Puerto Rico - San Juan, Castillo San Cristobal - Three Postcards

Puerto Rico

Castillo San Cristobal

San Juan

National Historic Site

Castillo San Cristobal covers 27 acres and is the largest fortification ever built by the Spanish in the New World.  It's construction began in 1634, took approximately 150 years to complete, and was considered a masterpiece of 18th century military engineering.

Photo by J. Scott Graham

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Fort San Cristobal

San Jan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico

Projecting strength and power, Fort San Cristobal dates back to the early 17th century.  It defended San Jan from landward attacks and is the largest Spanish fortification in the New World

Photo: Richard Spenceley

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San Juan
National Historic Site

The troop quarters, finished in 1733, consisted of eight large vaulted rooms which housed soldiers stationed to guard Castillo San Cristobal.
Here, Spanish soldiers could rest and recreate with a game of dominos or cards after a hard day of work.  Just off the main plaza, one of these barracks has been refurbished to look as it did during the late 18th century, complete with beds, muskets, and uniforms.

Photo by J. Scott Graham

All three postcards are from 2014.

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Castillo San Cristóbal, also known as Fort San Cristobal was built by Spain to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. When it was finished in 1783, it covered about 27 acres of land and basically wrapped around the city of San Juan. Entry to the city was sealed by San Cristóbal's double gates. After close to one hundred years of relative peace in the area, part of the fortification (about a third) was demolished in 1897 to help ease the flow of traffic in and out of the walled city.

In 1983 This San Juan National Historic Site was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

Puerto Rico - Flag

Puerto Rico
2014

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The origins of the current flag of Puerto Rico, adopted by the commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952, can be traced to 1868, when the first Puerto Rican flag, "The Revolutionary Flag of Lares", was conceived by Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances and embroidered by Mariana "Brazos de Oro" Bracetti.

Puerto Rico - Caribbean National Forest, La Mina Falls

La Mina Falls
Caribbean National Forest
Puerto Rico

El Yunque
One of the best hiking trails in El Yunque, the Caribbean National Forest, has been carefully marked by forest rangers.  The trail, which combines La Mina and Big Tree Trail, takes 2 hours round trip and ends up at La Mina waterfall.  Visitors take an after lunch swim in the refreshing pool.

Photo: George Collazo
2015

The sender writes:
This rainforest was so beautiful!   We took pictures in front of the fall. 

Puerto - Rico - El Yunque National Forest

El Yunque National Forest
Puerto Rico

Cascada La Mina (La Mina Falls) drops over 35 feet through a jumble of huge rocks and into a refreshing pool where hikers can choose to swim in the 60-degree waters or merely rest and enjoy the view.

Photo: J. Scott Graham
2015

The sender writes:
We took a two and a half hour hiking tour thru the El Yunque Rain Forest.  Definitely the highlight of our trip.  Truly gorgeous!

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El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Luquillo National Forest and the Caribbean National Forest, is the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest System.  It is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains in Puerto Rico and encompasses 28,000 acres (43.753 mi2 or 113.32 km2) of land.

Puerto Rico - Old San Juan Sentry Box

Garita del Viejo San Juan - Bahia de San Juan

Old San Juan sentry box - San Juan Bay
2009

Puerto Rico - La Guancha, Ponce

La Guancha, Ponce, Puerto Rico

Photograph by Antonio E. Amador
2009

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The La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex located in barrio Playa in Ponce, Puerto Rico with family recreational and cultural facilities that opened on June 23, 1998. The highlight of the complex is La Guancha Boardwalk, which is flanked by a beach, an observation tower, an amphitheater, and 24 open-air kiosks.

Puerto Rico - Cabo Rojo, Boqueron Beach

Playa de Boqueron, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
Boqueron Beach at Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
2009

Puerto Rico - Old Spanish Lighthouses

Puerto Rico
Old Spanish Lighthouses

Some of the old Spanish lighthouses that surround the entire island of Puerto Rico.

Cabo Rojo (Los Morillos, 1882)
Vieques (Punta Mulas, 1896)
Maunabo (Punta Tuna, 1892)
Arecibo (Punta Morillo, 1898)
Fajardo (Cabo San Juan, 1880)
Pincon (Punta Higuero 1922)
San Juan (El Morro, 1908)

This is postmarked in 2009.

