#TravelTuesday The Caribbean

I thought, as my van was sliding its way along the snow covered roads this morning, that today’s travel post should remind us all that there are places to visit when we grow weary of our current situation. For the past few years my wife and I have visited someplace warm and tropical for a few days in the middle of Winter. I highly recommend this idea to anyone with seasonal blues. I believe anyone living North of the 35th parallel qualifies. I usually give the vacation as a Christmas present and my wife has always been most appreciative. So if I may suggest, if you have been wracking your brain about what give your significant other this holiday season, a few days away from the gloom of Winter, long hours relaxing on a sun soaked beach, island music and fruity drinks make the perfect gift. The bonus is that you get to go along.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 40mm f/14 ISO 100 30 sec

Beach Week Continued... Gran Melia Puerto Rico

I didn’t get a chance to finish “Beach Week” last week so I’ll finish over the next few days. Last January we spent a long weekend at a resort in Puerto Rico called the Gran Melia. Part of the property is a private beach for vacationers to enjoy. I don’t want to sound snooty or elitist, but it is very nice to take a stroll along the beach at night or in the early morning twilight in Puerto Rico and not worry about getting jumped from behind a palm tree. I’m sure I could not say this about all the beaches there. The cleanliness of the beach area in the resort was impeccable.
All weekend long, peaceful waves lapped upon the beach and cool breezes drifted by. As the shade from the palm trees softened the midday sun, I decided that this may be my favorite beach... so far...

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/16 ISO 100 

#TravelTuesday Old San Juan

Back in January my wife and I took a little trip to Puerto Rico and spent an afternoon in Old San Juan. We were there during one of the many festivals the city is known for so finding a vacant street like the one pictured below was rare indeed. Most every block is lined with colorful houses and lively people enjoying the sun and entertainment. Old San Juan, at least on the day we were visiting, and possibly because of the festival, had an astonishing number of police; some on motorbikes, some walking, but at least one every block.

Old San Juan is actually an island that lies along the northern coast of Puerto Rico. It is connected with the bigger land mass by three bridges. Many of the buildings date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1508 Ponce de Leon sailed into San Juan Bay and set up the original settlement named Caparra. By 1509 the original village was scrapped and a new site was erected which was named Puerto Rico or “Rich Port”. By 1521 the title San Juan was birthed.

The Cemetery in the pictures is the “Cementerio De Santa Maria MgDalena DePazzis” and is located on the northern side of the island just east of El Morro. To see more of El Morro you can see my post about it here.

The Streets of Old San Juan

All taken with a Nikon D800 and Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6  

#TravelTuesday El Morro

The Castillo San Felipe del Morro has defended the San Juan Bay since its completion in 1589. The part that was erected then is but a small fraction of what stands today. It was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. The last time it saw active battle was in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. In the Treaty of Paris it was ceded to the United States along with all of Puerto Rico. After the Americans took over, El Morro became part of Fort Brooke and in 1961 it became part of the National Parks Service.

This view is from across the bay. The structure on the right is El Morro. The structure on the left is at the tip of the peninsula on the opposing shore. If you’re ever in Puerto Rico, don’t miss a trip to see El Morro at the edge of Old San Juan.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 68mm f/16 ISO 100 5 image HDR

Changes in Elevation

One of the reasons I chose Puerto Rico for our Winter holiday was because the island has varying elevations. Photographs across flat landscapes sometimes lack excitement, so I thought I would stack the deck in my favor. In addition to this picture taking advantage, the fact that our resort was part of a meticulously maintained golf course guaranteed spacious and picturesque foregrounds. Which brings me to a sad point that I hesitate to mention, while our resort was glorious, traveling outside of it was not. The abrupt change between paradise and the dilapidated surrounding community made me start to wonder if the charm and enchantment of the island’s beauty was being taken for granted. I guess if I woke up in a beautiful environment everyday it would be easy to feel that it would last forever, but driving down main highways and seeing abandoned cars and houses suffering serious neglect, and even vacant car dealerships that looked like the owners just walked away five years ago, made me melancholy. My relaxing joy had a kink in its armor now.

Nikon D800 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 78mm f/11 ISO 100 1/125 se