foie gras served in miso soup, and a sea bass served with red chicory and lemon crème fraîche. Prix fixe: only 50 euros, or $65 at $1.31 to the euro.
Midnight
4) RED LIGHT SPECIAL
In recent years, the area around Pigalle has drawn Parisian tastemakers looking for a good time — with their clothes on. Start with a drink at Hôtel Amour (8, rue de Navarin; 33-1-48-78-31-80; hotelamourparis.fr), an artsy hotel decorated with disco balls and Terry Richardson photographs that is partly owned by the reigning king of Paris night life, André Saraiva. Then continue to Chez Moune (54, rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle; 33-1-45-26-64-64; chezmoune.fr), a former lesbian cabaret that is now a popular hangout for the city’s polysexual fashionistas.
Saturday
11 a.m.
5) WHERE LADY GAGA SHOPS
By now, you can pretty much find those Lanvin flats and Céline bags back home. But Bambi-shaped shoes? Or a Kermit the Frog jacket? The aristocrat fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has a new boutique in St.-Germain (61, rue des St.-Pères; 33-9-64-48-48-54; jc-de-castelbajac.com) where fashion inspiration comes from unexpected places, like “Paradise Lost” and Donald Duck.
Noon
6) POP-UP BISTRO
Even jaded Parisians have waited weeks for one of the 12 seats at the pop-up restaurant Nomiya (13, avenue du Président Wilson; online reservations at art-home-electrolux.com), a glass box that floats on the rooftop of the Palais de Tokyo. Instead of dinner, come for lunch, when seatings are easier to come by, and the views are more spectacular. The five-course meal cooked up by Gilles Stassart might include foie gras with eggplant confit and scorpion fish served with a vegetable medley (80 euros for lunch and 100 euros for dinner). Nomiya’s run has been extended until spring 2011.
2 p.m.
7) SHOP THE CANAL
On sunny weekends, stylish young families and boho-chic couples stroll the gentrified Canal St.-Martin — fast becoming a charming little shopping hood of indie boutiques. Dupleks (83, quai de Valmy; 33-1-42-06-15-08; dupleks.fr) sells eco-friendly fashions, Espace Beaurepaire (28, rue Beaurepaire; 33-1-42-45-59-64; espacebeaurepaire.com) carries street-art prints, and La Piñata (25, rue des Vinaigriers; 33-1-40-35-01-45; lapinata.fr) has wooden children’s toys. Style hounds especially like Sweat Shop (13, rue Lucien Sampaix; 33-9-52-85-47-41; sweatshopparis.com) , a funky D.I.Y. collective and cafe with sewing machines to rent by the hour.
4 p.m.
8) SAVORY AND SWEET
One bite, and you’ll understand why there’s a long line outside Du Pain et Des Idées (34, rue Yves Toudic; 33-1-42-40-44-52; dupainetdesidees.com), a cultish boulangerie in the Canal St.-Martin neighborhood. The escargot chocolat-pistache, a snail-shaped pastry filled with chocolate and pistachio, will shatter the will of any dieter. So will the mini-pavés, savory knots stuffed with spinach and goat cheese.
8 p.m.
9) AMERICAN TRANSPLANTS
Paris-obsessed food bloggers will roll their eyes, but Spring (6 Rue Bailleul; 33-1-45-96-05-72; springparis.blogspot.com), an intimate restaurant that moved this summer to the First Arrondissement, deserves the hype. The French-trained American chef Daniel Rose takes something as simple as eggplant and prepares it four eye-opening ways. Dinner prix-fixe menu: 64 euros. If you can’t make reservations months ahead of time, head to the newly revamped Minipalais (Grand Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill; 33-1-42-56-42-42; minipalais.com), a loft-like brasserie with an American-friendly menu that includes a terrific duck burger with foie gras. Or try the new Ralph’s (173, boulevard St.-Germain; 33-1-44-77-76-00; ralphlaurenstgermain.com), owned by Ralph Lauren in St.-Germain, which, believe it or not, is fashionable with a young Parisian crowd.
Midnight
10) LE CHIC ET LE GEEK
Ever since the legendary Le Montana reopened during last spring’s fashion week, le party hasn’t stopped. Resurrected by André Saraiva (yes, him again) and Olivier Zahm, Le Montana (28, rue St.-Benoît) draws an A-list crowd of models and actors. But be warned: getting past the bouncer is harder than squeezing into jeggings. Fortunately, a 20-minute walk away is the geeky hot spot Curio Parlor (16, rue des Bernardins; 33-1-44-07-12-47; curioparlor.com), a speakeasy-style lounge popular with a chic Parisian crowd that sips single malt whiskey.
