Ukufakela iNgqungquthela yamaXesha ukuya kwiXesha le-16
Iindwendwe zokuqala kwixesha elidlulileyo ukuya kwi- Old San Juan zikwazi ukuhamba ngaphandle kokuhambela i-El Morro. Inqaba yenye yezona ziqhenqabisa kakhulu kwi siqithi, zibandakanya indima yasePuerto Rico njengomgcini wehlabathi elitsha. Ngaphakathi kwezi ndonga, unokuziva unamandla amangalisayo le nto yezokukhusela ngokuyalela, kwaye unokunikela ubungqina kwiminyaka engama-500 yembali yezempi eyaqala ngamaqhawe aseSpain kwaye iphelile ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi II.
Imbali ka-El Morro
El Morro, eyayikhethwe iNdawo yeLifa leMveli le-UNESCO ngowe-1983, i-Poor Rico ibona isakhiwo sezempi esihle kakhulu. AmaSpeyin aqala ukwakha ngo-1539, kwaye kuthatha iminyaka engaphezu kwama-200 ukugqiba. Le nqaba esatshisayo yavala uMnumzana Francis Drake eNgilani, eyaziwa ngokuba yintlanzi, ngo-1595, kwaye ukuhlaselwa kwamanxweme akuzange kuphumelele ukuphula iindonga zayo kwimbali yayo yonke. U-El Morro wawa kanye kuphela, xa i-England iGeroge Clifford, i-Earl yaseCumberland, ithatha indawo enqatyisiweyo ngomhlaba ngo-1598. Ukusetyenziswa kwayo kwaqhubeka kwi-20 leminyaka, xa yayisetyenziswa yi-United States ngexesha leMfazwe yehlabathi yesibili ukulandelela ukuhamba kwamaJamani kwiCaribbean.
Ukutyelela uEl Morro
Igama elipheleleyo li-El Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, kodwa liyaziwa ngokuba yi-El Morro, elithetha ukuthutha. Ehlelwe ngasenyakatho-ntshona-nxalenye enkulu yeSan Juan yaseSan Juan, eli nqabileyo elidumileyo kufuneka libe yinto esabisayo kwiinqanawa zeentshaba.
Ngoku u-El Morro ngumkhonto wokuphumla kunye ne-ops yezithombe: Abantu beza apha ukuphumla, ipikiniki, kunye ne-fly kites; isibhakabhaka sigcwele kubo ngosuku olucacileyo. (Unokuthenga enye-ibizwa ngokuba yi- chiringas-kwisitampu esiseduze.)
Uza kulandela kwiinyawo ze-Earl zeCumberland njengoko uwela insimu enkulu eluhlaza ukuze ufike kwi-fort.
Kuyinto encinane yokuhamba ukuya kuyo, kwaye kuya kufuneka ukwazi ukunyuka amanyathelo kunye neentaba. Gqoka izicathulo ezipholileyo, sebenzisa i-sunscreen, uze uzise amanzi asemabhodleleni kungakhathaliseki ukuba unyaka wonyaka u tyelela.
Emva kokuba ufike kwi-citadel, thatha ixesha lakho lokuphonononga ubugcisa balo bulumko. I-El Morro yenziwe ngamanqanaba amathandathu, aquka amajungxongo, iindawo zokuhamba, kunye neendawo zokugcina impahla. Hamba ngeendlela zayo, apho iinqununu zihlala zijongene nolwandle, kwaye zinyathele ngaphakathi kwelinye lamagitasta , okanye iibhokisi ezithunyelwayo, ezona zibonakaliso zasePuerto Rico. Iigaritas ziindawo eziphambili zokufumana iimbonakalo eziphefumulayo. Ukukhangela ngaphesheya kwelo, uza kubona enye, ifowuni encinci. Ebizwa ngokuba ngu-El Canuelo, lo wayeyiqabane lika-El Morro ekuzikhuseleni kwesi siqithi: Iinqwelo ezinethemba lokuhlasela ePuerto Rico ziya kunqunyulwa kwintlambo yomlilo.
Izakhiwo ezimbini zanamhlanje zongezwa e-El Morro emva kwePuerto Rico zithunyelwa e-United States ngeSpain ngowe-1898 ngenxa yemfazwe yaseSpain neMelika. Indlu yokukhanya, eyayilungiswa yi-US ukusuka ngo-1906 ukuya ku-1908, ibonakala ngokungafaniyo nakwimimandla yonke. Ngexesha leMfazwe Yehlabathi II, i-Army yase-US yongezelela esinye isiqalo sokungabikho, ukufaka umgcini wezempi kwizinga eliphezulu.