Puerto Rico: The Don'ts of Visiting Puerto Rico

hey there fellow Travelers Mark here with Walter's world and today we're here in ringcom Puerto Rico for the Dons of visiting Puerto Rico and my first dome for you really could start before you come to Puerto Rico or right when you get here and that is don't be afraid to ask the locals what to do look people from Puerto Rico Love Puerto Rico you'll see the flags flying everywhere you'll feel the pride they have in their country whether they're still living in Puerto Rico or if they're living in the US or around the world and what's great is they will share their tips for you they'll let you know where their uncles live and their aunties lives they're going to help you out they'll set up a driver for you they'll tell you oh this is the best place for Mungo oh if you want to get Leon you got to go to the r de Leon and go eat it there because that's the best way and get it by the pounds cuz you're going to love it I mean you see how happy I am because my Puerto Rican friends and our Puerto Rican fans I just mentioned we're thinking of going to Puerto Rico and the outpouring of support the outpouring of ideas place to go is amazing so don't forget to ask don't be worried to ask and when you get here here the people are super friendly so they will help you as well and that's really really wonderful but there's something I need to kind of tell you when you come here is don't just blindly speak English when you're here okay Puerto Rico yes they have two official languages Spanish and English okay so you can get by and both pretty much everywhere but I'm going to tell you just because it's a US Territory doesn't mean everybody speaks English here especially if you get outside of like San Juan or here in Ron or any of the big tourist areas Spanish is much more prevalent there just a lot less happening so do be aware of that so practice your Spanish before you come even if you just you know learn a few words gracias is thank you poor fa is please C is yes just doing that like just makes people so happy and much more welcoming I mean they're already welcoming but just trying a little Spanish like loo no espol I'm sorry I don't speak Spanish we help people out and if it's in tourism they'll know they'll switch to English no problem or they'll just starting English with you so don't worry about it but just realize that you do need some Spanish when you are here especially if you're going more Inland and not by the tourist places okay so don't just go blindly in English do practice some of that Spanish when you're here and even you who don't speak Spanish and the people you meet might not speak English really well they'll still give you that advice I was talking about before now a kind of a more serious don't I have when you do come here is I said this is a US Territory and I would say don't get into the political talk about Puerto Rico is you know its statehood or its territory or dependence that discussion it's a really deep issue for the people of Puerto Rico and I'm not from here you're not from here you don't understand what this means to them you know they're conquered by Spain conquered by the US I mean there's a lot to unpack for the Puerto Rican people here and you as a tourist come and enjoy the beautiful ocean or the Beautiful You Know beaches the bioluminescence Bays or the Fantastic food that's here you can't possibly we can't possibly understand that so I do kind of recommend not getting into that topic when you are here just to avoid any any headaches cuz you know I mean if you want to talk about it just just mention hey I've noticed like places like green con a lot of mainlanders have moved here and that could lead into a discussion as well so so just be aware of that but nothing bad is going to really happen to you I think the the the bad that might happen to you when you're here is my next D for you and that is don't forget to be defensive with your driving when you're here in Puerto Rico cuz people drive more on the aggressive side a bit when you are here so be ready for some Quick Lane changes and stops really quick and people going oh I forgot my exit and pulling over and then with all the tourists that are here not knowing where they're going I mean there's a lot of things you need to kind of consider when you're driving here so just be ready for it I mean if you're if you're coming from a big city like a Chicago or New York you'll be fine but if you're you know a small town guy like myself be ready for it and and and just know that just because you're a tourist don't think that will get you out of a ticket but I will say the police officer that gave us a ticket by Isabella was very nice the people the Isabella Town Hall we paid our our mov are fine we're wonderful okay so be aware from that a couple other don'ts I have when you're driving around don't forget to get the toll pass just to save yourself the headache um a lot of the rental agencies might have it already included in there but it's important to ask about it and yeah don't think cuz you didn't see the sign that that's an excuse not to get a ticket for speeding uh just FYI but I think for the signage another don't I have for you is don't get confused by the signage uh when it comes to driving around because the mile markers are actually in kilometers and the distance to the exits are in kilomet but the speed limit is in miles per hour okay so do be aware of that and you'll see how sometimes that can be a little confusing but if you know it it's a little bit more helpful another important don't to go with those kilometers and miles thing is don't forget that the gas is actually priced in liters not in gallons because I know if you're thinking gallons that's a great price but no Take that times 3.75 that gives you the per gallon price so they sell by liter so uh yeah just just know that though honestly the gas prices here are pretty similar to what we pay in Illinois so not a big deal there now if you're planning a trip here to Puerto Rico one thing I had to say is don't skip out one of the bioluminescent Bays here in Puerto Rico there's three of like five in the world where you like kayak in the water and it glows behind you you put your hand in shake it and it kind of glows or do a boat tour and see that there's three here in Puerto Rico one is about an hour and a half south of here in the southwest corner of the island another one's in the northeast corner of the island you can go up there that's probably the easiest one if you're