Log #43O Exploring Puerto Rico

Red Hook Bay, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

May 15, 2007

We were back on board Veleda in Roosevelt Roads Naval base and all was well with her. Next day we turned in the Avis car from the airport and rented a similar car from the local agency at even lower rates. We had thought about taking a bed and breakfast someplace in San Juan, but it was more economical to drive to San Juan for the day, returning that evening, then go to Arecibo next day, and again return for the evening. In Old San Juan, we went through the massive Spanish Fort Morrow, and a couple of museums, difficult to find as they were in larger government buildings, with signs in Spanish and only Spanish speaking custodians who did not know what we were looking for. We also went through the Ponce de Leon house, an interesting building dedicated to De Leon's family and served as a military headquarters right up to WW II. However, I preferred the tropical gardens around the complex, complete with fountains, pools, iguanas, trees dripping with Spanish moss, and 400 year-old terracing, overlooking San Juan Bay.

We wandered through Old San Juan, enjoying the Spanish architecture and narrow cobble stone streets. It seemed strange to see three hundred year old facades with a modern MacDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, as well as Body Shop, Ralph Lauren or other high end boutiques, inside. We did enjoy a butterfly collection in one store with thousands of butterflies mounted in tasteful, colourful displays. Upon leaving I noted I had paid high for parking, seeing another garage just down the street at half the price I paid. However, I did not want to drive around the crowded streets looking for the best price. As it was, trying to leave the city was a challenge as the road signs are most inadequate, and we missed the main highway out of town and spent an extra half hour going along a busy main thoroughfare of San Juan at rush hour! Not only are the road signs inadequate, their driving habits leave much to be desired. It was a relief to get back aboard Veleda that night.




Next day we were off to Arecibo on the north west coast of Puerto Rico, first to the Arecibo Lighthouse and Historic Park which were only OK, though the lighthouse did show the heavy seas and inhospitable coastline of the north coast of Puerto Rico. That's why we do not want to transit the north coast or even visit San Juan with Veleda. Inland we went for another 20 miles, high up into the mountains to the Arecibo Observatory to see the largest radio telescope facility in the world, the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center. Fantastic! This is not a telescope in any conventional sense, but a great 1000 foot diameter dish sunk into a mountain top valley, covering an area of 20 acres with reflective wire mesh plates, and surmounted by a gondola suspended above that can be manipulated to track radio waves from throughout the universe. It is a passive receiver, but can also be used for active radar searching of the heavens. The Visitors' Center was a fascinating hands on interstellar science display showing not only information on the planets of our solar system, but also other systems and nebulae including methods of light and radio wave refraction used in astronomical research. More information may be available at the website www.naic.edu
 

Flowers in gardens at Villa Blanca, Ols San Juan

On our return we went along the spine of Puerto Rico, by way of mountain crests and tropical jungle roads. It was an interesting drive, but exhausting on the narrow winding roads. As it was nearing dusk and there was some fog, we cut down to the south coast highway for the final three hours of the long six hour return journey. Driving mountain roads at night is not enjoyable. Again it was good to be back aboard Veleda for a late night supper.

We had to return the car by 0900 next morning and planned to leave Roosevelt Roads by noon. I drove around the deserted base before handing the car in, to see the large residences that looked more like resort condominiums, and the plush suburban houses, schools, ball parks, shore-side picnic tables, tennis courts, deserted parade grounds, desolate military buildings, empty parking lots; and off the main roads saw the skeletons of radar dishes, many cylindrical fuel depots, and other military buildings I did not want to venture near. All the grounds were neatly trimmed. On my return to the main road past the administrative building, it was blocked by an SUV with a military official holding his hand up, palm towards me, 100 yards away. Oh boy, now what? As I slowly approached him at his SUV he kept pushing his palm at me, and so I stopped a few feet from him. He came over, introduced himself and asked why I did not stop back 100 yards. I couldn't figure out his problem. Then I heard a bugle and the U.S. National Anthem blaring over a P.A. system. He immediately came to attention and saluted the flag which was being hoisted for morning colours at 0800 at the administrative building 50 yards behind me. This was his problem; he didn't want me driving past the flag standard as it was being raised. He was reasonably polite but gave me a hard time for not stopping 100 yards back as his hand signal supposedly indicated. I did not interpret it as such, but thought it meant for me to stop at his vehicle for whatever purpose he had. Apparently the flat palm means "Stop where you are", not stop where the person signaling is located. OK! --- Perhaps this misconception is the reason so many innocents have been shot at checkpoints in Iraq? I didn't tell him such, and just apologized for not observing morning colours as I was driving past the administration building on the main road at 0800.

After picking up some groceries at the little store in Ceiba I returned the car and was driven back to the marina on base. There I completed our "float plan" for departure at the marina PX and bought a last supply of very economical beer, rum and whiskey. We left Roosevelt Roads at 1010, heading the 24 miles east over to Culebra, another of the lovely Spanish Virgin Islands (remember Vieques from an earlier log?).

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