If you drive around Cabo Rojo and Lajas, you’ll most likely see this blimp in the sky. What is it? Aliens! Ok no. It’s a radar blimp searching for unregistered aircraft. Drug and illegals, you know. (People from Dominican Republic have been known to sneak over here to ultimately get to the USA).
I made a very scientific Google search on “Puerto Rico blimp” and found this info. Interesting…
This sucker is huge! And goes up to 15,000 feet!
So when you see it, you’ll know!
My title means ‘Restaurant patience’ because in all the restaurants (except maybe the major chains like Chili’s and Longhorn Steakhouse) service is slooooow. But, you get used to it. And when dining with kids, you learn to come prepared. Or you’ll regret it! 
My diaper bag (which is now full of extra undies instead of diapers!) also has a huge supply of distractions. Along with stashing away the coloring pages from the chain restaurants, I also have puzzles, colored plastic things to look thru, and random other things. (I’m anti-tablet/iPhone/give the kid a screen to shut them up)
My friend even brought actual toys. Which helped a ton!
And when the toys get old, the kids can do yoga!
At this restaurant in Boqueron pictured above we arrive at 5:50. We left at 8pm.
When I read trip advisor reviews and people complain about how slow the service was, I assume they are vacationers and aren’t used to it. Haha
Cc
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tethered_Aerostat_Radar_System
I’m not a mall expert, but of all the malls I’ve been to, I’ve never seen this activity to the extent that I see in the Mayaguez Mall. Carts being taken out of their store and used throughout the mall and left in the parking lot on the complete other side of the mall.
I took all these photos in the span of about 8 minutes. At first I thought this was a nice idea in case I forgot a stroller. But hm. Why does the Walmart security guy standing by the exit let people outta the store with a cart? I don’t know. Interesting.
Look at the closeup below…what’s that yellow thing?
It’s a candle. On the table. On the truck.
Those tires would work well in the snow!
My kids call this truck Mader.
This doesn’t sell so well in the midwest for some reason
where’s the sleeping boy???
We left Puerto Rico for several weeks this summer. Parking at the San Juan airport that long would’ve been crazy expensive. We used the Sultana shuttle service from Mayaguez to SJU airport. $175 cash will take you door to door privately (not picking up anyone else). Totally worth it.
They give you a number to call when you land, they pick you up and off you go home. But brush up on your Spanish. They don’t speak English. (I totally had my neighbor call for me–yeah, it’s cheating! But what a Godsend!)
What I really liked was that the driver was totally willing to stop for a potty break. I had no idea there were public bathrooms on the side of the road by the tolls. Super clean and ACTUALLY had toilet paper. Unheard of!
Not coming from a place that has town plazas, I’m interested to explore all the ones around us. But I’ve learned that not all plazas are as interesting as the rest.
Lajas is a nearby little town with a plaza that is small, but it has a obelisk and PINEAPPLES!! Love it. The rest of the plaza is pretty, blah.
It’s near to the Ruta Extraterestrial. On route 303 just inside the Lajas boarderline. There is a UFO themed restaurant/bar there too. But alas, we didn’t see any UFO sightings. We were lucky enough to field alien, space, and UFO questions from our almost 5 year old for a good 30 minutes.
I’m a big dork
So, more than half the island is under severe drought. Like, even the major city of San Juan is rationing water. Three days without and one day with. I’ve heard that one day with water is pretty crazy. Like water tank trucks filling up, people going crazy filling up water jugs, doing laundry etc. I friend of mine wondered if just redusing the water pressure to help conserve would be easier for the people than just cutting off water altogether. Dunno?
But I read an article in the newspaper we get. They are going to shoot chemicals in the air to make rain. I don’t know about you but that sort of rumor makes me concerned. So I decided to ask my good friend who is a high school chemistry teacher what it’s all about.
Well I guess I’ve breathed in enough sidewalk salt in my winters growing up a little more in the sky might be ok.
I do feel a little guilty though when I let my kids play with the hose, and we complain about running through the downpours we have here in Mayaguez. There is no water shortage here!
Have you seen those videos “What if Asians said the stuff White people said?” (there are also ones for Latinos and African Americans), well I had one of those moments the other day.
Except it wasn’t me saying something stupid. It was the other way around. Here’s the scoop:
At our new pediatrician’s office:
Dr: “Ma…Ma…Malischke. Where is that from?”
Me: “Uh, Germany” [it kind of is, not sure]
Dr: “Yes. That name is not American.”
Me: [uh, wha?]
I didn’t think much about it again until we were talking about family health history, and I mentioned something about my Dad, and the doctor said something about my Dad in Germany, and I said:
“I’ve never been to Germany.”
Dr: “Oh? Oh.”
No, just because I’m German doesn’t mean that I’m from there. haha I had a similar experience in England once. I was talking to a drunk Scottish priest in an Irish bar on St. Patty’s day.
Me: “Are you Irish at all?”
Him: “No, I’m Scottish.”
Me: [yeah duh I knew that] “I’m not Irish”
Him: “No, you’re American.”
It’s so interesting to find out how people perceive me, and Americans in general.
For the record, there are only 9 Malischkes in the USA, and yeah, it’s an American name by now (what last name can’t be considered ‘American’?)
They’re like Santa. Bringing packages in the dark of night. Who?
The UPS guys! (I have yet to see a female driver)
One of the first conversations I had in Spanish when we moved was with the UPS guy on his first delivery to our house.
Me: “Es muy tarde, no?”
Him: “no. Es temprano . ” (early)
It was 9:50pm. They always deliver after 9pm. The latest delivery we had I think was around 11pm. I guess the whole signing thing is optional because they just leave the package if we don’t answer. (aka, we’re asleep)
a UPS truck I saw on the road at midnight
After salsa dancing I drive past the UPS center where all the trucks park and all the trucks are out and about!
