Caribbean - San Juan, PR

October 17, 2010 San Juan, PR - This morning we woke up and packed the rest of our belongings. Ate a quick breakfast, ran back to our room to grab our stuff, and headed to Deck 0 to disembark. It was a breeze (in the past it's been a nightmare). This time, we chose to wait about 20 minutes after they called our group. It's not like we were in a hurry anyway since we didn’t have a flight to catch. We got into the elevator JUST as they were calling the next group, meaning that we beat the rush and got out in seconds. Took less than 5 minutes to go through Customs.

We crossed the street and checked in at the Sheraton Old San Juan. Our room wasn't ready so they held our bags and we took off on foot. My Frommer's Guide had a walking tour with a great list of things to check out. Our first stop, the Plaza de la Marina, was just a couple blocks from our hotel. It was a cute little square with a fountain and some trees. Next we headed to the City Wall which averages 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It was completed in the 1700s by the Spanish to keep invaders out. We wandered along the wall until we reached the gate, which was built in 1635. We inadvertently walked to the Capila del Christo, which is a tiny church that sits at the top of the wall. We admired the view for a few minutes before heading to the Plazuela de la Rogativa (1797) and seeing the statue there. The story is humorous... it's said that a religious procession (where torches were being carried) was misidentified by British invaders, who thought they were Spanish reinforcements. The British became scared and turned around. From the statue, we started walking toward Castillo de San Felipe del Morro (or El Morro for short). This is one of the two main forts. We wandered around the grounds for an hour or so, admired and views, and took some pictures. It was HOT in there and our energy was low, so we cut our tour short and walked back to the hotel. Our room still wasn't ready so we hit the casino. Puerto Rican slot machines don't seem very friendly so we burned through our money pretty quickly. A short while later we were allowed to check in. Hung out and enjoyed the AC before heading up to the pool, which is on the roof. We swam for a little while and decided to find a place to eat. Wandered around and checked out a few restaurants and ended up back at the hotel's Chicago Burger Co. Yeah yeah, it's not very Puerto Rican but it sounded (and smelled) good. Finished the meal with some Coldstone from next door, and now we're back in our room. The Victory is about to set sail so we're going to watch it from the roof.

Random picture: Many of the streets in Old San Juan are made of this beautiful blue cobblestone. It dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries and was used as ballast on Spanish ships. I'd love this in my driveway!
October 18, 2010 San Juan, PR – Last night we watched the Victory sail away from the rooftop. The pool was open for another hour so we swam until it closed. Got a great night of sleep in the comfy Sheraton beds. We woke up, packed our belongings and planned out our day. Checked our bags with the porter and took off on foot toward Castillo de San Christobal, the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. Construction began in 1539 and many changes/improvements were made throughout the centuries. It was an active military base during WWII and became jurisdiction of the US National Park Service in 1961. On our way to San Christobal, we passed a few government buildings, the Puerto Rico war memorial, and a college.

San Christobal was simply amazing. Chris and I love history and the more I visit the islands, the more interested I become in learning about their origins. We walked around for a couple hours but could have easily stayed all day.

The following picture of a San Christobal dungeon wall is one of my favorites. These ship drawings are believed to have been created by a Spanish captain while he awaited execution for mutany. Fascinating, and so well-preserved.

When we were finished, we walked along the wall back toward El Morro. Stopped at a seaside cemetery and admired the tall crosses and statues. We passed the “ghetto” of Le Perla (pictured), which Frommer’s recommends that people avoid. I have to say, that was one of the nicest ghettos I’ve ever seen. While the homes were dumps, they were sitting on some nice property being on the water and all.

We cut back through town, taking pictures along the way, and stopped at Subway for a quick lunch. Yes, how obnoxiously American of us. But we wanted cheap, easy food before heading to the airport. After lunch we walked back to the Sheraton to collect our bags and hire a cab.

Made it to the airport, boarded our plane and sat on it for almost two hours. We were given a variety of excuses ranging from waiting on paperwork for a mechanical part that was being transported to a malfunction with something in the cockpit. Whatever, Delta. Your airplanes are uncomfortable and way too hot inside.

And now we’re home, bundled up in several layers of clothing because of the 40-degree drop in temperature. We are so happy to be home with our boys but miss the islands already. At least we have the comfort of knowing that we’ll go back.