Friday January 24, 2020 – San Juan Puerto Rico. (Drive RHS; Starboard to Quay) A maiden call for Queen Victoria and our first port. As Anne and I know the island well having spent many months collectively in Puerto Rico, we decided to wander the streets of Old San Juan on our own.
Puerto Rico has an area of 3,345 mi.² and is 70 miles east of the Dominican Republic (where we had been earlier in the month for a family wedding) and 40 miles west of Saint Thomas. It is rectangular in shape measuring 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, bordered on the north by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south by the Caribbean Sea. The highest Point on the island is Cerro de Punta at 4,400 feet. Christopher Columbus discovered Puerto Rico on the 19th November 1493 during his second voyage of discovery and took possession of the island in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. This is the only time that Columbus set foot in what is now US Territory.
The island was originally inhabited by a peaceful Indian tribe of Tainos who lived a nomadic existence until the Spanish Colonization when they were forced to dig for gold or fled into the hills. At the time of the Spanish invasion the tribe consisted of 600,000 people but 74 years later it ceased to exist. There were frequent incursions by the war-like carob Indians, as well as French, Dutch and English pirates so the colony suffered greatly. Spain eventually realized that the island must either be fortified or abandoned and in 1533 the La Fortaleza fort was built. Shortly afterwords the Morro castle was built at the High Point entering the Harbour. The Spaniards saw the importance of the island due to its location guiding its ships from Spain to and from the New World. In 1634 an even stronger fort of San Cristobal was constructed and the city and enclosed by a stone wall. It remained a Spanish possession for 405 years until 1898 when it became a dependency of the United States as a result of the Spanish American war. The Jones act of 1917 gave US citizenship to all Puerto Rican’s.
In 1948 the first Governor was elected and by July 1952 the island was given complete self government and the US proclaimed Puerto Rico as a Commonwealth in “voluntary association” with the USA. Since that time there have been numerous calls for independence and/or state-hood and the population is today more or less equally divided in third’s, between those who want independence, those who want to become a US State and those who want to remain as a Commonwealth.
After a good breakfast the four of us disembarked the ship and wondered around our way through the charming streets of Old San Juan until we reached the Fort of El Morro. A three level fortification on the ocean that guards the entrance to the Harbour. Spectacular views on this warm sunny day in all directions. We wandered through the exhibits and from the parapet there were spectacular views in all directions.
We then wandered back for an excellent lunch at a local, non-touristy place we had been recomended by Enid Solupe who is from the island – La Bombonera in old San Juan is on Calle San Francisco 259. We enjoyed a good local lunch and didn’t end up with the delicious deserts as we headed to the Cafe Cortez – a chocolate cafe a block away on the same street, for delicious chocolate. The owner grows the cocoa and undertakes the entire process, resulting in superb chocolate. Almost next door we found an amazing shop that had nacimientos (crèche scenes) from all over the world. Hundreds of different types. As I have collected various hundreds on my travels around the world, I was in 7th heaven and like a child in a sweet shop (kid in a candy store)!!! Needless to say the shopkeepers were very happy when we had completed our purchases.
The other Restsurant which we had been recommended and passed was Mallorca at San Francisco 300 – San Juan 00933 – 787-724-4607, which was a block in the other direction from the chocolate and crèche shop.
As we wandered the streets of old San Juan, we were impressed at how many closed shops for rent or sale there were and how many were boarded up. Also what impressed us was the amount of graffiti almost everywhere. Most were complaining about the local government, but much of the hatred was directed towards the USA. Funds that were given to Puerto Rico to repair the island after the hurricane a year or so ago ended up in the politicians pockets and never reached the people it was supposed to be helping. Those same people are blaming both the USA and local governments.
We were back on the ship soon after 4 PM for a 5:30 sail away, dinner and a Russian acrobatic couple performance in the theatre. A full, hot and exciting day.
Roger & Anne Travels 