in San Juan to go visit and then there's one out on one of the islands you can go see that's mosquito Bay that's probably the best one to do but do go on and don't skip out on it because it really is amazing but I got to tell you don't forget to book it in advance because if you're here on weekends or during High tourist season those tours those kayak tours those boat tours those swimming through a tours they do book up so that can be a problem also don't forget that the moon has a big part of it new moon is better than the full moon all right now let's let's get back to some of the really really important stuff when you come to Puerto Rico the food okay and one thing I got to say is don't feel bad if you buy your lechon by the pound okay lechon is suckling roast Pig and you'll see some of the kioscos they're like little huts on the side of the road that they'll be selling them there's actually a rout Leon a pork R the root of the pork I guess that you can go to and and just get lit on and it's so good and the thing is you might see perne which is another form of pork with your or other foods but but Leon Leon is the bomb like that's you got to have that when you're here and yes you do order by the pound so do enjoy it cuz you'll be pounding it down because it's so good okay but another don't I have food with the food is don't be anti plantain look plantains you know the Rel of the banana they're super popular here they come on a lot of things you might have toston for a start which is a which is a plantain that's fried then Smash and fry it again like kind of like not a chip but like a smooshed like I guess you call it like a banana hash brown almost it's sometimes a put toppings on that that's a really wonderful starter or you have amaras which is like a sweet fried banana which is oh those are delightful I love those you get those as a side sometimes I mean I had a plantain stuff with seafood at one of the places we went to eat so plantains will pop up a lot a lot a lot a lot so just just be ready for that when you see it in on the menu because the biggest one is is the Puerto Rican when people think of Puerto Rican food they think of Mungo and what it is it's those plantains they're fried and smashed and it kind of forms into you'll see it like a dome kind of sometimes they'll put the like steak skirt steak or or camaron um shrimp in there or chicken they'll put I mean the stewed meat in there it's so good sometimes it's on the side the fancy plac is on top but if you're like roadside place you'll be happy with what you get but muongo and the plantains that's what makes the bowl so good so good that's one thing you really got to have and one thing is I know when you come to you know the Caribbean and you go in Central America you'll notice that rice and beans are very popular I'm going to tell you here in Puerto Rico don't mix the rice and beans when you serve them now you have your rice and they'll bring you a bowl of beans and you might share that with a person next to you at the restaurant like like at your table not like some random dude okay and but you'll like scoop your own beans and put it on they don't just put it together so if you're making dinner for your Puerto Rican friends do not mix those beans together also what I found interesting was it's not black beans either now another thing I think you need to realize in terms of when you eat here is I would say this don't get in a hurry with your food whether you're going out for drinks whether you're going out for snacks just getting some toon this or you're going out to go eat like at a restaurant service speed is not fast here they're preparing the food a lot of times maybe there's only one person or two people cooking in the back you got to have patience when you're here remember we're on an island island time relax when you're here enjoy Puerto Rico but you do need to realize that it's going to take some time to get your food sometimes so if you have kids I might actually get a starter like impia which are like little Half Moon stuffed pastries which not well yeah it's just they're wonderful just get them okay there's meat chicken seafood the kids my kids have loved them too give them an appetizer to kind of tie them while you're waiting for your food just to be aware of that I also think another important thing to mention is if you're coming to Puerto Rico don't think Puerto Rico is going to be cheap one the locals be like dude it's not cheap and and me as as a mainlander coming here going out to eat in Puerto Rico it's like you know if you're in San Juan it's like going out to eat in Chicago in terms of the prices here in ring con it's like going and eating out at my hometown I'm not saving a ton of cash coming to Puerto Rico okay so don't think it's going to be cheap I'm not saying it's super expensive either but don't think this is going to be a cheap thing to do so just be aware of that when you are booking things whether you're going to do one of the biolumin space or you're going to go out to eat you'll notice that your wallet doesn't think it's as cheap as you might think it is okay so but there are deals you can get that's why I always say go to eat those kiosks the kioscos and stuff and that can help you save a bit but just be aware but one of the things you can do to kind of save money when you're here is don't skip out at eating one of the kioscos one of the little stands you'll see I mean they have them from Sliders and H hamburgers and stuff to to seafood and sometimes those places do have better prices than restaurants but don't feel weird going hm should I be eating at one of these stands yes yes you should the food is fantastic there okay so so don't worry about it you'll see little food trucks around too you can enjoy those and another don't I have for you is don't forget to bring your US dollars because this is a US Territory and the US dollar is the currency here and so when you are here do bring some cash with you there's ATMs a lot of places where you can get cash out but sometimes just easier to bring it with you um one thing I'll say you can use credit cards a lot of places when you're here that hasn't been a problem American Express occasionally has been problematic but visa and MasterCard not a big deal but if you're going to be going to those kioscos and buying your Leon you know like have cash to pay some of these things cuz some places are more of a cash based business and also it makes things a lot faster in paining so do be aware of that and hey if