Wounded Tourist Alert

This was what I did to myself!

I started out this morning early as is my habit while on vacation, only to make a stupid mistake. A really stupid mistake. I acted like a tourist; looking around instead of looking where I was going. And that little bit of stupidity caught up with me big time. I was in Old San Juan where both the sidewalks and and streets are uneven and rough due of course to their age. I never thought this would happen to me, but it did. I was flat out in seconds,having landed squarely on my right knee. Dazed and hurting, a very nice man came up to me and offered help in my moment of need. 

He helped me get up, and then went about his day while I hobbled down the street where I ran into two very nice police officers who were concerned that someone had hurt me. Their questions of course leaving me no alternative but to explain my mistake and move on to find a place that was open so I could get cleaned up.

After that I decided that a little skinned knee and a few drops of blood were absolutely not going to stop me. So I asked directions for Paseo De la Princessa and took a leisurely (probably due to the knee) saunter down a walkway that has a lovely ambiance and is beautifully landscaped and leads ultimately to the sea. 

I would highly recommend this little walk, especially in the early morning. The few folks I ran into were all locals who use it for exercise like jogging or walking, or were working on the landscaping to keep it beautiful. There are benches lining both sides of the Paseo underneath large spreading trees. From the Paseo you can see the ancient wall fortifications that were erected centuries ago after a Dutch attack which left the city of San Juan in ashes. It does at the San Juan Bay turn and become the El Morro Paseo which winds its way between the Fortress and the sea. But more about that later. 
Now here are the particulars about the Paseo for you. It is free and open for strolling anytime, day or night. I went in the early morning and it was not crowded. It is well lit judging from the placement and number of lights along the way. There is also a small walled garden area that you may walk thru just to the right of the Paseo. There is also a small Plaza for sitting and visiting, something the Puerto Ricans apparently like to do. It ends at the bay with beautiful vistas spread out before you of parts of the Island and crystal clear blue waters. You might depending on the time you visit actually see fishermen or large cruise ships moving through the bay on their way to the piers. To your right as you walk the Paseo you will see the size and scope of the walls surrounding Old San Juan as well as the old City itself, several hundred feet tall and several yards thick, you can also see "El Morro" all of these will be on your right. As you reach the end, you will see another islet that comes out and juts into the Bay in front of you. The beach here is rocky with just a sliver of sand where it meets the sea. And cats, lets not forget the cats. They are a permanent fixture around the Paseos both Princessa and El Morro.
To your left you will see in the distance the modern city of San Juan and more of the Bay. After 7 p.m. it is recommended that if you are out on the Paseo, try to look as untouristy as possible. No cameras, guidebooks, fanny packs, back packs etc. Although the Police (Tourist Division) keep a good presence they can not be everywhere. So enjoy but be careful, thinking and stay safe while you're in San Juan.

These were amazing with two different colors flowers. The
flowers are one color until they open then they are shades
lighter. They grew in large bushes.

One of the trees that the Landscapers
pointed out to me that was 500 years
old. It was dripping with these extra
roots that were hanging off to it and
then had a large vine that was growing
all around it also to add to the
appearance of it. They graft or plant
vines of all kinds directly onto the
trees for the plants to grow together.
It was so spectacular.

Aother interesting and pretty flower. If I could just get names
I would try them to grow them at home. But I couldn't
understand the Spanish names.

This is a fiddle leaf fig. I have had one of these
before, but only inside as they can not get in the
cold at all. This was growing in the ground. And
was HUGE.

This is some type of Bird of Paradise and it must have self
seeded because the plantings were so thick you could not
see past them. Gorgueous.

These are trees I have never seen before.
I was told they are native to Puerto Rico
and that there are some on the Paseo that
are 500 years old. I believe it.

These look like so delicate, the flower petals were like
tissue paper, so thin and almost transparent. Lovely.

This is a view of the beginning of the
Paseo. You can see how Not crowded it
was and how the trees shade it. 

This is what the lights looked like on the
Paseo. They were evenly spaced all thru
it, which I'm sure makes it beautiful at
night. I was told that being out after
7 p.m. in the Old San Juan area is not
advisable if you look like a tourist.
In other words no camera. If I couldn't
take my camera, what would I be doing
there.

This was at the end of the Paseo.
Beyond it was the Bay. As I stood there,
I saw the large cruise ships come up to
the piers and there were also fishermen
in the water. The water is crystal clear
still. My brother was here during military
service in the 1960s and he came home
to tell us that the water was so clear
you really couldn't get an idea of its
depth. It was almost that clear and a
beautiful blue. But you will see those
pics later.

This was artwork done for the Paseo in the
middle of a small secluded Plaza about
half way thru the Paseo. It was not
what you would expect, but quite lovely.

This is one of the vines that was growing
on these large trees. Neither plant seems
to be hurting the other, they live harmoniously
with each other. Now that's an idea.

This tree looked to be an oak of some kind.
It was not a live oak, or like the oaks I've
seen in the south. But something yet again
completely different. And the tree was
literally dripping with this moss that faintly
resembled Louisiana Spanish Moss. But
in Louisiana it is curly and in Texas we
have balls of moss, here it was like long
straight hair. The feel of the moss was the
same as Texas or Louisiana but its look
was completely different.

This is what it looks like hanging
from the trees. Long and straight
as boards, in sheets. like the trees
have hair. Another amazing
discovery for me.