When in Puerto Rico...

…do as the Puerto Ricans!!

We docked in Puerto Rico early in the morning on Monday, January 27. We were entering United States territory from a foreign country and so clearing immigrations and getting off the ship was a much more lengthy process than it will be in later ports. A lot of people got up early to watch the sun rise over the land and see the pilot boat escort us as we came in the harbor. The excitement and anticipation of our first port of call was contagious. A couple of nights before we arrive at a given port we have an optional cultural pre-port meeting, followed by a mandatory logistical pre-port meeting the night before docking, and a mandatory diplomatic briefing immediately before getting off the ship. The Puerto Rican Secretary of State came aboard to welcome us into the country. We are always given a sheet of paper with emergency numbers and tips that we are to carry with us at all times with a copy of our passport while traveling. After all the details were worked out, we were free to go explore the country as we pleased until our assigned on-ship time on the 25th.

I had a SAS trip for my ecology class to the El Yunque Caribbean National Rain Forest my first afternoon in Puerto Rico. (While in port I can either travel independently or through SAS sponsored trips to a variety of different places. To fulfill my class requirements I must choose from certain in port field trips with my professors. To see the trips that SAS offers us in each port you can go to the SAS website and look up the Field Program section for the spring 2006 voyage.) Before I had to be back at the ship for my rain forest trip, I had some time to walk around Old San Juan and eat some delicious fried plantains and chicken at a Puerto Rican Cafe. Our ship was actually docked a ways from downtown San Juan, away from the main cruise ship terminal, which meant we spent a lot of time and money getting ripped off by taxi drivers shuttling us to and from the ship.

El Yunque…
A lot of SAS kids were signed up for my rain forest trip and we took buses up to the Luquillo mountains for some sightseeing. We stopped at a place called Coca Falls, a natural pool and waterfall for some swimming, and an observation tower with an amazing view overlooking the forest, the mountain ranges, and the ocean. I really wish that I could have taken better pictures but I couldn’t figure out the settings on my new cameraL. It was a pleasant trip and I got to see a lot of the country on the bus, but the SAS trip seem like they will be a little too structured and with too many people for my tastes. I am planning on taking advantage of doing a lot of indy traveling in the future.

A Puerto Rican Welcome…
The first night in port I attended a student welcome reception at Caribbean University. This was a chance for us SAS students to meet local university students during our first night in port. We were welcomed into the university with music and dancers on stilts. We got to watch a ballet performance, eat some authentic fried food, mingle with local university students and faculty, and dance the night away. The dean of the university even helped teach me how to salsa! Everyone agreed that it was a very fun night and are excited about the opportunity to participate in university welcome receptions in the future port countries. After the welcome reception, most of us SASers headed out on the town for a late night of celebrating. We later found out that we had just missed the biggest festival in San Juan by one night!

Old San Juan…
I spent my second morning in Puerto Rico in Old San Juan. I absolutely fell in love with the place while walking the streets. It has a tropical ocean setting, with beautiful Spanish colonial architecture, lamp lit cobblestone streets, colorful pastel houses, and historical fortress walls. Every street you walk down is beautiful and look likes something out of a photograph. I took a tour of Casa Blanca, the home of Ponce De Leon, who famously sought after the fountain of youth. I also walked around a famous fort known as El Moro that dates back to 1539. It has impressive Spanish stone walls that overlook the Atlantic Ocean and once guarded the entrance to San Juan. I even got to see a local Puerto Rican juice commercial being filmed on the picturesque lawns outside the fort. I ate lunch at an authentic Venezuelan café with some friends, which I thought was entirely appropriate since we were originally supposed to port in Venezuela instead. I have decided that someday I want to come back and buy a place in Puerto Rico and live like an islander!

Later that second day my friends and I took a tour of the famous Barcardi Rum Factory that is known locally as the ‘Cathedral of Rum.’ It produces 100,000 gallons of rum daily and ships 21 million cases a year! They gave us a free tour and free samples. It was pretty interesting and a fun way to spend the afternoon.

Later that night we went to another great restaurant on the streets of Old San Juan. It was called Mojitos, named after a drink made with rum, lime juice, sugar, and soda water. The food was delicious and came in massive proportions. At the end of our meal they even brought us flowers. Later that night we walked around town some more, bought a few souvenirs, and people watched. I met soo many local Puerto Ricans who were really friendly. One guy that my friends and I met helped us find some happening places to hang out for the night, and even went out of his way to make sure we were safe and could find them. We went to this amazing restaurant and bar called The Dragonfly, where we met more locals and sipped some Mojitos. Later that night we headed to a party put on by a couple SAS alumni. They were raising money to publish an annual book called Interconnections that supports students getting out into the world, studying abroad and making a difference.

The next morning I woke up my friends and we headed to the beautiful beaches outside San Juan. We spent the morning there, taking in the sun and strolling up and down the shoreline. Later I went with two of my friends to hang out with the two SAS alumni who had thrown the party the night before. One of them is Puerto Rican and took us on a ride out on his boat to watch the sunset. We got to stop at his house on the way, which was really exciting to me because I had been wanting to see an actually house in Puerto Rico and not just another touristy hotel. His house was amazing because the entire back wall was open. They said they only ever close it up once every 5 to 10 years when the hurricanes come! It was one of the neatest things I have ever seen, we sure don’t have houses like that back at home. My friends and I had the best last night in Puerto Rico hanging out and exchanging stories about Semester at Sea with these guys. I feel really encouraged hearing about their travels and how their enthusiasm about life and travel still continues two years after their voyage. The night ended at a great restaurant on the beach with a good atmosphere, good food, and good company. (Shout out to Brandon and Eugenio- Thanks for the great night! Long live the baton…I hope that I am worthy of it some dayJ!!!) I made it back to the ship just in time to not be late and receive dock time! Everyone stood outside on the decks as we pulled out of the harbor and watched Puerto Rico grow smaller and smaller in the distance. I think some of us even teared up!
I had so much fun in Puerto Rico! I couldn’t have dreamed up a better experience. It was a great first port of call and I am excited for the many countries to come. It was great to be in Puerto Rico and have cell phone service, use US dollars, and have friendly people who speak English everywhere. It was a good country to ease me into this world traveling thing, but I won’t have most of those luxuries from now on. Watch out Brazil…here I come!

The phenomenon of land sickness…
So I made it through the first four days at sea without any seasickness. The boat was tossing and turning and yet I held my own. One thing I was not expecting was feeling sick once I got on dry land. The first two days in Puerto Rico I felt like the world was rocking. I couldn’t believe how much it felt like the entire island was swaying in my head. I was prepared for seasickness, but nothing could have prepared me for this weird phenomenon I like to call land sickness. By the third day on solid ground my head finally stopped spinning…but by that time it was time to get back on the ship!!

Best Quote in Puerto Rico: “You know life is good when everything around you looks like a postcard.” -Brandon (SAS alumni I met in port)

PS I spent a long time finding lots of fun pics from Puerto Rico but couldn't load them- So I guess that I'll just have to show them to you all when I get back :(