Puerto Rico

We got to see all kinds of iguanas and exotic birds and there is a

 strange disconnect when you see the US Coast Guard leading the cruise ship out of the harbor.  I got to call my parents while we were sitting around waiting for the trolley to take us back to the port and it wasn’t long distance.  It was just

  strange being in two Caribbean ports, but basically being in your own country.  A taxi driver tried to get us a ride and said that the trolley wasn’t running on time because of something that was going on, but we have learned 

 not to trust taxi drivers after the last one told us that we wouldn’t be able to see anything from the top of funicular in St. Thomas.  After 15 minutes though, he appears to be right and it’s only $16 to take our tired families back to the boat, 

the never ending rainbow

 so we do it.  I have some lunch and head back to the market as quickly as possible because I see Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas pulling in to harbor and want to beat that mega ship with probably 9000 people on board into town that we passed to buy 

 some souvenirs and things, but don’t find the things that I wanted.  I find other things of course and pass off any redundancy buying as supporting the island after Hurricane Maria.  I’m really being altruistic instead of materialistic….sure.  As we’re 

this picture doesn't have the other 3 ships in it

 pulling out of the harbor, John and I are up on deck with Oscar in kid’s club, just enjoying a bird’s eye view in the rocking chairs.  There are rain clouds here and there and it appears to be raining on the back of the ship, but the

 rain never comes up front.  For 30 minutes or more, the same rainbow has been sitting in the sky and I have never experienced one lasting so long and John believes that Puerto Rico just projects it in the sky above the harbor.

Sailing out of San Juan was beautiful and you got to see the fortifications we had been climbing on all day from a different view.  And they’re still intimidating all of these years later.  We also notice that there was another way around to the dock from where we were

La Perla district beyon

 that you can walk, but can’t drive and now, sitting on the breezy deck of our cruise ship with drinks in hand, John and I think that we should have walked it…but this turned out to be the best stop in our view because of the

It's Pirate night at kid's club

      history and touring part.  I love cruises because of the ability to visit a lot of places while you stay in “one place” and I think of it like train trips across the continent used to be like, where you move around while you sleep, but there is only so many tropical beaches I can handle with an allergy to the sun and an active 4 year old to watch around any water.  So, this stop is my perfect balance, sun, history and just enough time to realize that I want to return some place.  Do I think that I had any chance to really experience Puerto Rico, no.  But I do know it’s a place that I want to come back to and spend more time in.