Greetings from sunny Puerto Rico! We arrived in the Old San Juan (Old City) late yesterday afternoon after a long day of flights and promptly headed to our sanctuary (otherwise known as the The Gallery Inn). The B&B we are staying at is really amazing. The brief description on the website aptly describes the location:

The Gallery Inn, a stunning twenty-two room boutique hotel, sits high aloft the Old City’s North Wall, commanding sensuous Atlantic Ocean breezes and gorgeous views to the South over the entire San Juan Bay and mountainous central regions of Puerto Rico.

Created within six interconnecting townhouses, the Inn’s 23,000 sprawling square feet have been home to artist Jan D’Esopo since 1961. Brick patios, antique arches, ausubo beams, and a multitude of sculptured fountains are among the Inn’s many charming architectural details. Nineteen glorious gardens and five active art studios are tucked away between twenty-two beautifully appointed guest rooms, all with Tempur-Pedic mattresses. Rooms are artistically scattered through seven juxtaposed levels resembling more of a historic museum than a hotel. Guests are encouraged to explore the fifty-two-room mansion to find their own nook of tranquility.

After checking in, we spent a couple of hours wandering the city and then made our way over to Cafe Puerto Rico for dinner (read my review on Yelp). In addition to good food and drink, our waiter was more than happy to inform us on how the US has successfully screwed up the Puerto Rican economy and imposed its imperialist ways upon the island. We all appreciated his candor and the pleasant F-bomb he dropped in his rant.

After dinner, we discovered Tabacadera Ramos, a kind gentleman, selling his amazing handmade cigars in the plaza across the street from the restaurant. The gents happily smoked cigars while walking the streets on the way back to The Galleria. Although we were pretty tired, we made time for a relaxing dip in the pool before bed. It was really quite amazing swimming in the small, funky pool with a gentle rain falling on our heads.

Well, we are now awake, well-rested and fed. Our second day is about to begin. I’ll leave you with some pictures of The Galleria:

From Puerto Rico: Day One

– Devon Akmon

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