I Go HoJo! San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR)

A very different experience today. Awakened at 5.40 to realise we were  docking in port……obviously a city and quite a different feeling around. We breakfasted for a change in the sit down, I am waiting to be served,  restaurant The Pacific, where we shared a table with folks from Cincinnati and Missouri.

As  PR is American we had to have all the relevant documentation viz ESTA forms, passport, room cards etc to allow us through immigration via the “quick route”. Important also to have US dollars as the unit of currency.

It was straightforward with no hassle and soon we had opted for a tour of both the old and the new city!  This was the poorest guide so far giving very limited information. It was Sunday morning and of course everything was closed! 

Our first 15 min stop was a local farmers’ market. I had a most interesting talk with two beautiful ladies on the cheese stall…..where else would I go? 

We even had to ask our guide the names of obvious key buildings. We visited the Capitol (reminding me in miniscule) a little of the Capitol in Washington DC. 

The interior was beautifully decorated with mosaics depicting the key periods  of the history of San Juan.

Christopher Columbas in 1493 sure discovered just about everywhere there is to discover in the Caribbean!

We visited San Juan, the old Fortress on a promentary known as El Morro (the headland) once known as the Castillo San Felipe Del Morro. 

The Esplanade in front of the Fort is now an area for recreation where once it was the killing fields for both Spanish and English  soldiers.  The nation that controlled the harbour contolled the riches of the Caribbean. The original tower in the fort was built in 1539………a long time ago!

Today instead it was a happy venue for  wedding…..I seem to be seeing several on my travels!

I suppose by my age now that should be normal and of course better than the alternative! How can I be this age, the body bits tell me but the mind is still only 19 and keen to learn new things……………….don’t remember all however?

The architecture of the town is very Spanish and reminds me of the old town in Seville although there are many more coloured buildings. 

Poverty however was still fairly obvious with the horrendously poor homes  beneath the road alongside the harbour! Sadly there are always folks, everywhere in the world, no longer young who are obviously stoned with nowhere to go, women as well as men!

We looked for a very Puerto Rican place for lunch and did take the advice of our guide.  The best ever Pina Colada (Mexico included) and the local dish was a Medallo ( a kind of potato and garlic basket) with Tiger Prawns in a garlic sauce), Sweet Plantains accompanied my chicken…………I opted for this as I hate garlic overpowering all other flavours.

The locals were very friendly but I must admit to quite happily returning to the ship circa 2.00pm even although we are not departing until 10.00pm this evening. Weather is dull, very humid (100%) with spats of rain.

It is now 3.30pm and this is a changeover day on the boat when 2,000 folks change over and we, the original other 300, are now the “old inhabitants” of the Victory. 

Another cruise ship has berthed on the next pier and hopefully will contribute, even a little, to the local economy. It is really coming home to me now how much all of the Caribbean Islands depend on the tourist trade to survive!