What a fantastic experience...I'm SO blessed to be here. I have wanted to travel and see sites like this for so long...the weather yesterday was BEAUTIFUL - blue skies, some fluffy white clouds, wonderful, constant wind blowing the 80 degree weather all around us. About 100 yards from my room is the beach, which I actually haven't had a moment to spend time there (ugh, I know!) (except for a little jog by it on Fri morning during my run)...and behind me are the mountains with clouds always covering the peaks. Although I have taken several pictures here, I don't feel like I've quite been able to capture everything, and today was a bit rainy throughout the day, so I am hoping to do so tomorrow! Tomorrow is my last day here at the sponsored resort, and then us St. Louis folk are headed to the RITZ-CARLTON which also has beach-front access. Tomorrow should be another fun day, and without any meetings to go to, it should be a relaxing and low-key day finally.
This has been SOO good for my spirits...to get away to something totally new, to have a little taste of "luxury," and to just focus on work stuff and learning more tips for my job that I enjoy so much. All the people we've met in San Juan are so friendly and hospitable...that, too, is refreshing. I LOVE the sounds of the waves, the constant breeze blowing, the landscaping lights that direct my path back "home" to my room, getting a new adventure in a new destination,...and so many other things. It has been very much a spirit-lifting time for me, and the resort feel is so...romantic to me - that's the best word I can come up with since we've been here - it's just a beautiful, gorgeous evening time that would be fun to sit and chat, with clear skies and bunches of stars, and fun, adventurous daytimes. I'd love to share this experience! Maybe someday...maybe someday a great girls' once-in-a-lifetime getaway or something, too!! :)
Well, for the sake of getting just a few pics posted so that I can finally head to bed at a decent hour and enjoy my beloved blackout drapes for one more evening, I will sign off for now, but put some pics below with a few explanations. Enjoy!
Smiling and delighted from way down here,
Becky
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| The path to my building/room! Beautiful!! |
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| The view from across the path directly across from my room! Yes, palm trees, sand, and water!!! Ahhh... |
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| Resort pics |
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| Resort pics - adults-only pool, we had exclusive access (there is a SUPER fun family (huge) pool...hoping to get pics of that tomorrow) |
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| Break from meetings! |
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| Pre-evening drinks at the bar with some of the girls |
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| Our STL contigency representin' |
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| Iguanas roam all over the property here...this was a pretty good sized one! |
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| At the beginning of the trail to the RAINFOREST!!! (Yea, the ponch came out soon after this pic) |
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| Our tour guide (who was AWESOME), showing us some species of plant related to the banana...almost looks like a stiff lily, which collects water during all the rains, and you can pour it into your mouth and drink it. |
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| One of MANY waterfall pics |
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| OK, stay with me here...this is an average size of leaves of this type of tree...now, see below |
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| This is our tour guide in the midst of making some sort of "hat" for me out of it...see below |
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| Here's the hat! Hilarious!! I think I look like a moose! If I knew what sound a moose made, I would include it while wearing the hat. :) |
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| Lookout tower that we stopped at on the way back (sadly, the sun went away as you'll see below) |
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| Lookout views...still great even though overcast (including next 2 pics below) |
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| Me 'n' Lindsey |
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| Me 'n' Deborah |
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| Drinks tonight on our way in to our evening event at the Caribe Hilton, with waves crashing up right behind our dinner that we ate outside |
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| San Juan's version of a "Stomp" group - pretty fun and energetic! |
