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I could sense the apprehension from the decked-out couple as we entered the elevator in the Marriott on Condado Beach. After a day of tough adventuring we looked like we needed a meeting with Mr. Clean and a date with Tide.

After a hot shower and a few mojitos on the balcony of room 3156 we dressed appropriately for a few hands of blackjack in the sparkling casino off the lobby several floors below. The point of our trip to Puerto Rico was to examine two totally different modes of exploration, and both provided exhilaration.

To many visitors a trip to Puerto Rico is a chance to sip some piña coladas while slathering on sun block or perhaps swinging some clubs.

This trip we wanted to add in bat guano and rappel down some cliffs, a bit of cave exploration and some motorized thunder between the thighs (riding ATVs) would also fit in with our plans. After rough days we wanted nights of pleasure and pampering, a combination James Bond and Indiana Jones tour.

I expected Condado Beach to be another smaller version of Miami Beach. M-5 surveillance had obviously slipped; the hotel was smaller and more intimate than imagined and the Condado neighborhood was colorful. After my adventures I usually returned to the hotel beach for a little wave riding and then a small Cuban coffee in the neighborhood.

The charming Condado streets had restaurants and shops, yet was also lived-in and full of the PR vibrancy that is evident in even the local’s stride. What was unusual but wonderful was to have a complete resort setting and amenities located steps from a local scene. Add on the Marriott’s beach setting and the Bond side was completely covered, shaken or stirred. READ MORE