The Wandering Disciple

Nestled in the heart of historic San Juan, El Capolito stands as the undeniable seat of power for the island. More than just a functional administrative building, this imposing structure is a monumental testament to centuries of political and cultural evolution. Its architecture, a blend of colonial and neoclassical influences, reflects the diverse historical currents that have shaped the region. Within its hallowed halls, critical decisions that affect the daily lives of the island's residents are debated and legislated. El Capolito is not merely a government center; it is the physical and symbolic embodiment of the island's self-governance and enduring identity, making it a pivotal location on the global stage.  Taken: October 23, 2006 at El Capolito (San Juan, PR)

For early attackers an attempt to conquer the fortified city of San Juan was a difficult task due to the forts strategically located in this colonial island city.  The first line of defense was El Morro, a fort built at the tip of the harbor to help protect the port city from attacks from the sea. Although San Juan had fallen into enemy hands twice in three attacks, the only attack by seas was successfully fought off in 1595, the remaining two attacks were overland attacks.  But with fort successfully withstood all of the skirmishes. Today El Morro and nearby San Cristobal can be toured as part of the San Juan National Historic Site operated by the National Park Service.  (Photo: October 23, 2006)

Underground tunnels like this one were used to safely transport troops and goods through the fort at Fort San Cristobal in San Juan. Today visitors can tour the historic fort that help protect the island city of San Juan. (Photo: October 23, 2006)

Fort San Geronimo has stood guard over Condado Lagoon for over 300 years. Built by the Spanish in 1791, Fort San Geronimo combined with Fort San Cristobel and Fort El Morro to help fortify the city of San Juan. (Photo: October 23, 2006)

Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas and Carnival's Triumph are docked side by side in San Juan. The Port of San Juan welcomes over one million travelers annually to the city and is the gateway to the Southern Caribbean.  (Photo: October 23, 2006)

The capital of Puerto Rico is nestled between the colorful buildings of Old San Juan. Originally settled by the Spanish in 1493, Puerto Rico became a United States territory in 1898 after the Treaty of Paris. (Photo: October 23, 2006)

Colorful homes and historic structures dot the coast of San Juan. San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico. Established in 1509, the city is separated into two main sections; Old San Juan and New San Juan. Old San Juan was the original fortified city, protected by three forts. (Photo: October 23, 2006)

Fort San Felipe del Morro located at the entrance to San Juan Bay in San Juan, Puerto Rico has protected the port since 1589. Under Spanish rule until 1898, the fort has protected San Juan from attacks by the British, Dutch, United States and even pirates. It then became a United States fort and saw service during World War I and II. It was decommissioned in 1961 and became a National Park. (Photo: October 23, 2006)

San Juan, Puerto Rico: The largest fort built in the New World by the Spanish, Fort San Cristobal was built to help protect San Juan from land attacks. The fort was used in conjunction with other Spanish forts to provide a well rounded defense system. Finished in 1783, the 27 acre fort surrounded the city and access to the city was controlled through the fort’s gates. The fort featured an extensive tunnel system to travel throughout the fort. The walls of the fort contained several sentry boxes called garitas that were used to help protect the perimeter of the fort. Fort San Cristobal saw its first attack in 1797 as San Juan was invaded by British troops. A troop of over 7,000 British soldiers under the commanded for Sir Ralph Abercromby invaded the island in one of th largest invasions. The Spanish troops were able to successfully defend the city and avoid British occupation. In 1855the fort was temporarily taken under control by Spanish rebels. The mutiny by the San Cristobal...

San Juan, Puerto Rico: The capitol of the island territory of Puerto Rico, San Juan is the second oldest European established city in the Americas. The city is torn between old historical architecture and modernization, making it one of the most fascinating cities in the Caribbean. Juan Ponce de Leon founded the first settlement Caparra just outside present day San Juan in 1508. A year later the settlement was moved further west and renamed Puerto Rico, which meant rich port in Spanish. By 1521, the name changed again and became San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico in honor of John the Baptist. The island was known as San Juan and the city was known as Puerto Rico. Then names were used interchangeably and in 1746, they were switched and the island became permanently known as Puerto Rico and the city as San Juan. Because of its location in the Caribbean, San Juan became a stop on the path to the Americas. The Spanish fortified the city to protect the island and the goods on the shop...

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Today marked the first stop of the cruise, San Juan. We started the day off with breakfast at the Windjammer and then got ready for the day. As we approached the coast of Puerto Rico, we went up to the deck to watch the ship sail into the harbor. We past the Fort El Morro on the point as the ship made its way to the dock. We were greeted by Puerto Rican dancers on the pier as we arrived in port. Disembarkation at the pier was hectic, a mad rush and the lines were slow moving. Once we were off the ship we began our shore excursion. We chose the Old and New San Juan City Tour. The tour consisted of a bus ride through the city of San Juan passing by many of the landmarks of the city. The tour guide was great, provided a great historical perspective of the city while mixing in the right amount of humor to keep it interesting. The tour bus stopped at Fort San Cristobal and we spent some time touring the fort on foot. Once back onboard the bus, we heading i...