I was fortunate enough to spend 5 days on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Birthplace of my mother and her family. I spent many Summers there visiting them and spending the long, hot days with my cousins. It was wonderful to sit with them and reminisce. This trip was my third time back as an adult. I hadn’t been since 2011. The visit was long over due. This trip was mostly so that my mom could visit her siblings. They are all in their 70’s now and one is 80. We also took along my son who hadn’t been since he was 11 years old, and my grandson, who had his first visit to the Island.
We started off with a visit to Viejo or Old San Juan. I don’t think you can visit PR and not stop here. The place is so full of history and never gets old. To me at least. Nothing beats the views from El Morro. The colorful buildings and the blue cobble stone streets. Many of the streets in old San Juan are paved with adoquines, or blue cobblestone pavers, made from waste from iron smelting. The famous cobblestones were brought as ballast on European ships in the 18th century, and were later used to pave streets of San Juan. (ICANN.org, by Kimberly Enger, March 13, 2018)
El Morro and the San Juan Gate which was the original entry way into the walled city
The day after we visited San Juan, we drove down the East Coast of the Island to visit my aunt and cousins. Nothing quite beats the views from Patillas. You can see the turquoise water from the cliffs. I have no photos because I was driving. If you have ever been to PR, you know how narrow and curvy the roads are! Once we reached the bottom I managed to take a few pics.
The next day mom and I got breakfast and did some souvenir shopping in Palmer. We walked around the area a bit. The walls of many of the buildings are painted with beautiful murals. We had time to snap pics since we were there early and nothing was open.
The last day before returning to Texas, we headed to Yauco which is on the South Western part of the Island. It is much drier. It’s known for it’s coffee. A big tourist attraction there called “Yaucromatic,” consists of colorful houses and is known as Puerto Rico’s largest outdoor gallery.
I wish I were able to take photos of all the beautiful outdoor art I saw. I am looking forward to going back. Things to add to my to-do list for next time are to visit the many museums. I really wanted to see the painting "Flaming June" by Sir Frederic Leighton, which is usually housed at the Museo de Arte de Ponce, but it is currently in London.
I encourage everyone to visit Puerto Rico. Just do your research. Whether you are into just relaxing on a quiet beach, eating the wonderful food, or hiking in El Yunque, the Island offers something for everyone.
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