Monday was our first port, San Jaun, but we were due to get
in late so there was no rush to get started. The kids actually slept in a
little, so we did too, then it was off to breakfast and the kids returned to
the Fun Factory. We showed our parents a few things around the ship that they
hadn’t seen, like the lawn growing on the top deck. Sarah brought bubbles for
Susannah to play with, but as the ship was still moving at a good clip, the
bubbles left the wand and immediately zipped off to the horizon at forty knots
an hour. Mom and Dad sat and watched some folks playing bocci ball, and they
probably would have even tried it if not for some serious bocci-hogging that
was going on. Regardless, all this took place close to the edge of the ship,
and we were all impressed by my mom’s bravery knowing that she’s in constant,
mortal terror of being randomly blown overboard.
An announcement from the captain informed us that we would
be getting into port later than planned. Late the previous night, Captain Tzatziki
(I believe his full name was Captain Odysseus Papadopulos Tzatziki) had taken
us off course to avoid bad weather and rough seas, and as a result we wouldn’t
be getting in until around five. So we changed our original p
lans, and decided it would be best to skip the main dining room that night in place of an earlier, quicker dinner at the mast grill. We picked up Teddy and Veronica from the kids’ club, and I don’t remember what theme was going on that day, but I know that it was another pick-up where both kids came out loaded down with drawings and masks and huge grins. Teddy gave me this huge hug and I had an almost shockingly strong reminder that he’s still just a little boy. He’s our oldest and we expect a lot from him. But despite how much he’s grown up, despite every smart question he asks us, and every new insight he surprises us with, he’s still just a little dude. It was hard to realize I’d forgotten that lately.
lans, and decided it would be best to skip the main dining room that night in place of an earlier, quicker dinner at the mast grill. We picked up Teddy and Veronica from the kids’ club, and I don’t remember what theme was going on that day, but I know that it was another pick-up where both kids came out loaded down with drawings and masks and huge grins. Teddy gave me this huge hug and I had an almost shockingly strong reminder that he’s still just a little boy. He’s our oldest and we expect a lot from him. But despite how much he’s grown up, despite every smart question he asks us, and every new insight he surprises us with, he’s still just a little dude. It was hard to realize I’d forgotten that lately.
After dinner, we stepped off the boat and walked around San
Juan for a couple of hours. You’ll never experience total cultural immersion on
a cruise, but it is possible to get a legitimate feel for a people and their
culture in just a short visit. You can walk away with a memorable,
representative experience under the right circumstances. That’s happened to us a
few times in the past, but it totally
didn’t happen here. (And that’s not San Juan’s fault.) Getting in at five and
then wanting to get the kids down at a reasonable hour, we just couldn’t do
anything big. So we walked the streets and checked out shops and then left.
Teddy was looking for somewhere to blow the rest of his money, but he didn’t
have any luck. Veronica also wanted to burn some cash, so she latched onto the
first thing she saw – a small, ceramic angel clock that cost three dollars and
was made in China. Which will forever remind her of that legendary time she once
spent in Puerto Rico.
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