Traveling: Puerto Rico: Ponce & Guavate

The city of Ponce is a main city in Puerto Rico. It is often called the Pearl of the South.
Ponce has many tourist sites and that is why I wanted to put 3 of those in this post.
I also have a little surprise site after the 3 of Ponce. It is a very interesting place. :)

Parque de Bombas

This is the Old Ponce Firestation

"In 1885, the building was dedicated as Ponce's official firehouse and served more than 100 years. The woodframe, Gothic structure exhibits a Moorish influence and is painted in bands of red and black."

Now it serves as a museum and honors Ponce's Firemen.

"Visitors can learn about the brave firefighters of Ponce as well as viewing artifacts related to the brigade. Also documented at the museum are a variety of fire fighting technologies."

Parque de Bombas is now one of Ponce's greatest tourist attractions and one of Latin America's most important buildings.

La Cruceta del Vigia & Japanese Garden

300 ft above sea level and from the top you can see all of Ponce and even the ocean. Click on this video to see and learn the history of the Cruceta and the Japanese Garden.

Castillo Serralles

This was the original home of the Serralles Family. They were the owners of "the famous rum distillery that produces Don Q Puerto Rican Rum." It is now a Museum dedicated to the rum production history and sugar-cane industry. This family and their production of rum had a socio-economic impact on the entire island.

Watch this video to learn more about this tour site.

Guavate/Charco Azul

Guavate: Up the mountain to reach Charco Azul

Charco Azul: top of the mountain

Guavate is up the mountain in Cayey. It is famous for its "lechoneras", Roasted Pork.
Charco Azul means Blue pond bc of its bluish hue. It is one of Puerto Rico's most famous ones. It is "a natural pool of refreshing water flowing from the brooks born high in the mountains and continues down stream through the trails".

"This fresh-water swimming hole is 30-40 feet across. It is fed by 2 small streams that spill into the charco making a cute 8-10 foot waterfall. The water around the edges is not deep."

An interesting fact about this pond is that the rocks found in the water on the bottom are "different". They were used by the Taino Indians as paint for their bodies. They had certain symbols for the common elements and objects that we have names for in today society.

mint green, brown, and light brown are colors of the rocks. You rub one of those colors against a dark rock and the paint transfers like if they were pastels. Then, you just paint yourself and all done.