Wrapping up

• We've been here 8 weeks - What have we learned?

We've seen and done a lot!

In that time we've become more than tourists but less than residents. We're so glad that we live in a real neighborhood - not a tourist area. While we haven't met many of our neighbors more than to say 'buenos dias', the people we see are almost all local. We know the pick-up times for the local school so expect traffic - and no available parking spaces! - during those times. We hear the trash trucks early every morning. We recognize some of the folks who work the check-out line at the grocery store.

We walk almost everywhere we go. Our grocery store is a five-minute walk. We never buy more than we can carry. There are three lovely swimming beaches within a 20-minute walking radius. Our favorite - Balneario del Escambron - called the Coconut Beach by the kids - is protected by a coral reef and provides a great area for swimming and snorkeling. By contrast, the beach in Condado - location of many hotels - has a wicked rip current. There was a drowning there a few weeks ago.

We've seen and heard lots of interesting animals. From the iguanas that bask in the sun to the coqui that we hear singing every night, we have the chance for a lot of new experiences. Our latest find has been the animals that live in the Condado Lagoon, part of the Esturario de la Bahía de San Juan.  Over the past couple of weeks we've noticed several manatees, including a mom and baby.

We've done some homework and have learned about manatee babies (at birth they are 3-4 feet long and weight 60-70 lbs) and about how manatees sleep (they are mammals, after all.....).

We've also seen a spotted sting ray several times. We now look for these friends every time we cross the estuary bridge.

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Homeschooling has been a fun and interesting adventure

The kids' schools provided some materials and assignments to be used during our time away. We structured our days so that we did schoolwork during the morning hours, saving the afternoons for excursions. The kids are most focused in the morning so this has worked well. 

They typically start with math. Claire has covered multiplication and division (rapid-fire with flashcards and an online program from school), as well as understanding and computing perimeter and area. We've made up a lot of fun problems that involve painting her room or making a quilt. James has covered the school assignments - decimals and fractions, converting one to another, as well as adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing them and figuring the volume of rectangular prisms - as well as some other 'fun math' including beginning algebra (setting up and solving equations) and calculating square roots. He enjoyed working through the logic and math needed to decide whether buying and renovating a dilapidated hotel on the beach would be a good investment Answer: nope!

ELA (English language arts) often came next. This took a variety of forms from reading for pleasure (James is into young adult fiction by authors like Rick Riordan while Claire is reading books in the Emily Windsnap series) to non-fiction reading (we discovered the Smithsonian TweenTribune site that provides graded articles in both English and Spanish). The kids did a lot of writing, most often connected with social studies and science learning. They each wrote a blog where they reported on a variety of topics including indigenous people of Puerto Rico and the Spanish-American War. They each created a poster on an ecosystem (coral reefs for James and sea grass for Claire) and presented their poster in a formal session - complete with judges (Karen and me) and with refreshments. Both kids wrote a piece of realistic fiction about an animal (stone fish and sting ray) and James interviewed his mom and wrote an essay about the notion of school uniforms.

We took advantage of our surroundings to study science and social studies. We began our study of Puerto Rico by learning about the Taíno Indians, then moved on to Spanish explorers. We learned about the Spanish-American War and the beginning of Puerto Rico's relationship with the U.S. Learning about recent and current Puerto Rican history and culture has been fun and challenging. Sorting out the definitions of a state, a territory, and a commonwealth has been harder than we would have guessed. Not surprisingly, ideas on current political thinking depend on where you get your information and who you talk to. Notions of statehood vs. continuing as a territory vs. independence are hotly debated. 

We explored a lot of Puerto Rico beginning with our neighborhood. We walked the area repeatedly, taking photos, making notes, and measuring distances. Each of the kids drew a to-scale map of our street and the surrounding area. 

We researched the various ecosystems on the island and had a chance to experience all of them. 

We visited two art museums during our time here. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico provided excellent examples of of classic and more recent art with a focus on Spanish artists. We easily spent a couple of hours there, reading the interpretive plaques in Spanish and enjoying the variety of exhibits. James and I stretched our brains and imaginations by visiting the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico. The docents were happy to explain some of the exhibits to us and we were struck by the political nature of many (most?) of the pieces. We were challenged by this experience and left 'with our heads full'.

