Puerto Rico – Wandering Dawgs

January 10 – 13, 2022

Our long awaited Caribbean adventure began when we landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico on a Monday night in January. Spending two nights in a hotel and two nights on the ship was a perfect way to begin the journey.

During the almost 400 years Puerto Rico was under Spanish rule, Spain constructed forts and city walls around San Juan for protection. In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a United States Territory.

On our second day in the hotel we wandered around the area close to the hotel. We were determined to find an old fort visible from our hotel room. It wasn’t easy to find but with the help of a Viking representative at the hotel we were able to walk to the fort and spend a little time exploring and learning about it’s history. Fort San Geronimo Del Boqueron was built during the 18th century. Along with several other forts, it part of San Juan’s first line of defense.

Back at the hotel we enjoyed listening to the waves and watching an American Oyster Catcher searching for a tasty morsel. Dinner outside by the pool was a great ending to the day.

Click on a photo for a closer look.

The next morning we boarded our ship, got checked in, unpacked and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and evening. After a good night’s sleep we took a walking tour of Old San Juan with a knowledgeable guide. As we followed our guide uphill on old cobblestone streets we passed through colorful neighborhoods and businesses in Old San Juan. Many of the streets were paved in blue cobblestones which had been used as ballast in the ships.

Our tour included a visit to one of the oldest buildings in San Juan, the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista. We stopped for view of the Palacio de Santa Catalina, the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. We continued up the hill to Fort San Cristobal, a National Historic Site which dates back to the early 17th century.