Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Old San Juan

Old San Juan is a beautiful place. If you ever get the chance, you should go. It's unlike any other place in Puerto Rico and contrary to it's name, it seems to be in better shape than a lot of the islands metropolitan areas. We visited Saturday and got to do some touristy stuff.  We were able to make it to one of the two forts in San Juan, Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Directly on the coast, overlooking the sea, this 16th century citadel was named for King Phillip II of Spain. It was built in order to guard the and defend, if necessary, the San Juan Bay and harbor city of San Juan. Here's what we saw.. (with a few pit stops first in random places..)

These are some cool fungi I found hiking in the forest. It's luck that I found them really. I was wearing some crappy shoes for the hike we were on (sorry chacos, under the bus go you) that day and I kept falling down on the way back down. Well, I fell trying to get over a rock, looked to my right and this is what I found! So neat!

Here is what the beach griller was grilling up from last time... Pinchos Pollo are delicious, if you're not a veg-head. 





Okay, HERE is Old San Juan. This below is a view looking back from the fort at some building, don't know what, but I like the colors. It reminds me of my living room.


here is a view just before we walked right up and into the Fort


Strange little structure..


The colors here are nice too, this is just as we walked through the gateway.


Tres Banderas! US, Puerto Rico (Stripes) and ..................


This iguana is having a afternoon sunbath, sounds nice. 


Here is the lighthouse, however this is not the original structure, pretty obvious. The original was destroyed during a bombardment in 1898.


Egelz, in an ocean-overlook structure





Two of the 7 layers of the fort 


Meow!!! 


The walls are up to 5 meters thick in some places!


So cool. 






I wonder what these were used for, maybe little cubbies for people to work in?



 

View back toward the city, from the Fort


A rather large pile of cannon balls


I love a good photo with no people in it, it feels like you've got the whole place to yourself. Imagine what it might have looked like before a battle. Whew!








And now, we are back in Old San Juan, just walking around the city, looking in shops and eating the best dang passionfruit helado I have ever had. It's like sorbet, sweet, cold and delicious. 


Some awesome street art!



Urban gardening, mmm good. 


The better part of Old San Juan looks like this, the balconies are to apartments.


Somebodies home, so cool!


The scents coming from the coffee shop were unbearably amazing. All the doors and windows were open, people were inside on couches chattering away in spanish.


More city streets..


Those strange little faces, popping up everywhere.





It was a good day, I really like Old San Juan but it can't be explored fully in a day. I will hopefully return before the trip is over and have more to say and more to show from this really awesome port city.    

Lately, I have been working hard at my introduction. I took some well needed advice from my mentor here in Puerto Rico, Sofia, and at UT, Aimee, and after an intense literature review, I am re-structuring my introduction in a way that flows well, and sufficiently introduces the topic to a broad range of readers. It's time consuming work but compared to the original introduction, it is an improvement that I am proud of.

Time for lunch. and coffee. 

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