This is an "unincorporated organized territory", that is, the territory is not part of the United States, but is their possession. It has its own constitution, its own power, but Puerto Ricans have US citizenship, they don’t have their own currency, and the States are also responsible for defense. A year ago, in a referendum, locals voted to become the 51st US state, if Congress approves, then a country like Puerto Rico will disappear from the world map.
Despite the fact that Puerto Rico did not formally become the 51st state, the American border guards firmly settled here. As I said, every time I cross the US border, they take me to a special screening and interrogation. Every time something lights up in the computer of the border guard, he makes a frightened face and hands over my documents to the chief. Then a separate room and 20-30 minutes of questions.
The arrival in Puerto Rico was no exception, but the questions here were special. Where before the border guards were more interested in the countries I had been to before, the Puerto Rican border officer was more curious. He also told why I was interrogated every time. So, there are many reasons.
1 reason: I have lost my passport before. More precisely, I didn’t lose it, but it was stolen from me. I had an American visa in my passport, which I told the embassy about. I was given a new visa and made a note in the case.
2 reason: My file says that I tried to enter the United States without a visa. A terrible crime. It's time to remember the story that happened to me on November 30, 2012 in Guam. To make a transit, you need to go through immigration control. I am standing in a huge line, I reach the officer, I give him the documents:
Do you have a US visa? the officer asks
“But I don’t need it, they let you go to Guam without a visa,” I answer.
- That's right, Guam is allowed without a visa, but the system says that you have a visa ...
- Yes, there is, for 3 years, but in a different passport, - I confirmed, I don’t feel a catch. I do have a visa, but it is in my second passport, which is now in Moscow.
- By law, if you have a US visa, you must present it, you cannot enter without a visa if you have a visa!
- Great, now what to do?
- Penalty for violating immigration law $580. Also, you may have problems with a valid visa, up to its cancellation and a ban on entry into the United States. I will issue you a fine and send your case to the mainland.
This is where I got a little carried away. 3 days ago I passed the control without any problems. And I don't understand what he got to me. Russians do not need a visa to Guam, I have a visa to the USA (he even has a scan of it in his computer). The officer takes out papers for a fine, starts writing something and asks me to go into a room. And here comes, apparently, his boss.
- What are you doing? - asks the boss.
- Yes, there are problems with the visa.
- You have nothing to do? Leave the person alone, does he have transit at all, why are you attached?
As a result, they give me the documents, they apologize, but they ask me to be more careful with the rules.
In general, that border guard nevertheless entered a mark in my file and accused me of trying to enter the United States without a visa. Once again, Guam is not exactly a US territory, and Russian citizens do not need a visa to go there.
3 reason: I have too many trips, and all for the purpose of "tourism". This, according to the border guard, is very suspicious. Even more suspicious of the border guard was my trip to the States last year at the invitation of the State Department.
Reason 4 (funny): I have a "wrongly" canceled passport. I have a valid US visa in a canceled foreign country. How do we cancel a passport? Just take and cut out the number on the first page with scissors. All. Previously, they still put the stamp "cancelled", but they don't put one in the biometric one. According to the Puerto Rican border guard, this is illegal. I don’t know why, but yesterday they gathered a whole council to decide whether it’s really the Russian Federal Migration Service that cancels passports like that, or whether I myself cut out a piece with the number of the treasured document. We thought about 5 minutes. As a result, we agreed that in Russia passports are canceled through the ass. Then they took a stapler and sealed my 2 passports - valid and canceled). They fastened it well, so the Russian border guards will be surprised.
All these reasons combined made me very suspicious to the Americans, and now when my passport is scanned, a big red sign pops up on the monitor of any border guard: "GRAB HIM AND TORTURE!"
But nothing, I'm already used to it. All these difficulties could not spoil the impressions of the wonderful San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
01. I'm flying out of the Dominican Republic. An Aeroflot plane is at the Punta Cana airport. Hard to see, it's on the far left. I wanted to immediately go on board with them and rummage through food supplies, there is probably buckwheat there. 
02.
03. Fly to San Juan 30 minutes. 
04. San Juan has 400,000 people. 
05. Big resort town 
06.
07. On the left you can see the metro overpass, tomorrow I will go for a ride on it. 
08. Almost the whole city looks like this 
09. Or so 
10. Signs, roads, interchanges - everything is very reminiscent of the States 
11.
12. You are driving calmly in the center, and here, BAM, vacationers! 
13. San Juan is very convenient: the entire old city is located on a peninsula. Such a reserve. Parking is bad, so local crooks put up their barrel cones and sell seats for $3. 
14. It's very nice in the old town 
15. Tourists are brought here on huge cruise ships. 
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17.
18.
19. Well, what kind of scarecrow is this? How can you walk like that? Apparently, there are problems with hairdressers. 
20.
21. The houses are terribly cute. Everywhere there are inserts with drawings, everything is colorful and bright. 
22. Look how cool. 
23. Directly Europe. 
24.
25.
26.
27.
28. San Juan is also a very green city. Everywhere there are tubs with trees. Something grows on every balcony. 
29. Barrels with trees outside. 
30. See how much greenery. 
31.
32.
33. I would also like to remove the parking from here ... 
34. And it will be very good. 
35.
36. Old Spanish fort. 
37.
38.
39.
40. Genocide of cyclists ( 
41. There are a lot of cats in San Juan, like in Istanbul. 
42.
43.
44. And, of course, in San Juan, excellent paving stones on the road and perfectly laid tiles on the sidewalks.
45. Paving stones all with a blue tint. Oven scale stones used for paving were brought in as ballast on Spanish ships. 
46.
