I cannot believe that an entire week has passed since we arrived in Puerto Rico. At the same time, I have no idea how we fit our entire agenda of outings and day trips into seven days. The first couple days we explored our local small town of Rio Piedras and the campus of the University of Puerto Rico. We also began our classes on Thursday and Friday of last week. However, the weekend was completely academic-free as we visited Old San Juan and El Yunque Rainforest. Our first stop was a historic fort called “El Morro” which means “the hill” in Spanish. 
The construction of the fort started in 1539 and was authorized by King Charles V of Spain to protect Puerto Rico from any competing nations. The island was very strategically placed due to being at the entryway to the Caribbean. Although the fort was attacked multiple times by British ships, Spain miraculously maintained control of the island for hundreds of years until eventually selling it to the United States. 
After the fort, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. We have already noticed that in Puerto Rico, you must be prepared to have rice and beans as a side dish! We then walked around Old San Juan and saw local houses, the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista (where the remains of Juan Ponce de Leon are buried), and the Capital Building.
The Ben and Jerry’s of Old San Juan. =)
I have so many more pictures on my facebook page of Old San Juan and the fort. If you would like to see them, add me as a friend “Kathryn Elizabeth Clark” and include in the message something about the geoblog.
On Sunday, we went to El Yunque Rainforest, and we definitely experienced some rain! We took a two hour hike to the top of the main mountain and then explored an area with a large waterfall. We were actually able to swim at the bottom, which was such a neat experience! Pictured below is our group at the Waterfall at El Yunque. There will be much more information to come as I have the time!
Location: Viejo San Juan, Puerto RIco
All joking aside, (ah-hem), besides the schoolwork, we’ll be taking a variety of trips throughout our time there. For example, we’ll be visiting a “Bio bay” filled with tiny microorganisms that actually light up as their defense mechanism. I’ve been told it feels as though you’re swimming in a pool of glitter. We’ll also be exploring both the newer sections of San Juan and the historical areas including old forts. In addition, a trip to the El Yunque Rainforest is in the cards. Due to my obsession with resorts, and I guess the fact that one of my classes is about them there…., I will be sure to visit many while in Puerto Rico. If you’ve been to the island or have heard of something interesting there, please comment as to where we should visit. I would love any input and will be taking plenty of pictures along the way!