2018 Caribbean Cruise - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Thursday, November 29, 2018

We had an early shore excursion this morning and so set the alarm for the first time this week.  After a quick breakfast in the Windjammer Marketplace, we walked off the ship and met our tour at the end of the pier.  Our tour was a walking tour of Old San Juan.

We started with a short bus ride to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro ("El Morro").  Old San Juan was a fortified city and so the old walls remain around most of it.  Before the Spanish American War they removed part of the wall to expand the city.  El Morro is situated on a hill overlooking the entrance to the bay and was used to ward off attacks from sea.  A lighthouse (built in the early 1900s) still remains in use by the Coast Guard on the property but all the rest has been turned into a historical site for visitors to tour.

Lighthouse built in the early 1900s

 

Soldiers' quarters 

Soldiers' and Officer's quarters

Here is the view from the top of El Morro:

Right next to El Morro is the Cementerio Maria Magdalena de Pazzis, where anyone important in Puerto Rico is buried.  This cemetery is outside the city walls as you can see.

Here are some photos of some of the sites we saw:

La Perla - Where the Despacito music video was filmed

Ballaja Barracks Cuartel del Ballaja - built as military barracks, now hold a cafe, restaurant, museum, etc.

Statute built for 500 anniversary of discovering the Americas - made from ceramic from many different native tribes across the Americas

Iglesia San Jose - second oldest church in the new world, currently under renovation from damage from many hurricanes

Catedral de San Juan

Burial spot of Juan Ponce de Leon

La Fortaleza - Governor's Mansion

La Fortaleza - Governor's Mansion

Uprooted tree from last hurricane - the Puerto Rican Flag has been painted on the roots

San Juan Gate - one of two gates remaining in the walls surrounding Old San Juan

San Juan Gate

Paseo de Sombrillas

Here are a few photos of our ship while in port:

Today was the second formal night and as tradition seems to have it on cruise ships, we enjoyed lobster for dinner.  The show tonight was Columbus: The Musical which was a comedy/musical about Christopher Columbus's unknown distant relative, Melvin.  It was quite funny and the most amazing part was the main stage prop, a ship that was only 3 feet shorter than the Nina that Christopher Columbus sailed!