SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO

People (friendliness)   9     Things to do  9        Best thing to their name: their Pina Coladas!
Things to see  7       Food  6         Beaches  8        

5/27/99

    I got to Newark airport and found Jyoti at our gate and called Ed, he said to "limit the drinking and the looking when you go to strip clubs."
    We arrived at San Juan around 1:30, went to lunch and the beach.   Sooo beautiful!  Then to the pool, played water volleyball, and had pina coladas in the jacuzzi.
    At night we went to dinner and a club called Babylon, in the hotel Wyndam.  It was too crowded, hot, sweaty, and full of frat boys, so Jyoti and I left after about 1 1/2 hours.

    I miss Ed.  I miss Sam.  I feel like I have never been with so many girls before in my life!  I'm going to go nuts.

New Indian vocabulary learned so far:
    Hisaab = expenses ("I'm calculating my Hisaab.")
    Punjabi = like Sunny (Jyoti's fiance), Gujrati = like Jyoti
    Gunda = Indian hoodlum.  Very bad.
    Swimming costume = bathing suit.

5/28/99

    Got up around 11 and went to beach, then pool.  Got a pretty good tan today.  They had a free massage demo and we each took turns, it was great.   Burned a little around my suit edges.  Now we just napped and are ordering pizza.  So relaxed, I can't get up off the bed.

    We are now getting dressed to go out...such a production!  I forgot a lot of my dresses and only have a few outfits to choose from, but Jyoti brought like her whole wardrobe, crammed into this 1 1/2" suitcase and keeps pulling out one outfit after another like those magicians with colored scarves.  They are all trying to decide.  They all have such nice clothes, and most have nice bodies.  I have never heard a bunch of girls talk so much about boobs!  It's always "I have no boobs" or "Your boobs got bigger!" or "Look this swimsuit makes me look like I have boobs!"

    Tonight we went to Egipto, an Egyptian theme club.  The crowd was more yuppie and less hot/crowded, I liked it better.  There were more locals--PRicans and blacks.

    B. got really drunk and puked, they were talking about her as we ate leftover pizza back in the room but I felt like defending her.  I know how that feels.  R. was very drunk.  She [ow she pinched me] thinks she was supporting Jyoti while dancing, but we all know it was reversed.

5/29/99

    We went snorkeling off Icacos (small, rocky, uninhabited) Island.   The captain/instructor was a big flirt.  During the "training" he was teaching us how to snorkel and was helping me w/my mask, and when we got into the water he took my hand and said "Follow me."  Then S. needed his help so he went over and I heard him ask her if she had a bf.  I was like Oh brother.   After a while I got seasick from the water's motion, went back to the boat and asked if they had any medicine.  They had Dramamine but it was "too late to have any effect...the most it'll do is knock you out."  I said that was fine with me, as long as I was asleep I wouldn't feel nauseous.  I slept the rest of the way, people drinking pina coladas and stepping over me, music blasting all around me.

    Sat. night we ate out at a really fancy French Creole restaurant.   We got a long table in a room just for us (about 20 of us).  We went around playing cheesy games like Say one nice thing about the person on your left, and Telephone.   Kind of socially awkward (since I didn't know anyone but Jyoti) but funny.   Telephone started out with someone whispering a line from a movie, and ended up as "All women don't like oral sex."

    Jyoti played slots in the casino.  I didn't gamble at all this weekend.  She and I had coffee and dessert in the hotel cafe and talked, she was kind of upset about some things between her and P. who didn't seem to be acting like her "best friend"..it felt deja vu to the times she used to talk to me about P. when we were in grammar school.

5/30

    Went to El Yunque rainforest, then Luquillo Beach.  El Yunque is the only US national rainforest.  Luquillo is supposed to be the most beautiful beach in PR but it was sooo crowded and hot that day.  We had guided tour and bus, he told us he'd pick us up at 2:45.  We split up, Jyoti and I were tired of standing around waiting for the crowd to mobilize.  When we went back around 2:30, some other people from our bus told us our friends had convinced the driver long ago to take them back to the hotel because they were too hot and crowded.  They were sending another driver to come get us, we waited 45 minutes til they came and were rather peeved.  They told us the first bus had broken down on the way to the hotel and they were stuck for about 45 minutes with no A/C until another bus came; we were laughing vengefully.

    Sunday night ended up a disaster.  Went to dinner at Houlihan's again; I was getting a ticklish cough, and getting annoyed w/the whole huge group having to sit together at a large table and having a bitch of a time splitting the bill.   Left for Egipto again, got there and there was a huge line.  Most of them left, 6 of us stayed.  Inside did a 2nd tequila shot w/them, not feeling anything really.  Danced w/Jyoti and M.  Saw two guys who were interesting.  One was with his friends and looked like he might be half-Asian.  I tried to work my way toward him and our hands bumped a couple times, but it was hard to move with Jyoti and M. in my way.  The other guy finally waved me over, so I turned and danced with him but he kept trying to put my arms around him.  V. saw me and gave me a high 5.  I got sick of him fast and kept looking for the first guy.  Then I rejoined the girls and we went to the 2nd floor bar.  They did another shot, but I was like, Screw this I'm a girl and I shouldn't have to buy my own drinks.  So I tried to talk to the guy next to me but he walked away.  What a dis--either he didn't know English, or was on to me. 

