Ponce, Puerto Rico

This is it!
Our last port of call before we head back to Fort Lauderdale.
Some people are ready to go home, but me, I’ve just started.I would love to continue cruising because the ship is heading off to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea next. Unfortunately, I haven’t won anything in the ship’s casino and no one from home has contacted me about winning the lottery. So, it looks like I will have to disembark with most of the passengers in a couple of days. (A few lucky people are staying onboard and continuing on to Europe.)

Most visitors to Puerto Rico stop in San Juan. (In fact, we have been told that there are 8 cruise ships there right now.) However, the US government has poured millions of dollars into the port of Ponce, 90 minutes south of San Juan. They are trying to develop this side of the island as a tourist destination and from the looks of it, they just might succeed.

As soon as we got off the ship, we were greeted by the community marching band and free rum drinks! (So far, so good!)

Then we hopped on a free shuttle bus that took us from the dock to the newly developed boardwalk area. Tourists and locals could sit down and relax while grabbing a bite or having a drink from one of the numerous kiosks. Even some of the wildlife popped in for a bite to eat!

The beach area is at the end of the boardwalk. While it hardly compares to any of the beaches that we saw in Barbados, it was an ok spot to soak up some rays.

After looking around, my friend and I decided to take a bus into downtown Ponce. At the center of town lies the city’s main attraction, the old fire hall.

This wildly decorated museum is located in the town square next to the cathedral.

Because it was Sunday, most of the buildings were closed, but the vendors in the square were doing a brisk business selling their souvenirs and handicrafts. It was very hot in Puerto Rico and my friend and I were happy to spend some time walking around the air conditioned stores in one of the major shopping malls. As usual, I didn’t buy anything, but it sure felt good to get out of the heat for a while!