RE: My wife and I loved OSJ

[firefighterjake]

CruiseCritic.com was very, very useful to me when I was planning the cruise that my wife and I went on last week (our first, but definitely not our last cruise . . . I think I'm hooked!) . . . as a result I wanted to give something back by posting a few threads on the places I went to and the folks I meant . . . maybe others will find these as useful as I found other threads at this site.

 

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Due in no small part to CC.com's member recommendations I made sure that my wife and I arrived in OSJ a day before our cruise . . . when we left Maine it was 29 degrees outside, over-cast and there was still snow on the ground . . . when we left CT (cheaper flights) it was 41 degrees and over-cast and very, very brown . . . when we arrived in Puerto Rico it was 80+ degrees, sunny, humid and it was very, very green . . . and I should mention that I was definitely over-dressed!

 

We loved the very efficient taxi cab system and within minutes of our arrival we were on our way to the Howard Johnsons in OSJ. My wife immediately fell in love with the Old World architecture. However, while we wanted to go out and explore the City that evening our bodies were just too tired and so after a hasty dinner we fell to sleep.

 

The next morning I woke up early as I usually do and I went out to do some exploring well before the rest of the City woke up. I also managed to get some geocaching in . . . saw all of the many lizards running around and saw lots and lots of felines.

 

When my wife woke up we went out to see some of the local sights such as Pigeon Park, El Morro (along the way I had a kite attack me :D :) ), the cathedral and other places of interest.

 

Around 2 or so we boarded the ship . . .

 

On our return trip my wife and I wandered around OSJ a bit before boarding the free trolley for a ride around the City. I was quite impressed with the very patient trolley operator who continually had to tell folks that standing was not allowed on the open air, two-car trolley. After doing a complete circuit and getting our bearings (as well as getting a nice rest) we went to San Cristobel Fortress before heading back to Audio Gaia where we had left our baggage with Monica.

 

Monica hailed us a cab with Edwin Rosado . . . I must say that I was very impressed with the friendliness and hospitality offered by the Puerto Rican people. From our first day to the very end . . . and Edwin really capped everything off for us.

 

Edwin happened to notice that I had a Bangor FD T-shirt on so he volunteered to stop by one of the fire stations on the way to the airport. At first my cynical side thought this was just a way for him to pad the fare, so you can imagine my surprise when he charged me the same amount as if we had not stopped . . . despite the fact that in the time he stopped for us and played the part of interpreter he could have picked up a second fare. Needless to say, I was impressed with Edwin's hospitality (it turns out he also offers sightseeing tours in his cab incidentally . . . I have his card and contact info if anyone would ever like it) and friendliness . . . because of him I was able to leave Puerto Rico with a San Juan, PR FD t-shirt!

[jvmgos]

firefighterjake, we LOVED San Juan PR too!! :) I was so pleasantly surprised. Our TA told us she doesn't even get off the ship while in port here since she has never found anything of interest. That really had us worried that it would be a bad day there.

 

We went to El Morro fort, breathtaking views of the beautiful blue seas and palms. Our pictures are lovely from there. There were kites there trying to "attack" us too but that just made the long field by the fort even more enjoyable.

 

Has anyone seen the "cat village" as my daughter so lovingly dubbed it not far from El Morro as you walk near the governor's mansion? It appears people feed them and give them water but there were dozens just lounging around in the shade and along the rocks by the beach. DD even got a picture of a large black one standing on the sand on the beach!! :)

[tomko2]

Very nice review -- makes me look even more forward to our return to SJ next December. It's OK I keep my kite on a leash! LOL

Pics of our kite flying at El Morro in the link below.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

Kathy:)

[4kidsplusty]

does he have an email address?or website with his info

 

CruiseCritic.com was very, very useful to me when I was planning the cruise that my wife and I went on last week (our first, but definitely not our last cruise . . . I think I'm hooked!) . . . as a result I wanted to give something back by posting a few threads on the places I went to and the folks I meant . . . maybe others will find these as useful as I found other threads at this site.

 

-----------------

 

Due in no small part to CC.com's member recommendations I made sure that my wife and I arrived in OSJ a day before our cruise . . . when we left Maine it was 29 degrees outside, over-cast and there was still snow on the ground . . . when we left CT (cheaper flights) it was 41 degrees and over-cast and very, very brown . . . when we arrived in Puerto Rico it was 80+ degrees, sunny, humid and it was very, very green . . . and I should mention that I was definitely over-dressed!

 

We loved the very efficient taxi cab system and within minutes of our arrival we were on our way to the Howard Johnsons in OSJ. My wife immediately fell in love with the Old World architecture. However, while we wanted to go out and explore the City that evening our bodies were just too tired and so after a hasty dinner we fell to sleep.

 

The next morning I woke up early as I usually do and I went out to do some exploring well before the rest of the City woke up. I also managed to get some geocaching in . . . saw all of the many lizards running around and saw lots and lots of felines.

