San Juan, Puerto Rico - Back in the US, back in the US, back in the USA!

May 8, 2024

San Juan,  Puerto Rico

Back in the US,   Back in the US,  Back in the USA

San Juan was really a perfect last stop.  It allowed us to go thru immigration here rather than have to do it during the hectic day of disembarkation in Ft. Lauderdale.  This goes for the crew as well as us.  It is hard to believe but when we get into Ft. Lauderdale, the crew gets everyone and their luggage off the boat.  They take on whatever supplies they ordered to be there and then they bring on 1800 new guests and their luggage and then they head back out on the same day we came in.  The logistics of all that is mind boggling. 





We didn’t sign up for an excursion at this stop because we just wanted to get off the boat and walk around in Old San Juan, and the ship was docked right smack in the middle of it. Captain Frizzo opened the bow so we could enjoy the afternoon sail in.



There were four of us today, Eloise, Blackie and us, and we were on a quest for some good Mexican food.  It didn’t take us long to find Tijuana’s Bar and Grill.  Soon we were eating our chips and salsa  and drowning our sorrows in some seriously strong margaritas!





We walked on down the waterfront where Eloise found her first geocache!  Exciting and even more so …. With a tequila buzz!  A stop at the Harley shop and then on to the Plaza Colon in the center of Old San Juan.  We strolled along the blue bricked sidewalks dotted with outdoor cafes and shops in colorful colonial style buildings.  The blue bricks were used as ballasts in the early ships that came to shore. 







There is a statue of Christopher Columbus right in the center of the plaza, and a street vendor with beautiful parrots captured the attention of Blackie (aka Squirrel).  We had the fun obligatory photos taken, again made even more exciting by the tequila!!!




Near the plaza was the oldest theater in San Juan, built in 1824, and also the Castillo San Cristobal built by the Spanish in 1783.  As we meandered back to the ship, we happened upon a “who’s who influencer event” - very posh and swanky.

 




Old San Juan is charming and the people are friendly.  We had a good day; a nice last port …

 


It is so hard to believe that we are in our last stop on this 128 day sojourn.   If you will let me wax poetically for a moment, I would like to take a moment and reflect on what Vialula and I have seen as we circled the globe a second time.  From the Amazon to Africa, we went to places we never thought we would see.  We went to places we didn’t know what to expect.  We went to places that surprised us and we went to places that were sometimes a disappointment.  As most of you know, we were diverted for the whole last segment, and we lost a lot of the things we really wanted to see.  Some for the first time and some we had been to before but wanted to go back.  But we had never been anywhere in Africa, so we tried to make the best of things. 



When you are on a boat for that long you can’t help but make some great new friends.  You meet people from all over and you find common grounds and interests both on and off the ship.  We saw people on board that were also on our 2019 voyage, and it was fun to catch up and carry on like we had never left.  It was a great trip for both Dana and myself, and it was certainly an adventure we won’t forget.  These types of experiences can’t help but change you.  Life on board the boat is a bubble.  It isn’t reality.  You are pampered and nothing is left to want.  Life off the boat when you are in different ports cannot help but be eye opening.  It is an explosion for the senses as you see, hear, smell and taste the local life no matter where you are.  We are truly blessed to be able to take this voyage, but it is always a blessing to be back home too.  Back to reality, they say.  Dana and I both appreciate everyone who followed us on the blog.  We tried to keep it fun and maybe a little bit of education along the way.

LeRoy and Vialula



Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico

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