Wed,1/9/19 Touring San Juan Puerto Rico today and the Rain Forest there

This is where we started walking when we got off the ship.  San Juan is the capital and is the second oldest city in the Western Hemisphere.  There is a Big Frog on top of that Short Building.
People were selling things under the canopies.  We shopped later.

Our taxi for our tour of San Juan Puerto Rico

A beautiful waterfall we stopped to see

Me walking up to see the waterfall...7 minute walk on wet, muddy stones

Our taxi driver wanted to take a picture of me before we climbed the rocky trail to the waterfall.  He loved taking pictures and was so kind and helpful

This is what we had to walk on as we climbed for 7 minutes.  It was wet and kind of slippery

       At the Waterfall we climbed to see. People were swimming and standing under it  

Bill with his cool shirt on

Me and Gayla by the Waterfall

Yokahu Tower...It's an Observation Point and has 98 steps

Wes and Joel

Our Taxi Driver, Juan and Joel.  Juan was a very caring person.

Gayla with a huge leaf on her head as a hat

My turn for the leaf hat

Wes, looking out the window

Me in the window as I climbed up to the top of the tower

Joel, Wes, and Gayla below

Drone flying by the tower window when I looked out

Me, Gayla and Wes

Me, Juan and Gayla. 

Joel and I 

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We saw this two foot iguana in town on our walk back to the ship right next to the sidewalk we were on

Beautiful port in San Juan

The U.S. Coast Guard guarded our ship when we left Puerto Rico

Shopping along the street before getting back on our ship.  This is where we got the money pouches for the grandkids

                                      Took a picture of the ship next to ours.  It was amazing.

Almost back out to sea

Gayla, me, Bill, Shane, Vita, Shasoon, Wes, and Joel.  We ate dinner together at night at our assigned table. They were very nice people.

Our animal for the night

When we woke up we were docked at San Juan. A huge Carnival cruise ship pulled in next to us.  Ate breakfast in the lido with Wes, Gayla and Joel.  Then we got off our ship and found a tour guide to take us to the rain forest.  It took a half hour to get there.  The Rain Forest is 28,000 acres and 4,000 elevation.  He was a very kind tour guide, and helped with Joel and watched out for all of us when we climbed up to the waterfall.  It was wet stone, rocks and dirt on the climb.  Some rocks were steps.  I had Sandles on so prayed for God to help me.  It was beautiful up there.  He kept asking to take pictures of us with our cameras too as he knew all the good spots.We didn’t see or hear any birds in the rain forest.  Only saw some farmers cows when we first started out.  He said no animals live there.  He showed us a picture of his beautiful 10 year old daughter.  

It was misting out. Our driver said they get 240 inches of rain a year and 60 is the lowest temperature.  We stopped and went up 98 steps in a tower for a great view.  We stopped at another waterfall and our driver wanted a picture with Wes on his camera and the one of Gayla and I with him on his camera.  Bill stayed in the van with Joel. We took a picture on our camera too.  We stopped and got a passion fruit drink. It was delicious!  Came back and walked downtown and bought a couple of souvenirs, and some money pouches for the grandkids.  Got back on the ship. Talked to Vikki for a while.  So thankful we can call each other here.  Loved talking to her.  We and ate lunch and then relaxed on lounge chairs. Talked to Kimmy and and loved talking to her too!  Sat out until it started sprinkling.  Went back to our room for a while.  Got to talk to Melissa as our ship was leaving port from San Juan.  So happy I got to talk to her before we were out where we couldn’t call anymore. Loved talking to her too.   I had just told the girls you couldn’t feel the ship move much, and then when we got out to see the waves we’re big and we were moving quite a bit.  Much harder to walk, but not horrible. Ate dinner at our Platinum Restaurant.  Our waiter is sure nice.  They did another showtime for us to the song Happy.  Our friends at our table from India wanted a picture of all of us at our table, so another one of our waiters took one for each of us.  They are such nice people. Their grandson who is in college here is with them, and he has been on Ltd of cruises so knows all about the food and helps explain what it is to us.  He orders three appetizers, a main course with lots of sides and at least two desserts.  He’s trying to gain 15 lbs. but hasn’t gained anything yet.  Wish I could say that ha ha.  Went to see a Cubana performance by the same group that has been there.  I am surprised they can dance like they do with the ship rocking.  Played 3-13 with Wes and Gayla

Tues., 1/8/19, Went to St. Thomas after we docked. Enjoyed a taxi ride around the Island. We drove on the opposite side of the road and the road was narrow and hilly.