 

When my wife woke up we went out to see some of the local sights such as Pigeon Park, El Morro (along the way I had a kite attack me :D :) ), the cathedral and other places of interest.

 

Around 2 or so we boarded the ship . . .

 

On our return trip my wife and I wandered around OSJ a bit before boarding the free trolley for a ride around the City. I was quite impressed with the very patient trolley operator who continually had to tell folks that standing was not allowed on the open air, two-car trolley. After doing a complete circuit and getting our bearings (as well as getting a nice rest) we went to San Cristobel Fortress before heading back to Audio Gaia where we had left our baggage with Monica.

 

Monica hailed us a cab with Edwin Rosado . . . I must say that I was very impressed with the friendliness and hospitality offered by the Puerto Rican people. From our first day to the very end . . . and Edwin really capped everything off for us.

 

Edwin happened to notice that I had a Bangor FD T-shirt on so he volunteered to stop by one of the fire stations on the way to the airport. At first my cynical side thought this was just a way for him to pad the fare, so you can imagine my surprise when he charged me the same amount as if we had not stopped . . . despite the fact that in the time he stopped for us and played the part of interpreter he could have picked up a second fare. Needless to say, I was impressed with Edwin's hospitality (it turns out he also offers sightseeing tours in his cab incidentally . . . I have his card and contact info if anyone would ever like it) and friendliness . . . because of him I was able to leave Puerto Rico with a San Juan, PR FD t-shirt!

[npb1894]

Will I be able to get a kite in my luggage?? What a great idea to fly kites there, my kids will love it, Thanks

[tomko2]

Will I be able to get a kite in my luggage?? What a great idea to fly kites there, my kids will love it, Thanks

 

Absolutely. We bought our kites at Walmart for a few dollars. The kite sizes vary, ours were 26" long and fit in our suitcases on an angle. Very lightweight. We brought extra string along for one of the kites and it soared over 600' in the air. So much fun.

Pictures of us flying our kites in the link below.

There are vendors selling kites near the Fort but we did not see one until we were leaving so very glad we had our own kites.

Kathy:)

[tomko2]

Will I be able to get a kite in my luggage?? What a great idea to fly kites there, my kids will love it, Thanks

 

Absolutely. We bought our kites at Walmart for a few dollars. The kite sizes vary, ours were 26" long and fit in our suitcases on an angle. A very lightweight and skinny package. We brought extra string along for one of the kites and it soared over 600' in the air. So much fun.

Pictures of us flying our kites in the link below. Look in Caribbean photos - kite flying starts bottom of page 6 and continues on page 7. Our kites were in the shape of butterflies and my sister and I flew them in memory of our Mother.

There are vendors selling kites near the Fort but we did not see one until we were leaving so very glad we had our own kites.

Kathy:)

[firefighterjake]

firefighterjake, we LOVED San Juan PR too!! :) I was so pleasantly surprised. Our TA told us she doesn't even get off the ship while in port here since she has never found anything of interest. That really had us worried that it would be a bad day there.

 

We went to El Morro fort, breathtaking views of the beautiful blue seas and palms. Our pictures are lovely from there. There were kites there trying to "attack" us too but that just made the long field by the fort even more enjoyable.

 

Has anyone seen the "cat village" as my daughter so lovingly dubbed it not far from El Morro as you walk near the governor's mansion? It appears people feed them and give them water but there were dozens just lounging around in the shade and along the rocks by the beach. DD even got a picture of a large black one standing on the sand on the beach!! :)

 

Shocking . . . I can't believe a TA wouldn't find something to do or love about OSJ . . . but oh well, different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

Did you get to check out the great view from the El Morro restroom . . . the view alone is worth the $3 admission . . . the view from my bathroom is . . . well . . . just a view of my shower, sink and toilet! :D

 

On our disembarkation day the trolley that went to El Morro and returned managed to accidentally snag some kid's kite . . . :D

 

RE: "The Cat Village" . . . Yes, this is where I saw all of the cats . . . down near the Governor's Mansion and along the Wall. Another person at another forum (a geocaching forum) cryptically told me to bring catfood and a kite . . . now I know why she said to do so!

[firefighterjake]

does he have an email address?or website with his info

 

By "he" I'm assuming you mean Edwin Rosado? If so, yes . . . intrepidtourspr@hotmail.com. I'm not sure if he personally does tours or contracts them out . . . all I can say is that I was very impressed with his thoughtfulness . . . it really put the frosting on the cake for our vacation so to speak.

[rainforestgirl]

RE: "The Cat Village" . . . Yes, this is where I saw all of the cats . . . down near the Governor's Mansion and along the Wall. Another person at another forum (a geocaching forum) cryptically told me to bring catfood and a kite . . . now I know why she said to do so!

