2015-02-28 San Juan and Back-To-Back Loop of the Caribbean

San Juan and Back-to-Back Loop of the Caribbean Thursday, February 26, 2015 Our flight was due to arrive in Miami at 08:30 and as we began our descent the stewardess turned on the cabin lights and then went down the aisle with plastic glasses of orange juice or water. No coffee, just offering replacement liquids for our bodies. “Nothing is too good for the troops... so we gave them nothing.” We arrived at the Miami Airport a few minutes early so this allowed us plenty of time to find a place for breakfast before we sat down in the waiting room for the next flight to San Juan. Given the weather across the county, we thought we had cleverly dodged a bullet by flying Seattle to Miami to Puerto Rico. Not so... that last leg of the trip originated in Washington, D. C. and was delayed over an hour because of snow. 15 Once we did leave the flight was uneventful. We retrieved our bags quickly and processed through the taxi stand to board our cab to the hotel. This centralized system set out a $19.00 fee plus for $4.00 for two suitcases. About twenty minutes later our driver guided us through the one way street (Calle Fortaleza) and to the Hotel Casablanca. The draw of CasaBlanca Hotel is its location -- right in the middle of historic Old San Juan, near countless restaurants, nightclubs, and shops. But once you get past the funky, chic decor of the lobby, the hallways are worn and musty, and the rooms -- despite the cute, eclectic decor -- are on the small side, with thin walls, tiny bathrooms (that have temperamental water pressure and temperature), and little light. Miguel met us at the taxi. He then gave us a welcome briefing he and another man carried our bags up four flights of stairs to Room 4A while we struggled up the same uneven steps with our backpacks. They seemed to run... we didn't. Later we went up another two flights to the rooftop rest area with concrete bath tubs and lounge chairs to enjoy the view of the tops of four cruise ships and old San Juan. When we came back down to the desk to begin exploration of the old sector, we noticed there was a continuous tape of Humphrey Bogart's Casablanca playing on the television. Cafe Americain is located off the lobby and it does serve breakfast and lunch but we were past those serving hours. We asked Miguel to recommend a nearby restaurant which serve typical Puerto Rican dishes. He suggested we walk a block up the road to the Milano Hotel. The Punto De Vista Restaurant occupies the top floor of the hotel. The view from the roof also had clear views of the cruise ships and the old city. It was breezy enough to blow our non weighed down napkins away while we pondered our choices. We selected the Tostones Relleno (fried plantains) with Carne Frita (traditional seasoned and fried pieces of pork) and an order of Mofongo stuffed with chicken and camarones. We also had Medalla beer in keeping with our tradition to taste local food and drink. After our lunch/dinner we walked a couple blocks further toward the SuperMax and Walgreen to buy a few things for our room. On the way we saw a jewelry shop which advertised Larimar. Two months ago Liz noticed the stone had fallen out of her Larimar ring and was looking for... and found a replacement ring at this shop. We then window shopped our way back to our hotel and settled in to rest from our long flight and busy day. We also reviewed our plans for an early start to see the old section of San Juan. San Juan is the capital and most populous city in Puerto Rico. Founded in 1521 by Juan Ponce de León, who named it City of Puerto Rico (Rich Port). The capital of Puerto Rico is the oldest city under U.S. jurisdiction, but some people argue than St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565 is the oldest city in the continental United States. The history of San Juan begins a long time before its official foundation, in 1493, during his second voyage, Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico. He named the island "San Juan Bautista", in honor of John the Baptist. But was not until 1508, that the Spanish government appointed Juan Ponce de León as the first governor of the island. He founded the original settlement in Caparra, now known as Pueblo Viejo, behind the almost land-locked harbor just to 16 the west of the present metropolitan area and the city quickly became Spain's most important military outpost in the Caribbean. Friday, February 27 We slept comfortably and well and woke at seven o'clock without the need of an alarm. Then we went to the lobby and the Café Americain for breakfast. Selecting Pan de Mallorca (sweet and light yeast rolls topped with powdered sugar, stuffed with cheese and ham), we wanted to try something new to us. The café con leche was strong and delicious, exactly what we needed to start a long day of walking. We had booked the Old San Juan Food Tour for late this afternoon which opened up the day for our own exploration. Checking our map, we set out for the Plaza del Immigrante as our first stop of the day. The Plaza del Inmigrante is also known as Plaza de la Marina because it opens onto the cruise port. This sloping cobbled plaza was built in the 19th century. Soaring over the north side is the Banco Popular, a graceful Art Deco structure built in 1939 and adorned with faces of ancient gods. On the east side, the stately Antiguo Edifico de Correos (post office) and Neo-Classical Edificio Federal (Federal Building) add stature to the tree—shaded square. From here it was a short walk to the cruise pier, which had two cruise ships and a three masted Dutch sailing ship tied up at their respective piers. Doubling back to the plaza we then walked through the Paseo de la Princesa, originally built in 1853 and faithfully restored to become a great place to walk. The tree lined promenade provides plenty of shade and is lined by local street vendors and artisan stalls. On your right are the impressive fortification walls of Old San Juan. At the end of this is the Raices Fountain. The Raíces Fountain is considered to be one of the most romantic spots in Old San Juan, particularly when the setting sun casts its shades of copper and gold across the water in the bay outlining the dramatic silhouette of the bronze statues. The terraced decks near the fountain are perfect for sitting and contemplating the ever changing scene, and 17 frequent musical performances add to the charm of the area. The Raíces Fountain, which was completed in May 1992, was designed by architect Miguel Carlo to commemorate and celebrate the New World’s 500th anniversary. This collection of bronze statues honoring Puerto Rico’s mixed African, Spanish and Taino/Amerindian heritage, is represented as a ship being steered out into the open sea with leaping dolphins leading the way to a bright 21st century future. The picturesque San Juan Bay serves as a backdrop to the statue, adding an interesting dimension to the ship at sea concept. Many Puerto Ricans who identify themselves as descendants of the Tainos have recently formed groups who have been active in calling for recognition of their tribe. A 2002 study using the Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 800 Puerto Ricans to examine pre-Columbian migrations to the Caribbean revealed that more than 61% of the Puerto Rican population has Taino mtDNA. The conclusion of the study is that the largest components of the genetic pool of Puerto Ricans are, in descending order, European/Caucasian, Amerindian/Taino and African. We continued along the Paseo del Morro trail which follows a 42-foot high masonry wall of solid sandstone blocks held together with mortar, limestone, sand and water. Dating back to the 1630s, the wall surround the city of Old San Juan. The Paseo del Morro once served as a maintenance road for the west section of the city walls. In 2001 the Paseo del Morro trail was designated as a National Recreation Trail. The trail skirts the city wall from the San Juan Gate to Castillo San Felipe del Morro along the entrance to the San Juan Bay. Within this wall is La Puerta de San Juan (San Juan Gate), constructed in 1520. This strong, heavy wooden door was the official entrance for those who came to Puerto Rico on wooden sailing ships during the colonization. Up the block is La Catedral de San Juan Bautista where Mass would be held to thank God for allowing them to make the journey. Built in 1540, it is an example of Gothic architecture in the New World. Here in a marble tomb lie the remains of Juan Ponce de Leon. Walking through Parque de las Palomas (Park of the Pigeons), in the heart of Old San Juan historic quadrant, we came upon the Capilla del Cristo. built as a memorial to a celebrated miracle. This Chapel in Old San ]uan is one of the most beautiful and historic monuments in the island of Puerto Rico. It was built in 1753 to commemorate a miracle, as told by Don Cayetano Coll y Toste, a Puertorican historian, in one of his books.

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