Of course, we took the opportunity to work on our Spanish while we were here. We had a tutor - a woman who works part-time for WPI (Karen's home institution) and who tutors part-time. She came to our apartment a couple of times a week and worked with us on a theme. We covered rooms in the house, food, parts of the body, counting and the alphabet, and pronunciation. We were reminded to enunciate, to use the correct vowel sounds, and to voice every syllable. We bought a Spanish card game (Kloo) that had us put sentences together. We practiced our Spanish in the grocery store and in restaurants. We quizzed each other while walking. And the kids asked - in Spanish - for the keys to open the door every single time we went out! We have tried to make time to do some Spanish reading each day. In hindsight, we realize that our 'book-learning' Spanish is pretty good but that true conversational Spanish needs more face-too-face interaction.

Finally, what would school be without PE! We have been taking turns being responsible for PE. With James and Claire both being gymnasts and Karen having participated in a bi-weekly 'bootcamp' series, we've been treated to a variety of activities including strength and conditioning exercises (lunges, pushups, planks, etc), as well as lively basketball drills at our local park. We discovered a series of exercise stations along the walk beside the laguna. This turned out to be a popular stop as we could do all kinds of exercises using the equipment while on one of our favorite walks. And swimming, of course! We have been swimming in the ocean 4-5 times a week. Karen and I have continued the exercise program in the evening as we watch the news or HGTV. Most nights we do 60-75 pushups (in sets of 15) followed by other assorted exercises that can be done in a small space. I think we'll be leaving Puerto Rico more fit than when we arrived!

I think we've all enjoyed the novelty of homeschooling. We have found that with focused attention, we can cover the material and get the work done in 3.5-4 hours per day. We've enjoyed the flexibility that such a schedule provides but I think we also realize that this would be much harder to do well on a continuing basis. 

Trying to maximize experience requires thought and planning

Our goal was to learn and experience as much about Puerto Rico as possible during our time here. As we've described previously, we took a number of field trips and excursions that have allowed us to visit various parts of the island and beyond (Vieques!). We've explored the ecosystems and animals that inhabit this place. We've tried a lot of native fruits and vegetables, as well as local dishes such as mofungo. We've listened to the opinions of local people - our Spanish tutor and the museum docents - about politics in Puerto Rico. We've visited museums and craft fairs to learn about Puerto Rican history, culture, and art. 

As with any trip, our discretionary dollars to spend have been limited. Early on we decided that we would plan to eat out twice a week, concentrating on breakfasts and lunches (which often provide similar choices at less expense than dinner). About two weeks ago we realized that we had had more meals at home than planned. So we've been splurging a bit! We've had a couple of lunches at amazing local, off the beaten path places where the food was good, plentiful, and reasonable. When you don't see any tourists in the place, you often have found a gem! 

We've used our sightseeing dollars carefully. Many beautiful natural resources, such as El Yunque Natural Forest, are free. The tours sponsored by Para La Naturaleza are quite reasonable in price, assuming you have your own transportation to get there. A trip for 5 of us - two adults, one senior, and two kids - typically cost ~ $53. The bosques estatales (state forests)  - with their hiking trails and scenic views - are free. The museums are low cost - $6 for one senior and one child to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Shopping is another place where one can choose where, how, and how much to spend. We decided that we'd spend the first two-thirds of our time looking at things and not make any purchases until later in the trip. This strategy has served us well. After numerous trips walking through Old San Juan, we've made a couple of focused shopping trips. I'd been searching for a piece of art to take home with me as a reminder of our time in Puerto Rico. Finding what I want - something that captures both the scene and the spirit of the place - and that's within my budget - was a bit of a challenge. But last week I found 'my painting'! I'm so pleased:-) The artist is Susana Lopez and the painting is called La Calle del Sol Este. (The painting is the fourth one from the left in the top row.) 

We've done some holiday shopping at local craft fairs and in Old San Juan. Family members should not be surprised to receive gifts from Karen and me that come from both of us and are labelled as from 'Puerto Rico'! The kids have been thoughtful about the gifts they want to give and have made a number of craft presents for family and friends.

• It's hard to believe it's almost Christmas

When we talk to family at home every night, we hear about cold temps and snow. We hear about Christmas trees and Christmas lights, and about gift ideas, wrapping, and mailing. We look around us here in Miramar and see Christmas decorations everywhere - from decorated trees on the street to elaborate Christmas lights to a wreath on the front of our building and greenery decorating the handrails on the stairs.

