Caribe Hilton

     The Caribe Hilton in San Juan has a large patio area right on top of the breakers, or the rocks set up to prevent soil erosion, so not only can Tracey feel the sun on her face and the wind in her hair, she constantly gets sprinkled with the mist produced by the surf.  Because of the CDC warnings against traveling  during the COVID crisis, there were very few people at the hotel, especially before the New Year’s weekend, so Tracey had her pick of chairs.  Marisol was the main pool attendant and she greeted us with a smile and a warm towel every day.  William was the man in charge of maintaining the pool and he offered to save Tracey a chair by the breakers.  He was the first to arrive and could save Tracey’s special place before the other guests arrived.  My point in mentioning these two people is that the Caribe Hilton was the nicest hotel that I have ever stayed at because of the amenities but also, and more importantly, because of the service.                     

         “I know that I don’t deserve it, but I am going to enjoy it” was a line that I said to myself throughout the week.  After all, if we can afford it, then we might as well use the money for a luxury vacation because “that’s what the money is for.” This was the second line that I constantly whispered to myself to justify spending so much on a week in Puerto Rico.  To my way of thinking, it was worth it to get out of my routine for a while, to get the creative juices flowing, to aerate my brain, and to cultivate an attitude of gratitude for everything that I have.  Also, Tracey and I strengthen our marriage by spending quality time together because this was our best week ever!

Having a great vacation doesn’t just happen.  I was determined to be on my best behavior because I wanted us to share a good memory.  I have learned to check myself whenever I feel impatience, anger, and intolerance flooding into my brain.  When I become tired, frustrated, or feel a lack of control, I tense up and move my way into a bad mood.  “Where ever you go, you take yourself with you,” was a third line that I used and I have learned that the best way for me to combat my anxiety is through exercise.  I took a two hour walk every morning, lifted weights in the afternoon, and took a nap every day to refresh myself.  Happiness is a choice, but I have to work on it, and I know that I can be my own worst enemy on vacation.  Since I paced myself by reading a little, playing around on YouTube, and listening to some of my favorite music, our vacation was a complete success.

Being a man of a certain age can be an advantage because I can walk around unnoticed.  As an older man in a younger crowd, I become invisible, but that is fine with me because I am free to observe other people without them becoming defensive.  For example, as I crossed the pool deck to check in on Tracey, I came across a loud mouth jerk who was arguing politics with an equally opinionated Latina while their spouses sat off to the side, wishing that the debate would end.  Another time, I saw a young Asian man strutting from one end of the property to the other while his new wife had to take twice as many steps as he did just to keep up.  And then there was the couple who was having a good time by giving each other piggy back rides on the patio.  Teenage girls were taking selfies and recording Tick Tock videos in bathing suits that were barely there.  A young mother kept a watchful eye over her two sons but what made her remarkable was that she was wearing a string bikini.  She was obviously proud of the fact that she kept herself up, in spite of giving birth to two boys, and wanted to show off.

“Mojitos” was one of the restaurants attached to the hotel and Tracey and I liked the place so much that we had breakfast there every morning and took most of our dinners there in the evening.  The food was good but the real reason why we kept going back was the staff; they warmed up to us from the first day of our stay and by the end of the week they treated us like family.  Kathy is the owner and, since we were at her restaurant on New Year’s Eve, she introduced us to her mother and husband, who were there to celebrate the holiday.  “Mojitos” is a family run operation and Kathy’s daughter works there as the hostess while her husband visited the restaurant every day just to help keep an eye on things.  Peter and Pedro were the brothers who bussed the tables and they was a little confusing because not only did they share the same looks and demeanor, they shared the same name.  The real gem of the place was Veronica.  She was our waitress on most days and she was a little Puerto Rican ball of fire.  At one point, Veronica had colored her air silver, but it grown out a while ago, so about a quarter of her hair was jet black and the rest of it was silver.  Not everyone could get away with this look but Veronica had the personality to pull it off.  Because she had so much energy and an attractive personality, I began to look forward to seeing Veronica every day just so that I could spend a few moments talking to her.  However, it was hard to see her bright eyes turn sad as she talked about the devastation that Hurricane Maria brought to the island two years ago and the poverty that came as a result of the calamity.

If I had to pick one moment that was the highlight of our trip to the Caribe Hilton, it has to be when they brought out our New Year’s Day dinner at “Rustica.”  Tracey picked this Italian restaurant to bring in 2021 and she preordered the meal as a surprise to me.  To add even more class to the event, Tracey paid with cash so that I couldn’t find out how much the meal cost.  We shared carpaccio for an appetizer, a tomahawk steak for two as the main course, and tiramisu for dessert.  The meal was paired with a bottle of Chardonnay.  It was the best dinner that I have ever had and it meant more to me because Tracey went out of her way to make it an event.

There were so many small moments, so many memories that made our vacation special.  If there was anything that was negative during our week in Puerto Rico, it was that so many businesses had shuttered their doors.  The hurricanes and the pandemic had left the restaurants and hotels wanting for customers.  We never left the tourist area so Tracey and I didn’t see the devastation on the rural areas of the island but Veronica said that she lives in the city and her electricity was off for eleven months.  It is my hope that this pandemic will be over soon and people will feel comfortable travelling again.  And if there is anything that I can do to encourage you to visit Puerto Rico then please let me know.  It is a wonderful place and I want to see the small businesses flourish again.