Sunday
11 a.m.
11) GRASS IS GREENER
Since the historic dance hall and watering hole Rosa Bonheur reopened in 2008 (2, allée de la Cascade, in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont; 33-1-42-00-00-45; rosabonheur.fr), it has brought the city’s party crowd to the great outdoors. By day, middle-aged hippies strum guitars alongside hungover clubkids. By night, it turns into a full-fledged party complete with velvet rope and D.J. This winter the party continues inside with the restaurant Mimi Cantine overseen by the Michelin-starred chef Armand Arnal.
1 p.m.
12) FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Blame it on Wes Anderson movies or an obsession with the cult taxidermy shop Deyrolle, but nothing gets a Parisian bohemian more excited than a room filled with stuffed animals. Get your fix at the Musée de la Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature (62, rue des Archives; 33-1-53-01-92-40), a quirky museum with an eccentric collection of taxidermy and antique weaponry. There is also a room dedicated to unicorns, which adds just the right amount of je ne sais quoi to the intentionally musty space.
IF YOU GO
Give Philippe Starck two years, a jaw-dropping budget and a grand Parisian shell, and you get the new Raffles Royal Monceau (37, avenue Hoche; 33-1-42-99-88-00; leroyalmonceau.com). Steps from the Arc de Triomphe, the 85-room hotel leaves no detail too small to escape the designer’s touch, with rates from 780 euros, or $1,000.
For a taste of the seedy-cool district of Pigalle, book a room at the Hôtel Amour (8, rue Navarin; 33-1-48-78-31-80; hotelamourparis.fr), the brainchild of the graffiti artist turned nightclub entrepreneur André Saraiva and Thierry Costes of the Costes family. Rooms start at 100 euros.
The year-old Hotel Banke (20, rue La Fayette; 33-1-55-33-22-22; derbyhotels.com/banke-hotel-paris), near the Place Vendôme, combines Belle Époque-style architecture with not overly trendy touches, with 94 rooms starting at 260 euros in December.
Ed Alcock
Copyright by The New York Times
Dupleks is one of the boutiques on the Canal St.-Martin. More Photos »
By GISELA WILLIAMS
Published: December 16, 2010
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/travel/19hours-paris.html?hpw
HAS Paris lost its edge? Mais non! The city’s bohemians are just harder to find. The artsy denizens and creative tastemakers, always on the hunt for cheaper rents, have migrated to the city’s fringes, like Belleville and the former red-light district of Pigalle. There are even fashion-forward hangouts in the postcard-perfect center — a pop-up restaurant here, a taxidermy-stuffed speakeasy there. And, of course, a modern take on the classic Parisian bistro or boulangerie will never go out of style.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) GALLERY GHETTO
The ghosts of Paris’s master artists are everywhere, but if you want to dive into the city’s contemporary art scene, head to Belleville, where the steep hilltop streets are dotted with upstart galleries and cozy wine bars. Among the earliest galleries was Bugada & Cargnel (7-9, rue de l’Équerre; 33-1-42-71-72-73; bugadacargnel.com), which specializes in both French and international emerging artists. Newer arrivals include Gaudel de Stampa (3, rue de Vaucouleurs; 33-1-40-21-37-38; gaudeldestampa.fr) and Marcelle Alix (4, rue Jouye-Rouve; 33-9-50-04-16-80; marcellealix.com). For a mix of art and fashion, swing by Andrea Crews (25, rue de Vaucouleurs; 33-1-45-26-36-68; andreacrews.com), where vintage duds are transformed into fast fashion.
6 p.m.
2) LA BOHèME WINE BAR
Perched above the Belleville park, Le Baratin (3, rue Jouye-Rouve; 33-1-43-49-39-70 ) is an unpretentious and intimate wine bar with antique tile floors and worn wood tables. Despite the local buzz, it has managed to stay low-key, so it’s still possible to walk in at an odd hour, sans reservations, and join the bohemian crowd as they sample the dozen or so small-production wines, scratched on the chalkboard.
8:30 p.m.