Yet we find it hard to feel like Christmas is approaching. The weather has turned from fall to winter - meaning that we have temps in the low to mid 80s rather than in the high 80s most days. The humidity is definitely less and there are fewer rain showers. We comment on how pleasant the weather is as we continue to wear shorts and sandals and go swimming in the ocean on most days.

• We'll be headed home in less than a week!

We've had the luxury of time to explore many parts of Puerto Rico. We've visited historic sights and museums, have hiked in the ran forest and the dry forest, and have walked on numerous gorgeous sand beaches. A few weeks ago we decided that we'd spend our last few days here doing 'something special.' Karen will finish up her work with the WPI students and they will head home by the end of the week.  We've decided to go to the western part of the island for a little 'vacation' before leaving Puerto Rico. We'll be staying in Rincon and exploring places - such as Cabo Rojo -  that are too far for a day trip from San Juan.

We leave here with bittersweet feelings. We've had a great time and have enjoyed the fun, the challenge, and the change of pace yet we're ready to be back home with our routines, and family and friends. I'm guessing that's the perfect way to end this trip!

Thanksgiving in Vieques

We decided to spend the Thanksgiving holiday exploring another part of Puerto Rico. Vieques is a small island - 21 miles long and 5 miles wide - located just 7 miles off the south-eastern tip of Puerto Rico. It has a population of ~ 10,000 and is known mainly for its fabulous, unspoiled beaches, feral horses, and bioluminescent bay.

We booked our ferry tickets and an Airbnb house - within walking distance of the ferry - in Isabel Segunda, one of the two main towns on the island.  A car that can handle dirt roads, potholes, and bumps was highly advised so we rented a jeep in order to better explore the island.

We arrived at our rental house, advertised as coming "complete with full kitchen - everything you need!" to find that our kitchen contained one spoon, one fork, no knives, 4 wineglasses, and no cups for coffee. While some of us contacted the owner (who had his awesome handyman provide us with a few more utensils), the rest of us made a grocery store run. We put together a quick dinner of homemade pizza then headed off for our tour of the bioluminescent bay.

Mosquito Bay - named after the boat used by Roberto Cofresi, a 19th century Robin Hood-type pirate -  is the largest bioluminescent bay in the world. The tiny organisms that produce the bioluminescence  - dinoflagellates -  emit light caused by a chemical reaction when threatened or disturbed. Each dino burst can occur only once per 24 hours and lasts about 1/10 of a second. Then the organism must recharge with sunlight and nutrients from the surrounding water. Protecting the bay by protecting the mangrove forest, and by restricting swimming and the use of DEET, has resulted in an increase in ñthe number of dinos in the bay  to 1,000,000 per gallon of water.

It had been raining a lot for the past two weeks. This huge influx of water stirred up the silt and water in the bay resulting in less than clear water conditions. While our bioluminescent display was suboptimal, it was still pretty good. The water sparkled when you dipped your kayak paddle through it. If you trailed your hand in the water, it left a sparkly trail. And some lucky folks could see sparkly outlines of fish as we paddled through the dark bay.

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day (Día de Acción de Gracias). We spent the day exploring beaches in the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. The Navy used this area for military training until 2001. While most of the area has been cleaned up, there are still signs warning about the occasional presence of explosives. What a way to start your time at the beach!

We spent a good deal of the day at La Chiva beach. A long stretch of silky sand bordered the refreshing water and we alternated between playing in the water and walking on the beach.

The terrain here was quite different from what we've been used to in San Juan. While the greenery was still lush, the air was much drier. In fact, cactus was a prevalent feature of the greenery just off the beach.

At the far end of the beach, we found an area of brackish water that was quite red in color. This appeared to be channel heading into a mangrove swamp. The sand at the edge proved to be quite soft and squishy - almost a type of quicksand. Dennis sank up to his knee and had to work at breaking the suction to pull his leg out!

After our day at the beaches, we took a walk along Mosquito Pier before heading back to our casa for our Thanksgiving dinner of nachos and homemade pumpkin pie!

