Sunday, March 9, 2014

San Juan Moments!

And of course no trip to Puerto Rico would ever be complete with out enjoying Old San Juan.  This place is the most special.  It is where my mother was born and spent her early years.


The pictures of me in front of a blue home (below) is where my mother was born and grew up for her first few years before the family was stationed in Panama for a really long time.  Back than it wasn't all that pretty.  Old San Juan was sort of the ghetto as she describes it, not the posh place for tourist.  Even though during those years her mother would make her dresses out of flour sacks I think my mom might have been the luckiest kid in the world to wake up every morning and look out the front window and see the most beautiful ocean ever!











Saturday, March 8, 2014

Castillo de San Morro

This is the castle where my Abuelito was stationed between WWII and the start of the Korean conflict.  Just walking around I could feel his spirit.  I could almost picture him playing his trumpet in the US Army Band.  It was beautiful!!!









Carnival Time!!!

I would never plan on taking my orthodox Mormon husband to Carnival in Brazil or Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  That just goes with out saying.  But as fate had it on the day we visited Ponce Carnival just barely started and it was a total family affair.  Instead of half naked ladies I became obsessed with the traditional Carnival gowns of Puerto Rico that are truly works of art.  Here are some brief moments.











Ponce

 Ponce is  a place where my grandfather grew up in an orphanage.  It was here he decided to join the US Military during WWII and the rest is history.  He moved to San Juan, met my Abuelita, and my mom was born :)






He built this home over 65 years ago (although it has been very much modified!!!!).

The Island of Culebra