Once again the year has gone by much to quickly, why is it that we say that
each year? I hate to think that it is because I am getting older! The island has
seen some wonderful changes in the past year with the addition of new services
and businesses. This new year should also be filled with some interesting
changes in island life as we know it. The Navy is scheduled to leave the island
in May, no idea if that means that we will again have access to Red and Blue
beaches. Martineau Bay is supposed to open their doors in February but it is
uncertain as to who is going to be managing the resort. I imagine that there
will also be several new businesses opening their doors in the coming months as
well.
Christmas time has been busy here, the island has been full of visitors and
there was not a rental car to be found between Christmas and New Years! The
restaurants have been busy cooking up a storm and seemed happy with business for
this time of the year. Chef Michael’s
was a popular site for those that rented houses and opted to cook at home. For
those of you traveling here this winter remember you can call ahead and order
things from Chef Michael for you stay, no more carrying coolers of food to
Vieques! Also available exclusively at Chef Michael’s are 2 new hot sauces made
by Jim Starke, host of
www.enchanted-isle.com! He has a traditional Pique, made with hot peppers
and vinegar as well as a new chipotle-passionfruit hot sauce which is fabulous!
Michael is changing the way we cook and eat at home with the wonderful treats he
has available. Many of the restaurants have gone through management and menu
changes with the result being great food at more reasonable prices. I had the
opportunity to sample the bar menu at Blue Macaw
and it was delightful, great food, hearty portions and of course one of the
loveliest settings on the island. Trade Winds
has added a “tapas” menu that begins around 4:30 until 6pm every afternoon, with
their terrific reputation for good food/excellent value I imagine that this will
be popular with the “after the beach” crowd! Amapola
has new people in the kitchen so they are serving food daily again, a cross
between local specialties and Mexican food along with the standard bar food. For
now Duffy is just doing Monday grill night at Chez
Shack but that could change at any time, he is looking to be open
more evenings, just looking for the right person to handle the kitchen.
Island Café is fast gaining a
reputation for excellent food at a great price plus offer a pretty extensive
wine list. Chef Kristin is doing a great job there and Joe George has returned
to Vieques and is working beside Kristin. For those of you that visited Vieques
about 2 years ago you may remember Joe, he usually had dyed his hair an unusual
color each week to see if we were all paying attention! Some weeks it was red,
other weeks green, blue and yellow were in there as well and one week I believe
it was a shade of purple! He has kept it one color, blonde, since he got here
weeks ago but we shall wait and see if he can stick to it! The island has always
attracted colorful people but I think if and award was to be given Joe would
have won just for the hair changes! Posada Vista Mar
has been getting good reviews with Barry, Diane and Seth all involved there, I
look forward to getting there soon. They offer a more typical Puerto Rican type
menu with nightly specials that were popular at La Campesina.
Tiki Hut is a new sandwich shop
located in Esperanza is they offer nice big sandwiches and salads. Make sure you
try the gingered ice tea available there, it is a real treat. There will be
another place opening next to the Tiki Hut soon, each time I hear something
about what the menu will be it changes! You will just have to try it yourself
until I can get in there to talk to the owner!
Bayaonda will soon be opening in Monte Santo and this should be a
welcome addition to the island. Owners Wanda and Gustavo are anxious to get
going and start cooking for the island. Wanda has worked with many different
Chefs in the past and her passion for cooking and offering good food is so
apparent when you talk to her she gets you excited about eating! She is still
waiting on the final permits but look for it to be opening soon. Now more than
ever people are commenting on the wonderful food available here, with the many
fine restaurants and the varied menus, eating is a pleasure and can even be
inexpensive! One very important thing to take into consideration when visiting
is that all of the restaurants close by 10pm. Many of the kitchens will close
earlier if business is slow or they have no reservations. Make sure to call
ahead, make reservations especially if you are planning a Bio-Bay trip, so that
you won’t be disappointed. All the restaurants appreciate reservations and in
some cases can only seat a limited number of people so those with reservations
get the table!