you're coming from the US don't forget that this is a domestic flight if you're coming from the US so you don't need your passport if you're a US citizen you can fly with your driver's license here if you're from the US so that could be really helpful so if you don't want to go get a passport but you want to get kind of a an international experience and see some beautiful stuff come to Puerto Rico and when you're coming to Puerto Rico there's a couple things you don't want to forget don't forget to bring your sun block your bug spray and some kind of sun protection like hats or whatever I mean you can get it all over here there's Walgreens here you can go to the store and pick it up but I find it's cheaper at home cuz remember Island Time Island prices okay bring it from home you have it if you got little kids you can get the beach stuff here but if there's a couple beach toys bring it with you just to save a little money if you want but you can pick it up all here one thing I will say if you do go to the restaurants don't forget to tip if you go to a restaurant 15 to 20% is the tip you're going to leave to your restaurant server okay this isn't oh I'll leave them a dollar no 15 to 20% okay that's what you tip here if you're at the bar and you're getting drinks leave a butt per drink for your bartender okay your guys you want to be tipping them as well this is part US Territory so the Tipping culture is here as well that's how they're making their money you know so do be aware of it and that was a specific D that some of the uh waiters and waitresses here wanted me to say for international Travelers coming here cuz a lot of them don't think they need to tip but you do need a tip when you are here in Puerto Rico now let's talk about some of the fun things you're going to do when you're here one obviously don't miss out on the beaches when you're here and there are beaches I mean the whole island all around has amazing beaches but don't forget to check the water before you go cuz there are rip tides and we are on the North Coast and really rough waves and there'll be signs saying don't go in the water it's not for swimming it's just for laying on the beach and looking or maybe getting your ankles wet so that is one thing I think you need to really realize other things you know don't forget to go to Old San Juan and see the history there going to eloro go to the St chrisal Castle uh going and see the cathedral walking around and see the the buildings that are all painted up and it's just beautiful when you're there you have that and a lot of people that's all they see because they come in on a cruise so if you're not on a cruise you have time my next St for you is don't just go to Old San Juan explore the island even if you're only getting to elun National Forest where you can go hiking there don't go off the pass FYI or if you want to go see some of the cave systems that are around the island you can go see that the beautiful beaches the bioluminescent Bays the towns there's some small towns you can go visit and cities you can visit that are cute that could be great for tourist so there's a lot of stuff for you to see if you want to go around and explore so don't skip out on Old San Juan but don't think it's just Old San Juan when you come here another don't I have for you when you're here in Puerto Rico is if there is a baseball game going on and you can go watch one don't pass up the chance to go watch baseball that is the national Pastime here people are passionate about it you'll still see people wearing reverse to Clemente pirat jerseys throughout the island I mean baseball is Puerto Rico so if you get a chance go to a game even It's a Small Town game or something like that go and watch it's a fun thing to do and you'll see kids playing baseball and adults playing baseball at some of the baseball diamonds around the island you know what maybe make a friend throw the ball around and go hit some but definitely don't pass up a baseball game now another thing I think is important because Puerto Rico is a popular destination for travelers uh especially from the US because the the no passport thing and one thing I'm want to say is don't forget to book your accommodation early cuz there's plenty of accommodation but the parts that you want to stay in are close to the SES or in Old San Juan or or or you he in recall and like there there's places you're going to go that you're going to want to be closer to the action and you need to do that by booking ahead especially if you're going to come for a weekend CU a lot of people just fly down here for the weekend I mean it's like a three three and a half hour flight from Atlanta I think it's like a 4H hour flight maybe from from New York so that's really really cool but tourists do come here booking the accommodation earlier is a little bit more helpful ALS also book your book your car rental once you got things figured out just to make your life easier okay now when you are driving around one thing I want to tell you is don't expect to have great sales service everywhere or even when you're not driving around when you're just around towns and stuff don't always expect to have you know 5G 6G 7g service and all this stuff I I haven't had any problems making phone calls but getting the data sometimes can be iffy so what I'd recommend is download your maps for where you're going to go screen capture your information from your Airbnb whether it's the directions or the codes to get in cuz that's a very popular way to get your information here so have that in case you don't have signal also don't worry if you're coming from San Juan it's about a 2 and a half hour drive from San Juan from here you can actually hire a car at the airport in San Juan that will bring you here and you can schedule a return but I would want to get that kind of set up before you came but yeah rental cars aren't a problem here uh but it is a nice little place to be it is very much a tourist place to visit whether you're here for the Sur whether you're here to go see the lighthouse to enjoy the food cuz yes you have a lot of Puerto Rican food when you're here you'll still get your mungal you'll still get your your your Leon you'll have that and on the weekends if you see one of those Leon kiosks definitely grab some Leon by the pound of course anyway I wish you all the best I'll say bye from here in ringcon

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Length: 16min 18sec (978 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 13 2023