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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWith the first light of dawn, we rent a car and embark on an adventure\u2014to another island! Our first stop is the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan, one of the oldest cities in the New World. Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, the island was initially named Isleta de San Juan Bautista, in honour of Saint John the Baptist, whose feast day coincided with its discovery. Columbus recommended it as a military base, and fortifications were soon underway. The adjacent port and harbour were named Puerto Rico\u2014\u201cRich Port\u201d\u2014as it became a hub for wealth flowing in from the Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the first defensive structures built was Fort San Crist\u00f3bal, providing cover for the early settlers. However, the grandest project was the construction of the fortress San Felipe del Morro, commonly known as El Morro. Over two centuries, Spain\u2019s finest military engineers expanded and reinforced the island\u2019s defenses. Their efforts stood the test of time\u2014El Morro withstood multiple sieges and still commands a formidable presence today. Unlike the reconstructed ruins of the Acropolis in Athens, much of El Morro remains original, its walls and inner buildings a testament to 16th- and 17th-century craftsmanship. Even modern ports rarely boast such a well-designed and robust coastal defense system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fortress has witnessed attacks throughout history. In 1595, an English assault led by the famed pirate Sir Francis Drake\u2014sponsored by the English Crown\u2014was repelled by Spanish cannons. However, in 1625, the Dutch successfully landed and plundered the city, though they failed to take El Morro. The fort even withstood American bombardment in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, which marked Spain\u2019s loss of its global power status. Following the war, Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the fortress walls, on a cliff overlooking the ocean, lies the Santa Mar\u00eda Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery, established in 1863. A local legend claims the cemetery is haunted, with underground tunnels linking it to El Morro. Some say strange voices and footsteps echo through the night. However, many believe the spirits of the departed drift into the boundless sea\u2014a poetic reason for its seaside location. The cemetery is the resting place of many distinguished Puerto Ricans, including independence activist Pedro Albizu Campos<\/a>, writer and poet Jos\u00e9 de Diego<\/a>, and composer Rafael Hern\u00e1ndez Mar\u00edn<\/a>. Surrounded by ancient walls, the cemetery is adorned with statues, ornate tombstones, and a neoclassical chapel with an eye-catching red dome. The contrast of white marble against the azure sea and sky makes this place hauntingly beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Near the entrance to the city, opposite the fortress, stands a memorial honouring Puerto Rican veterans who served in major conflicts, from both World Wars to Korea and Vietnam\u2014fighting under the American flag. Two bronze rams with the U.S. and Puerto Rican flags symbolize soldiers bravely following their banner, like a flock behind its shepherd. A towering pillar commemorates their resilience and sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Near the memorial to Puerto Rican military veterans in Old San Juan stands the Iglesia de San Jos\u00e9. The church was founded in 1532 by Dominican monks, just 11 years after the city was established. Unlike many other New World cathedrals, it was built in the earlier Gothic style, not Baroque. Inside, rare 16th-century wall paintings have been preserved. Over time, the building passed to the Jesuits and later to the Franciscans. In the 20th century, the church deteriorated significantly, and in the 2000s, large-scale restoration work began, completed in 2021. It is one of the oldest Christian churches in the Western Hemisphere. On the church grounds is a monument to Spanish conquistador and first governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de Le\u00f3n, who was buried here in 1559. His remains were later moved to the city\u2019s Cathedral. The dates inscribed\u20141508-1509\u2014mark the beginning of Spanish colonization under his leadership and the founding of Caparra, the island\u2019s first European settlement. The phrase \u201cVolvi\u00f3 a poblarla\u201d translates as \u201cHe returned to populate it.\u201d Ponce de Le\u00f3n\u2019s mausoleum can be found in the city\u2019s grand cathedral, further deepening the historical tapestry of this remarkable place. He, Juan Ponce, is undoubtedly a hero. However, in order to “populate it” (the lands of the New World, and in this case, the islands of Puerto Rico), he and his comrades had to depopulate (or rather, exterminate) an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people\u2014some estimates suggest up to 500,000\u2014peaceful inhabitants of the island, the Ta\u00edno people. This was not difficult to accomplish. The local tribes had no cannons, rifles, or gunpowder. They had no ambitions of conquest and lived a sedentary life, cultivating cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, peppers, pineapples, and other crops. They hunted (mostly using bows and traps), fished, spoke their own language (a dialect of Arawakan), worshipped ancestral spirits, and believed in an afterlife. From 1508, when the Spanish began their active colonization of the island, the Ta\u00edno population rapidly declined, primarily due to inhumane exploitation and forced labor in gold mines and plantations, as well as diseases brought by the Europeans\u2014smallpox, measles, influenza. Additionally, they suffered significant losses in wars and brutal suppression of uprisings against the new rulers. In less than 50 years, by the early 1550s, the indigenous population of Puerto Rico had almost disappeared as a distinct ethnic group. However, Ta\u00edno genes and cultural heritage have been preserved among modern Puerto Ricans to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes one wonder: if the Ta\u00edno were such easy prey for the Spaniards, why go through the trouble of building such impregnable fortresses? What were the brave conquistadors afraid of? Primarily, they feared competition from other European powers\u2014rival conquerors just like themselves. Secondly, they feared pirates, often hired or sponsored by elite circles of different countries to plunder their rivals. The least of their fears were the local inhabitants, who at the time were actually the main target\u2014easy prey that adventure-seekers pursued in the New World. From them, gold could be stolen through deception, land could be seized by brutal force, and they themselves could be sent to the mines or plantations\u2014or simply killed without consequence. To the conquerors of new lands, these people were nothing more than exotic animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But let\u2019s return to the good things. Old San Juan is an open-air museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My photos capture only a small part of the old town. I missed many details or saw them only briefly from a distance, unable to photograph or examine them closely. Clearly, a few hours are far too little to explore even this small city properly. It\u2019s a place that truly warrants a stay of at least a few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n