Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Let me tell you about my happy place, Puerto Rico.
Americans seem not to know that Puerto Rico is part of our great country, but it is. When they think of tropical islands, they think of Hawaii.
Puerto Rico is magnificent. Its culture is rich, its people vibrant, and its vistas glorious. I love it there. I hope you enjoy this photographic journey through my experiences living in Puerto Rico.
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Photo by Robert R.
El Morro National Monument
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
The best view of San Juan, the capitol city of Puerto Rico, is from Castillo San Cristóbal a 27 acre fortification that was finished in 1783.
To the south you can see the bay where the cruise ships dock.
To the west you can see old San Juan, la Perla slums, and El Morro National Monument.
To the east sits the Capitol Building and new San Juan.
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Photo by Robert R.
View from Castillo San Cristóbal
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
The island of Puerto Rico is around 90 miles long and 30 miles wide. It is situated a 1000 miles south east of Florida. The capitol city, located on the north east portion of the island, is San Juan.
All the way at the farthest point of the island from San Juan sits Cabo Rojo Lighthouse. Perched atop of 200 ft tall limestone cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the lighthouse was built in 1881.
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Photo by Robert R.
Cabo Rojo Lighthouse
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Three more photos I took of the lighthouse at Cabo Rojo at the southwestern most point of Puerto Rico overlooking the Caribbean Sea,
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Photos by Robert R.
Cabo Rojo Lighthouse, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Castillo San Felipe del Morro overlooks the opening to San Juan bay. Construction on the castle began in 1539 and was completed in 1790.
In 1595 Sir Francis Drake attacked El Morro with 27 ships and 2,500 men and lost.
The Dutch laid siege to it for 21 days in 1625. The British tried their hand with a sizeable force in 1798.
It wasn’t until 1898, for the first time in 400 years, El Morro was surrendered to the U.S. Navy.
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Photos by Robert R,
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
El Morro at night.
At night they light up El Morro with spotlights. The outer walls are open to the public.
There is no better place for a date than a nighttime picnic on the lawn outside El Morro at sunset.
It makes you feel like a knight in King Arthur’s Castle.
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Photo by Robert R.
El Morro
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
3 more photos of El Morro lit up at night in old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Photo by Robert R.
El Morro
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Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
One of the best things about visiting El Morro at night is the view of the 1800’s cemetery from the top of the castle wall. Call my morbid, but I love old cemeteries.
In the top left corner you can see the lighthouse in El Morro castle.
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Photo by Robert R.
El Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
The daytime view is beautiful too.
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Photo by Robert R.
El Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
I love the old statues in the cemetery.
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Photos by me
El Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
I love the old statues in the cemetery.
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Photos by me
El Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
El Yunque National Forest is otherworldly. It is the only tropical rain forest in the national forest system. It encompasses 28,000 acres of waterfall laden splendor.
This is the view from on top of Mt. Briton watchtower in El Yunque Rain Forest. The Caribbean Sea is in the distance.
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Photos by me
El Yunque Rain Forest
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Mt. Britton watchtower and the view from the trail to the tower.
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Photos by me
El Yunque Rain Forest
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
I’m not going to lie. Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Pork Highway for his TV show played a major role in my decision to move to Puerto Rico.
The Pork Highway, or La Ruta del Lechón, is a roughly three-mile stretch of Route 184 along the east side of El Yunque. There are around 20 lechoneras along the three-mile stretch of highway. They specialize in slow roasted whole pig.
It is pretty much heaven.
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Photos by me
Pork Highway, Los Pinos restaurant.
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
If you are a science geek like me, the Arecibo Observatory is a fascinating daytrip from San Juan.
(OH NO! I JUST FOUND OUT THE TELESCOPE COLLAPSED LAST DECEMBER. That seems like an overly dramatic way to avoid a Biden presidency.)
The observatory’s main instrument was the Arecibo Telescope, a 305 m (1,000 ft) spherical reflector dish built into a natural sinkhole.
It was the world’s largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years.
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Photos by me
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Cueva del Indio is a beautiful and educational detour if you decide to visit Arecibo.
