Lechonera, Carite swimming, and a night on the town!

Day 3:

If finances allow, it is always a good idea to hire a local driver for a day if you want to venture beyond the normal boundries of tourism-dom. After a bit of research, I chose Charlies Custom Tours for a day of adventure to the mountains and rainforest.

So, what the heck is Lechon? It is the most amazing slow roasted pig fest ever. I have been to one in the Philippines, but Anthony Bourdain himself dubbed PR's lechon to be the best in the world. In Puerto Rico, Lechoneras are sprinkled on the roadsides of Guavate and specifically Cayey. There's pig! There's tamales! There's beer! And of course, there's meringue!

So, our wonderful guide, Carlos, picked us up at the condo, snapping photos of our departure of course. He gave us a brief Old San Juan tour and took some fabulous group shots prior to departing for the mountains. It is not a long journey, about 45-60 minutes or so. On the way, we stopped to meet a sculptor in the mountains and check out his wares. I had no idea what the 'Three Kings' were but apparently it is 'bigger than Santa Claus' according to our trusty guide. This sculptor had many renditions of the three kings in his repertoire.

Ok, so Guavate. It is in central/southern part of the island, deep in the Carite forest. A road known as 'The Pork Highway' cuts through the center and is lined with lechoneras galore. Order family style and PIG OUT. There are drinks and bands and dancing as well so soak up the culture. Or you can bet on the mechanical ponies...whatever your jam is.

Next we headed into the forest to find a swimming hole at the end of a short hike. There were surprisingly few bugs in the forest at all and the climate was very pleasant in February. The blue-hued swimming hole was about 20 minutes in.

Disclaimer: the water is balls cold. It was a bit of a systemic shock but was fabulous once you were in. You can jump off the rocks in the deeper areas and there are also waterfalls to lounge on. Other odd sightings for us was a 'furry' wearing a bathing suit and a rabbit head. SO weird. He was willing to take a picture with us at least.

Carlos took great pictures of the surroundings and us the entire time as well which took the selfie urge out of the day for most of us. Best part, he only charges $75/hr for his services...and with 7 ladies, that is super reasonable.

After being dropped off back at our condo in San Juan, we prepared for some exploration around the waterfront and began hunting for more great food. I happened upon the Rum Bar that was attached to Princesa Gastopub. Actually it found me because the smells of amazing food hit me right in the face and it was love at first sight.

Recommendations: The espresso martini (which isn't usually my thing but this was amazing)

The ahi tartar: I can't explain how delicious this was with stone fruits and herbs. Just eat it

The lobster mofongo: They STUFF the mofongo with the lobster y'all. A lot of lobster

Everyone's food looked amazing overall.

The live duo with acoustic guitars played a great mix of 1990s era songs that made me miss college and local tunes as well.

And, the piece de resistance...The Cannon Club

The Cannon Club is a 'piano bar' but a super classy one. You feel like you are in a wine cave in Spain and the decor is Victorian meets grunge. The drinks were lovely as well of course, but the ambience takes the cake here. If you are tired of the music, head outside where there are tons of tables, gardens, and a funky pool.