Day 4 cycling from Emajagua to Salinas, Puerto Rico

We were happy to enjoy a  hot breakfast included with our stay prior to getting on the road on this beautiful warm Sunday morning.  Breakfast was in the same dining room where we had dinner the night before, but we were much more energetic today. 

We chose to take the coastal roads instead of the inland hilly choice. The cars on the road were thoughtful. We thought many were probably going to church or to a baseball game. We saw lots of cars at  both locations in each city we rode through. Most every town has at least one newer looking, well maintained baseball field. 

Outside this stadium, infront of the statue, are 5 feral dogs. All the homeless dogs we’ve encountered are very mild mannered and definitely non aggressive. It’s the fortunate ones that have a home to protect that make us nervous. 

As the day progressed we saw, or more accurately, we heard many cars with the extra deluxe, massive sound system cranked all the way up. The bass is so loud we could feel the vibrations prior to seeing them.  Puerto Ricans really take pride in their cars and sound systems. 

We have been seeing a large cross draped with the purple cloth in many of the towns in preparation for Lent and Easter. 

This photo shows the new power poles. 

“The longest blackout in American history was the nearly yearlong blackout Puerto Rico suffered after Hurricane María in 2017. This was a result of Puerto Rico’s poorly maintained power grid, the severity of the storm, and massively inadequate and inhumane response by the U.S. government to the hurricane. The situation was so dire that many citizens taught themselves basic electrical skills and began risking their lives climbing electrical poles in order to begin reconnecting loose or damaged power lines and restoring power, sometimes to entire towns.” Rolling Stone

11:11 Shot of the day. 

After we checked in and cleaned up we had look around and late lunch… that included a pina colada! 

Went to the highly recommended seafood restaurant El Dorado for dinner. The loud lively energy of the locals and the great food and cheerful service made this place special. What made it even more memorable was the feel of a very happy and jovial community. When a drink was spilled everyone would clap in unison and loudly hum a familiar tune and this one guy, we think maybe it was the owner, grabbed a stack of cocktail napkins and toss it like confetti at the “trouble causing” table. It got such a reaction that this repeated itself 4 more times in different area of the bar. 

Our rental for the evening had a coffee maker but no coffee and no store or coffee shop near by.  Tim was desperate for his morning fix, so he asked our waiter if he could resolve this problem. Our server gathered up some ground coffee and gave it to Tim- now that is much appreciated, over-the-top service!