San Juan, Puerto Rico is like a foreign home to me. My family and I have traveled to Puerto Rico a total of four times, and each time I have a great experience. San Juan is located on the northern shore of Puerto Rico bordering the Atlantic Ocean. While technically not an international destination as Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, I still like to consider it a foreign vacation because, as has been the theme with so many of my other trips, the culture is different from what I experience at home. Puerto Rico is known for its vibrant culture, outgoing animals, and a rich history being that it has been in the power of different nations for hundreds of years.

The animal pictured above is known in Puerto Rico as a “coqui”. While frog in Spanish translates to “rana”, Puerto Ricans have dubbed the animal “coqui” after the sound it makes in the forest. The coquis are everywhere, and can especially be seen in abundance whenever it rains. Another interesting animal in San Juan are the monkeys; they have a personality of their own. For one, they do not like to be woken up in the morning, and love to sleep late into the morning. If stirred, they are known to take their waste and throw it at oncoming traffic beneath the trees.

One of my favorite parts of vacationing in Puerto Rico is going downtown and walking around on the cobblestone streets, looking for new restaurants to try.  My favorite restaurant to go to though is called Parrot Club. Parrot Club is a vibrant, family owned restaurant that serves a blend of international cuisine along with local specials. A Puerto Rican favorite is mofongo served with saltfish. Mofongo is a plantain based dish and is served with just about anything. It is shaped like a mini mountain and is most certainly delicious.