Vieques on the verge of the 20th century..
By Sheila Levin
Many people are asking, Whats going on in Vieques? The Navy is leaving on May 1, the new resort, Martineau Bay has opened, property prices are rising, the island is particularly clean and has a certain look to it
... a look that is welcoming to tourists and potential home buyers. There is a new gourmet food shop (brie and pate in Vieques!), new restaurants, the internet is everywhere, and we now have three monthly
newspapers. There are occasional traffic jams in town, satellite dishes grace most roofs. Long time residents no longer recognize everyone on the island.
Happily, however, much is the same as before. There is still no traffic light, no movie theatre, and no bowling alley. People are friendly, without any of the hostility one sees on other islands. The beaches are still pristine (no food, no braids). Rentals are still relatively inexpensive and home sales, while surging, are still relatively affordable. But most of what stays the same is not so easily explainable. The soul of Vieques, the spirit, remains the same. It is not the sunsets that seduce people, nor is it the perfect water temperature, or the exquisite light that emerges as night falls. It is all or those things, but none of them individually. The soul of Vieques, the thing that draws people here is that inexplicable sense of being in a place that is not in the 21 century. Not in the 21 century in terms of values, people here do not regard money as primary and not in the 21 century in terms of one stop shopping (metaphorically speaking) which has destroyed so much of North American life.
In Vieques, the simple yearning of people for beauty of place and sweetness of life is maintained. Vieques is its own narcotic. One hit and youre sunk.
What will become of Vieques as tourism grows? Of course no one knows. For now, the land the Navy is returning is safely in the hands of government, which at least means no major development. Ive been here for 16 years, a refugee from the 21-century. Ill keep you posted as Vieques moves forward.
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Webmaster's Note * Sheila has many hats and is Co-owner of Crow's Nest Realty with Eli Belendez.
Sheila can be reached for a brochure through her web page at http://www.crowsnestrealty.com