We made our way to San Juan post-clinic for a bit of R & R. Janet and I had never been to Puerto Rico before, unlike our two traveling companion couples—folks from the eye clinic. We weren’t sure what to expect, but knew from reading that there was much to see. Our home for a few days was a condo in a high-rise building, not far from the beach. The views from our balcony were quite nice, a fine panorama of color and shapes that stretched from a river view to a glimpse of the ocean.

San Juan is an older city, founded before St. Augustine, that experienced some of the earliest conflicts as the powers of Europe fought about who was going to control what they called the new world. A combination of strategic location and favorable trade winds made it a place worth fighting for, especially for the English and Spanish. Two large, sophisticated, forts mark the areas near the old town of San Juan. If you visit, a tour of the forts, including learning about battles, is a must. The tunnels connecting different parts of the parts are most interesting.

Old town in San Juan is stunning. Blue cobble streets mix with pastel-colored homes to create an aura of old yet fun. The color palette looks planned. I suspect that it is not. It (the colors) reminded me of Murano while watering out of St. Marks in Venice, but I think that the colors in San Juan create a more sophisticated and pleasing look. The restaurants are very good as well. We ate lunch at a place that claims to be the origination of the Pina Colada. The shops in old San Juan offer the usual tourist trinkets, although there are high-end stores that carry better quality locally created items.

I continue to take photos of murals in as many places as possible. San Juan had plenty of examples for me and took advantage of the availability. My intent is to create a montage, 100 photos or so, and post them up—perhaps by the end of the summer.