 

We love OSJ too. Living here, we go in once a month to see and do all it has to offer. It is a shame some cruise ships are arriving at such odd times: 5pm- 12mn midweek. There is not much to do at any port at those times!

 

Just as an FYI- don't feed the cats (it is actually against the law!). They are protected by the Feds ad Save a Gato organization. But they can always use help: http://www.saveagato.com/index.html

[jvmgos]

firefighterjake, yes, that is where we saw all the cats. I really thought that was something and they looked pretty healthy and their bowls were full of food.

 

DD's boyfriend said the view from the restroom was something else too. I didn't go in the ladie's room to check it out. The views from that fort were amazing.

 

San Juan definately was more than we could have expected. We loved it. :)

[firefighterjake]

. . .

San Juan definately was more than we could have expected. We loved it. :)

 

While I fell in love with St. Kitts and Barbados my wife says I need to learn Spanish so we can move to Puerto Rico . . . of course all she remembers from her high school Spanish classes and Puerto Rican neighbors is some key words, phrases and some obscenities. :D

[4kidsplusty]

By "he" I'm assuming you mean Edwin Rosado? If so, yes . . . intrepidtourspr@hotmail.com. I'm not sure if he personally does tours or contracts them out . . . all I can say is that I was very impressed with his thoughtfulness . . . it really put the frosting on the cake for our vacation so to speak.

 

thank you for your help:)

[anchorsaweigh]

 

We loved the very efficient taxi cab system and within minutes of our arrival we were on our way to the Howard Johnsons in OSJ. My wife immediately fell in love with the Old World architecture. However, while we wanted to go out and explore the City that evening our bodies were just too tired and so after a hasty dinner we fell to sleep.

 

When my wife woke up we went out to see some of the local sights such as Pigeon Park, El Morro (along the way I had a kite attack me :D :) ), the cathedral and other places of interest.

 

Monica hailed us a cab with Edwin Rosado . . . I must say that I was very impressed with the friendliness and hospitality offered by the Puerto Rican people. From our first day to the very end . . . and Edwin really capped everything off for us.

 

Edwin happened to notice that I had a Bangor FD T-shirt on so he volunteered to stop by one of the fire stations on the way to the airport. At first my cynical side thought this was just a way for him to pad the fare, so you can imagine my surprise when he charged me the same amount as if we had not stopped . . . despite the fact that in the time he stopped for us and played the part of interpreter he could have picked up a second fare. Needless to say, I was impressed with Edwin's hospitality (it turns out he also offers sightseeing tours in his cab incidentally . . . I have his card and contact info if anyone would ever like it) and friendliness . . . because of him I was able to leave Puerto Rico with a San Juan, PR FD t-shirt!

 

firefighterjake,

 

I'm glad you had such a memorable experience. Any information that you could provide re: Edwin Rosado would be greatly appreciated.

 

Another question for you, the trolley. Where is it in proximity to the ship pier and ferry pier?

 

thanks,

Tami

[firefighterjake]

firefighterjake,

 

I'm glad you had such a memorable experience. Any information that you could provide re: Edwin Rosado would be greatly appreciated.

 

Another question for you, the trolley. Where is it in proximity to the ship pier and ferry pier?

 

thanks,

Tami

 

 

Edwin Rosado . . . intrepidtourspr@hotmail.com. I'm not sure if he personally does tours or contracts them out . . . but what I can say is that he truly impressed me with the fact that he went out of his way to do stop by the fire station even though I know he could have picked up a second tour in the time I spent there . . . and he never asked for a single extra dime (although I made sure he was tipped decently as I personally appreciated his thoughfulness.)

 

The trolley stops at several places depending on which one you're on -- the City trolley, El Morro trolley, etc. On our disembarkation day we got on the trolley at Audio Gaia's (and I have no doubt that I'm butchering the name of this business) . . . on the map you'll see this stop at the far, right-hand corner at the bottom of the page . . . right between Piers 3 and Piers 4.

 

http://www.travelmaps.com/OldSanJuan.html

[warmwinds]

Can someone tell me exactly where the cats are? Like which direction "near" the Governor's mansion?

[rainforestgirl]

There are a few areas that have a lot of cats.

The ones people are talking about here are along the outside of the city wall. Walk down the Paseo La Princesa and follow it up to the right, along the water. The cats live all along the rocks, you will see more of them later in the day when it is cooler (5-7pm) and further up the waterfront walk closer to El Morro.

 

There are also lots of them as you walk through OSJ on the little alleys between the streets- where people live. The "callita" between San Juan St and Las Monjas, and the other two little cross streets as you walk toward El Morro.

[vic49]

does he have an email address?or website with his info

 

Can you email me at vic49@comcast.net with contact info on Edwin? We live in MA and my husband is Police Chief, thought it would be cool if he could take us around San Juan and maybe stop at PD. We are cruising July 10th 2008 and would like to set it up prior to leaving. I did email him at the site you posted but did not get an answer.