The holidays are not over in Vieques yet, we still have Three Kings Day to
celebrate on January 6th. This day is equally as significant as Christmas is to
many of us. Children put grass and maybe some water in a box under the bed on
the eve of Three Kings. No milk and cookies for the Kings, instead they make
sure the camels are catered to so that the Kings will pay a visit to each home!
Here “parrandas” similar to caroling can be done for 2 extra weeks! Families
visit other family members and friends singing and playing instruments and these
parties can go on until the wee hours of the morning. If you think Three Kings
is the end of the celebration it can continue for another 8 days during Octavas
which begins on January 9th! Tradition holds that if you were visited on Three
Kings Day then you are to return the visit 8 days later which would be January
14. This is also the day that people would take down all the holiday
decorations. Lets just say that it is really hard to take care of certain types
of business during the holidays as they go on and on and on!
Some helpful tips for travelers this
winter:
Nude sunbathing is illegal in Puerto Rico and can carry a fine. It
used to be that if you had a beach to yourself, go for it; if a family showed up
you suited up. Rumor has it that recently someone was fined $200 for sunning in
the buff out on the western end of the island so…..
Petty crime is still and I imagine will always be a problem here.
Travel without a lot of jewelry and a minimum of electronics. Take nothing of
value to the beach with you and stay with your possessions at the beach. Do not
lock valuables in a car thinking it will be safe. Make sure you keep hotel rooms
and rental properties locked unless you are sitting at the entrance to either.
Travel with sunscreen, the sun is intense and a good burn will
ruin your vacation. Do not trust sunscreen that is a few years old, it does lose
it’s effectiveness over time.
Remember that there are lots of animals roaming the roads, these
include horses and cattle. Be alert and don’t drive fast at night, these animals
seem to appear out of nowhere and can do serious damage.
Alcohol flows freely on the island and drinking is quite possibly
the favorite thing to do for many. It used to be that DUIs were almost
nonexistent, not anymore! Although you are not likely to be stopped for erratic
driving (the locals are terrible drivers), you may be stopped for not wearing a
seat belt or lights not working, this is when they might nab you for alcohol.
Seat belts are required in PR, if stopped without wearing it you
can be fined $50. They love to stop visitors for this. They are occasionally
using a radar gun on the road from town to Esperanza. Unless posted, the speed
limit everywhere on the island is 35 mph, 25 mph in a school zone.
Always have a can of “fix a flat” in your car. The roads are not
in good shape and flat tires are very common here. This should give you enough
time to get the car to Papy Kike’s where they are experts at repairing tires!
Make sure you are at the ferry and airport at least ½ hour before
departure times. The airlines will charge you a lot for luggage that
exceeds 25 pounds per person and have ever told people with a tremendous amount
of luggage that they will have to take the ferry. Pack light, you do not need a
lot of clothes here and even the finest restaurants at best are casually
elegant. Shorts are accepted everywhere for men. There is a great new laundrymat
where if you need things washed you can do it yourself or pay to have them wash
and fold it for you. Many are taking advantage of this service.
Many of the restaurants can accommodate dietary restrictions however
not without prior notice. If you have food allergies or special needs call ahead
so that the staff can prepare something special for you.
Over the next few months you will notice that the format of "What’s Happenin"
may drop the calendar from the page. We know that many of you look forward to
the calendar for planning vacations. Good news is that the calendar will be
available at Vieques Events’ new
www.viequesevents.net website. As a matter of fact the newspaper will be
available for all to read. We are working on rates for advertisers who want to
stay in the paper on line. This month everyone gets to have their ads online
however in the future it will be all articles plus those advertisers who think
that online exposure is good for business! We look forward to reaching a broader
range of people with interest in Vieques. I will continue to write “What’s
Happenin” in the same informal, friendly manner that so many of you have
enjoyed. We have really appreciated the feedback from all of you.
