Spotlight: Puerto Rico - Calle de Cristo

Spotlight: Calle de Cristo was originally called Santa Catalina. It's name was changed after an extraordinary event that occurred in the 1700's. Details of the miracle vary dramatically from one account to another, but according to the legend, during the San Juan Bautista celebrations, a young man named Baltazar Montanez lost control of his horse, and they plunged over the wall at the end of the street into the gorge below. The Spanish Secretary of Government, Don Mateo Pratts, was then heard to exclaim, "Christ of Good Health, save him." Most accounts claim that although the horse died, the young man was miraculously saved. In 1753, the Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud was built in honor of this event, and has been preserved in much the same state. It is cared for by volunteers from "La Hermandad del Santo Cristo de la Salud," and visitors come from all over the world to offer tiny silver ornaments representing some ailing part of the body in hopes that their offering will bring about a cure.

Capilla de Cristo 

Catedral San Juan Bautista

     Further up the blue cobblestone street is located Catedral San Juan Bautista. The cathedral is the second oldest cathedral in the Americas. It became home to the first Catholic diocese in the Americas, under the authority of Bishop Don Alonso Manso in 1511. Originally constructed of wood in 1521, the structure was destroyed by a hurricane and rebuilt in 1540. The cathedral hosts the tomb of Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer who was named the first governor of Puerto Rico. Right next to Ponce de Leon's tomb is a coffin containing the waxed mummified remains of Saint Pius, a first century Christian martyr whose remains were a gift by the Pope to one of the bishops of Puerto Rico. The cathedral has many other relics including a shrine to Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago, the first Puerto Rican to be beatified.

Tomb of Ponce de Leon

Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago

Saint Pius

Location: Calle de Cristo is located on the western end of the island of Old San Juan. Catedral San Juan Bautista is located at 151 Calle de Cristo. The Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud is located at the southern end of Calle de Cristo.

Cost: Both Catedral San Juan Bautista and the Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud are free.

Time: The Capilla de Cristo is only open on Tuesdays and religious days. It is small and it will take less than 15 minutes to explore it fully. La Catedral San Juan Bautista is open to visitors between 8:30 am & 4:00 pm. You should plan on about an hour to explore the cathedral.

Description: We arrived in Puerto Rico on the Friday before Easter to celebrate our 20th anniversary. We were traveling with some friends who were also celebrating their 20th anniversary, and had booked a Caribbean Cruise that was scheduled to leave on Saturday evening. I had always wanted to visit Puerto Rico since I teach about it in school; so we made sure to arrive early Friday morning to give ourselves almost two full days to explore Viejo San Juan. As we were walking through the streets, we noticed a large throng of people parading down Calle de Cristo. After listening to a narrator talking over a loud-speaker in Spanish, I realized that we were catching the tail end of a Tenebrae procession. We asked a few questions and found out that the procession would arrive at the cathedral at about sunset, and made sure we were there to see it. My students were back home watching a video on a Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebration in Mexico, while I was witnessing the Puerto Rican version in the flesh.

Tenebrae procession

     Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is probably the most important holiday in most Spanish-speaking countries, including Puerto Rico. It goes from Palm Sunday to Easter morning. On Viernes Santo, or Good Friday, San Juan Bautista Cathedral hosts a Tenebrae celebration reenacting portions of the Passion of Christ. This includes a procession through the streets of San Juan in which actors are dressed up as various participants (Roman soldiers, mourners, the robbers, and of course Christ) in the drama. The procession ends at the cathedral, where they reenact the crucifixion of Christ. The experience can be very moving and attracts thousands of visitors.

Passion of Christ cast

Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - San Juan Bautista Cathedral holds services on Saturdays (7pm), Sundays (9am & 11am), and weekdays (7:25 am & 12:15 pm). Capilla de Cristo has no active congregation.
- A Misa de Gallo is held every Dec. 24th just before midnight, in which portions of the Nativity are reenacted.
- If you view the Passion play with young children, you might want to prepare them ahead of time, stressing that they are actors and that the blood if fake. Otherwise it may be a traumatic experience.

