Walking in Old San Juan

A typical street
scene in Old
San Juan

San Juan skyline and the rest of the
larger fort

 Today we took the ferry across San Juan Bay to Old San Juan, where we walked around and saw some of the old sites of the city. The main attractions were the two forts, both built by the Spanish, and situated on either side of the peninsula. The first one we saw was right at the entrance to the bay. Together with another smaller fort across the bay, it protected the San Juan from foreign attack. The Americans later used the forts to spot Nazi ships during WW2. We walked through the six-level fort, saw a re-enactment of how the soldiers used muskets and cannons, and enjoyed the views of the Caribbean Sea. Afterwards, we walked through one of the oldest houses in the Americas, saw a cathedral, and grabbed lunch. We then saw the other fort in Old San Juan, which had less levels but was larger. It was a fun day, and we hope to see the rain forest tomorrow.

San Juan Harbor and the mountains

Rooftops of Old
San Juan

Passageway through
fort #1- looks to
me like an ancient
metro station!

A pile of
cannonballs

Inside the
cathedral

The first fort