Waiting for plane to come home in San Juan, Porto Rico/Carlos Pueblo

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.