3) CHIC BISTRONOMIQUE
Here’s the trick to getting a table at always-packed Le Chateaubriand (129, avenue Parmentier; 33-1-43-57-45-95). Park yourself at the bar around 8:30 p.m. the day of, and fortify yourself with wine and snacks — and people watching — while you wait for a table. It’s first come first served for the 9:30 seating. (Otherwise, you have to make reservations at least two weeks in advance for the 7:30 seating.) The young Basque chef, Iñaki Aizpitarte, serves a five-course menu that changes daily. Recent meals included a foie gras served in miso soup, and a sea bass served with red chicory and lemon crème fraîche. Prix fixe: only 50 euros, or $65 at $1.31 to the euro.
Midnight
4) RED LIGHT SPECIAL
In recent years, the area around Pigalle has drawn Parisian tastemakers looking for a good time — with their clothes on. Start with a drink at Hôtel Amour (8, rue de Navarin; 33-1-48-78-31-80; hotelamourparis.fr), an artsy hotel decorated with disco balls and Terry Richardson photographs that is partly owned by the reigning king of Paris night life, André Saraiva. Then continue to Chez Moune (54, rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle; 33-1-45-26-64-64; chezmoune.fr), a former lesbian cabaret that is now a popular hangout for the city’s polysexual fashionistas.
Saturday
11 a.m.
5) WHERE LADY GAGA SHOPS
By now, you can pretty much find those Lanvin flats and Céline bags back home. But Bambi-shaped shoes? Or a Kermit the Frog jacket? The aristocrat fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has a new boutique in St.-Germain (61, rue des St.-Pères; 33-9-64-48-48-54; jc-de-castelbajac.com) where fashion inspiration comes from unexpected places, like “Paradise Lost” and Donald Duck.
Noon
6) POP-UP BISTRO
Even jaded Parisians have waited weeks for one of the 12 seats at the pop-up restaurant Nomiya (13, avenue du Président Wilson; online reservations at art-home-electrolux.com), a glass box that floats on the rooftop of the Palais de Tokyo. Instead of dinner, come for lunch, when seatings are easier to come by, and the views are more spectacular. The five-course meal cooked up by Gilles Stassart might include foie gras with eggplant confit and scorpion fish served with a vegetable medley (80 euros for lunch and 100 euros for dinner). Nomiya’s run has been extended until spring 2011.
2 p.m.
7) SHOP THE CANAL
On sunny weekends, stylish young families and boho-chic couples stroll the gentrified Canal St.-Martin — fast becoming a charming little shopping hood of indie boutiques. Dupleks (83, quai de Valmy; 33-1-42-06-15-08; dupleks.fr) sells eco-friendly fashions, Espace Beaurepaire (28, rue Beaurepaire; 33-1-42-45-59-64; espacebeaurepaire.com) carries street-art prints, and La Piñata (25, rue des Vinaigriers; 33-1-40-35-01-45; lapinata.fr) has wooden children’s toys. Style hounds especially like Sweat Shop (13, rue Lucien Sampaix; 33-9-52-85-47-41; sweatshopparis.com) , a funky D.I.Y. collective and cafe with sewing machines to rent by the hour.
4 p.m.
8) SAVORY AND SWEET
One bite, and you’ll understand why there’s a long line outside Du Pain et Des Idées (34, rue Yves Toudic; 33-1-42-40-44-52; dupainetdesidees.com), a cultish boulangerie in the Canal St.-Martin neighborhood. The escargot chocolat-pistache, a snail-shaped pastry filled with chocolate and pistachio, will shatter the will of any dieter. So will the mini-pavés, savory knots stuffed with spinach and goat cheese.
8 p.m.
9) AMERICAN TRANSPLANTS
Paris-obsessed food bloggers will roll their eyes, but Spring (6 Rue Bailleul; 33-1-45-96-05-72; springparis.blogspot.com), an intimate restaurant that moved this summer to the First Arrondissement, deserves the hype. The French-trained American chef Daniel Rose takes something as simple as eggplant and prepares it four eye-opening ways. Dinner prix-fixe menu: 64 euros. If you can’t make reservations months ahead of time, head to the newly revamped Minipalais (Grand Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill; 33-1-42-56-42-42; minipalais.com), a loft-like brasserie with an American-friendly menu that includes a terrific duck burger with foie gras. Or try the new Ralph’s (173, boulevard St.-Germain; 33-1-44-77-76-00; ralphlaurenstgermain.com), owned by Ralph Lauren in St.-Germain, which, believe it or not, is fashionable with a young Parisian crowd.
