Today I decided to go on a walking tour around Old San Juan. It was a sort of last minute decision on Friday to book the tour for today and I didn’t know anyone else taking the tour with me but, the tour guide happens to be my brother so I knew I was in good hands. He just began offering tours in Old San Juan for locals and I was looking forward to seeing him in action and show my support.
He has always been very interested in history, so it was no surprise that after writing a novel, short stories and having a blog about the history of Puerto Rico, he would like to do this.
It was also no surprise to me that everyone there today, including me, really enjoyed the three hours we spent walking around San Juan, even in this heat. I do have to admit there are a few things I forgot from history class in school but he did a great job in giving us the facts in an interesting and conversational way, not like a memorized script. He talked about battles and invasions or attempted invasions of San Juan, the importance and history of different buildings, the fortifications, churches, and the plazas in this old city, while also talking about the contributions of many important figures at different moments in our history.
What I found most entertaining about this was that he was able to keep me, his scatterbrained sister, interested and paying attention. I’m exhausted now, but it was fun, I learned a lot so I’m glad I went.
Unstoppable María 