7 Return to San Juan

After an overnight sail, which we believe to be "just floating around," we were tied up at the San Juan pier when we awoke. Puerto Rico is only a few miles distant from St. Thomas, so there was not much distance to travel between the two islands. We awoke to a scorching sun, and temperatures in the 90s. So we know we have made it to the tropics! We walked ashore and made our way up into the Old City, which is surrounded by two different old forts, which guarded the peninsula city back in the days of the real "Pirates of the Caribbean". There was no hurry to go ashore, since we have been here several times over the years. So we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on the ship before going ashore. It was interesting to see some of the same shops and shop-owners we remembered from past visits. The streets are narrow, and some of the buildings are several stories tall, so some of the Old Town area feels rather crowded, especially when there are 2 or 3 cruise ships docked just a few blocks away. The bright colors on the faces of some of the buildings gives the impression of a lively and festive business climate. An unexpected treat was finding a replica sailing ship tied up adjacent to the Norwegian Sun when we left our ship. It bore the name HMS Bounty, and appeared to be an exact replica of the famous sailing vessel of the past. We learned later that it was in fact the exact replica ship constructed for the 1962 Marlon Brando film, "Mutiny on the Bounty." It sails around the world as a tourist attraction participating in various events. It was also used in the recent Johnny Depp "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. I would love to have been able to board the vessel, but no visitors were allowed at that time, and it was nearing our departure time as well. Maybe some time in the future! Our sailaway took us past the beautiful El Morro fortress that guards the harbor, and provides a beautiful backdrop for pictures as the ship sails away from San Juan.