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Villa
Tropical, Charlie's Car Rental, Puerto Rico
After our long and totally adventurous journey around most of the planet and after only 6 months back in the States, we were off again. After spending 6 weeks visiting our family in sunny California and a 3-month break in Austin, Texas, we traveled to Florida. Spending some time in numerous Fl. beach cities we eventually made it to Miami, the Latin hub of the Americas. Our first journey from there was the Caribbean Isle of Puerto Rico. The little I knew about the Island was learned from previous friendships, brochures and passed on information from business & personal contacts. Was it to be everything I had anticipated? With my favorite & crucial, brainy traveling partner and Dakota, we would soon know if it was worth the journey. In
the weeks before our short flight in early March 2005 we had contacted
several tourism related businesses seeking their participation in our
promotional tour. The response was welcoming and some of the very best
businesses on the island desired to participate in our tour and their
willingness to participate definitely portrayed their sincerity and
confidence. Our first and primary sponsor was Charlie's Car Rental. They would provide a mini-van for the entire duration of our stay on the island, 2 weeks, or longer, if required. With the number of bags we drag around...a mini van was crucial! Unlimited mileage was also important, as we intended to explore every inch of this Caribbean Isle. Arriving at the international airport in the capital city, San Juan, we met up with our prearranged guide, Mr. Hector Reyes. Catching the airport shuttle bus for the short ride to Charlie's to pick up our Van, we became acquainted. After a brief meeting and a quickly signed agreement we were handed the keys to a new Ford mini-van…it was just that easy. The company is truly and most definitely a quality run business with a great location, professional staff and massive selection of cars, vans and SUVS. Remember the name Charlie's if you ever intend to visit Puerto Rico…you won't regret it and unlike my previous nightmare experiences with Avis and other car rental companies around the globe…they care about your experience and appreciate your business! Our guide, Hector was a well-spoken and quite knowledgeable native of Puerto Rico and was indeed crucial to the success of our tour. But, as our usual luck, we arrived on the island in the middle of some local festivities and as it was getting late in the day we decided to stay the night just outside the city center. We had initially planned to drive across the island to our booked accommodations. Everyone else on the island must have shared our decision, as there was not a room or even a barn for sleeping available anywhere. Hector, being the true gent he was, invited us to meet his Mom, step dad and his lil' brothers. They lived in a quaint, but well kept house on a hill in the outskirts of San Juan. What a greeting! I haven't been welcomed like that in a long time and their hugs were genuine…salt of the earth people, to say the least. The cold drinks, the chatting about anything that popped in mind was relaxing, but their house was too small for our stay and we still had to find a place to sleep. Hector mentioned that he might know a hotel just down the hill and without another word walked out the door. He was back in 30 minutes with a positive answer…yes, they had rooms. Great, was my quick reply, but my quick acceptance turned into folly as we soon learned the hotel was a brothel…with a bedazzled glance toward Dakota and a deep sigh, we accepted our fate...’oh well, was all I could muster. It was just another day on the road and a bed was a bed…or was it? The
short drive to the deluxe brothel hotel led us to a new experience and
wasn't what I expected. It was laid out and designed for maximum privacy
and didn't actually supply any women. The row after row of motel style
ground floor rooms were each separated by a garage. The client along with
his date simply paid a very reasonable fee for the room,
drove their car into the assigned garage, pulled the door down behind
their car and walked straight into their mirrored ceiling, glowing blue
lighted room and did their business. Our only business was to get some
sleep! Dakota went to his room and alone in my room sleep was difficult as I lay there staring up at the mirrored reflection of myself in the blue twilight of a 1960 lava lamp. It was a very unique experience, but some-what humbling, as I heard the cars coming & going along with the multitude of neighboring grunts and moans into the wee-dawn hours of the morning. At times life on the road does get lonely! After
a quick exit the next morning we picked up Hector from his family's home
and with his giggling promise of no more brothel hotels, we began our next
adventure. We had made arrangements to stay in a lovely beachside
villa-hotel on the other side of the island and after a very tasteful
breakfast at a small roadside café, and with Hectors directions we were
off. The three-hour drive exposed
the island and all its national beauty as we twisted and turned our way up
and over the heavily treed mountains. Passing through several towns and
industrial areas, we eventually started our descent back down to the
ocean. The highways were well kept, but we did see many fires burning
somewhat out of control in the foothills and mountains. Asking Hector
about the fires, he shamefully admitted that his people were not very
eco-conservative and callously threw their trash anywhere and everywhere.
