Out the door and into the humidity and hollering hordes of taxi drivers at SDQ last Thursday. Took a minute to locate "my driver" a guy I use religiously when in country.
Gets me to Hotel Palacio in record time and I'm introduced to my suite, a phatt one bedroom apt with two person jacuzzi. I'm meeting friends in three hours and check out their accomodations for them.....nice nice nice! Hotel Palacio is real NICE!
Walk two streets over to Mason de Luis for my first Presidente and mamajuana of the trip...ordered a bistec sandwich and settled in....but not before leaving a laughing cell phone message for my mates...."I'm here, you're not, the Prez's are cold".
Like clockwork my driver has my buds delivered to Palacio and they get settled in before heading out to change money and grab a beer at La Mason de Luis....We ended up here a couple of times....the owner is great, his family's a charm and the food and service were enjoyed by all of us.
One of my pals got a shoe shine for his sandals his first day and we'd found a new friend!
Finished off the night at Mason de Bari, the barmaid is a beauty!!!
Visited the CZ next day, hitting a couple of Forts, the First Church, and the old pysch hospital (I felt home there), before heading to the cafeteria on Conde and Mexico.
We met a young family at the park behind the psych hospital...the guy introduced us to his wife and daughter before explaining the area to us...he cautioned us about going further "north"....which we accepted and walked back closer to "familiar turf".....
I want to add here....at NO TIME, did we ever feel threatened, and I walked alone, with a gal pal and my travel mates.......
Spent 5 hours partying at the Cafeteria on Conde after running into an ex-pat we know.....and then some medical students from Tampa, FL...at one point the table had a dozen folks around it!
Next day, I took a friend of mine to the stores on El Conde and to a couple of historical sites before parking my butt in a seat at the Cafeteria on Conde for an afternoon of people watching......we loved it!
Only downside to the trip in country was dinner at a restaurant called Los Tres Muskateros on Conde....we ordered and waited 55 minutes, drinking the time away.
We watched one couple who was there before us get up and leave when NO FOOD came from the kitchen as ours was delivered one meal at a time....so slowly that by the time the last meal was to be served the rest were cold....I negotiated to pay for the beers and we bailed on the bastards...
If you're reading this and looking for the adventure....the CZ is a place to be, I know I'm going back!
(And I write this after having to cut my trip short due to EL GRIPE! Yes, I caught a bug, most likely on the plane....but that doesn't take away from the fun we had)
Gets me to Hotel Palacio in record time and I'm introduced to my suite, a phatt one bedroom apt with two person jacuzzi. I'm meeting friends in three hours and check out their accomodations for them.....nice nice nice! Hotel Palacio is real NICE!
Walk two streets over to Mason de Luis for my first Presidente and mamajuana of the trip...ordered a bistec sandwich and settled in....but not before leaving a laughing cell phone message for my mates...."I'm here, you're not, the Prez's are cold".
Like clockwork my driver has my buds delivered to Palacio and they get settled in before heading out to change money and grab a beer at La Mason de Luis....We ended up here a couple of times....the owner is great, his family's a charm and the food and service were enjoyed by all of us.
One of my pals got a shoe shine for his sandals his first day and we'd found a new friend!
Finished off the night at Mason de Bari, the barmaid is a beauty!!!
Visited the CZ next day, hitting a couple of Forts, the First Church, and the old pysch hospital (I felt home there), before heading to the cafeteria on Conde and Mexico.
We met a young family at the park behind the psych hospital...the guy introduced us to his wife and daughter before explaining the area to us...he cautioned us about going further "north"....which we accepted and walked back closer to "familiar turf".....
I want to add here....at NO TIME, did we ever feel threatened, and I walked alone, with a gal pal and my travel mates.......
Spent 5 hours partying at the Cafeteria on Conde after running into an ex-pat we know.....and then some medical students from Tampa, FL...at one point the table had a dozen folks around it!
Next day, I took a friend of mine to the stores on El Conde and to a couple of historical sites before parking my butt in a seat at the Cafeteria on Conde for an afternoon of people watching......we loved it!
Only downside to the trip in country was dinner at a restaurant called Los Tres Muskateros on Conde....we ordered and waited 55 minutes, drinking the time away.
We watched one couple who was there before us get up and leave when NO FOOD came from the kitchen as ours was delivered one meal at a time....so slowly that by the time the last meal was to be served the rest were cold....I negotiated to pay for the beers and we bailed on the bastards...
If you're reading this and looking for the adventure....the CZ is a place to be, I know I'm going back!
(And I write this after having to cut my trip short due to EL GRIPE! Yes, I caught a bug, most likely on the plane....but that doesn't take away from the fun we had)