first couple days in Puerto Rico

Well we arrived here in Puerto Rico after a full day of traveling (8 hours total travel time with a layover in Newark) and we are having a blast! Sean did great on the airplane and is having so much fun playing in the swimming pool and ocean and seeing all of the sights here in the tropics. We love it here and have found the people to be very friendly and the service excellent at both of the hotels we have stayed at so far. The Puerto Ricans are all so astounded to see a little blond-haired, blue eyed kid and are treating Sean like a movie star with comments from pretty much everyone from our hotel maids to people walking down the street. This tropical paradise reminds us of a mix between Mexico and Hawaii. The weather has been balmy at about 85 degrees and the ocean temperature is 84 degrees. The first day here we got thunder and lightning with a deluge of rain for about 4 hours so that was exciting. Yesterday we stayed put at the hotel and went in the pool and the ocean and enjoyed a day of rest after our full day of travel. Today we took a day trip to visit the Arecibo observatory which has the largest satellite dish in the world. This satellite is smack dab in the middle of the jungle and is used to sense the frequency of stars to search for UFO's and Extraterrestrials. You might have seen this in the James Bond movie "The Golden Eye" or "Contact". Next we ventured to a very scenic beach on the North Coast in Arecibo and enjoyed some beach time. Aaron went boogie boarding and met some friendly locals while Mary Ann played with Sean on the beach and in the water. We ended up back at the hotel just in time for an awe inspiring sunset and are now sitting down for dinner in our hotel room and probably a glass of wine as the night comes to an end. We are really enjoying the quality family time together and find that each time we travel it really puts into perspective how big the world is, how beautiful it's people are, and how lucky we are to have such great friends and family at home. We really are lucky to be able to enjoy our vacation in such a beautiful and friendly location and are soaking up as much culture as possible. We will keep you posted as our trip continues and wish everyone the best back home.

With love,
The Fernandes Family