The Lush Countryside of Puerto Rico

Prinsendam from Castillo San Cristobal, Old Town, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Our last morning in Fort Lauderdale was not uneventful.  Once again the hotel fire alarm went off, and this time we were in the room.  This meant that we would need to get out using 30 steep outside stairs.  By the time assistance arrived to help me with the wheelchair, they were announcing that it was a false alarm.  But that also meant that once again the two inside elevators at our end of the wing didn’t work.  With only one working elevator located at the far end of the hall servicing approximately 155 rooms on upper floors, we decided we’d better get out of the room early and have our things in the lobby so we’d be ready for the departure. 

We arrived at the departure location in good time and sat and visited with a lady from Vancouver as well as Joe and Sheila, who had been on both the 2012 and 2013 World Cruises.  I had known Joe from his participation in HAL Chorale.  The transfer to the ship went very smoothly, and we arrived in our stateroom in time to avail ourselves of the embarkation Mariner Brunch, where we saw more of our world cruise friends.

When we got back to the room, we did find that one piece of luggage had arrived, so we got busy unpacking in order to get that out out of the way. 

Chuck opted for an afternoon lecture, so when more luggage arrived, I was able to unpack without getting in his way.  This also meant that when he returned, he could do the same without my being in his way!  By the time we went to bed that night, I was absolutely worn out, but most of our things were unpacked.  Now it was a matter of finding homes for our things for the
“Grand” part of the cruise.  (Since we only purchased an upsell for the first cruise, we assume we will have to move to a different cabin when we get to Civitavecchia.)

The first two full days were sea days, a good chance to settle into a routine and relax, which is exactly what we did.

On Saint Patrick’s Day we arrived at our first port of call, San Juan, Puerto Rico.  During the first sea day, I had met with a person from Shore Excursions, and based upon the information she gave me, I decided to try the excursion El Yunque Rainforest Drive.  Our friend and tablemate Alice was also doing this excursion, so bright and early she arrived at our stateroom so we could be sure to be assigned to the same bus. This would also help if I felt I needed to use the wheelchair at any of the stops.  However, we discovered that we were using a minibus, meaning there was no under-the-bus storage for wheelchairs so they had to lift it onto the bus and store it in the front.  I wasn’t eager to have them haul the thing off at every stop!    

The El Yunque Rainforest is the only United States National Park that is also a rainforest.  We lucked out though and avoided the rain.  We enjoyed a lovely hour-long drive to the park, where our first stop was the visitors’ center where Chuck and I were able to get our National Parks Passports stamped.  I limited my walking there and enjoyed sitting, watching people, and listening to the birds overhead. 

As we drove our guide described the flora and fauna of the island.  There are only two mammals on the island – the bat and the mongoose.  Mongeese were brought in to take care of the rat problem, and now apparently mongeese are a problem!  There are many tropical birds native to Puerto Rico, including the green parrot.  We could certainly hear them, but I never caught a glimpse of any as they were too well camouflaged in the green canopy overhead.  They also have a native boa constrictor that grows to about eleven feet.  

It was quite obvious that the fauna included bamboo – there was bamboo everywhere we looked!  Our guide said that bamboo is not a tree but a grass that can grow one to two inches a day!  There is also a lot of eucalyptus.  The guide didn’t mention it, but I assume that this was not a native tree.  She explained that the older people use eucalyptus regularly for medicinal purposes.  (I can relate to that!) 

Our next stop included a rainforest walk.  Needless to say I opted out of that one as it included several stairs.  Chuck and Alice went off to enjoy the scenery while I stayed back, one of about a half dozen people who decided it wasn’t worth ending the cruise at the first port! 

Our next destination was the Yokahu Tower Observation Point.  This involved a climb of over 100 stairs to a lookout that afforded a beautiful view of Puerto Rico and surrounding islands.  Chuck availed himself of the opportunity to climb to the top while Alice and I appreciated the view from the bottom of the tower. 

Our final stop was the Coco Waterfalls.   While certainly no Niagara Falls, it was a lovely waterfall, and younger people enjoyed climbing on the rocks at the base of the falls. 

Before returning to the ship, our guide gave us a driving tour of Old San Juan, affording us the opportunity to see many of the government buildings as well as the San Juan National Historic Site. 

Considering that this was a level 2 excursion, I was able to do quite a bit, which really pleased me.  I had originally thought that I wouldn’t have the chance to see anything except from the bus!  I admit though that by the time I got back to the ship, I was ready to be back.  It was an enjoyable but tiring excursion.  (Keep in mind that six weeks ago I wasn’t walking more than two or three steps without grabbing for a counter or a railing!) 

BT

Chuck here now.  After lunch back on the ship, I decided to see what I could see near the ship on foot, particularly since we were to be docked in San Juan until 11 PM and our next port was so close.  I didn’t have a precise goal in mind and decided I would just see where the roads led me while keeping in mind where our ship was docked.  There are two major fortifications within walking distance in San Juan, both part of the San Juan National Historic Site and the National Park System.  One is Castillo San Felipe del Morro which was built to protect San Juan Bay’s deep harbor and the other is Castillo San Cristobal, a half hour walk from Castillo San Felipe del Morro.  We had driven past Castillo San Cristobal on our return from the shore excursion and as I walked I could spot its outer limits, so began walking in that direction.  I figured I might go inside if the price was right but wasn’t into spending $15 or $20.  Needless to say I was pleased when the cost was a mere $3, so entered the fortress and enjoyed walking the grounds as well as seeing some of the panoramic views of Old San Juan as well as checking out some of the historical displays.  San Cristobal is the largest European fortification in all of the Americas and was built over a period of 150 years to provide protection from attack by land from the main Spanish enemies of the time, England and Holland.  By the way, these fortifications in San Juan have nothing to do with the San Juan Hill of Spanish-American War and the Rough Riders of Theodore Roosevelt.  That San Juan Hill is located in Cuba, even though the US acquired Puerto Rico at the end of the Spanish-American War.

It was a pleasant and informative walk.  We now feel that we are on our way on the cruise we didn’t think we would be doing!

CT