the rum [photo]diary



Well, I'm back from my little excursion in San Juan, and I have to say that I haven't had this good of a travel experience in a long while.

The trip wasn't a life-changing by any means but it was great to experience first hand a culture that I somewhat b elong to, but know hardly anything about.

whether I was listening to a tight salsa band in a bar in Old San Juan, swimming in the warm waters of Playa Luquillo, or visiting cousins I never met in Bayamon, it was a great, and, even eye-opening, trip from beginning to end.

The view of Old San Juan from the hills that El Morro sits upon. The
neighborhood closest to the water is one of the worse neighborhoods in the city.
My cousin told me that a few years ago, the cops went in and tried to clean it
up by kicking out the gangs. The thugs retaliated and took the neighborhood
back. Needless to say, I didn't go to that part of town.

Another view from El Morro. I have no idea what purpose that tan building
serves.

A closer view of the square at the base of El Morro.

The lighthouse at El Morro. It's not the original one. It was rebuilt in the early 20th century I think. The original became decrepit from wear and tear.

Playa Luquillo, a public beach about 30 miles east of San Juan

I've never been to the Caribbean before, and I never believed people who told
me that the waters are warm. At Luquillo, they had to be between 70 and 80
degrees.

My computer is starting to act funny, so that's all the pictures for now. Maybe I'll post more later.