Nearby: Parque de las Palomas, Plaza de Armas, Puerta de San Juan, Casa Blanca

Spotlight: Puerto Rico - Castillo San Cristobal

Spotlight: Castillo San Cristobal is the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. It was built after the Dutch sacked Viejo San Juan by attacking by land, and thus avoiding the dangerous guns of El Morro. A small fortification was built on the hill in 1634, but the bulk of the fort was built from 1765-1783. Walls were also built around the entire city, with a set of double gates at the castle sealing the entrance into the city. The fort's defenses were tested, and performed admirably, during an invasion by English forces, under Sir Ralph Abercrombe, in 1797. In 1855, a mutiny by the San Cristobal artillery brigade against the Spanish crown caused wide-spread panic in the city when the fort's cannons were aimed at the city; but the rebellion was quelled the next day. During WWII, the U.S. added a massive concrete bunker to the top of the fort to direct a number of coastal artillery sites and keep watch for German submarines. In 1949, San Cristobal was given protective status as part of the newly created San Juan National Historic Site.

20th century bunker

Location: Castillo San Cristobal is located on the north-central portion of the island of Old San Juan, just north of Avenida Luis Munoz Rivera.

Cost: Entrance to the San Juan National Historic Site (which includes San Cristobal) is $5.00/person. The ticket is also good for El Morro. Children 15 and under are free. Parking is $2/hour.

Time: Open from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Give yourself 2-4 hours to explore the fortress.

una garita

Description: You might think that if you visit El Morro, there is no need to visit Castillo San Cristobal. After all, if you are standing in the ramparts of one, you can see the other just down the coast. And although they were built using similar materials and in a similar style, they have some unique differences. If you enjoy castles and forts, it is definitely worth your time to visit both - especially since it doesn't cost anything extra if you visit the other within a week of purchase.
     Like El Morro, Castillo San Cristobal is famous for its garitas (sentry boxes). Yet, San Cristobal boasts the most famous garita - La Garita del Diablo. Legend has it that soldiers in this isolated sentry box down at the ocean's edge would sometimes just vanish into thin air - taken by the Devil himself. More likely, they took advantage of the opportunity to escape the army.

Devil's Sentry Post

     San Cristobal also has an intricate tunnel system. Several of these tunnels were rigged with explosives so that they could be blown up if invaded by enemy troops. You can explore a portion of the tunnels, including a dungeon where an unknown artist prisoner drew some sketches of boats.

tunnels

dungeon cell

Dungeon art

     Santa Barbara chapel is located in the fort's central plaza. Santa Barbara was the patron saint of any person in danger of fire or explosion. The fort's cannoneers would often pray to her before manning their guns.

     San Cristobal has an impressive stack of real cannonballs that weigh 200 pounds each.

     The barracks have been staged to appear as they would have when the fort was in use. You will be amazed at how little privacy and space they had. Also, as you gaze at their woolen uniforms, amid the tropical heat, you'll be grateful for your lightweight T-shirt and shorts.

     The outworks of the fort are fun to explore. They include several layers of defense, including walls and moats followed by grass lawns that made invaders easy targets for Spanish sharpshooters.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Bring water, sunscreen, and comfortable walking shoes.
- Castillo San Cristobal was used in the filming of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.
- A short film about the construction and battles of the forts is shown every 15 minutes (alternately in English and Spanish). Ranger tours are also offered every hour.
- The old wooden shutters bear some graffiti that dates back to the 1800's - sketches of ships, dates, and words.
- Special tours are given weekly on unique areas of the fort. You must sign up for them at the dest ahead of time, and they have a limited number of  spaces. They include: The Tunnel Tour (Sat. 10:30 am in English; Sun. 10:30 am in Spanish), the Outworks Tour (Sun. 2:30 pm English; Sat. 2:30 pm Spanish), and the Lantern Light Tour (Tues. 6:00 pm English; Sun. 6:00 pm Spanish).
- Make sure you check out the great views of the city, including the Capitol Building from the eastern wall.