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Friday was another gorgeous day. We started with breakfast out at a local coffee bar to fortify ourselves for our kayaking and snorkeling tour at Tres Palmitas. We began by kayaking around and through a mangrove forest. We had a chance to see some of the creatures that use these areas for their home - crabs, snails, and many varieties of fish. Then we kayaked to a quiet beach where we put on our snorkel gear and headed out into the water for a big explore. We swam over the undulating ocean floor populated with sea grass and coral of many types. We saw fish - although not as many as might have been expected. Our tour guides explained that this was a byproduct of the previous week's wind and rain. We saw a moon jellyfish and got to 'pet' it as one of our guides held it in his hand.

We needed to turn the car in by 4:00 so spent the last couple of hours driving around to see more of the island. After we filled the car up with gas (we needed to return it full), we found that there were only two gas stations on the island!

We had dinner out at Coqui Fire - a great place just steps from our casa. This Mexican restaurant makes its own hot sauces - nine varieties in all - that range from mild to knock your socks off. We enjoyed trying several of them.

On Saturday morning we had breakfast at another place in Isabel Segunda, then headed for the ferry. Once back on the Puerto Rican mainland, we declared our non-traditional Thanksgiving an adventure and a success!

More Explorations: Cabezas de San Juan

The Para la Naturaleza (http://www.paralanaturaleza.org/en/category/news/?lang=en) is a nature conservancy in Puerto Rico that supports a dozen or so sites of historical and/or environmental significance.  We recently visited Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve in Fajardo, just over an hour east of San Juan.  This area is unique in that six separate ecosystems – a bioluminescent lagoon, coral reefs, dry forest, mangroves, and sandy and rocky beaches – all exist in the same 300 acre location. Our 2.5 hour guided tour provided us with tons of information on each system.

Our first stop was the Cabo San Juan Lighthouse. The lighthouse is still in use but no longer has staff who live onsite. 

 

As you can imagine, the view from the top is magnificent. Las Cabezas – ‘heads’ in Spanish – gets its name from the terrain which can be seen from the lighthouse. Three rounded prominences – heads  or headlands – are areas of land that extend into the water.

If you look carefully, you can see a rainbow reflecting on the water.

Spectacular cloud formations!

A fun fact: the spiral staircase going from the main floor to the roof curves in a counter-clockwise direction. It was built this way to facilitate defense against invaders, who were mostly right-handed. Interesting fact: Only 12% of the population are left-handed. The two lefties in our group – daughter Karen and grandson James – would be at a decided advantage if they were attacking the lighthouse!

There were a number of exhibits in the lighthouse including a tank with a sea cucumber in it. The guide had visitors wash their hands then he handed the creature to them. Karen and James each took a turn. They described the sensation like holding silly putty. The sea cucumber is an invertebrate that has a number of fascinating properties. One is that when hung over your hand, it lengthens. Another is its ability to dump its internal organs as defense. When it is safe again, it can regenerate the organs. Not only that, if it loses its front half, it can grow a new one. No such luck if it loses its back half. 

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Another exhibit took place in a darkened room where we got information on the bioluminescent organisms that live in a number of bays in Puerto Rico. Movement of the water in which they live – such as during an attack – results in a chemical reaction that produces light. We were each given a small packet of water containing zillions of these protozoans. When we shook the bag, sure enough, colorful light played across the packet. Our guide explained that the ability of the organisms to emit light decays over time and demonstrated that a fresh bag produced more light than those we had been shaking for a couple of minutes.

No photos were allowed in the darkened room so I got this photo from: http://www.abyss.com.au/diving/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/bioluminescence.jpg

After spending nearly an hour at the lighthouse, it was on to the rocky beach. Nearly all the beaches – ‘playas’ -  we have seen in Puerto Rico have consisted of amazingly soft sand. The beach at Las Cabezas was rocky – much more like beaches we see on the coast of Maine. The explanation for this has to do with the speed with which the waves hit the shore. The waves here hit with enough force that they remove all the sand and silt.

An example of brain coral.

This is a lovely specimen of fan coral.

Next, it was on to the mangrove forest. We walked onto a boardwalk that took us through several different areas of mangroves. We learned that black mangroves send up roots through shallow water and that red mangroves drop seeds into the water. We saw areas where the mangroves had died because of changing salinity and new areas of growth. Completely fascinating.

Black mangrove roots.

 Some examples of animals and fish that live amongst the mangroves.

