Day Two: Ziplining, La Marquesa Forest Park, El Morro and Old San Juan
Whew... what a day! From the beautiful views from the mountain tops of La Marquesa Forest Park, to the stunning scenes of San Juan Bay from Castillo San Felipe del Morro, there was no shortage of breathtaking beauty today!
We started the morning with an optional canopy tour of the rainforest. Nearly everyone joined the adrenaline-rushing adventure, but those who opted out (myself included) spent some time exploring La Marquesa Forest Park. We started with a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, where we were able to visit the butterfly and bird aviary. Talk about getting up close and personal... I've never been so close to such colorful exotic birds. We took a hike to the observation tower, literally on the top of the mountain. Awesome views, but equally as important, was the refreshing breeze at the top. Have I mentioned the heat here?!? It's HOT. And HUMID. Everything we love about a Caribbean island, right? With lots of water and breaks in the shade, the group is doing just fine with the heat. Having a pool at the hotel to relax in at the end of the evening helps with that as well.
Following the zipline tour, we grabbed lunch from the food court of the largest mall in Puerto Rico and headed to Old San Juan to wrap up our walking tour and visit the other main fort on the island... Castillo San Felipe del Morro. To think of the history and strategy behind this citadel is overwhelming. Astacio gave us the lowdown of the fortification and then gave us some time to explore the scene... always my favorite!
Our day continued with additional free time in Old San Juan, which gave everyone the opportunity to do some fun souvenir shopping up and down the cobblestone streets lined with colorful Spanish architecture. Dinner was at the ever-so-entertaining Vaca Brava, and that's a wrap for day two.
We started the morning with an optional canopy tour of the rainforest. Nearly everyone joined the adrenaline-rushing adventure, but those who opted out (myself included) spent some time exploring La Marquesa Forest Park. We started with a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, where we were able to visit the butterfly and bird aviary. Talk about getting up close and personal... I've never been so close to such colorful exotic birds. We took a hike to the observation tower, literally on the top of the mountain. Awesome views, but equally as important, was the refreshing breeze at the top. Have I mentioned the heat here?!? It's HOT. And HUMID. Everything we love about a Caribbean island, right? With lots of water and breaks in the shade, the group is doing just fine with the heat. Having a pool at the hotel to relax in at the end of the evening helps with that as well.
Following the zipline tour, we grabbed lunch from the food court of the largest mall in Puerto Rico and headed to Old San Juan to wrap up our walking tour and visit the other main fort on the island... Castillo San Felipe del Morro. To think of the history and strategy behind this citadel is overwhelming. Astacio gave us the lowdown of the fortification and then gave us some time to explore the scene... always my favorite!
Our day continued with additional free time in Old San Juan, which gave everyone the opportunity to do some fun souvenir shopping up and down the cobblestone streets lined with colorful Spanish architecture. Dinner was at the ever-so-entertaining Vaca Brava, and that's a wrap for day two.
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