My Chinese In-laws and San Juan

Our first adventure with my Chinese in-laws was a success. We wanted to offer them a taste of Europe without the hassle of obtaining a European Visa, so we chose San Juan’s old town as our destination. This trip, coinciding with my wife’s birthday, blended cultural exploration and family bonding. We spent four nights and five days in Puerto Rico’s sauna, and despite the heat, we had a fantastic time. If it was just my wife and me, we could have seen the entire old town in about a day and a half, but we decided to spend five days to accommodate my in-laws’ slower pace. Although frustrating, walking at half-speed allowed us to truly immerse ourselves in the destination.

San Juan’s old town is a remnant of Spanish colonialism. It has two castles, cobblestone streets, and old-world architecture splashed with vibrant colors and populated by festive people. Spain established San Juan’s first settlement in 1508, technically towards the beginning of the early modern era or Renaissance. However, the Spanish were still building castles and wearing armor, so it was medieval enough for our purposes. I knew the history in San Juan was immense, being a gateway to the Caribbean and the vast Spanish Empire beyond, but while strolling about the museums and castles, I found myself saying “huh” more than once. A lot of gold and silver was passing through this area, and Spain had to defend its treasure ships from the Barbary pirates, the British, the Dutch, and eventually the Americans. They accomplished this (somewhat) by building two castles in San Juan linked by a city wall, the largest Spanish fortifications in the New World. But we’ll get to those in a moment.

Upon our arrival in the afternoon, we left our bags at the hotel (it was 1 pm, and check-in was at 3 pm) and indulged in a late lunch at Cafe Manolin. Our choice was Monfongo, a delectable dish of mashed, fried green plantains smothered in a savory sauce and topped with your choice of meat or seafood. We opted for the chicken. None of us had tried Monfongo before, and it was a pleasant surprise. It was a hearty, home-style dish, albeit filling. We would only need a little dinner.

We then took a stroll down Paseo de la Princesa towards Fuente Raices through some local vendors that set up their tents on Sundays. Here, we sampled Bacalaítos or fried salted cod fritters. They weren’t the best- too crunchy and greasy, though we probably should have sampled this elsewhere (and we were very full from lunch). We also bought some local sweets made from coconut- yum. It started to rain a bit here, but we pressed on past the fountain and along the coast until we came upon the main gate of old San Juan. Here, we huffed it up the hill to the Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista, the second oldest church and the first cathedral in all the Americas (1521). It was closed and raining harder, so we returned to the hotel to check in.

We were pleasantly surprised by our accommodations. We opted for the hotel’s presidential suite. It was not as glorious as it sounded, but it did have three bedrooms and a full kitchen. It had high ceilings with arched entranceways, giving it a grand feel. We had some trouble with a leaky roof and the Wi-Fi going in and out, but we were generally pleased. The AC worked well, the beds were good, and it was quiet. We also had a balcony to enjoy, which offered a stunning perch for people-watching. We’ve stayed in better, but we’ve also stayed in far worse. Overall, it was a comfortable and convenient base for our explorations.

After resting a bit, we found a little market and picked up a few essentials and something for our breakfast the next day. It started to rain again, and we made it back to our hotel just before it poured. It had already been a long day, so we decided to stay in and take much-needed showers.

Day two was castle day. For $10 a person, you get access to both castles (a little less than a mile apart) for 24 hours. We started with the larger Castillo San Cristobal, an impressive, primarily 18th-century fortification. We explored its tunnels and read about its history (translating as much as we could do my in-laws). We then hiked up to its walls, enjoyed the views, and took plenty of pictures. Here, we saw our first iguanas. They’re considered a pest in Puerto Rico, but my wife and in-laws had never seen them before and were fascinated. We spent about two hours here and made sure we saw every inch.

We then walked along Calle Norzagaray, which runs along the ridge of the old town and offers lovely ocean views, to Castillo San Felipe del Morro, the older of the two castles, built in the 16th century. It is a little smaller, but being at the tip of the old town’s island and surrounded by a large field on one side and the ocean on the other, it is more dramatic. It was mid-day by the time we got there, and very hot- about 92 with high humidity. We explored, but after spending the entire morning in a castle, we probably didn’t give San Felipe the attention it deserved. It, too, had some excellent views and we took plenty of pictures.

After the castle, we picked up some shaved ice. It was overpriced and shaved by a grumpy and sweaty man, but it was a much-needed refreshment after exploring castles in the high sun. Refreshed, we zig-zagged through the city and explored. We came upon the cathedral again, which was open this time, and sheltered there during a passing shower. We then picked up some groceries at the market and stopped at the bakery for some Mallorcas- soft, sweet rolls dusted with powdered sugar. That night, we ate fresh linguica, shrimp cocktail, salad, and fried plantains for dinner.

Day three was a beach day. Although my wife and I live within walking distance of ten named beaches, the biggest being Revere Beach, the first public beach in the US, we aren’t really beach people. For one, we have a hard time sitting still. Secondly, my wife, being Chinese, is terrified of getting tan, and I’m a redhead who has lived my entire life slathered in 70 SPF sunscreen. We generally try to avoid the sun. But you can’t go to Puerto Rico without spending some time at the beach. After breakfast, we slathered on the sunscreen, put on our broad-brimmed hats, and made the 40-minute walk to Balneario del Escambrón. It was a hot walk, almost entirely in the sun, but the beach was pleasant, with plenty of palm trees to offer shade and not crowded at all. I found a nice shady spot and watched my in-laws enjoy it. They first got enthralled by a local group of elders having a water exercise class. In China, elders fill every park in the country with dancing and singing, so I think they saw a connection here that interested them. After losing interest, they walked up and down the beach, kicking their feet through the warm water, something my mother-in-law really enjoys. We spent a couple of hours there before hiking back. It was even hotter now, and the backs of my legs got sunburned, but that’s par for the course for me. That night, we walked the Paseo del Morro, an ocean-side path from the Gate of San Juan around the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. It was delightful.

We explored the rest of old San Juan on our last full day. We again zig-zagged up and down the streets, stopping for a long while at Bastión de la Derecha de San Justo y Pastor, which offers a lovely shady vista of the bay of San Juan. We then visited the harbor side to gawk at the huge cruise ships, walked the Paseo del Morro again, exiting at the castle, and then back along Calle Norzagaray, stopping to sample some crabmeat-stuffed empanadas and picking up more for our breakfast the next day before our departure. That night, we toasted with some rum drinks to celebrate my wife’s birthday and ate Tres Leches, a lovely dessert of pound cake soaked with a mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk- hence the name of three milks. My mother-in-law loved it, even though she is lactose intolerant. Luckily, she didn’t suffer much.

All told, we walked about 25-30,000 steps each day. We tried all the specialties we could find, saw all the major sites, drank some rum, and got back safe, sound, and without incident. Most importantly, we forged some great memories. Our next trip will be to Cape Cod for a few days. It’s not as exotic as San Juan, but I’m sure it will still be an adventure in cultural relations.

Cheers!