Note the orange color of the water. This is because this area is populated by red mangroves.

Examples of a dead mangrove swamp - killed by changing salinity of the water.

Para la Naturaleza tours are a real bargain. Total cost for five of us – two seniors, one adult, and two kids – was $53. We plan to take advantage of more of their tours while we’re here.

Exploring the World Around Us - Paseo de Piñones

We've had a lot of opportunities to explore the world around us. Last week we made another attempt - this time successful! - to visit the Paseo de Piñones, a biking and hiking path located just a short drive from the San Juan airport. Our first attempt, a couple of weeks ago, was cut short when all we could find was an empty parking lot in a somewhat sketchy area at the far end of the trail. After reading some more info on where and how to access the path, we found easy access just east of Isla Verde.

The path is a combination of paved area and boardwalk that runs parallel to the beach. There are opportunities to spend some time on the sand and rocks while the boardwalk keeps walkers and bikers off the fragile parts of the beach. We began our walk on a section of the path that goes by a mangrove forest.

This important habitat consists of small trees that grow with their roots in the water in coastal areas. Mangroves provide a home for many animals, fish, and organisms and have been called the 'nursery of the sea.'

We have been noticing large nests in many of the trees we've seen in the forest. We have learned that these are termite nests and many of them are impressive in size.

The path leaves the forest behind and follows closer to the shore. Waves break over a reef about 100 yds. out from the shore.

We spent a lot of time walking on the shore and the rocks finding crabs, snails, and shells.

One of the larger crabs we saw walking along the shore.

We weren't sure at first what these circular items were. On closer inspection we found that they were snails.

We ended our walk seeing one of the pine trees for which the area is named.

Visiting the Camuy River Cave Park

Our excursion plan is to maximize our dollars and travel time while seeing as much of what there is to see as possible. Thus, ventures that are costly or that take a lot of time - those we're likely to do only one time - are saved for when either Dennis (Karen's husband) or Smith (my husband) are visiting.

A long-weekend visit by Dennis gave us the perfect opportunity for to visit the Camuy River Cave Park in northwestern Puerto Rico. This system of caves was carved out of limestone between one and two million years ago by the Camuy River, which is the third-largest underground river in the world. The main cave, and the only one open to visitors while we were there, is the Cueva Clara. Although the cave was likely explored by the Taíno people many hundreds of years ago, it was only 'discovered' in 1958. Since that time, more than 200 caves within the system have been mapped and experts believe that  there are at least 800 more yet to be explored.

Our cave tour started with a tram ride down, down, down from the visitor center. At the bottom, we entered the cave. The main chamber of the cave is 700 feet long and 215 feet high.

The view looking back and up from inside the mouth of the cave.

One of the interesting things we could see from the mouth of the cave was a tree growing upside down!

Once inside the cave, we got information from our guide and from the audio headset we each had that had a script linked to the numbered sections of the cave. The cave has lots of stalagmites and stalactites. Our guide gave us an easy way to remember which of these is which: stalagmites have a 'g' in them. This stands for the 'ground' and the fact that they grow up from the ground. Stalactites have a 'c' in them This stands for the 'ceiling' and the fact that they grow down from above and have to hold on 'tight'.

A gigantic stalagmite - about 30 ft X 35 ft X 45 ft -  is located in the cave. These amazing projections grow very very slowly - at a rate of approximately 1 cubic centimeter every 100 years. As our tour guide said, 'You do the math!'

Lava tubes, created during the formation of the cave, are another interesting feature. Depending on the flow of the lava, these may be in the form of lava cascades or lava draperies.

Lava tubes in the Cueva Clara.

Another interesting geologic feature is the cave witch.

The cave witch

Deep in the cave we came upon a spring with water pouring out of the wall. The water coming from this 'fountain of youth' is potable so we each had a drink.

Past the spring, we began climbing and noticed that the temperature was rising. That coupled with a musky smell let us know we were in the bat cave. The smell was from vast amounts of bat guano.

We saw huge crickets, a scorpion spider, and bats in the cave.

While we were disappointed that the 650 feet in diameter and 400 foot deep Tres Pueblos sinkhole wasn't open to visitors, we had a great visit. We saw a lot and learned a lot. And - ended the day with helado - local ice cream! We sampled all four flavors: coco (coconut), passion fruit, peanut, and corn (topped with cinnamon).

