Waiting for plane to come home in San Juan, Porto
Rico/Carlos Pueblo
The back to
back cruises ended after more than 3 weeks in San Juan. I
selected to stay
for additional 4 days to wait for plane
to come home
because of
the cheaper airline ticket that way. I was not alone because
I did meet
several cruise passengers practicing this way. I took advantage
of the
opportunity to feel more of Porto Rico, the climate and environment.
I exit the
ship and marched through heavy traffic out of the pier toward
the
Convention Center in order to get on the bus. It was Sunday and there
was no city
bus available and that was no problem yet inconvenient. A
door man of
the casino gave me two maps, one for back up in case, and
showed me to
pass two bridges and 5 hotels then turn right inland to meet
a street
connected to the Calle Loiza which my hostel is. He estimated that
would take a
very good of one hour walk. I carried a luggage and a heavy
backpack
with a lab top computer plus stopped to chat with a pair of the
fellow
passengers; therefore, it took me more than two and half hours to
make it.
I recognized
the husband of this couple on the ship because he always a
pitcher of
cold beer passing by my high chair seat next to the host of
O’sheehan’s
Restaurant on Deck 8 mid-ship. He explained to me his deal
of the beer
purchase which he found out after boarding on the ship. He
calculated
the price in compare with a regular purchase on the bar on board,
$2.75 to
$8.50. I realize that most of the cruise passengers does measure the
cost, i.e.
last minute deal and additional expanse, airline fares, etc.
I was
arranged to sleep on a hang mat in the front section of the second floor.
Previously,
my reservation was on the roof top for a tent. I was exhausted after
that long
march and didn’t object such arrangement because I hated to climb
additional
two story to reach the roof top. At my hang mat section, there are
windows on
three sides facing a good size Catholic church of which the bell is
struck at
the moment of every turn of an hour. Calle Loiza, the Loiza Street,
reminds me
very much of the old part of the street in Taiwan, as a matter of
fact, the building
construction is identical to Taiwan by using more cement
concrete and
iron beams, etc.
There are
these two beautiful hostel clerk whom I must mention about. I
enjoy very
much to meet the polite and beautiful girls. I must point it out
that the
Porto Rican are polite with good manners and friendly to visitors.
I met the
first clerk at my first visit of the hostel and the second later and
I expressed
my sincerely compliment of their beauty and the later invited
me for a
left over dinner for their Thanksgiving Dinner of the employees.