Midnight
10) LE CHIC ET LE GEEK
Ever since the legendary Le Montana reopened during last spring’s fashion week, le party hasn’t stopped. Resurrected by André Saraiva (yes, him again) and Olivier Zahm, Le Montana (28, rue St.-Benoît) draws an A-list crowd of models and actors. But be warned: getting past the bouncer is harder than squeezing into jeggings. Fortunately, a 20-minute walk away is the geeky hot spot Curio Parlor (16, rue des Bernardins; 33-1-44-07-12-47; curioparlor.com), a speakeasy-style lounge popular with a chic Parisian crowd that sips single malt whiskey.
Sunday
11 a.m.
11) GRASS IS GREENER
Since the historic dance hall and watering hole Rosa Bonheur reopened in 2008 (2, allée de la Cascade, in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont; 33-1-42-00-00-45; rosabonheur.fr), it has brought the city’s party crowd to the great outdoors. By day, middle-aged hippies strum guitars alongside hungover clubkids. By night, it turns into a full-fledged party complete with velvet rope and D.J. This winter the party continues inside with the restaurant Mimi Cantine overseen by the Michelin-starred chef Armand Arnal.
1 p.m.
12) FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Blame it on Wes Anderson movies or an obsession with the cult taxidermy shop Deyrolle, but nothing gets a Parisian bohemian more excited than a room filled with stuffed animals. Get your fix at the Musée de la Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature (62, rue des Archives; 33-1-53-01-92-40), a quirky museum with an eccentric collection of taxidermy and antique weaponry. There is also a room dedicated to unicorns, which adds just the right amount of je ne sais quoi to the intentionally musty space.
IF YOU GO
Give Philippe Starck two years, a jaw-dropping budget and a grand Parisian shell, and you get the new Raffles Royal Monceau (37, avenue Hoche; 33-1-42-99-88-00; leroyalmonceau.com). Steps from the Arc de Triomphe, the 85-room hotel leaves no detail too small to escape the designer’s touch, with rates from 780 euros, or $1,000.
For a taste of the seedy-cool district of Pigalle, book a room at the Hôtel Amour (8, rue Navarin; 33-1-48-78-31-80; hotelamourparis.fr), the brainchild of the graffiti artist turned nightclub entrepreneur André Saraiva and Thierry Costes of the Costes family. Rooms start at 100 euros.
The year-old Hotel Banke (20, rue La Fayette; 33-1-55-33-22-22; derbyhotels.com/banke-hotel-paris), near the Place Vendôme, combines Belle Époque-style architecture with not overly trendy touches, with 94 rooms starting at 260 euros in December.
Friday, December 10, 2010
A glowing adventure in Puerto Rico
A glowing adventure in Puerto Rico
By Eileen Ogintz
Copyright © 2010, Tribune Media Services
December 10, 2010
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sns-travel-taking-kids-to-puerto-rico,0,6066565.story
Thank goodness for the glow sticks!
It is pitch black and we are kayaking through red mangroves, trying to dodge the roots. The glow sticks on each kayak and on the backs of our life jackets are our only light.
We are in Puerto Rico on our way to the bioluminescent Bay Laguna Grande at Las Croabas, Fajardo -- one of only three bioluminescent bays on the island, according to our GSI Adventures guide, Joel. Who says Puerto Rico is only about sun and surf?
This bay is home to a large colony -- more than a million -- of dinoflagellates that light up, producing the glowing waters. We let water slide through our hands and it glows. Crazy!
So cool!" says my kayak partner Kate Boyce, here from Syracuse, N.Y., to celebrate her mom's 60th birthday and her sister's 30th. "Girl's trip," Kate said happily, adding they wouldn't let their dad come. I was here on a girls' getaway, too, with two of my oldest friends and we met two other moms from Seattle who scored a deal on www.hotwire.com for their annual getaway.
By the end of our excursion, we are soaked and chilled but glad for the unique adventure. After a quick shower at our casita nearby at The El Conquistador Resort (www.elconresort.com/), we head down the road for an authentic Puerto Rican meal at the well-known Pasion por el Fogon (www.pasionporelfogon.net). We feast on Asopaito de camarones -- delicious delicate soup, fresh conch salad, fresh snapper and Mofango, which is green plantains fried and mashed, molded in a bowl and then stuffed with whatever you like -- chicken, fish, seafood -- and covered by a tomato-based sauce. We drink homemade Sangria and toast old friends and a terrific vacation day.
