Calle De La Luna, Old San Juan
Hurricane Maria took a lot from Puerto Rico. She couldn’t take everything, though. Especially not in an ancient city like Old San Juan. The great walls, fortresses, and other historic structures here have withstood the worst that man and Mother Nature can dish out for more than 500 years. Strolling her streets just a few weeks ago left me awe-struck at the city’s resiliency; her unbreakable espíritu. Somehow, colorful buildings like these along Calle De La Luna seemed to shine more brightly than I remembered before. Workers sprucing up also did so with extra verve. This painter was practically bailando as he went about his work. Old San Juan (Calle de la Luna in particular) is today as magically alive as I’d ever seen it previously, the nightmare of Maria a rapidly fading memory.