Blogs from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Central America Caribbean - page 2

I slept though our arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Neither Peter nor I heard the loud silence from engines being cut, distant shouts from dockside crew catching heavy lines to secure the ship, rubber-soled patter from customs, immigration, health department and Coast Guard officials boarding us to allow for entry into the US. Nowhere on our travels did the officers and crew have to experience such scrutiny than that from their own fellow countrymen. I’m glad we missed it, especially since we landed at 0345 (3:45am). Bureaucracy is enough to discourage anyone from working at sea these days. I rose before a gorgeous sunrise, our last, over Bahia de San Juan, where the cruise ships always land, and spent the morning taking videos and photos of all parts of the ship. While this might not ... read more

You feel certain that you have had a great experience when you are sitting at the airport on the way home and you’re still smiling. In this case, smiling and talking with Super Chikan, a bluesman from Clarksdale, Mississippi and at this point, a man who enjoys conversation. He is busy telling you about his 2 year-old grandson with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. This was the third Blues Cruise in 18 months and it is perhaps time to take a break from them for a while. Cruises are not the greatest travel experiences, but the ability to see such world-class musicians in one location over a short period of time was too irresistible to pass up. These cruises are intense, amazing and wonderful but we have more of the ... read more

Cruising in the Caribbean can seem somewhat anti-climactic after having visited so many exotic ports around the world. But we were pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable we found all these tropical islands this time. I think that one of the biggest reasons was because the Whisper was the only ship in each port. The cruising season is over in the Caribbean by mid-April as most of the ships head to Europe or Alaska. Many of the merchants and locals seemed genuinely pleased to see the Silver Whisper arrive…potential customers! Our first port was in Bridgetown, Barbados which is considered the most British of the Caribbean Islands. It reminds me a lot of Bermuda with neat streets, a stable government and happy residents. We headed out on a sailing catamaran to follow the “turtle trail” along the ... read more

Weather is beautiful in San Juan. Visited the Castillo San Cristobal and Castillo San Felipe del Morro.... read more

I told my friend Harper I was headed to Puerto Rico. He mentioned that he had visited Puerto Rico many times and loved it. Harper insisted I do the following while in Puerto Rico: 1. Stay in Old San Juan mostly while in Puerto Rico. 2. Visit Ponce in the south. 3. Try the Water-Bread. 4. Try the Black Beans and Rice (at Hotel El Convento (former convent)). 5. Visit the Rainforest 6. Visit the east side of the island and check out the resorts there. I completed my mission. Truthfully, Harper also said to visit the islands of Martinique and Saint Thomas while in Puerto Rico, but I had to return early for business. We ran into an antique shop owner who said that although there is no US Federal income tax here, study the ... read more