You're missing a lot if you ignore easy-to-reach Puerto Rico (www.seepuertorico.com) in favor of more exotic islands. And you're still in the United States here -- Puerto Rico, of course, is a U.S. territory -- yet you have the opportunity to explore a rich culture that dates back more than five centuries. (The kids will love exploring Castillo San Felipe del Moro Fort in Old San Juan. And they can practice their Spanish in a place where everyone is friendly ... but also speaks English.)
Take your pick of places to stay, from the 23 small family-owned Paradores to the historic Hotel El Convento (www.elconvento.com), built in a centuries-old convent in the heart of Old San Juan, to family and budget-friendly resorts like the Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa (www.wyndhamriomar.com/) with the rain forest on one side and the beach on the other. (Check out rates starting at $99 a night. Call 800-474-6627 and mention the DIS88 rate.)
"Five minutes of serenity," says Maria Arocho, sitting poolside at the Wyndham as her three boys played happily in the water, glad for a place her family could afford. The Arochos, who live in Puerto Rico, had checked in for a weekend. "We come for the pools and room service," she said.
Many families, meanwhile, return again and again to the deluxe 750-room El Conquistador Resort that reminds me of a cruise ship on land with its own Coqui Water Park (www.elconresort.com/coqui_water_park/). Coqui offers water slides and a lazy river, a private offshore island, the Caribbean's largest spa (moonlight yoga, anyone?), Camp Coqui, golf and tennis, a casino, 14 restaurants and even its own excursions operation that can send you kayaking on the bioluminescent bay or out fishing. (Ask about the Coqui Water Park package, which includes airport transfers and breakfasts.)
If you're traveling with grandparents (or girlfriends), consider Las Casitas -- a resort within the El Conquistador resort offering 157 villas with killer views, pools, restaurant and butler service. I love that the resort will stock your kitchen for you for just a $25 stocking fee, or have the chef cook for you.
"There is so much to do we haven't even left the resort," said Brian Keenan, vacationing with his family from Syracuse, N.Y. The Keenans, in fact, had to persuade the kids to leave the pools to head 10 minutes offshore to the resort's Palomino Island for snorkeling, mini golf, jet skiing and horseback riding.
Wherever you stay, there are no worries if it rains. Explore Rio Camuy Cave Park, one of the world's largest underground cave systems, tour Old San Juan's historic sites or head to El Yunque rain forest, like we did, the only rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System and a U.S. World Biosphere Reserve. (Vote for El Yunque to be one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature, www.new7wonders.com.)
Our guide, Wilfredo O'Neill, tells us the 28,000 acres attract more than a million visitors a year who come for the chance to swim under a waterfall, picnic and hike miles of trails amid 1,000 species of plants and animals. (There are no poisonous snakes we're glad to hear.) Listen for the tiny tree frogs with voices as large as opera singers. Tell the kids the tiny frogs don't drink water but soak it up through their skin. Eleven of the 16 species unique to Puerto Rico can be found in this rain forest along with 1,000-year-old trees, flowers and tropical birds.
Back at the El Conquistador, kids snap photos of the beautiful blue parrots that grace the lobby -- Biggles and Giggles -- before racing to the pools. Their biggest decision of the day? Which pool to choose.
There was just one downside to my weekend here -- it was way too short.
I need another day at the beach.
(For more on Eileen's trip to Puerto Rico, read her trip diary at www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)
(c) 2010 EILEEN OGINTZ DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
By Eileen Ogintz
Copyright © 2010, Tribune Media Services
December 10, 2010
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sns-travel-taking-kids-to-puerto-rico,0,6066565.story
Thank goodness for the glow sticks!
It is pitch black and we are kayaking through red mangroves, trying to dodge the roots. The glow sticks on each kayak and on the backs of our life jackets are our only light.
We are in Puerto Rico on our way to the bioluminescent Bay Laguna Grande at Las Croabas, Fajardo -- one of only three bioluminescent bays on the island, according to our GSI Adventures guide, Joel. Who says Puerto Rico is only about sun and surf?
This bay is home to a large colony -- more than a million -- of dinoflagellates that light up, producing the glowing waters. We let water slide through our hands and it glows. Crazy!
