Wednesday, January 9, 2019

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

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

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.