Thought we would take this time to share a bit of our journey.
This trip in particular is a celebratory one as we have been together for 15 years (on February 25th). In many ways, we celebrate both our first meeting (since, let’s face it, the actual day we met we have never since parted) and our wedding anniversary;)
We arrived safely in PR to bright skies and warm weather. Since our arrival, it has been warm but quite breezy so the intensity of the sun has not been a problem.
We checked in first to the Sheraton in Old Town, San Juan, PR. Located right across the street from where all the cruise ships come in, it’s somewhat fascinating to see the process of how a large cruise ship docks. PR is one of the main stops of most cruise ships within the Caribbean.
The streets are filled with a mixture of gray cobblestone, cement and asphalt. The buildings are mostly in great condition with construction undergoing many Spanish restoration processes. Through Trip Advisor, we found some amazing little places to eat that are often off the beaten path. Last evening we went to Verde Masa, a cute (mostly vegetarian) menu with eclectic decor such as mason jar lighting and drinking glasses, plush arm chairs with a marble table top atop an antique sewing machine base with the cast iron foot pump. The service was impeccable, the staff so delightful and the meal…let’s just say that it was exquisite. It’s those rare times when you try something that every mouthful is filled with savory sensations and you literally take your time to cherish every single bite. We also found the place where they invented the Piña Colada – and that title was well-deserved. So deliciously good!
This morning we found a place that David just LOVED where almost everything on the menu has custom chocolate in it. The owners own a chocolate plantation and this is the result of their years of decadent and unique flavours. David started with a flavorful hot chocolate (where they put cheese in it). Yes, ones initial thought would be “why would they wreck it), but after tasting such a treat it’s evident why. He followed that with vanilla pancakes with chocolate swirls, fresh berries and a custom chocolate sauce. It was delicious. He even got them to throw in s free chocolate bar!
For the first couple of days we did a lot of walking. We both so enjoy the historical components of the places we visit and how PR came to be. For those who’ve never been, the Town of San Juan worked throughout hundreds of years of history in the battles mainly between the Spanish, Dutch, and then finally the US. Because of PR’s strategic location between Europe and the Americas, PR became known as the “gateway” or “entrance” to this new world. Spain got to PR first, then fought for 400 years to keep it.
From the 15 hundreds to the last main battle in 1898, these different countries and cultures fought for (some successful, some not so much) and is on such a grand scale, it took us two days to really grasp the impact it had in the line of history.
Walls are approximately 18 feet thick with every access point being covered. It’s always amazing to us how they had the knowledge to build such structures that could withstand such brutal attacks. Special rooms to house the gun powders with tools such as copper (which rarely cause sparks). I could go on but needless to say, we found it fascinating to learn how lives were lived – and lost, throughout hundreds of years of battle.
The culture here is mostly open and friendly. What’s different here, say to our trip to Costa Rica, is that this is a US sanctioned country so everything from their citizens to currency and culture has been somewhat Americanized. So that means a better infrastructure and more English speaking locals but loses a bit of the charm that made CR so special. Still, it’s a lovely US sanctioned area that keeps much of the original Spanish culture alive.
Today we left Old Town and arrived in the area of Condado. Still on the beach but no ports for cruise ships and so many more locals rather than tourists. We’re staying at the Marriott Beach front resort with an ocean view. So, although we’re in a resort like area, as soon as you walk out the front door there are many local restaurants offering anything one might fancy. We have only done the main strip as we didn’t check in here till almost dark so tomorrow will be a walk around adventure. We are also going to rent a car for a few days to visit the other areas of the island such as Ponce, Isabella and more. We’ll also take in an excursion or two as there’s so much more to see and learn about.
We will check in on a few days to share some pics of the different places and unique features that Puerto Rico has to offer.
Castillo San Cristóbal
