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In September, a massive category five hurricane devastated Puerto Rico and many other Caribbean islands, killing 547 people.
We noticed that our cruise itinerary included a stop in San Juan. Speaking with my travel representative, I was told at the time of booking that while Puerto Rico was still recovering, they were anticipating being able to accept tourists and cruise ships by the time of our arrival.
We were still a bit skeptical as to the condition of the island, but we had been to Puerto Rico before and we didn’t feel the need to book an excursion or feel that we had to go out and see anything, if the island was not quite ready.
Since our day in St. Kitts was cancelled the day before, however, I was antsy and ready to get off of the boat to stretch my legs. Not long after the doors were opened, I was on my way to check out the city.
First heading to San Cristobal Fort, I then made my way though the city and thru Plaza de Colon, stopping to admire the colorful Christmas decorations. After my visit to San Cristobal, I headed west past the throngs of cruisers (both Carnival and Royal Caribbean were docked) eager to spend their money in the many establishments in Old Town.
Although a few buildings were still boarded up, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the most of the Spanish colonial buildings in Old Town appeared to be in good shape and open for business, their colorful architecture standing strong with Puerto Rican flags proudly flying in the morning breeze.
As I continued through the city, stopping at the the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, passing through the Old City Gate and strolling along the fortified walls of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, I looked out at the Bay of San Juan, over to El Cañelo fort on Isla de Cabras (Goat Island), thinking how peaceful the blue-green waters now appeared. Never…ever…could I imagine how these seas must have looked and the power they unleashed a few short months ago.
Speaking with a shop owner, I was listened in horror as he recalled the storm’s wrath as the hurricane destroyed his home and what he and his family experienced in the aftermath. You could see the joy in his face as he expressed how happy he was to see people walking through the cobblestone streets, eating at the restaurants and shopping in the stores.
Maria will forever leave its mark on the beautiful island, if not visibly, absolutely in the residents’ minds. Though many parts of the island are still without power, the residents are forging ahead, attempting to attain normalcy. The first steps involve getting tourists to come back, however, many are quite shy, since a large number of hotels are not back to operational standards. The return of cruise ships, however, is a lifesaver, as tourists are able to see the progress and spread the word that Puerto Rico, is indeed, on the word to recovery.
Throughout the island, the people of Puerto Rico would like the world to know, “Our island is officially open for tourism and ready to welcome you.”
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Puerto Rico
- http://puertoriconow.seepuertorico.com/
- Tourism in numbers (according to the Puerto Rico Tourism website): 107 attractions are open, 70 daily flights are operating, 122 hotels are operating, 15 casinos are open, 4000 restaurants are open, 156 travel agencies are open.