Old San Juan, Mi Viejo San Juan

San Juan, Puerto Rico is another textbook Spanish Colonial city.  Vibrant colors, tropical climate and old European buildings. But despite it’s similarities to other historic capitals of the Caribbean, Old San Juan swims in a certain unique and subtle charm. You can find it’s soul amongst it’s blue cobble stone streets and small idyllic squares.  Old San Juan, like any area with this many fresh colors, is a tourist Mecca.  Since it is technically the U.S. it is also easily accessible for the over 200 million Americans without passports.  Expect to see gringos - tourists and investment vultures alike.

It is the home of El Morro, the oldest standing fortress in the New World and the second oldest cathedral in the Americas.  On a personal note, El Morro is the most impressive fortress I've visited in the Americas. A rich history of hundreds of years, El Morro was the old ports principal defense and therefore guardian of the city.  El Morro also affords some of the best panoramas to its visitors.  Come around sunset and you will find swarms of local children flying kites in the field behind it.

San Juan’s bits of major history are often overshadowed by being the birth place of the Piña Colada.  Though my personal favorite Puerto Rican beverage is Kola Champagne (my favorite soda)!  The creator of Kola Champagne, Angel Rivera Mendez, was a Spanish loyalist soldier in the Spanish American war. Apparently many residents of San Juan despised Mendez for ordering the bombardment of U.S. battleships and causing an artillery response which greatly damaged the city. But damn he invented a good soda.

While I'm not the biggest fan of Malta, it is a staple soda of the Spanish carribean and is atleast worth a sip to see what the fuss is about.  I warn you it is an acquired taste. My disdain for Malta greatly calls my Puerto Rican ancestry into question but the only way I know how to describe it is a sugary malt beer flavored drink without alcohol.

The island possesses it’s own foodie flare that is parallel to the other Spanish Indies but with it’s own twist.  While tropical fruits, yuca, cassava and tostones are ubiquitous in the Carribean, Puerto Rico has its standout culinary characters. Mofongo is the name of the game. Fried and mashed platanos topped with a creamy garlic sauce and your choice of meats. But you’ll also want to stuff yourself silly with lechón and lechón accesories.  A properly juicy lechón transcends all else.  As a man with Puerto Rican blood, the lechón calls for me and haunts my dreams.  It stalks me with its juicy tenderness and sabor - I can only submit. There is no resistance. A road of restaurants serving lechón (called lechoneras) is located in Guavate and is definitely worth the pilgrimage. Is this Puerto Rico or heaven? I’m sure at this point I’ve offended my vegan friends so I digress. Arroz, arroz y arroz! Rice is an undeniable fixture here.  Though I prefer mine with chunks of ham, gandules is a universally approved ingredient.  Many Latinos agree that Puerto Rican rice is THE best rice dish.  

The island is quite small but possesses an extremely outsized personality.  Though the population is only about three million (and shrinking), it’s flagship music (reggaeton/latino pop) is now heard regularly around the world.  Played from gelato shops in Italy to beaches in Thailand, a disproportionately high amount of Puerto Rican musicians have become international superstars.  From  Hamilton’s Lin Manuel-Miranda to J-Lo, Puerto Rican music has become it’s number one export.  I couldn’t even avoid hearing “Despacito” in the damn Sahara desert! The tunes of San Juan have truly gone global.

Of all the Spanish West Indies, Puerto Rico has perhaps the most lovely countryside.  Extensive cave systems, countless waterfalls, jungle covered mountains and sprawling beaches.  This place begs for a hike and because the island is so small, short daytrips from San Juan are quite easy. Of the major Spanish caribbean cities, Old San Juan also has the nearest beach access. The distinctive Coqui frog can also be heard throughout the night even in different barrios around the city. Despite it being a historic and dense city, San Juan has a way of constantly reminding us we’re on an island.