| Wednesday, January 1 | Happy New Year |
| Saturday, January 4 | Bike the West End, call 787-617-BIKE for details |
| Monday, January 6 Three Kings Day |
Children’s Party at the Florida Ballpark Three Kings Day Pool Party & Pig Roast at the Oasis, call 741-0655 |
| Wednesday, January 8 | Bingo at El Sombrero Viejo to benefit the
Vieques Humane Society Purchase cards, play for prizes! 6pm |
| Thursday & Friday, January 9 &10 | Verizon Wireless selling cellular phones at Centro Commercial |
| Saturday, January 11 | Mafia Night, Featuring Italian Food Specialties at Oasis |
| Sunday, January 12 | New England Lobster Night at Island Cafe with
Chef Michael. Reservations required, 741-0033 |
| Saturday, January 18 | Grand Opening of the new Casa Vieja! “10 Years
After” Exhibit featuring many artists. 5-8pm in La Hueca |
| Sunday, January 19 | “Dine Under the Stars” Buffet at the Crow’s Nest Bohio, Live Music, to benefit VCHT. Reservations – 741-8850 |
| Tuesday, January 21 | Meeting of the Vieques Businessmen’s Association to learn about and join various committees. Interested parties welcome. More information – 741-1307 |
| Friday, January 24 | Open House at Marine Life Exhibit at VCHT with
Jose Mendez, aquarium specialist. 2-4pm (tentative) |
| Saturday, January 25 |
Health For Vieques, free clinic at the Hospital.
Usually begins about 10am Arabian Knights Night, featuring Middle Eastern Food at Oasis, 741-0655 |
| All Month | Coral Reef Exhibit at VCHT “Vieques From Another Perspective” Exhibit at the Fort |
| Sundays | NFL Football on the Big Screen at Amapola Vieques Xtreme Gotcha Games, 741-0728 for information Domino Competition at the Pescaderia Colmado in Esperanza Paella Special at Trade Winds, call 741-8666 |
| Mondays |
Conch Specials in addition to the regular menu
at Crow’s Nest’s Island Cafe. 741-0011 Reggae Grill Night at Chez Shack, Live Music! Reservations required, 741-2175 Pool Party at Oasis 4-7pm. 741-0655 $1 Medalla Night at Banana’s Sunset Happy Hour 4-6pm – 2 for 1 well drinks and beer at La Sirena |
| Tuesdays | Mixed Media Drawing Classes by Siddhia
Hutchinson, 8-10am, limited space, reservations needed, 741-8780 Happy Hour at Island Cafe at the Crow’s Nest. 5-7pm, chance to win bar tab. $1.50 Cuba Libre All day and Night at La Central |
| Wednesdays | Rib Night at Tropico, for reservations call 741-4000 |
| Thursdays | Live Music – Caribbean Steel Band at La Sirena Roberto’s Dinner Specials and Oldies with Capt. Martin at Al’s Mar Azul |
| Thursdays and Fridays |
Marine Life Talk by Capt. Mark Martin at VCHT 1-3pm |
| Fridays | Jazz at Tropico, at 9:30pm first to guess the
artist correctly wins a Rib Dinner! Live Music at Oasis, different band weekly 7-11pm |
| Fridays and Saturdays | Paella Special at Tropico, 741-4000 |
| Saturdays |
Marine Life Talk by Capt. Mark Martin at VCHT
2-4pm Peace Vigil across from Camp Garcia 741-0716 for more information |
| Business Association Offers Computer Classes |
Learn or improve computer skills during a 5 week course sponsored by the Vieques Businessmen’s Association. Classes, to be held at the German Riekehoff School, begin the end of January with Section 1 meeting Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-5pm and Section 2, Tuesdays and Thursdays 3-5pm. Limited to 25 people per section. Enrollment fee for members is $25, non-members pay $40, fee is not refundable. For dates and registration call Lina – 741-1307 or Sandra |
There is also a new transfer service between the International Airport in San
Juan and the port in Fajardo that just began advertising on Enchanted Isle. It's
called Travel with Padin.
He will also conduct tours and take you around different places on the main
island. Check out his website at
www.enchanted-isle.com/padin.
Have a great New Year!
Judy
PS: If there is anything you would like to see in the newsletter or have any feedback please email
Ask Judy. Thanks.
askjudy@enchanted-isle.com
If any of you would like to see something specific in this newsletter please contact the webmaster and I will do my best to investigate for you.
Email: whats_happenin@enchanted-isle.com
