I started my day
thinking about what I was going to wear, so I would be able to look as much as
a tourist as possible. After giving it some thought I ended up wearing jean
shorts, a tee, sandals, a big sun hat, sunglasses, and a fanny pack. In my
eyes, this is how most stereotypical tourists look like. Once I figured out how
I was going to look the part, I decided that I was going to pretend to be a
tourist from the United States, because for me it is easier to talk in English than
to imitate a Spanish accent from another place.
When I got to
Old San Juan the first thing I did was to take a tour of El Morro. It had been
years since I’d done it, so it felt like I was seeing all of it for the first
time. I quietly observed everything around me, took it in, and relished in the beauty
of my surroundings. The people who work there were very helpful when I asked
them for directions on how to get to Raíces, the restaurant I went to for
lunch. When I got to the restaurant I ordered a piña colada and one of their
specialties, a skirt steak mofongo stuffed with chimichurri. The waiter was
very nice and the food was delicious. The all-around service was excellent.
Then, as my outing began to come to a close I went to Señor Paleta for dessert
and got a strawberry cheesecake popsicle.
In Short, I had
a fun and relaxing time during my day as a tourist. At the beginning I was a
little skeptical because I thought I wasn’t going to look and sound the part,
but in the end I was able to pull it off. In fact, various times I was spoken
to in English before I even said a word. The people I interacted with were very
kind and friendly; some even went out of their way to make sure I was having an
enjoyable time. This goes to show that people want tourists to leave the places
they visit with a good impression. Furthermore, this activity was a great way
for me to appreciate my cultural heritage even more.
Old San Juan is pretty much the ultimate tourist spot. I wore a backpack just like you. It seemed like something all tourist wear along with a camera, I think. All the food sounds delicious. Glad you had a nice time and were treated well. Nice description of what you did during the day.
ReplyDeleteMy key item was my Polaroid and a hat, my cousin said I looked like a University student in her spring break which we technically were so I was not amused. Old San Juan is definitely the most friendly place for tourist (other than the overpriced Piragua) and I'm starting to think I should have gone somewhere else to see how differently I would have been treated if tourist were not common to the area. I'm glad you had fun.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice in restaurants and dessert. Old san juan is probably the epitome of touristy places in Puerto Rico. Nonetheless, seems like you had a fun time and were able to accomplish your mission, the clothing was very appropriate. Overall a great description of a seemingly great day!
ReplyDeleteNice work! I think you nailed the wardrobe part; it is the same clothes I would use too. I think Old San Juan is the best place to go and enjoy the play of a tourist. Plus, I’ve been to Raíces and Señor Paleta and both are excellent with their food. I’m proud that you had a fun time and people respected you to be tourists. It makes me glad that even In our chaos world we have enjoyable and respectable people in our homeland.
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