Back at that travel blogging thing this week with a couple of posts recapping a mini-vacation we took to the little island of Culebra while on vacation in Puerto Rico! Island hopping always sounds too fancy for a budget traveler, like you need to either be a legit sailor docking on undiscovered shores or a legit piggy bank-er with a 'helipad tour' fund. Either of those, I am not, but Puerto Rico recognizes such sailing-handicapped thrifty souls as I and offers inexpensive ferry rides everyday, all day to the neighboring smaller islands of Culebra/Vieques aka Paradise. Consider me forever grateful to the PR water transportation peeps, because our island of choice- Culebra- proved to be a feast for the senses!

Point Penny Wise: While the ferry is the cheapest way to island hop ($10 for 2 people), be warned that it is not the most convenient. Tickets are only sold the day of at the ferry terminal, so if you want to be on the first ferry out like we did, you have to get there super early to beat the lines (Think 6 am for the first, i.e. 9 am, ferry). The ferry ride is ~1.5 hours and it kind of seems like a waste of time at first, but but but... we spotted a whale one time and it was pretty cool and I totally recommend it. FYI, if you're budgeting on time and not money, then there are flights to Culebra. :)

I'll be sharing more on what we did once in Culebra in Friday's post, but after an unusually early morning and a somewhat choppy ferry ride, food and hydration were most necessary! Luckily for us, the beach we were headed to had it's own little food court- shacks selling wholesome home-style meals and a whole array of drinks ranging from my favorite tender coconuts to freshly blended virgin (or 'corrupt' ;)) pina coladas. Not so luckily for us, a brood of chickens (see photobomber below!) decided to disagree amongst themselves while we ate, cackling and crowing all around us until, as if to end the argument, one of them pee'd on my pants. Yup, true story. :| Prior to wardrobe malfunction, however, this pretty blue jumpsuit garnered so many compliments the entire morning! Effortless and chic, exactly how I like it. :)