Caribbean Day 1 (Puerto Rico)

Day 1-2 (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Mofongo @ Raices

Dinner @ Raices, Old San Juan

We flew JetBlue into Puerto Rico and were met at the airport by our shuttle service.  He took us to Old San Juan where we were staying at the Sheraton.  I asked him where a good place was for local cuisine and he recommended Raices which is “Roots” in the local language – referring to the heritage of the island. We had to wait outside in the heat and humidity (even at 8pm) and it took us about an hour to get a table.  In the meantime Dave talked to two ladies which were also going on the cruise and one was from our neighborhood in Texas – crazy.  The food was very good and everyone enjoyed it – I had Mofongo – a local dish made with mashed plantains which were basically like mashed potatoes in flavor (not like bananas, which I hate).  We went home and rested for the next day.

Outside Raices in Old San Juan

Old San Juan, early morning

Raices Fountain

In the morning we got an early start and found a local diner, Café Manolin http://cafemanolinoldsanjuan.com/.  Cheap good eats to get us started.  Then we headed out to the end of the peninsula to the fort El Morro (Castillo San Felipe del Morro).  On the way we saw a ton of free roaming cats throughout the neighborhoods.  The walk around the harbor on the south side of the island was a good way to approach the fort.  From the cruise ship it’s about a 30 minute walk, mostly uphill, but not excessively taxing.

Leading up to the fort is a massive field of grass which would make any attackers vulnerable to the fort’s artillery.  We made it, though.  El Morro was fun to explore – lots of different levels and great views of the bay and surrounding areas.  

After about an hour we headed back to town to check out of the hotel.  We stopped at a recommended coffee shop, Don Ruiz http://www.donruizstore.com/ , which was only a block from the fort.  The coffee was really good and we bought a bag to bring home.  The walk back, down Calle del Christo was lined with shops and churches and galleries – worth a peek on the way back to the hotel.

Fort steps to ground level

El Morro

Once we found our hotel, we checked out and walked the half block to the ship across the street – easy.  We were able to get on the ship by 1pm and since it didn’t pull out until 10pm, we had all day to enjoy ourselves aboard.  This time we were sailing on the Carnival Fascination, an older ship in the fleet, but completely remodeled in 2015.  

Carnival Fascination lobby

We loved the layout of the ship with the casino and bars all on the same deck.  Our room was super small with the adult bed under the bunks which folded down over our heads and feet.  The bathroom was a little bigger than some ships, though, so that was good.  I think we saw a couple shows, did the mandatory Muster station drill, and then we were off to St. Thomas.

Carnival Fascination @ night