The entrance is down a 40-foot tall, handmade, wooden ladder. The walls are carved with pre-Columbian art. Be sure to watch out for the bats that live in the cave.
There was a Puerto Rican reggae band filming a music video in the caves when I was there. They asked me to dance in the background of their video.
Who knows? I might be famous!
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Photo by me
Thread-Living in PR:
I stayed at a hostel near this beach in a really rough barrio. I made friends with some locals, and I asked where to drink in the area. I was shocked to find the tiny, empty place they recommended had almost 200 types of beer. I asked my new friends why the place didn’t advertise better.
He said, “SHHHIIIIIITTT. If they advertised, they would have to work harder, and their friends wouldn’t be able to get good seats.”
That was the moment I knew I would like Puerto Rico.
Thread-Living in PR:
This is the primary tourist beach in San Juan, Condado Beach.
The city is named after, and dedicated to, John the Baptist. Patron Saint festivals in Puerto Rico are a really big deal. On June 24th each year, San Juan holds a huge celebration. In addition to many other festivities, thousands of locals go to this beach at night. Right at midnight they all dive into the ocean to reenact the baptism of Jesus.
Be warned. Many of them do it naked
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Photo by me
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
June 26, 2015-The day same-sex marriage was legalized in America, a spontaneous celebration erupted at the Puerto Rico Capitol Building. Thousands of people formed a parade and marched through Old San Juan.
This is the front of that parade.
I am straight, but I decided to go dancing that night in the “gay” part of town. Hands down, that was the most joyous celebration I have ever witnessed.
I will remember it as long as I live.
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Photo by me
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Full Moon over Condado Bridge.
I discovered that Puerto Rico has fire ants while I was trying to take this photo. It was my first week on the island. I had my tripod set up in the only location where I could get this angle. I was wearing sandals. My feet itched for weeks.
The things we do for art…
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Photo by me
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Ponce is the second largest city in Puerto Rico.
Founded in 1692, Ponce is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the great-grandson of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León.
Ponce de León was first Governor of Puerto Rico in the early 1,500.
Ponce has several universities, and it is considered the art capitol of Puerto Rico.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Ponce was first built in 1670.
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Photo by me
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
This photo always reminds me of a Mario Kart level.
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Photo by me
Near Guayama, Puerto Rico
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The agricultural regions of Puerto Rico are gorgeous as well, aren’t they?
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Photo by me, @Iamnata
Near Naguabo, Puerto Rico
Thread-Living in PR:
Kioskos at Luquillo Beach.
A German girl I met in a San Juan hostel heard rumors about a strip of beach bars and restaurants where the locals trained their horses to take them home when they got too drunk.
We decided to check it out. There was one horse. She took pictures with it. Then we went for a swim. As it got dark the noise got louder and louder. We walked back to the bars to discover 30+ horses racing up and down the beach. Breathtaking.
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Rural Puerto Rico near Naguabo
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Photo by me, @Iamnata
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Old San Juan was one of the largest Spanish fortifications in the new world. The city wall was 7 miles long, 45 feet thick at the base, and between 40 and 150 feet tall. It was also impervious to cannon fire.
This photo shows San Juan Gate, the last of the old gates into the city. The massive Banyan tree standing guard by the gate was destroyed in hurricane Maria.
I called it the happy tree. I am going to keep the story why to myself.
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Photo by me
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
Perched above the San Juan Gate, this statue depicts the legend of La Rogativa
In 1797, British troops led by Sir Abercrombie took control of the city by naval blockade.
The Bishop of San Juan called for a Rogativa. A procession of women, led by the priest, sang hymns, carried torches and bells, and prayed on top the city wall. The British, mistaking them for reinforcements, considering themselves outnumbered, abandoned the blockade.
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Photo by me
Thread-Living in Puerto Rico:
I saved my favorite Puerto Rico photo for last.
This is Paseo del Morro at sunset from San Juan Gate,
I hope y’all enjoyed this photographic journey through Puerto Rico as much as I enjoyed reminiscing about my time living there.
END OF THREAD
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Photo by me, @Iamnata