Nearby: Casa de Espana, Casa Olimpica, El Capitolio, Catedral San Juan Bautista

Travel Tip #43 - Weather in the tropics

     Whether you are vacationing in the Caribbean, the Pacific, Florida, or Central America, weather in the tropics is quite different from weather north of the Tropic of Cancer or south of the Tropic of Capricorn. It is typically humid, which means that 80°F is going to feel like the upper 90's. In other words, you are probably going to sweat more than you normally would, especially if you are out walking around. It also means that you better be prepared for both sun and rain every day, because chances are you will get both on any given day. Therefore, you will want to take a few precautions that you might not normally take. 1. Apply sunscreen multiple times during the day. This is especially important if you are swimming, sweating heavily, or have skin exposed that is normally covered. 2. Carry extra water with you. You will probably drink twice as much as you would for the same activity back home (depending on where home is), so be prepared. 3. If you don't want to get wet, carry an umbrella, even if there aren't any clouds in the sky when you leave the hotel room. I've seen cloudless skies, followed by a summer squall, followed by cloudless skies again due to strong ocean breezes. With a little advance planning, you can avoid problems that can potentially place a huge damper on your vacation. So have fun playing in the sun!

Spotlight: San Juan, Puerto Rico - El Morro

El Morro (viewed from Castillo San Cristobal)

Spotlight: Castillo San Felipe del Morro was named in honor of King Felipe II of Spain. Soon after the pueblo of Viejo San Juan was established, Spain recognized its strategic position in governing its empire. Not only was San Juan Bay a natural spot to build a harbor, its location at the north-east boundary of the Caribbean Sea provided the perfect place for ships to restock supplies for journeys across the Atlantic. The location of El Morro was chosen to guard the entrance to San Juan Bay from invasion by pirates or foreign nations. Construction on the massive fort began in 1539. The fort was a work in progress, with new features being added over the next 400 years as Spanish & U.S. engineers tried to keep up with new military technologies. Originally, the walls were six feet thick, but were later thickened to 18 feet as cannons became more powerful. When the castle was finally completed in 1787, it boasted six levels, and rose 44 meters above sea level. A smaller fortification, El Cañuelo, was built on the opposite entrance to the bay during the 1630's in order to provide greater protection through a deadly crossfire. The fort was tested several times during its construction by invading armies. In 1595, English pirate Sir Francis Drake attacked with his fleet, but retreated after Spanish gunners shot a cannonball through his cabin. In 1598, Englishman George Clifford succeeded in sacking the city by invading overland instead of trying to enter through the harbor. His troops fled the island after a disastrous dysentery epidemic. The Dutch later emulated Clifford's success and sacked the city, but eventually left after an unsuccessful siege of the fortress. The Dutch attack prompted additional fortifications, including a wall around the entire city. El Morro's final battle occurred in 1898, when U.S. forces attacked the fortress during the Spanish-American War. It soon became obvious that the old stone walls would no longer hold up against modern weaponry. Following the war, the fortress became part of the large U.S. Army post in San Juan known as Fort Brooke. In 1983, El Morro was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in conjunction with San Juan National Historic Site.

 El Cañuelo

Location: El Morro is located at the north-western tip of the island of Old San Juan at the end of Calle Del Morro.

Cost: Entrance to the San Juan National Historic Site (which includes El Morro) is $5.00/person. The ticket is also good for Castle San Cristobal. Children 15 and under are free. Parking is $2/hour.

Time: Open from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Give yourself 2-4 hours to explore the fortress.

Una garita

Description: El Morro is one of the most majestic fortresses in the western hemisphere. One of the first things you notice about the fort are the garitas - sentry boxes that are located along the walls around the perimeter of the fort. They were used by soldiers serving guard duty and have long skinny windows, making it easy to fire out, yet hard to fire inside.
     At the top of El Morro, the lighthouse stands out like a sore thumb - but then, I suppose that's the purpose of lighthouses. In any case, it was rebuilt by the U.S. in 1908 after the old one was destroyed during the bombardment of 1898.
     Three flags are flown over the castle daily - the U.S. flag, the Puerto Rico flag, and the Cross of Burgundy. The Cross of Burgundy flag was the old Spanish military flag that flew over the fortress from 1539-1785.
     The Plaza is located on the main level of El Morro. It's freshly painted walls stand out as a sharp contrast from the old stone walls that characterize the fort. It was used for most daily activities that characterized life at the fort. It is surrounded by various rooms including the barracks, a kitchen, a chapel, and officer quarters.

