I am not a nun

There are many reasons I thought I would never sleep in a convent. Most importantly, I am the wrong gender, and not a big fan of celibacy.

But last night was probably the closest I will ever come. We stayed in a hotel here in Old San Juan that is a converted convent known, logically, as "El Convento." There is apparently more demand for tourist accommodations these days than aspiring members of religious orders. Among the many nice touches: a free NY Times today, which a local told us cost $11 on the newsstand.

We arrived here yesterday after the best kind of trip, which is one without incident. We quickly shed our winter gear and soaked in the warmth as we walked around the city and had dinner at an outdoor restaurant.

Today is blazing hot, though friends of Janice's who live here assured us this is the coolest time of the year.

They live in a starkly beautiful house, parts of which date back to the 16th century, in Old San Juan. Its most dramatic feature is intentional openings in the roof, which allow the rain and cool breezes to enter the house. For some reason, bugs are not a big problem.

We are about to get on our cruise ship. I was amazed last night to see one moving out of the harbor. "Gigantic" wouldn't do it justice. It seemed like a skyscraper tipped over on its side. We'll see what life is like for the next week aboard such a craft.