Day 2: Around San Juan

Traveling should really be renamed "Reading in New and Exciting Places." Even if it's not called RiNaeP (and I can see why it's not), that's what I did today. I got up around 10, checked out, and spent walked up and down the beach reading in the shade. First some rocks covered in miniature snails, then almost by some tide pools replete with tribolites and sea urchins. Then I read under some tree branches, on some tree branches, and so forth until 1:30 when I picked up my suitcase and left for my hostel. Despite reading the directions provided by the hostel, it took two taxis and a discussion with a homeless person to find it. The first taxi dropped me off at a similarly named street, full of doctors and a nice homeless man who pointed me in the right direction... but not right enough. After 25 minutes of wandering I found a taxi who knew exactly what I was looking for.

I checked in, dropped off my suitcase, and headed out to Old San Juan with my waiting taxi. Old San Juan has two "Castles" - which are really more forts than anything. The first of my day was San Cristobal, which had great views, tunnels (see attached) and an old WWII fort inset for a slight modern touch. I then walked along the city wall to Morro, pausing to read in a new and exciting place, a canon cutout in the wall overlooking the cemetary that had great wind-funneling properties.

El Morro Was similar, but perhaps a bit taller, with walls a bit thicker, and it had BOTH a (dry) moat w/ a bridge and a lightouse that they let you climb into, but not into the cool part. I even had a brief caving adventure! Ok, not really, I just crawled under a wall through the gutter-spot (They collected all the rainwater that fell on the fort in giant cisterns to survive sieges. Also, I forget how old I'm supposed to act).

I tried to read on the lawn, but chose a too-exciting place (an ant hill) so I moved back to the cemetary overlook before going to dinner. Lisbeth and I had fettucinni bolognese, and then I went down to the beach (to read!) in front of the capital. It's nice to see that some places still throw all their bottles into the sea. Mom: You would have loved it. There was so much sea-glass that I only picked up the aqua and blue pieces, until I found a piece of purple. I got that one too.

After reading till sunset, I walked to the next staircase, climbed up to the road, and had to walk back to el morro to catch a taxi. My guess is that I did three miles this afternoon, and at least another one this morning, much of it on sand. Then I got back to the hostel, deleted my wifi driver trying to configure it, and... read.

I borrowed a lappy from a sweet girl and fixed my internets! Also, I wanted to let you all know that despite my fetish and the fact that I can see it from my hostel I am not climbing a crane.

Yet.