     The Cannon Water Battery is the platform where most of the cannons guarding the harbor were kept. This deck now offers some of the best views of the fort, the harbor and the ocean. Several old cannons are still found there, as are the tracks used to turn them from one direction to another. This deck also offers visitors the opportunity to climb inside the small tunnels that go through the wall to small lookout positions for snipers.

Water Cannon Battery Deck

wall tunnel

     Spiral and triangular staircases were built to allow easy access from one level to the next. Also of interest is the large ramp used to lower cannons from the main level down to the Cannon Water Battery deck.

     Down in the lower levels, visitors can explore the old kitchen area where meals were prepared for the soldiers. Soot still stains the walls from the cooking fires. This area also houses the old forge used for metalwork.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Park rangers offer 15-20 min. orientation talks every hour on the hour.
- The 12-minute video "The Fortifications of Old San Juan" is offered every 15 minutes in both English and Spanish. It is well worth the time to watch it.
- If you have young kids, check out the Discovery Center, which has several interactive activities.
- On the third Sunday of every month, costumed Living History demonstrators talk about 18th century life inside the fort and give free cannon and gun firing demonstrations.
- A lighthouse tour is available on weekends at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm.
- Puerto Rico is in the Atlantic Time Zone but does not observe Daylight Savings Time.
- There are no customs duties on items bought in Puerto Rico and brought over to the mainland.
- The Santa Maria Cemetery is one of the most picturesque cemeteries in the world.
- Puerto Rico is a tropical island, so it is usually hot. Wear sun screen and bring water to carry around. When it isn't hot, it is rainy, so also be prepared with an umbrella. Most days will have both heat and rain.
- The park just outside the castle is a popular place to picnic and fly a kite. The consistent wind make it an ideal place for kite enthusiasts to enjoy this hobby. You can find inexpensive kites at many shops around Old San Juan.

Nearby: Cementerio Santa Maria, Casa Blanca, Castillo San Cristobal, Parque Nacional Isla de Cabras

Post #100

This is my 100th post on this blog. I've been running this blog for almost a year and thought that it would be a good opportunity to get some feedback. For example, what do you like best? What areas of the blog can be improved? Particularly, which section(s) of the spotlight need more (or less) details? Are the travel tips helpful or just common sense? Would you like to see more time capsules or Top Ten lists? Basically, how can I make this blog better? Thank you in advance for your comments, Brad Allred

P.S. I was going to do this in a survey format, but couldn't figure out how to do that. If anyone knows an easy way to do a survey on blogspot, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Spotlight: Puerto Rico - Old San Juan

Spotlight: San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico. Viejo (Old) San Juan is the second oldest continuous European settlement in the Americas. The island was first visited by Christopher Columbus in 1493, and named San Juan Bautista after Saint John the Baptist. In 1508 Juan Ponce de Leon was sent by Spain to establish a colony and become its first governor. He founded the original settlement, Caparra, but it was abandoned a year later and moved to its present location and named Puerto Rico. In 1521, the city was named San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico. It quickly became Spain's most important military outpost in the Caribbean since all ships sailing to and from Spain passed through to restock before or after the trans-Atlantic voyage. Eventually the names of the city and island were switched and the city became known as San Juan and the island Puerto Rico. The city became known for its beautiful blue cobblestone streets, flat-roofed brick and stone buildings, and tropical beaches. Old San Juan is a National Historic Landmark District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Location: Viejo San Juan is located on the long, thin island that sits just north of the mainland, helping protect the remarkable San Juan Bay from rough ocean waters. It is connected to the mainland by three bridges

Cost: The parks are free, as are many of the buildings. Those that charge admission fees are very reasonable (a few dollars per person).

Time: We spent a day and a half exploring, and could have easily spent a week there.

Description: The principal building in the original settlement was Casa Blanca - a fortified mansion that served as the residence of the Ponce de Leon family for more than 250 years. Although the original wooden structure was destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt of stone and brick and later taken over by the Spanish Military. When control of the island was ceded to the U.S., it was used by U.S. military commanders until 1966. Today it has been preserved as a museum, preserving the history of San Juan during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
     La Fortaleza was originally built to protect San Juan Harbor. When it was deemed inadequate to protect the harbor, it was converted into the official Governor's residence. It is the oldest Governor's Mansion still in use in the western hemisphere.

