加勒比海阳光下的故事 (2) ---- San Juan 市中心

波多黎各（Puerto Rico)  --- Puerto Rico, actually means "Rich Port" in English.   "What a rich port!". The island was discovered by Columbus in 1493. 当时的印第安人傻乎乎地告诉哥伦布他们挖金块的地方，并跟他说"take as many as you want".  此後西班牙在這裡建立了殖民據點。1809年西班牙將波多黎各設為西班牙的海外省， 1898年美西戰爭爆發，美國派兵佔領了波多黎各。西班牙戰敗後，在巴黎條約中將波多黎各割讓給了美國，自此波多黎各總督由美國總統指派。1917年美國給了波多黎各居民美國公民的地位。1952年波多黎各頒佈了自己的憲法，在憲法中確立了在美國內自治邦的地位。1997年，美國在波多黎各舉行全民公決，宣佈波多黎各否決了作為美國51個州加入聯邦的議案。。

El Morro – Six level castle 140 ft above the sea, overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and San Juan Bay. 这里曾是西班牙在加勒比海最重要的军事要塞， 历史上（1598）只有一次被英军攻破过。El Morro - the word itself sounds powerful and this six-level fortress certainly is. Begun in 1540 and completed in 1589. San Felipe del Morro was named in honor of King Phillip II. Most of the walls in the fort today were added later, in a period of tremendous construction from the 1760's-1780's. Rising 140 feet above the sea, its 18-foot-thick wall proved a formidable defense. It fell only once, in 1598, to a land assault by the Earl of Cumberland's forces. The fort is a maze of tunnels, dungeons, barracks, outposts and ramps. El Morro is studded with small, circular sentry boxes called "garitas" that have become a national symbol. The views of San Juan Bay from El Morro are spectacular. The area was designated a National Historic Site in February, 1949 with 74 total acres. It has the distinction of being the largest fortification in the Caribbean. In 1992, the fortress was restored to its historical form in honor of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus. El Morro Fortress is a National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service.

惦记着著名的老城堡 El Morro，进城就直朝那奔，在6PM关门前的20分钟，老胳膊老腿终于迈了进去。


San Juan 的 Logo


当年的兵营


怀疑这枪的射程够得着海面


城堡顶上可跑马，不知当年可有炮？


400年的时光里，曾有过多少的变化？今天的400年后还会看到同样的景色吗？
 





内湾停着三艘游轮，难怪城里的餐馆很贵的说


比起拉斯维加斯来说，这赌场只能是聊胜于无


今年的流行风？


老城区很西班牙式










俺觉得岛上的小车太多了


汉堡王入乡随俗
 

"大隐隐于市"不是件容易的事
 

立体的雕塑被俺拍成了平面的剪影，请凑合着看吧，呵呵~~~~~~~