When we went on the balcony, we could see St. Thomas

Beautiful view from our balcony

We got off our ship and started looking for a taxi to take us on an excursion

Joel, Gayla and I entering St. Thomas

One of the beautiful buildings there

Shops...We walked through some of them and then looked for a taxi

Bill and I in St. Thomas

Joel, Gayla and Wes

Map

We made our way to the taxi pick up spo

Bill and Wes walking to the taxi

We loved this taxi, but there wasn't enough room on it for us.  Gayla took our picture by it though

Our tour guide, Wes and Joel

Me on our taxi ride

Bill, Gayla and Wes on the taxi

Shopping area

View of the city below

Wes, Joel and Gayla

Did a little more shopping and then got back on the ship

An amazing Waterslide on a ship we passed.  I would never go on it though

After our taxi driver took us to a souvenir shop at the top of the mountain, we looked below in  a tree and saw this iguana someone had spotted.

Bill

Me and Bill

Beautiful

Obama and Joe Biden have homes here

Our taxi driver let us off here to shop

Big Iguana right by the sidewalk where we were walking back to the city

Cute blue dog made out a beach towel

Our animal for the night 

 When we woke up, our phone jumped ahead an hour.  We were so happy to be able to call the girls.  Couldn’t call Kimmy till she was home from work.  Sure loved talking to them all.  We ate breakfast in the Platinum restaurant.  We watched as our ship docked.  After breakfast, we went to our room and packed our stuff and went to St. Thomas. We walked through some stores and then saw Wes And Gayla coming off the ship, so went to meet them.  We found a tour taxi that could sit 21 people and would take us on a two hour tour of the island.  Joel sat in the cab with the driver and the rest of us rode in the open on seats in the back.  He took us on curvy and very narrow roads up to the top of the mountain.  They drive on the opposite sides of the road here.  The girls in front of us were yelling and laughing so much at all the close calls and steep hills that it felt like we were at Cedar Point.  

It was a beautiful view when we got to the top. We were looking down and saw a big iguana high in the tree.  We went through a big souvenir shop up there too.  He stopped a few more places for us to get out and the dropped us off to shop at some small crowed together outdoor shops.  Wes and Gayla told us to enjoy shopping and they would see us back at the ship.  Not much room for a wheelchair and they had been there before.  Bill got two nice shirts.  I didn’t see anything I wanted.  We walked about 3/4 mile back to our ship. Went through a couple of stores in a little mall before getting on the ship.  We ate lunch and then laid on some cushiony lounge chairs on the top deck.

Ate dinner but we weren’t too hungry so just got something from the Lido where the buffets are.  Watched cute game shows with people from the cruise as contestants.  One little boy around 10 was so cute.  

Mon., 1/7/19...Brunch at Platinum Restaurant, Nice day at Sea, Elegant Night on the ship

Bill, Wes, Gayla and Joel (me in the mirror) eating breakfast at the Platinum

 
Bill and I at breakfast

Bill and Wes had Filet Mignon and Eggs

Joel

Billy

Bill doing his exercises

Me doing my exercises

Joel doing arm exercises

Wes Exercising...Bill watching

We listened to this guy play the guitar and sing.  He sounded really good.  We were on the third floor and you could look up to the 9th floor.

The glass elevators that went up to the 9th floor

Bill

Bill and I dressed for Elegant Night on the ship

Animal of the night....I think it is a sloth but not sure

Met Wes, Gayla and Joel at our restaurant for Brunch.  The guys had filet mignon steak, eggs and potatoes.  Gayla and I had fresh fruit and I had a vegetable omelet and corned beef hash. So good!  We walked around the upper decks and hung out with Joel while Wes and Gayla went up to the very top deck where wheelchairs can’t go.  It was in the 80’s and sunny today.  We went to the gym and all did a machine.  Bill and I walked around after that and then went for pizza.  We ate by the back pool.  Relaxed in lounge chairs by the pool for a while.  They refill the pools with ocean water every day.  The water is pretty cool!  We went and listen to a guy sing and play the guitar.  He sang nice music and was very talented.  We saw everyone dressed up so realized it was elegant night.  We went and got dressed up and went to have our picture taken.  It was fun seeing everyone dressed fancy.  I wore the dress I wore for Kimmy’s wedding.  Glad it still fit since I don’t have many fancy dresses.  We ate at our restaurant.  Wes, Gayla and Joel went to eat on the 9th floor because they did the dress up night on another cruise already.  We sat at our regular table with a very nice couple from India and their grandson who is going to college in the USA.  We changed after that and went to the Amber Palace to see the Motown Music Performance by the same group as last night.  They did music from the 69’s and 70’s and were amazing again.  Joel has a massage appt. to help his muscles relax, so Bill and I went by ourselves.  We played 3-13 at Wes and Gayla’s afterward. Wes won but I beat Bill by one point so that was the highlight of the game!