It’s remarkable that in a week we have left the old city only twice and ventured less than five miles each time. The first excursion was to the monastery of La Popa; the second to Forteza San Felipe. The small, walled old city is teeming with life, flowering bougainvillea and great restaurants. Last night we ate in one of the city’s older restaurants — no sign on the door and a guard would not let one in unless the name was on a reservation list. A treat yesterday was a rum tasting of three local aged rums. The rums were paired with chocolate — the highest cacao content with the older rums. It was rather like eating potato chips with champagne: no easy explanation with the chocolate enhanced the rum, but it did….just as potato chips complement champagne. Another interesting quirk are the city’s door knockers. A code understood only by locals reveals the inhabitants’ social status and occupation.
