Old San Juan, The "walled" capital City of Puerto Rico was The center focus and inspiration behind The Second Photomarathon event held last April 27, 2014. It turned out to be a very challenging and complicated competition. You are handed 2 topics every 2 hours for up to 6 themes total. The first two topics are secretly unveiled to the participants right before the event starts at 11:00am. To understand the physical complexity of this competition you need to know that San Juan has lots of hills. The day was sunny and the weather was very hot and humid. At the end of the day you have to deliver 12 photos in the same order in which the topics were given. Finally, you will feel physically and mentally exhausted but grateful for being able to embrace this challenge and bring to life so many aspects of a unique colonial settlement with well over 500 years old. The topics where Simple, Complicated, Desire, Prohibited, Only in Puerto Rico and Hot. The following pictures are my contribution. I hope you like them...

Simple
Close-up of a red hibiscus flower with yellow-tipped stamens against a blurred green background.A beige cup of black coffee on a saucer atop a dark table, with a person's hand blurred in the background.
Complicated
Vaulted brick crypt with numbered wall niches, a central white crucifix, and a checkered tile floor.Dimly lit ornate church ceiling with a gilded circular fresco of a seated robed figure framed by scrollwork.
Desire
Two women in straw hats take a selfie by a railing in front of a stone fort wall and coastal inlet.Elderly person holding lottery tickets exchanges cash with another person outdoors.
Prohibited
A rusted barred gate set in rough stone walls blocks a warmly lit underground tunnel.A "No Bicycling" sign against blue sky with a grassy hill and historic stone fort behind it.
Only in Puerto Rico
A man in a cap smokes a cigarette while holding two green iguanas on his arm at a street market.A plate of white rice topped with stewed red beans, with fried golden food beside it.
Hot
A glass syrup dispenser filled with pickled carrots and peppers on a metal counter, with a blurred kitchen behind.A black bird drinking from the wet stone edge of a fountain with splashing water behind it.

I'm looking forward to the next one....