Puerto Rico - Parque de las Cavernas

Parque de las Cavernas del Rio Camuy, Puerto Rico

Rio Camuy Cave Park, Puerto Rico
2009

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The Camuy River Cave Park is a cave system in Puerto Rico. The caverns are part of a large network of natural limestone caves and underground waterways carved out by the third-largest underground river in the world, the Río Camuy (Camuy River). The cave system was discovered in 1958 but there is archaeological evidence that these caves were explored hundreds of years ago by the Taíno Indians, Puerto Rico's first inhabitants.

Over 10 miles of caverns, 220 caves and 17 entrances to the Camuy cave system have been mapped so far. This, however, is only a fraction of the entire system which many experts believe still holds another 800 caves. Only a small part of the complex is open to the public. 

Puerto Rico - Lajas, La Parguera

La Parguera, Lajas, Puerto Rico
2009

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La Parguera is a fishing village in the town of Lajas, Puerto Rico. It is known for it's beautiful bay and world class diving.

Puerto Rico - Old San Juan, Colorful Buildings

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Od San Juan was founded in 1521.  The colonial city shows its best side from the harbor.  Built on natural slopes, the crowded cluster of buildings take the form of a great amphitheater framed by a formidable ring of walls and castles.  A combination of old houses and modern buildings imparts variety to cityscape, and gives San Juan its colorful and picturesque character.  It is a city with a proud and rich heritage, tempered by ancient calamities of war, pirate attacks, earthquakes and hurricanes.  The face of colonial Spain, undistorted by modern innovations, can still be seen in the streets of San Juan, through its cobblestone paving, inner patios and courtyards, overhanging balconies and religious shrines.  The city's most impressive features are the old castles El Morro, San Cristobal, El Canuelo Fort and most of the city walls.

Photo: 2013 Mark Drenth

There is also an Island Recipe on the back:
Habichuelas Negras con Arroz
(Black Beans and Rice)

1 1/4 cup dried black beans rinsed
12 cups water
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon salt

Boil 10 cups water and add beans.  Simmer 3 hours. Drain.  In pot, add onion, garlic, salt, green pepper and 2 cups water.  Bring to boil, add rice, simmer 20 minutes.
(personally, I would hard simmer for more than 3 hours, and add a chopped tomato, parsley, chives and some hot sauce to the mix.)

Puerto Rico - Foods / Fruits of the Island Country

Puerto Rico
Bodegon de frutos de la tierra
Fruits of the country

This postcard features melons, bananas, pears, grapes, cantaloupe, pineapples, avocados, potatoes, corn and chili peppers.  I am pretty sure there are some vegetables mixed in with the fruit!  lol
2014

Puerto Rico - San Juan, Castillo San Cristobal

Puerto Rico
San Juan National Historic Site
Castillo San Cristobal

Castillo San Cristobal was built to guard enemy approaches by land to the walled city of Old San Juan.  Construction on San Cristobal began in 1634 and finished in 1790, although modifications were made well into the 18th century.  Covering 27 acres, San Cristobal is the largest Spanish fortification built in the New World, and from a perch 150 feet above the Atlantic shoreline, it provides panoramic views of the coast from Old San Juan to Condado and beyond.

Photo: J. Scott Graham
2014

Puerto Rico - Map of Beaches and Municipalities

Map of Puerto Rico Beaches and Municipalities
Illustration: 2014 Mark Drenth

There is also a recipe printed on the back:
Island Recipe - Flan de Pina (Pineapple Custard) (makes 10 servings)
1/2 cup sugar, 1 medium pineapple sliced, 1 can (15 oz.) sweetened condensed milk, 1can (14.5 oz.) evaporated milk, 2 cups milk, 5 large eggs, 1 jar (18 0z.) pineapple jelly.   In skillet on medium heat, melt sugar to form caramel.  Pour caramel on bottom of baking dish.  Place pineapple slices on top of caramel.  Blend other ingredients in blender till smooth.  Pour blended mixture over pineapple.  Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  Delicious!
2014

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Originally populated for centuries by aboriginal people known as Taíno, the island of Puerto Rico was claimed by Christopher Columbus for Spain during his second voyage to the Americas on November 19, 1493.

