San Juan: Blue Cobblestones and a Very Big Fort

We tied up beside Old San Juan this morning, walked the blue-brick streets to El Morro, ate mofongo twice, and flew a kite on the fort's lawn until sail-away. Full report below, photos included.

Wednesday, Oct 22 18°28′N 66°07′W Next port: Amber Cove, Oct 23

The wide green lawn in front of El Morro fortress in Old San Juan under a bright midday sun, kites flying against a deep blue sky and the stone fort's grey walls rising above the sparkling Atlantic — The lawn at El Morro just before noon. The kite lasted about twenty glorious minutes before a gust took it into a tree.

We woke up already in port, which never stops feeling like a magic trick.

Breakfast was fast because everyone wanted off the ship. Old San Juan starts almost at the gangway, you walk off the pier and straight into narrow streets paved with blue-glazed bricks that came over as ship ballast centuries ago. The kids counted balconies. We lost count around eighty.

The climb up to Castillo San Felipe del Morro is gentler than it looks. The fort itself is six levels of ramps, tunnels, and lookout turrets, and we explored most of them. The sentry boxes hanging over the water were the clear favorite. From the top wall you can see our ship at the pier, which set off a round of waving at it, as if it might wave back.

Lunch was mofongo with garlic shrimp at a small place two streets back from the plaza. It was so good we went back to the same place at four o'clock and ordered it again. No regrets, and no room for dinner later, though we found room anyway.

Sail-away was at six. The fort was lit gold by the low sun as we passed it, and the whole aft deck went quiet for a minute to watch it slide by. Five days left. Nobody is ready for that number to get smaller, so tonight we played cards until late and pretended it wasn't.

"Can we just live in the fort? There's plenty of room."

youngest crew member, from the top wall of El Morro

A narrow Old San Juan street of pastel pink, yellow and turquoise colonial buildings with wrought-iron balconies, blue cobblestones shining in strong afternoon sun, a family walking away down the middle of the lane — Calle San Sebastián in the afternoon. The blue cobbles are real, they shine like water when the light hits them.

A close overhead view of a plate of golden mofongo topped with garlic shrimp on a bright café table, condensation beading on a glass of fresh juice beside it, warm daylight through an open door — Round one of the mofongo. Round two happened at 4 p.m. and was not photographed because it disappeared too fast.

El Morro fortress glowing amber in low evening sunlight seen from the deck of a departing cruise ship, calm dark-blue water in the foreground and a soft orange sky behind the headland — Sail-away, 6:12 p.m. The fort turned gold right on cue as we cleared the harbor.