Ahhh...The Caribbean

After a chilly morning in Miami, we boarded the Sojourn and, thankfully, were headed south to warmer weather.  Being on the Sojourn flooded us with memories of our World Cruise 4 years ago.  We recognized several crew members from past sailings, including our Cruise Director, Sophie, as well as several other passengers.  It was great to re-unite with these familiar faces.

We quickly settled into our luxurious lifestyle as we sailed for 2 days en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico for our first stop.  We spent the days enjoying the amenities of this beautiful ship and attending port talks and other lectures.

450 Passenger Seabourn Sojourn...Our Home Away from Home

 

First Formal Night

Ready for the Good Life

 

Sail Away Deck Party
 

   

As we sailed into San Juan, the weather was hot and sunny and the blue waters of the Caribbean sea glistened in the sun.  We spent our day in Old San Juan, the historic colonial walled area of town.  We toured the fort built by the Spanish in the 1500s to defend the harbor from the Dutch, Portuguese and English.  El Morro is an impressive fortress that was used by the US government as recently as World War II to defend against possible attacks in the Caribbean.  We also toured a historic church, a hotel that was once a convent and saw many statues and memorials within the walled area.  We stopped in at El Patio de Sam's, a restaurant and bar that Brian visited many times while on business in San Juan. 

Fortress El Morro is situated at the entrance to San Juan harbor



Walkway to El Morro

View from the top of El Morro

Brian taking position to protect San Juan

Before arriving we were very curious as to what we would find in Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.  At least this part of the island appears to be thriving.  Many of the old buildings have been freshly repainted and the quaint brick streets were clean and inviting.  We finished up our stop at a Sunday Market that was lively and buzzing with commerce.  Clearly, San Juan is open for the tourist trade.  Hopefully, the tourism will help with the economics of re-building the rest of the island.

Old San Juan colonial buildings in Plaza de Armas

Easy walk from the pier to Old San Juan

We are happy to be back in the Caribbean where Brian traveled extensively for Cariba International.  This trip is his first trip to the region in several years.  Of course, traveling as a tourist is a lot more fun than business travel.  For Linda, traveling with a personal tour guide has many advantages.

NEXT STOP,  ST. KITTS.