Trying Local Foods

Learning about and trying local foods is high on our 'to do' list while we're in Puerto Rico.  Our local grocery store, just a 5-7 minute walk away, carries a modest supply of local produce. We're quickly becoming spoiled with the ability to have fresh mangoes, pineapple, bananas, and avocado almost every day. They are plentiful, inexpensive, and delicious. To our amusement, Karen and I find that we are becoming pineapple snobs. We prefer the smaller Puerto Rican pineapples with their more complex flavor to the larger and sweeter fruit from Costa Rica.

 Pineapple and mango fruit salad - a perennial favorite for all of us

As previously noted, the first weekend we were here, we stopped at a small fruit and vegetable stand near Arecibo where we bought bananas, pana fruta (breadfruit) and something we thought was a lime. We later found that it was a Puerto Rican orange - known as a China - which was also delicious. After looking at a number of recipes (boiled breadfruit, breadfruit with saltfish.....nope!), we decided to French fry our pana. We were surprised to find that the flesh turned color as soon as it hit the air so we submerged it in water (sort of like what you do with potatoes) while we prepared the hot pan.

We tossed the sliced pana in a little olive oil and salt and cooked them (next to the sweet potato fries we were also making) until they were crispy.

Karen and I thought they were good - they tasted sort of like bread and potatoes. The kids ate their 'no thank you' helping and decided that was enough for them.

Last night we made a Puerto Rican dish of black beans cooked with spices served over rice and topped with fried plantains and chunks of mango. Karen and I thought it was delicious. The kids liked it all except the plantains. Tonight we had the leftovers and found that a little added sofrito - a spicy sauce - was just the ticket. Unfortunately, we also found that leftover fried plantain is not a good idea. Or as Karen said, "Unlike revenge which is best served cold, fried plantain is best served hot."

Learning Spanish

We've now been in Puerto Rico for 8 days. We've settled into a routine with home school, excursions, and trips to various beaches for swimming. We also have incorporated learning Spanish into our routine.

Prior to our trip, Karen and I both spent several months using Rosetta Stone to begin learning Latin American Spanish, which is different from Spanish spoken in Spain. An acquaintance from home, who grew up in PR, recommended a 1990's educational series made for TV called Destinos. We explored a couple of other online resources, too and made enough progress that we were not totally lost when we arrived.

Learning enough Spanish to be comfortable here is a goal we have for ourselves and for the kids. We have hired a tutor who comes to the house twice a week for an hour each time. Beatrice was born in Cuba and has lived in the US. She talks to us in a mixture of Spanish and English, asks us questions, teaches us pronunciation and usage, gives us information about Puerto Rican history and government, and gives us 'homework' assignments. Face-to-face learning helps us to be accountable for learning.

The kids have located a number of Spanish lesson resources on youtube. Part of home school is spending time each day working on their Spanish. Claire, in particular, seems to really enjoy this learning and spends a good bit of her 'free screen time' using the ipad to listen and practice the alphabet, days of the week, counting, and conversation.

We've also started watching episodes of Destinos each evening. This 52-episode story teaches communication and comprehension skills in the format of a continuing story:

 "Destinos recounts the story of Los Angeles-based lawyer Raquel Rodríguez who is hired by the family of Fernando Castillo. He had discovered that his first wife, Rosario, did not die in the Spanish Civil War as he had believed, but had survived and had an unknown child. In the course of her investigation of the case, Raquel travels to a number of Spanish-speaking areas — Seville and Madrid in Spain; Buenos Ares in Argentina;  San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Mexico— has a number of adventures and mishaps, and faces a number of melodramatic conflicts."

Everyone seems to enjoy this mode of learning and we've been known to watch more than one episode in an evening!

We try to use our Spanish words whenever we're out. We've gotten reasonably good at ordering food and shopping. We have told our waitstaff - in Spanish - that we are learning Spanish and request that they speak to us in Spanish. We've been pleasantly surprised by the smiles we get when we say this or when we make attempts to talk in Spanish.

We also try to read signs we see while walking or traveling on the bus. When we have excursions - like today's trip to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro - we start by reading the placards first in Spanish. This works pretty well for the first several signs, then our brains get tired.

Day by day, we make a bit of progress:-)

 ¡Hasta mañana!