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One of the many cobble stone streets, which are lined with pictur- esque buildings in downtown San Juan. Continued from page 53 drive to my hotel was nearly 90 minutes. Needless to say, | was beat by the time | checked in, however the warm temperatures, sunny skies and friendly people soon made me forget my tiredness. The property was amazing and the room was incredi- ble. | overlooked the ocean as well as the many souvenir shops. With T-shirt in hand, | was ready to exit when | spotted a trinket clearly labelled made in China. | chuckled and when | went to pay | noticed the cashier adjusting prices on several goods. She smiled and | asked if inflation had hit the island. She laughed and explained that two large cruise ships were docking. | was shocked and continued on my way and wanted to alert cruise passengers to my discovery and suggest they barter for any purchases. Feeling somewhat hungry | began to look for local eateries. It took a little searching as | was surprised by the number of American fast food chains there were, especially Taco Bells, but with a little search- ing succeeded in seeking out several quaint eateries, specializing in local cuisine. | managed to get a table among the locals and was glad | had made the effort. The food was good and service was friendly and fast, indicative of Puerto Rico. | wandered around for an hour looking beneath the surface of this seemingly pretty city. People seemed proud of their shops and houses and an obvious effort was made to keep exteriors painted and free from rubbish. | enjoy visiting a locale where the need for tourism is appreciated and residents take pride in ownership. As beautiful as Puerto Rico is | am not convinced more than a day is needed to experience the visit, unless, of course, you are someone who wants to lie on a beach; another reason why cruising is a good option. You can enjoy a one day excursion and leave anytime you want, giving you the opportunity to not pay inflated rates for meals and hotels. Puerto Rico, like many tropical islands is slowly losing its culture to westernization, however there will always be sun, sand and warm temperatures. the pool complex and decided to go for a drink at a bar by the beach. The massive size of the beach area gave me a sense of seclusion, even though there were many tourists around. | enjoyed the 30°C warmth, the pifia colada’s were good, but most of all the thought of relaxing was stress relieving in itself. If laying around a pool or beach with numerous tourists is not your thing, a stroll on the beach or a visit to San Juan is a must. | decided to rent a car and make the journey and was pleasantly surprised to find it took less than an hour. The city looked wonderfully picturesque; narrow streets with colourful buildings, an old Fort and a town square made this a very charming attraction. | parked my rental and began to walk around, entering several of The beautiful grounds of the Westin Dell Mar, a beachfront property borders both the Puerto Rico rain forest and beautiful sand beaches on the ocean. FOCUS - NOVEMBER 2014 55