The ship arrived in Puerto Rico at just before 0700 in the morning and we had to get up early, we were told, to pass throe USA Immigration and so we dutifully got up around 0715 and then went for an early breakfast with the knowledge we would be hanging around for quite a while having been thro the same process in February 2022.
They started calling off those guests who were on early morning tours and finally at about 10.00 we were told we should leave the ship and pass thro’ the immigration process which in USA is ‘take your photo’ and for Jennifer she had to have her fingerprints taken. I started to put my hand on the scanner and the Immigration chap said no so clearly they think my wife is an immigration risk. Following passing thro the system we all had to wait until all guests have passed thro the system and the number tallied before were allowed back on board. Whilst waiting their was a mother and daughter travelling and the daughter recently had a knee operation and so we compared scars, names of consultants and methods etc to kill time. Finally at around 11.00 we were given notice that we could re board the ship and so we went straight for a cup of tea in the Arts Café and then sat outside watching the small planes arriving and leaving at the small domestic airport across the bay.
We headed back to the suite and Jennifer spent about an hour doing some clothes washing and then off to lunch. After lunch we joined a highlights tour of San Juan visiting the old part of town with its very large old Fort, the ramp up to the top was possible for me to go up but would never get down so I sat and waited whilst the rest of the tour explored the Fort. After that we continued our around the old part of town then headed for the new part where there is an amazing Convention centre with lots of first class hotels and a growth of condo’s overlooking the sea. Our driver and tour guide were the same person and he rattled away facts and yet more fact at such a speed with a very Spanish accent that after half an hour you could not remember a word he had said. We were then taken to a shopping district but nobody was interested in shopping and so he took us all back to the pier to re-join the ship and enjoyed a welcome cup of iced tea and coffee overlooking the bay.
We returned to the room and enjoyed a quiet time on the balcony with a glass of something whilst watching the sun go down.We departed San Juan at 18.00 and we could watch the pilot jump off our cruise liner on to the quite small pilot boat, a number of guests were looking out of their balconies and gave the pilots a big cheer for the courage. In the evening we went down to the main restaurant and of course I had pre-ordered. We sat next to the Vancouver based Chinese couple and had enjoyable chat but yet again the restaurant could not get the order correct. I ordered smoked salmon to start , which was fine but then I had the lamb chops with spinach and American steak house fries with the fries only arriving when I was just about finished eating. There were only five large fries which had taken about ten minutes to reach me, its not good enough.
Following dinner we retired to the room and watch the latest Mission Impossible which was quite good fun. Sunny jim is still having some issues down below,oh well perhaps tomorrow it will be better