Governor's Mansion

     El Capitolio houses the offices of senators in one wing, and those of representatives in the other. It is decorated with beautiful friezes, mosaics, and an impressive rotunda.

El Capitolio

     Three forts, El Morro, San Cristobal, and Fuerte San Geronimo dominate the northern coast of the island, where they were constructed to protect the city from invasion by enemy fleets. The Cementerio, located at the base of El Morro, is one of the most picturesque cemeteries in the world.
     Calle de Cristo is the street that connects Capilla de Cristo with Catedral de San Juan - the second oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere. The street is paved with beautiful blue cobblestones made from adoquine (cast from furnace slag). Originally used as ballast on Spanish ships, time and moisture have given them their distinct color.

Calle de Cristo made of blue cobblestones

     In addition to the beautifully preserved buildings, Viejo San Juan is also known for its scenic parks and plazas. The Parque de las Palomas (Park of the Doves), next to Capilla de Cristo, has a brick wall full of pigeon-holes where hundreds of birds nest. It has magnificent views of the harbor, city and mountains. Just be careful not to stand too long underneath the trees.

     The Plaza de Armas is Old San Juan's main square. It features four statues representing the four seasons, and is surrounded by several important buildings including the city hall.

     The Plaza de Colon was originally called St. James Square. It was renamed in 1893 to honor the 400th anniversary of Columbus's first visit to the island. Bronze tablets on the statue of Columbus chronicle important events in the explorer's life.

     The Plaza del Quinto Centenario opened on October 12, 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas. A twelve meter pillar, the Totem Telurico, dominates the plaza from the highest point in the city. Totem Telurico is made from black granite with ceramic replicas of archaeological artifacts as a symbol of Puerto Rico's indigenous roots, particularly the Tainos.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Viejo San Juan is surrounded by a thick wall (up to 20 ft. thick and 40 ft. tall) that protected the city from invaders. Six heavy doors in the wall (including the famous Puerta de San Juan) were shut at sunset every night, cutting off access to and from the city.

- Old San Juan is one of 11 barrios (neighborhoods) that make up modern San Juan.
- Old San Juan contains more than 400 carefully restored 16th and 17th century colonial buildings.
- A free trolley service helps visitors get around the city. It runs Monday - Friday from 7 am - 6 pm, and Saturday - Sunday from 9 am - 7 pm, every 15 minutes.
- If you want to try authentic Puerto Rican food, I recommend Raices. The mofongo and fried pork w/ onions were absolutely delicious.

Eating mofongo at Raices

- There was a heavy police presence in San Juan, with representatives of several different branches (including a special force dedicated to tourist areas).
- Gas prices appeared extremely low until we realized that they were in liters instead of gallons.
- Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, you don't need a passport.

Nearby: El Morro, Parque del Tercer Milenio, Isla de Cabras, Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot

Travel Tip #42 - Things Don't Have to Cost Money to be Fun

     Sometimes people get into the trap of building trips around expensive activities. For example, we know of people who make regular pilgrimages down to California to spend three days at Disneyland. After that they come home because they've spent all their vacation money. I'm sure they have a lot of fun. Yet while many fun activities are going to cost money, there are plenty of fun activities out there that are free if you know where to look. Rather than spend your whole vacation time and money at one place, you might want to spice up your vacation with a bit of variety, with the added benefit of saving some money.
     On this blog, I have spotlighted dozens of activities that are free; although anything can start costing money when you start shopping for souvenirs, adding extra activities/tours, or paying for parking at expensive lots. Some examples I've highlighted are: The Hollywood Walk of Fame, city parks (ie. Central Park), the beach, hikes (ie. Palos Verdes shipwreck hike), many national historic sites (ie. Independence National Historic Park), Times Square, waterfalls, etc. Occasionally news websites give lists of free activities in the area. For example, I've found several fun ideas in an L.A. Times article named 57 Fun & Free Things to do in L.A. Since we have family down there, we've visited several of these places over the past couple of years. So if you are like me and sometimes have more time than money, you might want to google "Free things to do in _____" and see what comes up. I can guarantee that you'll discover something fun that you hadn't heard of before.