Caribbean - Map of the Islands

The Caribbean

This map postcard features King Triton riding a narwhal whale, The Gulf of Mexico, The Atlantic Ocean, Florida, The Bahama Islands, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica.
2014

Please note that on the postcard they wrote Dominican Republic they added 'a' to the end.  

Puerto Rico - Rio Camuy Caves Park

Rio Camuy Caves Park
Puerto Rico

Parque de las Cavernas del Rio Camuy

A giant stalagmite in "Cueva Clara," one of the many caves within the Camuy underground river system-third longest in the world.

Enorme estalagmita de "Cueva Clara," una de muchas cuevas que forman parte del sistema subterráneo del rio Camuy, tercero en longitud del mundo.
2014

Puerto Rico - San Juan, Condado Beach

Condado Beach, San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan is known as "La Ciudad Amurallada" (the walled city).  In 1508, Juan Ponce de Leon founded the settlement.  Today Condado Beach is where international travelers come to delight in the warm Caribbean breezes, crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches.

Coconut Cream
1 (1 1/2 to 2 lb.) coconut - 2 c. boiling water - Grate the coconut meat and place in a bowl.  Add water and let cool.  Mash with your hand until milk is released from pulp.  Remove pulp and drain, letting all milk pour back into bowl.  Strain coconut milk to assure all pulp is removed.  Set aside until a thick cream rises to the surface.  Scoop off and use as cream.  Store remaining milk for other recipes.  Makes 3/4 cup.

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From a set of 12 postcards called:
Cruising the Caribbean (each card also has a recipe on the back)

inside the folder holding the card it reads:

Pristine beaches, tranquil shady palm trees, tropical warm breezes and a laid-back lifestyle make the islands of the Caribbean relaxing, enchanting, enticing, entertaining, and inviting.  Thousands of visitors arrive to one or more of the many Caribbean islands each year to find their perfect sun-kissed vacation destination is the one they will never forget.
The Caribbean has it all!!

Photos 2005: Werner J. Bertsch

Puerto Rico - Old San Juan, Restored Buildings

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Greetings from Puerto Rico
Old San Juan, where beautifully restored Spanish style buildings with iron grilled balconies, and fabulous shopping can be found.

back also has a Caribbean Recipe:
Island Coconut Biscotti (makes 9 dozen)
2 cups sugar, 1 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp coconut liquor, 1/4 cup coconut flakes, 6 eggs, 5 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder.  In bowl mix all ingredients thoroughly.  cover, refrigerate 3 hours.  On greased baking sheet form loaves 1/2 in. thick and 2 in. wide in length of pan.  Bake at 375 for 20 min.  Cool, cut into slices 1/2 in. thick.  Turn slices on side and bake 375 for 20 min.  Yummy!!
1996

Puerto Rico - Old San Juan, La Fortaleza

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Greetings from Puerto Rico
La Fortaleza, situated above the lit Paseo de la Princessa, is the home of the Governor of Puerto Roco.

Photo: Mark Drenth

The back also has a Caribbean Recipe:
Coconut Bread

2 cups coconut flakes, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs beaten, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon,2 tbsp melted butter, 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and butter.  Stir in coconut and sugar. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix till smooth.  Pour into two greased 9 inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350 1 hr.  Enjoy!
1996

Puerto Rico - Old San Juan, Brick Street

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Greetings from Puerto Rico

the back has a Caribbean Recipe:
Island Lobster Salad
2 lb. cooked lobster, 3 hard boiled eggs coarsely chopped, 1 tbsp dried capers, 1 med. onion thinly sliced, 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 4 tbsp virgin olive oil, paprika and lettuce leaves.  Cut lobster meat into bite size cubes.  Toss lobster with eggs, capers, onion, vinegar and mustard.  Chill 1 hour.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Spoon onto bed of lettuce leaves, sprinkle paprika.  Seafoodly Delicious!
1996