IMG_6818 Yellow Flower

IMG_6818 Yellow Flower, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

Una flor amarilla en el bosque tropical del Yunque.

A yellow flower under the tropical rainforest of El Yunque.

IMG_6943

IMG_6943, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

Mirando al cielo bajo la palma.

Looking at the heavens under the palm.

IMG_6938

IMG_6938, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

Joanne, enjoying the Caribbean afternoon

IMG_6936

IMG_6936, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

Mari on the palm tree, looking up at the lovely Caribbean sky.

Puerto Rico, Balneario Monserrate in El Luquillo Beach

IMG_6963 Joanne in El Luquillo Beach, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

Me conoci con Joanne (foto) y Mari en San Juan cuando decidimos ir a El Yunque juntos. Despues, Ed, el guia, nos dijo que la playa de Luquillo era muy bonita. No mintio.

I met Joanne (photo) and Mari in San Juan, and there we decided to visit El Yunque together. Later, Ed the Guide told us that the beach at Luquillo was beautiful. He did not lie.

Puerto Rico - Balneario Monserrate, Luquillo

IMG_6954 Balneario 2, Puerto Rico, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

El Balneario Monserrate en Luquillo, Puerto Rico. Esta playa es placida y calmada, ya que tiene una barrera de rocas para proteger contra las olas del mar.

Balneario Monserrate, in Luquillo, Puerto Rico. This is a placid and calm beach due to a rock barrier that protects it against the waves.

Puerto Rico, Cascada La Mina, El Yunque

IMG_6852 El Yunque, Puerto Rico, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

The water was cold but after the long hike, heat, and humidity, I wanted to stay there all day.

El agua estaba helada, pero despues de la larga caminata, calor, y humedad, queria quedarme dentro todo el dia.

Puerto Rico - Cascada La Mina (El Yunque)

IMG_6876 El Yunque 2, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

Desde que supe de la cascada La Mina, he querido verla. Al fin tuve la oportunidad.

Ever since I knew about La Mina Falls, I've wanted to see it. At last I had the chance.

Puerto Rico - San Juan de noche

IMG_6697 San Juan de noche, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

Panorama del penthouse del hotel Marriott, en San Juan. A la derecha esta el mar de noche.

View from the Marriott Hotel penthouse, in San Juan. On the right is the night sea.

Puerto Rico - San Juan Beach

IMG_6677 San Juan Beach, originally uploaded by Chimera Magazine Publisher.

En San Juan, Puerto Rico, afuera del Hotel Marriott. A veces el trabajo es muy bueno, especialmente cuando me mandan al Caribe.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, outside the Marriott Hotel. Sometimes, work is very good, especially when they send me to the Caribbean.

Sevilla - short version

Sevilla - Seville in English - has a long romantic tradition. Here's where her lover buys Carmen her famous fan. While Sevilla is attractive, it is pricy and too much of a tourist trap. Few if any of the locals attend the Flamenco shows offered to travelers. One pretty place we saw was Plaza España (Spain Plaza) though we could not determine if it had any function. See the photo above.

Sevilla tiene una tradicion romantica. Aqui es donde su amante le compro a Carmen su famoso abanico. Mientras que Sevilla es muy atractiva, es cara y demasiado turistica. Pocos de los habitantes ven el show de flamence que se le ofrese a los viajantes. Un lugar bonito que vimos es la Plaza España, pero no pudimos ver cual funcion tenia. La foto esta arriba.

Cordoba - short version

Cordoba was the largest city in the world in the 10th century. This picture is at the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs).

Cordoba era la ciudad mas grande del mundo en el siglo X. Esta foto es del Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos.


Read the Wikipedia entry for Cordoba

Granada - short version

Granada is home to La Alhambra, the best single site to visit in Spain. This fortress/palace was built by the invading Moors over a millennium ago. The site was built and expanded over hundreds of years. When Spain was reconquered from the Moors, La Alhambra was kept as a national treasure rather than being destroyed. Phil tells me that Napoleon Bonaparte was unable to take this fortress, one of his few failures.

La Alhambra queda en Granada, el mejor lugar turistico para visitar en España. Esta fortaleza/palacio fue construido por los Moros invasores hace mas de un millar de años. La fortaleza original se expandio a travez de cienes de años. Despues de la reconquista, La Alhambra se convirtio en un tesoro nacional en vez de ser destruida. Phil me dice que Napoleón Bonaparte no pudo tomar esta fortaleza, una de sus pocas derrotas.

Valencia short version

Valencia's cathedral is the repository of the Holy Grail (pictured). It's one of many, so you'll have to find out for yourself.
Valencia fue reconquistada por El Cid durante la guerra contra los moros.

La catedral de Valencia tiene el Santo Grial (Sangreal Sagrado). Es uno de muchos, entonces tendra que enterarse usted mismo. Valencia was reconquered by El Cid during the war against the Moors.

Barcelona short version

The Barcelona Cathedral, designed by Gaudi and unfinished at his death, remains unfinished. You can see cranes working on finishing it. They are representative of the cranes all over the city. I liked Barcelona about the same as Madrid. The climate is quite good, with the Mediterranean Sea and the bohemian attitude of its citizenry. Phil liked Madrid a bit better than Barcelona. This is the adopted home of Picasso - his museum lies here.

La Catedral de Barcelona, diseñada por Gaudí, no se habia terminado cuando él murió. Se pueden ver gruas de construccion tratando de terminarla. Estas se pueden ver igualmente en el resto de la ciudad. Barcelona me gusta mas o menos igual que Madrid. El clima es buenisimo - con el Mar Mediterraneo y la forma bohemia de los residentes. A Phil le gusto Madrid un poco mas que Barcelona. Esta es la ciudad adoptiva de Picasso - su museo queda aqui.

Pamplona short version Iruna

Pamplona - where the bulls run. Ernest Hemingway made it famous for English speakers. Here we are in one of the plazas where the run takes place every year at the Festival of San Fermin.
The local alternate (Basque) name for Pamplona is Iruña.

Pamplona - famosa por su encierro. Ernest Hemingway le dio la fama para los que hablan ingles. Aqui estamos en una de las plazas que se pasan en el encierro cada año en la Fiesta de San Fermin. Pamplona se llama Iruña en vasco.

Bilbao - short version

Bilbao is Spain's major port on the Atlantic. It is also in the center of Basque country. Only here, I think, would you find a street named after The Liberator. Bilbao is called Bilbo in Basque (Euskara).

Bilbo es el puerto mayor de España en el Atlantico. Tambien esta en el centro del pais Vasco. Pienso que solo aqui se encontraria una calle honorando El Libertador. Bilbao se llama Bilbo en vasco (euskara)

Burgos - short version

Burgos - El Cid is buried here, in the Cathedral.

Aqui esta enterrado El Cid, en la catedral de Burgos.