So cool!" says my kayak partner Kate Boyce, here from Syracuse, N.Y., to celebrate her mom's 60th birthday and her sister's 30th. "Girl's trip," Kate said happily, adding they wouldn't let their dad come. I was here on a girls' getaway, too, with two of my oldest friends and we met two other moms from Seattle who scored a deal on www.hotwire.com for their annual getaway.
By the end of our excursion, we are soaked and chilled but glad for the unique adventure. After a quick shower at our casita nearby at The El Conquistador Resort (www.elconresort.com/), we head down the road for an authentic Puerto Rican meal at the well-known Pasion por el Fogon (www.pasionporelfogon.net). We feast on Asopaito de camarones -- delicious delicate soup, fresh conch salad, fresh snapper and Mofango, which is green plantains fried and mashed, molded in a bowl and then stuffed with whatever you like -- chicken, fish, seafood -- and covered by a tomato-based sauce. We drink homemade Sangria and toast old friends and a terrific vacation day.
You're missing a lot if you ignore easy-to-reach Puerto Rico (www.seepuertorico.com) in favor of more exotic islands. And you're still in the United States here -- Puerto Rico, of course, is a U.S. territory -- yet you have the opportunity to explore a rich culture that dates back more than five centuries. (The kids will love exploring Castillo San Felipe del Moro Fort in Old San Juan. And they can practice their Spanish in a place where everyone is friendly ... but also speaks English.)
Take your pick of places to stay, from the 23 small family-owned Paradores to the historic Hotel El Convento (www.elconvento.com), built in a centuries-old convent in the heart of Old San Juan, to family and budget-friendly resorts like the Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa (www.wyndhamriomar.com/) with the rain forest on one side and the beach on the other. (Check out rates starting at $99 a night. Call 800-474-6627 and mention the DIS88 rate.)
"Five minutes of serenity," says Maria Arocho, sitting poolside at the Wyndham as her three boys played happily in the water, glad for a place her family could afford. The Arochos, who live in Puerto Rico, had checked in for a weekend. "We come for the pools and room service," she said.
Many families, meanwhile, return again and again to the deluxe 750-room El Conquistador Resort that reminds me of a cruise ship on land with its own Coqui Water Park (www.elconresort.com/coqui_water_park/). Coqui offers water slides and a lazy river, a private offshore island, the Caribbean's largest spa (moonlight yoga, anyone?), Camp Coqui, golf and tennis, a casino, 14 restaurants and even its own excursions operation that can send you kayaking on the bioluminescent bay or out fishing. (Ask about the Coqui Water Park package, which includes airport transfers and breakfasts.)
If you're traveling with grandparents (or girlfriends), consider Las Casitas -- a resort within the El Conquistador resort offering 157 villas with killer views, pools, restaurant and butler service. I love that the resort will stock your kitchen for you for just a $25 stocking fee, or have the chef cook for you.
"There is so much to do we haven't even left the resort," said Brian Keenan, vacationing with his family from Syracuse, N.Y. The Keenans, in fact, had to persuade the kids to leave the pools to head 10 minutes offshore to the resort's Palomino Island for snorkeling, mini golf, jet skiing and horseback riding.
Wherever you stay, there are no worries if it rains. Explore Rio Camuy Cave Park, one of the world's largest underground cave systems, tour Old San Juan's historic sites or head to El Yunque rain forest, like we did, the only rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System and a U.S. World Biosphere Reserve. (Vote for El Yunque to be one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature, www.new7wonders.com.)
Our guide, Wilfredo O'Neill, tells us the 28,000 acres attract more than a million visitors a year who come for the chance to swim under a waterfall, picnic and hike miles of trails amid 1,000 species of plants and animals. (There are no poisonous snakes we're glad to hear.) Listen for the tiny tree frogs with voices as large as opera singers. Tell the kids the tiny frogs don't drink water but soak it up through their skin. Eleven of the 16 species unique to Puerto Rico can be found in this rain forest along with 1,000-year-old trees, flowers and tropical birds.
Back at the El Conquistador, kids snap photos of the beautiful blue parrots that grace the lobby -- Biggles and Giggles -- before racing to the pools. Their biggest decision of the day? Which pool to choose.
There was just one downside to my weekend here -- it was way too short.
I need another day at the beach.
(For more on Eileen's trip to Puerto Rico, read her trip diary at www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)
(c) 2010 EILEEN OGINTZ DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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