All journey:
Day 1: San Francisco, USA
Day 2: Carmel Valley, USA
Day 3: Apple, Facebook, Google, USA
Day 4: 17 Mile Road Sunset in SF, USA
Day 5:
Old San Juan, or as the locals call it, El Vejo San Juan, is located on the western tip of a rocky peninsula at the mouth of San Juan Bay. Traveling to Puerto Rico, you simply must visit Old San Juan with its cobbled streets, which are covered with blue stone from the furnace scale and keep the secrets of the history of this amazing city.
architectural features
Old San Juan is full of buildings and structures of the 16th-17th centuries, which today are a National Historic Site and a starting point for tourists. This city is more like a museum, which contains buildings with ancient architecture. The most famous area is the Plaza del Cinto Centenario, which has preserved examples of the colonial style in the western part of the city. The narrow and winding streets are paved with blocks called "adekines". The elegant façades of the buildings and their balconies with lattices entwined with flowers take passers-by back to the time of the classics of Spanish literature. On the northern side of Old San Juan, fortifications made of stone stretch, forming, together with the forts, a strong defensive system that once protected the locals from the raids of French, Dutch and British corsairs. Over time, many buildings were destroyed, and only the ramparts of San Cristobal, El Morro and the walls of La Muraglia remained intact. However, even these buildings testify to the power and former grandeur of the fortress.
excursion tour
Old San Juan is considered the main cultural attraction of the resort of Puerto Rico. Docks for cruise ships stretch along the entire waterfront of the city. This is where the walking tour should start. To the left of the pier is the Plaza de la Darsena, which houses the tourist information center, the center of artisans with their work, and here you can also see the schedule of cruise ships that make daily sea voyages and walks along the surrounding beaches.
Other attractions in El Vejo San Juan include:
- Casablanca, built in 1523 as the residence of the Spanish conquistador Pense de Leon;
- the Dominican convent, which today houses the Institute of Culture;
- City hall;
- La Fortaleza, erected in 1540 as the residence of the governor of the island;
- Cathedral of San Juan;
- La Princesa - a neoclassical building that was built in 1837 as a prison, and today it is a wonderful exhibition hall for the work of local artists;
- La Rogativa - an amazing sculptural group, erected in 1797 to commemorate the salvation of the city from British troops;
- Museum of Colonial Architecture;
- Fort San Cristobal and Fuerte San Felipe del Moro, which are recognized as National Historic Monuments and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List;
- Delas Palomas - now a pigeon sanctuary;
- Plaza de Armas - the main square of the Old Town with four monuments representing the seasons;
- El Convento is one of the most luxurious
Attractions in San Juan
1. Old San Juan
Showcasing almost 500 years of history on the streets of old San Juan (San Juan Viejo) is a real window into the past, here you will see historic forts and Spanish colonial architecture, churches and old squares that still remember how the conquistadors of the Spanish crown walked on them. Old San Juan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the second oldest city in South America and the oldest city under the US protectorate.
Old San Juan is seven ancient squares and over 400 beautifully restored colonial buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries, which are now mostly occupied by antiques and souvenir shops designed for tourists from all over the world, as well as restaurants, museums and hotels. You can not take a guided tour, but just wander the streets, admiring the ancient architecture and enjoy the atmosphere of the old city.
2. Fort San Cristobal
Fort San Cristobal rightfully competes with Fort El Morro for the title of San Juan's most atmospheric historical attraction. If the fort of El Morro protected the city from the sea, then the fortress of San Cristobal from the land.San Cristobal is larger than El Morro and is also the largest fort built by the Spanish crown in the New World. Fortresshas five independent blocks connected by a moat and a tunnel, each of which is designed for a separate defense.The fort was built between 1634 and 1790 to guard the eastern gate to the city.
3. San Juan Cathedral
Built in 1540, San Juan Cathedral is known as one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas, and is also one of the oldest buildings in the city.The interior of the cathedral, with its black and white checkered floor tiles and yellow decor, is surprisingly rich.The body of the great Spanish explorer and conquistador, founder of the first European settlement on the island and discoverer of Florida, Ponce de Leon, is buried in a marble tomb in the cathedral.
4. La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza was built in 1540 as a fortress to defend against Indians and other invaders. She was captured twice, first by the Earl of Cumberland in 1598 and then by the Dutch led by Bowdin Hendrick in 1625. Over time, La Fortaleza lost its military importance and became the seat of the governors of Puerto Rico, a role it still retains today. La Fortaleza is the oldest governor's residence still in use in the Western Hemisphere, with over 150 governors living or staying here. The building itself has undergone many changes over its long history.
5. Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico (Museum of Contemporary Art)
Founded in 1984, this museum is a place where you can get acquainted with the best works the most famous artists of Latin America in contemporary art. The museum's surprisingly good collection, for such a small island, consists of paintings, sculptures, graphics and installations.
6. Church of San Jose (San Jose Church)
Dominican friars built the Church of San José in 1532, making it one of the earliest examples of Spanish Gothic architecture in South America. Unlike the Cathedral of San Juan, this church is small, with a modest façade, but the vaulted interior gives it an airy feel. For almost 300 years, the Spanish conquistador Ponce de León was buried here until his body was transferred to the Cathedral of San Juan in 1913.
7San Juan Cemetery
Situated along the coast on a high cliff adjacent to Fort El Morro, this is the beautiful cemetery of the city of San Juan. Note the beautiful tombstones in the Spanish colonial style, the red-domed neoclassical chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene and the magnificent view of the city and El Morro Fort.
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