Arrival in Puerto Rico!

I immediately noticed that Puerto Rico looked a lot more ‘civilized’ compared to some of the other islands I visited earlier on. Once the plane started descending, I saw a few skyscrapers and broad streets, crowded with cars. It immediately made me think of the United States. Which of course was logical, since Puerto Rico is part of the United States.

The landing had gone very smoothly and it took only a short time before I was on my way to the hostel.

I was very glad that the man knew where the hostel was because I would never have found it on my own. The entrance was not clearly visible and only somewhere on the top of the building I noticed the faded sign of the ‘Palace Hostel.

The small hostel was run by young people and that was clearly visible. Many things were disorganized or could clearly be improved… Yet I felt right at home in the cozy hostel with pleasant people.

Since it was only getting later and later, I decided to at least do something with my day. The hostel wasn’t super far from the old part of San Juan, so I decided that I wanted to go visit this part today.

With Google Maps functioning properly again, I figured out how to get there with public transport. For only one dollar, I was dropped off near Old San Juan.

The old town was beautiful. Everything was very well maintained and very, very unisque. It’s probably best comparable with a European city, but not completely. I can’t quite describe it, but I think it has to do something with the colonial past and the Caribbean setting of Puerto Rico.

After strolling around the beautiful squares, seeing the gorgeous facades of the colonial houses and shops, I decided to feast on a delicious, typical Puerto Rican dish.

I took an avocado filled with chicken, with a side of rice and fried bananas. Mouthwatering! But then again, I’m always a sucker for avocados and fried bananas…

Now that I again had some energy, I continued my quest through San Juan. Soon I arrived at the huge open area where the San Felipe del Morro castle stood. My mouth literally fell open. A castle of these size at such a beautiful location was something I had never seen before!

Since it was already getting late I could not get inside anymore, but that did not stop me to walk around the castle for a bit.

To the right I found the coolest cemetery I’ve ever seen. The cemetery was located right next to the castle walls, but what made it even more special was that it was so close to the raging sea. It was really something beautiful, especially with the sun slowly going under. I sat down on the walls for a little while to look at this beautiful scenery. So far, I really enjoyed Puerto Rico a lot!

Tomorrow I am going to explore the rest of the city and I am already eager to see more of its beauty!

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