On our way to the airport, we decided to kill a few extra hours in Old San Juan.  We received a great recommendation for a little coffee shop called Finca Cialitos.  It is named after the area they harvest the coffee from.  I asked the guy making the coffee if it had been a busy weekend.  He said "Here? I don't know.  I was working the farm over the weekend.  It was busy there."  He told me the only difference between working the shop and the coffee farm is that the coffee shop provided two comforts: A fan and a radio.  He showed me on the map where the coffee was grown and we talked about the climate and bean fermentation a bit.  Then I bought his last bag of beans and we rushed back to the car to catch our flight.

Meet our friend and tour guide, Joaquin.  He invited us to join him on the island and planned our adventures for us.  This beach was one he frequented in his college days and he was very happy to be back.

Medalla (pronounced Meh-dah-yah) is the beer of choice in Puerto Rico.  Similar to other mass produced beers in the US, Medalla is refreshing and best served ice cold.  The cans are only 10oz, so it feels small and foreign in your hand compared to a US standard 12oz can.

Passing boats on our way out to the mangrove islands for some swimming, drinking, climbing and exploring.

Our group plunges into a cave that stinks of mildew and bat droppings.  Our guide reminds us that it is strictly forbidden to shine your flashlight onto the ceiling of the cave.  The bright light can be harmful to the bats massed on the ceiling.

The streets of Old San Juan were home to many lazy cats.  People put out water and cat food, so they never go hungry.  In one street, I actually encountered a slot in a wall with a sign that requested donations to help get the cats fixed and keep them healthy.

Joaquin and I stumbled into this pleasant alleyway while winding our way back to the cars to pick up the others.

Looking out from a WWII observation station.

They place bets using money and dominos and then the two guys running the table turn the crank and spin up the horses. 

To my left, music was playing and people were dancing. It was such a fun beach bar!

One of the small boats that ferried people to and from their sailboats anchored nearby.

A view from beneath the pier.

In Esperanza, a little town on the island of Vieques, it was popular to hurl yourself from the bones of an old pier.  We decided to make this our launching point for an early morning swim.