One Day As a Tourist In Old San Juan

There’s a beautiful place in the Caribbean that I have the blessing to call home. An insurmountable beautifulness characterizes my homeland, and it’s heavenly shores are inevitably an addictive trait. However, most citizens seem to appreciate the tourist that come and visit our treasure, at least they do if thus tourist demonstrates a charismatic personality and a friendly vibe.

As an assignment I played the role of being a tourist for a day. What better place to visit and pretend to be a tourist than our very own Old San Juan? It was an exquisite Sunday noon, the sun was candent, and my family and me were up to accomplish the being an American tourist for a day mission.

We started strolling along the streets in a cheerful manner, and since it was my assignment I decided to step up and start acting out my false tourist identity. I was as happy as can be, I smiled at everyone, and from time to time I waved at people while exclaiming an enthusiastic: Hello! It really felt homely and cozy. Life gives you what you give to it; if you feel cheery and friendly it will respond you in the same manner; it’s like an echo.

Eventually we kept walking until we reached “La Mala Vida” en exquisite place to eat and have a good time. Our plan was to start speaking in English, impose our false tourist identity and culminate in the same manner. Nonetheless, we get in, we speak to the hostess, we settle at our table for five and when the waiter arrives she was the daughter of my mother’s cousin.

Needless to say she frantically started to speak in Spanish saying how such a long time we haven’t seen each other, asking how were we doing this past couple of weeks, exclaiming that she was very happy to see us, that her sister Works at “La Mala Vida” from “La Placita” in Santurce, that her mother was going to the gym. Suddenly we completely forgot about the assignment and responded in the same language she was speaking to us.

We wanted to go to the movies, but before leaving Old San Juan we visited a few chapels and again, polite small talk erupted from our conversations with the people in the area.

Being a tourist in my homeland was a great experience; people tend to believe that when you’re a foreigner visiting another land the citizens will treat you differently. And maybe they do, but at the end of the day it’s all about the attitude you assume, the personality you emanate, the kind gestures and words that you speak what will determinate the treatment you’ll receive from others.