Car rental at San Juan airport (Puerto Rico) with drop off in Rio Grande and viceversa

Nice experience with Cabrera car rental, which has three points of sales: SJU - Carolina, Rio Grande and Fajardo (major spots east side of Puerto Rico).

I discovered Cabrera through a general purpose renter: Rentalcargroup.

There exist many website that offer you the best rates comparing the major and sometimes some local car rentals, so they are a good option, but need advance reservation and get cancellation fees.
In Boston I find Autoeurope is among the cheapest ones.

In Puerto Rico they have agreements and discount rates with Cabrera. They claim an instant rental confirmation upon reservation. Instead it took me two/three days to have confirmation, because they still need to manually contact Cabrera. And sometime Cabrera may refuse a reservation if it is too low and they are receiving many requests. If this happens, after waiting two or three days, you might get much higher rates or not find your desired car (and it can happen with 7-seat cars).
I choose Rentalcargroup because they were slightly cheaper or had the same price as Cabrera, but I thought that through Rentalcargroup I had less chances to be cheated, by a small local rental car.
Instead Cabrera has been very serious and reliable. Their vehicles are new, clean and they have been courteous and prompt.
I had a low rate on cars (compare with other prices below) and only payed 50$ drop off, which is a lot less than a taxi ride between SJU and Rio Grande. In addition they offer a free ride to/from hotel or airport (and they also took me from a private home).

End July beginning of August 2011 I was looking for a 7-seat car (minivan) for three days more than one week ahead.
These are the prices that I found from various car rentals (I may have been unable to find the information, so this may be wrong or not complete):

• Avis had no minivan. A large 5-seat car was 300$
• Enterprise was 320$ at SJU airport and 400$ at San Juan, but could not find a rental car in Rio Grande. Later I discovered that they have an office at the Wyndham hotel at the Rio Mar resort where I was heading to
• Autoeurope was 380$ with insurance included (which I do not needed), but it was unclear about drop off fees and and pickup
• Cabrera costed me the 300$ + 50$ for the drop off
• Rentalgroup was same price 300$ + 50$ , and they take 15% as anticipation for themselves
• Budget in Puerto Rico is only present at the main SJU airport and does not carry minivans
• Sixt in Puerto Rico is also only present at the main SJU airport
• Alamo National also are not present in Rio Grande and did not have minivans available.
• Vias, a serious local rental car, is not in Rio Grande, but they were only 270$
• Popular is also not available in Rio Grande, but it is widespread on the island as it is a branch of Banco Popular. It had the best price, only 230$ for a 7-seat car for three days

Public transportation in Puerto Rico from a tourist perspective

As in most of the USA, if you do not have a car you are lost.

Puertoricans tend to overuse (over air-conditioned) cars, also for short distances and there is always a lot of traffic. That is also due to the weather, so hot and humid and rainy particularly in the hurricane season: March to September.

Public transportation (lineas de carros) in Puerto Rico is only acceptable in the most touristic area, like Condado and Old San Juan.

Public transportation between cities does not offer information other than in Spanish and have a website not informative at all for public use (only celebrative of what they are).

Tickets can be purchased on board, exact fare only, but the driver has been very tolerant with us as tourists.
All children over 2 year pay a ticket, although in 2011 it is only 0.75$. So for a family with children a taxi would be a lot faster and not too more expensive.

That is why I had to rent a car. Here is my experience.
http://posted-on.blogspot.com/2011/08/car-rental-at-san-juan-airport-puerto.html

... about Boston

Not everybody knows that

• Boston is infested by rats. It is simply like this. Most homes are visited regularly. Among the causes, trash left outside on the sidewalk in plastic bags (instead of containers), food rests abandoned all day everywhere because most people eat outside, old not well maintained buildings, large use of wood as construction material (instead of concrete), no stray cats or other predators, people tolerant.

• BigBelly, sealed solar trash compactors are available. They take longer to fill-up, so collection is less frequent, and all over pests cannot get in.

• Abusive taxis offered at night inside closing shopping malls.

• Au Bon Pain fast food sells bakery discounted by 50% about one hour before closing (e.g. starting at 9 PM).

• Among the best hospitals (controlled by Harvard University) of the country and probably in the world: Dana Farber cancer, Children's hospital, Brigham women's

• In winter the Charles river can be walked because of the thick ice layer.

• There exist many website that offer you the best rates comparing the major and sometimes some local car rentals, so they are a good option, but need advance reservation and get cancellation fees. In Boston I find Autoeurope is among the cheapest ones.

Pests (Rat and mouse or tiger mosquito) problem in cities

Rats and mice seem an endemic problem (in Boston) as are mosquitoes (in Pisa) and so on in many cities all over the world.
Rats and tiger mosquitoes are among the 100 more infesting species.
Why the local administrations do not take care of the problem? The cost sustained individually by citizens altogether for self-protection, would probably exceed that of a hypothetical central coordinated action, which would be certainly more effective, if not also less costly.
Another solution for rodents are (stray) cats, like there are many in Rome (in the Italian version of the Disney's Aristocats O'Malley is named "Romeo er mejo der Colosseo" to remind the many cats wandering around ancient Roman ruins and the Coliseum) but they would not probably survive the winter in cold cities like Boston.
Please put your straightforward solution in the comments, if you have one.

Catholic Mass in Italy and USA compared

Some differences represent possible improvements both ways.
Only practical differences are considered here, with no references to the Latin Rite (Roman Rite in both cases).

Often in the USA and not so in Italy (in chronological order):

1. Masses are concentrated in early morning instead of evening.
2. Piano is more common than organ.
3. A separate soundproof room with audio connection and big windows is available on one side of the Church.
4. Missals are distributed at the beginning and collected at the end instead of leaflets available on pews.
5. The celebrant starts his homily with a quip.
6. People laughs openly (=higher participation versus respectful attitude).
7. People are sometimes asked questions by show of hands.
8. Readings, prayers and Mass formulas in English are much more direct and explicit than in Italian.
9. The celebrant uses a radio microphone and moves freely in front of the altar instead of standing at the pulpit.
10. Sometimes the collection basket is passed from hand to hand by rows.
11. Collections can be two: for the church and for the poor.
12. People queue to take the Eucharist by rows, not forming a line from random seats.
13. Children who do not take the Eucharist going to the altar are blessed.
14. Wine in a small glass cup is also offered in a separate line.
15. Final announcements at the end are long and boring everywhere.
16. Anniversaries are celebrated by applause at the end of the Mass.
17. The celebrant moves to the main exit and greets the parishioners.
18. A specified second collection is asked for at the end of the Mass.
19. In hot places (Hawaii, Puerto Rico) air conditioning is pumped up.
20. In Puerto Rico, previously recorded music is played in the background at some moments.
21. Sometimes in response to "God be with you", it is said "And with your Spirit", sometimes "And also with You"

Further points may be added to this page as comments. Thank you.