Rincon Light House

On Monday we drove to Rincon (about a half hour away) to go for a drive along the coast.  We stopped at the Rincon Light House to eat lunch, and enjoy the views.

Rincon is one of the best places for surfing in Puerto Rico, and there were a ton of surfers out and about in the waters below us.

We also followed this guy around for a bit...  (Don't worry- he was on the other side of the railing!)

We continued on through Rincon and did some exploring on the south side of the city.  There are still lots of places to go and see- we're excited for more fun day trips like this one.

Puerto Rican Lechón

Saturday evening Jake's co-workers hosted a "Holiday in Paradise Christmas Party".  They rented a house in Aguada (45 minutes from us) on the water to have their celebration.

View from our parking spot

View from our parking spot

There were about 100 people there, and it was nice to connect.  We talked with one of Jake's co-workers who moved here from the states last spring.  Her family has been here for about three months, so it was comforting to have someone who understands what we're adjusting to!

KC also enjoyed connecting faces with names to some of the people Jake works with.  We had a great time!  It was nice to see people again, and also to meet new people.  A lot of people went out of their way to make us feel welcome, and we're thankful for that!

For dinner, we had Puerto Rican Lechón (roasted pig).  Neither of us had been to a pig roast in a long time, and it was great to experience this Puerto Rican tradition!  We tried the pork rind while the pig was still on the spit.  It tasted like thick, crunchy bacon.

Pork rind

Roasting on the spit

Finished product

The dinner of roasted pig, potato salad, and rice and beans was wonderful!  KC was so excited to have rice and beans for the first time in Puerto Rico!  We also had a chance to try some "unlabeled" alcohol.  There were a few different varieties, but all were pretty strong!

Our party ended with dancing, and karaoke.  It was very lively, and everyone was having a blast!  When 'Killing Me Softly' came on in English- we were excited to hear and sing along with a song we knew!!

Hair Fail & Fix

KC was desperate to dye her hair to cover up a few gray hairs that were popping up.  So, we grabbed a box at Walgreens, and Jake took over as the stylist.  (We even used a scissors to cut an inch or two off the length.)

The result left a lot to be desired...  The overall color was a little orange-y.

A quick response from KC's hair stylist in Minnesota suggested a trip to get some blond highlights to tone down the color.  Jake again used google translate to communicate with a stylist recommended from a co-worker.

The salon was tucked behind a building, but we managed to find it.  The stylist was bilingual (which was awesome), and used to live in the states.  We had a good conversation, and he added blond highlights to KC's hair.  Also, he laughed at us for cutting her hair, and asked who cut the back (Jake)...  Then, he evened it out and spent an hour blowdrying and flat ironing.  Here's the end result.

To celebrate the hair fix, we went to one of our favorite places to eat dinner, La Spezie.  Dinner was delicious, we both had our favorites there.  KC doubts her hair will be this straight again until her next hair appointment due to the heat and humidity.  But, is happy to have non-orange hair now.

Merry Christmas!

Cinnamon rolls started our Christmas morning off as Jake has for the last 30 years (these also weren't quite like home, but they did the trick).

Then, we headed to the beach to enjoy our warm sunny Christmas!

Palm tree or shoe dryer?

For dinner, we grilled ham and potatoes.  

Next, we opened our "presents" or items we needed and purchased ahead of time...  A closet organizer, coconut oil, diffuser, shoes to wear on the tile inside the house, computer case, and bluetooth (since you can't talk on the phone while driving in Puerto Rico).  

We finished our evening with tarts we picked up from the local bakery!

Feliz Navidad!  The Christmas season is just beginning here.  :) 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve we stopped at a local fruit stand to grab some bananas, and the bakery to pick up a Christmas treat!  Then, we spent most of our day at the beach.

First time using the drink holders

Keeping up with the Weinmann family Christmas Eve dinner tradition, we had spaghetti.  It wasn't as good as the family speciality, but we carried on the tradition.

A Pre-Christmas Miracle

A pre-Christmas miracle arrived on the 23rd!

Jake had been in contact with the USPS to see where our last missing box was since it got separated from the others.  They said we shouldn't expect to see it until after Christmas, as they were focusing on Priority Mail during the Christmas rush.

We rushed to the Post & Shop after a 4 hour brake job (a long story for another time).  Jake ran in just when the owner was closing up...   Low and behold, our last box made it to Puerto Rico, and was in pristine condition!

Close Iguana Encounter

We had a close encounter with an iguana in our complex this afternoon as we were walking back to our place.  The camouflage this guy had was amazing in the green grass!

He didn't blend in with the sidewalk nearly as well...

Guacamole, Unpacking & Smoothies

On Sunday, KC made toasted sandwiches, pineapple, and guacamole.  The pineapple, and guacamole from yesterday were put to good use.  It was the first time Jake ever had guacamole, and he says, "It's not bad."

Guacamole verdict: "It's not bad..."

We spent much of our day putting together our new "closet" and unpacking clothes.  It feels good to have more space in our place, and to empty some suitcases.  Another "closet structure" will be coming in about a week for KC's closet.

Completed project

Empty

Full

We also used the new blender for the first time, and had smoothies for our evening treat!

Eat Local & Christmas Prep

On Saturday morning we went to the a local produce stand, and bought a bunch of produce.  This stand is open almost every time we drive by, and was filled with locally grown fruits.

We also hit up two local bakeries and got a loaf of bread, and treats.  (We have to find the best place to get our Christmas treat from!)

We had another short power outage (only in our complex) and we spent a lot of time on the balcony.

We also prepared for Christmas- our 2 ft. tree was put up, and Jake strung lights on the balcony.