San Juan, Puerto Rico

A 1:00 pm arrival in San Juan allowed me to spend a hot, sunny morning in the Retreat and take my sail-in photos as we approached San Juan.   The weather forecast for San Juan was calling for rain which wasn't to my liking.  Up until the time I got off the ship, I was up in the air as to what I would do ashore, the thought even crossed my mind to just relax in the sun for the day, but I rejected that idea pretty quickly, it's just not me.  I got off the ship as soon as it was cleared to begin my trek exploring the historic old city and forts of San Juan. With my National Park Pass in hand, I made my way to one of the most popular places to visit in San Juan, the Castillo San Felipe Del Morro fortress commonly referred to as El Morro. It is a huge, multi-layered fort that was built in 1539 to protect San Juan’s deep harbor. It served to protect the Spanish colony and thwarted several attacks from the Dutch, the British, and even the Americans at various time during island’s history. Leaving El Morro, I made my way along the coast to another point of interest in Old San Juan the Fortress San Cristobal. This fort was completed in 1783 to protect El Morro and San Juan from land-side attacks. This fort allows you excellent views of Old San Juan and the sea. After touring the forts, I returned to the ship via the old city, stopping at the Plaza Colon for a photo of Christopher Columbus and enjoying the architecture, historical buildings and hunting for street art.... once I had my 10 miles in, I headed back to the ship.  I am having dinner tonight with my friends Nidia, Nuno and Kimberly in the Tamarind.  I wanted to have the blog out of the way to be able to just relax & enjoy the evening…