    We found a second dance floor that Jyoti liked better.  We'd lost M. and the rest of the girls, and she wanted to salsa/merengue there "with just anyone."  I was like, This is her bachelorette party so I should go.  She was asked right away.  I stood there alone panicking.  What was worse, standing there alone or getting asked to dance when I didn't know how?  I didn't have much time to think.  Saw two tall hot guys in front of me, one pointed at me and they looked.  The one who pointed asked me to dance, I warned him I didn't know how so he said he'd teach (this was a good disclaimer I'd been using all weekend).  He had a great smile, wavy brown hair, Latin accent, tan and buff.  I was amazed he asked me.   I survived one dance, saw Jyoti out of the corner of my eye; she looked good, she knows how.  After that I thanked him and figured that was it.  Then they started normal club music and he wanted to keep dancing...now I was more in my element.  Then he asked if I wanted a drink (now I get it...you gotta earn them first).   Finally!  At the bar he introduced me to his friends and told them I could really dance--everything, merengue, club, hiphop..said I was beautiful and he was going to NYC in 2 weeks and wanted to see me there, gave me his # and told me there was a big beach party on Contado tomorrow (Monday).

    Found the girls and rejoined them.  Tony left and motioned again for me to call him, I said OK knowing I wouldn't.

    Then things got hairy.  So far I've had 2 tequila shots (long ago) and a screwdriver (downed fast).   Feeling fine, so I think.  At the bar some guy offers me a drink.  Wow, right away?  Sure.  It's the end of the night and he's probably desperate to get some action.  Another screwdriver, I follow the girls to the dance floor fast, hoping to lose him, but he's on my heels.   He offers me another.  Sure.  At the bar he gives me another and next to me are a few other guys.  One starts talking to me.  Now I'm quite buzzed.   Toasted pretty well done.  Downing these fast like water (which, by the way, I'd had none of).  The guy who bought the drinks finally leaves because I keep talking to Benny.  Think I give him my #, not sure.  He's really nice, doesn't try to touch me or ask if I have a bf, or anything like that; I felt like I could trust him.  I couldn't stand/walk, was using him for support.  I'd lost everyone, he helped me look for them and we told the bouncer what they looked like.  Finally he offered to drive me home.

  ......

"San Juan Marriott."  Otherwise I don't remember one bit of our entire night's conversation.

The elevator didn't go to the 17th floor.  I was on some roof and climbed some ladder. Back in the elevator I pressed *B and was in the lobby, and a bellhop helped me to 17.  Knocked on our room door and Jyoti and M. were just coming out of another elevator.   Jyoti yelled "Where have you BEEN?"  Really mad. I said "Sorry, don't be mad," all apologetic, but that doesn't work too well on girls.   Konked out in my dress, somehow remembered to remove my contacts.

    Next morning I felt like crap.  They went to Old San Juan to shop.  I stayed in and alternated between leaning over the toilet, sitting on it, and sleeping.  Nothing stayed down.  Water--puked.  Pepto--puked.   Tylenol--puked.  My ex's magic potion of water/salt/sugar--puked.   Pringles--puked.  It was completely miserable and getting worse...had nothing left to puke.  Just empty convulsing.  They got back and we went to the Lobby to ask about a doctor.  Jyoti, M and I got a cab to the ER just a few blocks away.   While Jyoti was filling the paperwork I suddenly got dizzy and ran for it, the nurse shoved a garbage can in front of me.

    They hooked me up to an IV in my hand.  Jyoti and M. left and I slept.  They connected an injectable med to it too, for the pain; it made me sleep.   I prayed God don't let me die, I'll never do this again.  I was scared.   I seriously thought that slimy guy who bought me two drinks had slipped something in them.

    Got up to give a urine sample, was no longer nauseous but very dizzy.  Had a really nice young nurse, Hannah.  A nice nurse makes all the difference.  Slept.  They must have replaced the IV bag 4 times.  Woke up and had to pee, then saw Marcos.  It was 12 midnight!  He asked how I was, then went out and they let Jyoti in.  She said to call her when I was released or cab it back.  They left and I slept and peed some more.  Around 6AM I asked when I could go.  Felt fine, just kinda weak.  The doctor released me at 6:30; I had been there 13 hours.

    The orderlies called me a cab back to the Marriott, one of them waited outside and watched til I got into the cab.  At the Marriott the bellhops held the cab and hotel doors and asked me if I was feeling better.  I went up to 17, they were all sleeping but I was awake.  I walked to the beach, got Ed some San Juan sand and water in a bottle like he asked, and sunned by the pool.  Upstairs we packed and checked out, went souvenir-shopping around the block (people I didn't even know stopped to ask if I was feeling better).  Taxied to the airport and bought a bottle of Bacardi 151^o.  That and 3 shot glasses for the Kinross guys, knickknacks for my co-workers, and a necklace for myself. 

    Anyway, I'd gotten a nice tan.