He said the glass beer bottles lying in the sun acted like a magnifying
glass and started the fires. He went on to say that this occurred
countless times a day all over the island. What a shame was all I could
say! When are people ever going to learn? Our
final destination for the day was the coastal town of Aquadilla, but as
the villa was self-catering, we decided to stop at a nearby grocery store
and stock up for our 3-day stay. After an hour of browsing and grabbing a
wide assort of goodies and a tidbit of real food, we proceeded to
spend the next hour searching for this very hard-to-find, but well worth
the effort, villa. An hour and several photo stops later we found the
small lane running off the highway and followed it down to the beach and
to the 2 story villa apts. I, personally being an old surfer, from my bygone days as a beach bum in San Francisco, was quite anxious to discover if this beach did indeed live up to its claims as being one of the best surfing beaches in all of Puerto Rica. The Villa Tropical apartments are directly in front of what Windsurfer Magazine has called the best wave sailing beach in the Caribbean and what Skin Diver Magazine has called the best snorkeling and diving area in Puerto Rico. There is a good surf break directly in front of the villa, and to one side are more than two miles of open beach without a single house. I lived for these moments and wondered was I up to the task? It had been 2 decades since I held a surfboard, much less rode a wave. We walked up to the first floor office and after a few moments were greeted by the owner, Mr. Mike Shand. With his deep tan, it wasn’t difficult to conceive that he was a genuine beach and surf lover. Being from the US mainland him and his wife bought the property and turned it into a real dream vacation destination. Our
large and very comfortable apt was fully equipped and I even had my own
private bedroom for those warm afternoon naps and a peaceful night of
refreshing the spirit and body, especially after a few hours in the sun
& surf.
Browsing through the kitchen, I unpacked our store bought goodies and headed for the beachside
deck. Mike and I had some long and entertaining discussions about surfing,
the island and a wide variety of life topics. 
The beauty of our world never ceases to amaze me and on this beach, on
this small Island in the Caribbean, I was left with another cherished
memory deeply embedded in my soul. The sun was falling gently, but without
delay it continued its daily journey across the sky and was fast
approaching the dark abyss that would once again engulf its light. I have
always loved the sun and especially as it sinks into the ocean, so
grabbing my camera and as daylight faded, I headed back for the beach. The
sunset was still a few moments from dropping into the waves, as I
positioned myself flat on the sand and waited. I feared to move as I
anticipated what just might be one of the best sunset photos I had shot
since Santorini in the Greek Isles. I checked my camera and made a few slight changes and when the sky
turned as red as it was going to get I placed my finger on the button of
my Nikon D100. Keeping one eye on the waves I waited and just as a wave
leaped into the air directly at the low hanging sun…I snapped the
shutter. Later when I uploaded the photos into my computer I was
ecstatic…the picture was even better than I had hoped and I am pleased
to post it here in my review of this Caribbean Isle less than a 2 hour
flight from Miami. From San Juan to the magical rain forest and along
the winding and scenic beach roads…Puerto Rico has a lot to offer to
each and every visitor The few days and warm breezy nights spent at this
small, private and peaceful villa went by much too quickly and again it
was time to go…another adventure beckoned. I have nothing but splendid
things to say about Mike, his wife and the small piece of heaven they
carved from the tropical jungle as it bordered the turquoise waters of the
warm and inviting Caribbean Sea. It’s affordable and immensely
enjoyable!
Travelers Digest travels the globe bringing our millions of readers the
absolute best our world offers and introduces you to the people that
provide their unique services to the travelers daring to follow their
dreams. Share in the truth and be inspired by the beauty that surrounds
us. Thank you, Mike, for your warm hospitality and for sharing your
intriguing piece of Puerto Rico. The photos and review are the exclusive property of Travelers Digest
and may not be copied or reproduced without written permission of our
company, its affiliates or agents. Written by Mike Smith Click here for Rates, Reservations, or just
Inquiries! This editorial in its entirety is the sole property of
Travelers Digest and may not be distributed, sold or copied without prior
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