Facebook
Twitter
El Viejo
For our last day, we headed to Old San Juan, bringing a great opportunity for a totally new adventure and a different type of pictures. We were done with mountains, caverns and diving, and now it was time for night pictures, ancient buildings, fountains and culture. We stayed at the Hotel El Convento, in the center of Old San Juan, very close to La Fortaleza, where the governor lives. Within walking distance are restaurants, huge ancient walls with beautiful views of the bay, and old homes with picturesque balconies that are illuminated at night and look like a scene from an old movie.
That night, we enjoyed dinner at the Parrot Club with our wonderful hosts, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, who made us feel at home. Once dinner was over, we headed to the streets of Old San Juan. It was alive at night; it was very difficult to stop taking pictures and trying to capture those great moments. Amos was teaching us about aperture and exposure and why the speed is so important to be able to catch the shadows of the night.
Every single day was different and interesting, but this last night was wonderful. It was hard to walk for a single block without wanting to stop and take more pictures. We enjoyed the bricks in the roads, the doors of the old homes, the iron used for the balconies and lamps, the size of the walls, the internal patios that all of the places have and the many more details we kept in the back of our mind.
For me, my original goal was complete. I had the great opportunity to meet these new friends, dive with the best from Sport Diver magazine and walk in the mountains of Puerto Rico. And above all, I discovered the vibrant world of colors that exists underwater, for above the surface, the spectrum of colors appears limited to my color-blind eyes (for green and brown). Now that I am back at home, I can surely say that we set our own limits, and limits are only in our imaginations. It doesn't matter where you live or what you do for a living, there is always an opportunity, and it is up to you to catch the ride and enjoy, or stay in the same place for the rest of your life. Sport Diver magazine gave me an opportunity that I decided to take, and I will never regret it. If you believe you can do something, then do it tomorrow could be too late.
Keep your eyes open for new opportunities, new friends and new places. Never think that because you can't see what others can, that you are less than they are. Remember, we are different, and that is exactly why this is a beautiful world that we all have to protect. Let's enjoy trips like this; let's dive together more; let's talk to others who don't dive about the beauty of underwater life and its colors; let's share more time with friends and family and live this beautiful life. Remember, united we can make a difference.
Click HERE to go back to the main story.
