Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Streets

I burned out today before I could get to another post. Ah, summer - it is here. :)
These streets don't need many words anyway, so take a peek at the old city of San Juan. Charming!

Historically this building was a convent. Now, it is a hotel and aptly named Hotel El Convento.

This made me laugh - Puerto Rico Drugs sits across from Walgreens.


Genuine straw hats from Ecuador, as seen on these folks, were abundant and costly. They started at 70 dollars and ranged to 150!

It is places like this that had me desperate for google. Abraham Lincoln? Wha? There was a large replica of his statue also.
Most of these shots are of residential or empty buildings. Many buildings were run-down and/or under renovation. The streets with shops are plenty, but I guess I was too busy going inside the shops to take pictures! Imagine! But it is here that San Juan's status as a long-time port city is seen. The merchandise comes from around the world, and the restaurants serve authentic food from Europe, Asia and of course the ever-present US (Pizza Hut! Chilis! BK! Starbucks! Seriously!). There are tacky-knack souvenir shops snug against top-of-the-line jewelry shops, and leather boot shops sit alongside Peruvian souvenir galleries. It was a treat to wander along the narrow sidewalks and cobblestone streets... and it is of a small enough size to become familiar with quickly. We walked across the city in 15 to 20 minutes, then turned and criss-crossed through another few streets.
Of course we stopped to sample the cerveza, on such blistering hot days, so -
Next up? Food and drink, hotels and.... the beach!

1 comment:

Put it right here, babe!