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Hola to all!

February was very busy, especially from the middle of the month until the end of the month! From talking to the guest houses and car rentals, I understand that March is looking busy as well. And with the northeast getting hopefully the last snow storm, that usually encourages people to look for tickets south! The weather has been cool in the evenings and now is getting hot during the day. Coolest winter I remember since I have lived here (8 years I think now) but still delightful, okay so the temps got maybe to the low 70s at night!

[FROM Lin Wetherby about Tsunami Relief]
I want to thank everyone who donated to my Tsumani Fundraising efforts...$2000. was collected from 10 generous individuals and a total of $7000. was sent to Unicef over the last 3 months. Thanks Much...!!  Those areas will need help for many years to come....  If anyone else wants to mail or drop a check, I will send one more batch off in April to continue the support. Thanks again!
Lin Wetherby, HC01 Box 6307, Vieques, PR 00765

One of the most popular restaurants will be closed due to a kitchen fire. The Blue Macaw, located at the Inn on the Blue Horizon, lost the entire kitchen in the fire. Our hearts go out to Rick and Honor who hope to reopen later this year. Have not heard what caused the fire, possibly electrical. We are all just sick about this as it was a favorite place for all of us to visit and the food was always great. Losing the Blue Macaw at the busiest time of the year has taught people to make reservations though. Many of the smaller restaurants just can’t handle lots of diners so people are getting turned away if they don’t have a reservation so keep that in mind when you visit.
Other restaurant news includes MBar changing their menu to more of a Steak House menu. Since I have kind of gone back on the Atkins diet it has become a regular stop for me! The steaks have been good and the prices are reasonable. The do offer seafood and other things, not just steaks. Uva does Sushi Nights each Saturday, however, Chef Carlos has added another menu which is Asian inspired so if you are not into sushi you can still enjoy a great meal on a Saturday night. Oh and I highly recommend trying the watermelon martini, the passion fruit martini or the chocolate cappuccino martini. I am addicted to them! Banana’s has added a second floor to the bar area, so you can enjoy another view of the water! I have only been up there briefly but it is really neat. No smoking upstairs though as it is all done in wood. I understand that La Sirena is doing great Mexican Food now. Have not has a chance to try it but saw a plate go by and it was packed with food and the prices are very reasonable. Chez Shack has a new chef, I forget his name, but ate there for my birthday and had a great meal. I sat with Duffy (owner) and his daughter Susan so we could catch up! I hardly get out there so it was nice to sit and chat with them for a bit. Susan did report to her father as she joined us that yet another couple said it was the best meal they had had so far on the island so………..

For my birthday I treated myself to a mini vacation at the Wyndham Martineau Bay Resort! It would be easier if I could take my dog with me but oh well. Got a massage, hung out by the pool and on the beach and it was heaven. I was only going to stay the one night but they upgraded me to a suite so decided to spend Sunday there as well so I could watch the Oscars! We had a great dinner there, I had the sea bass which was excellent and the others were also very happy with their food. The setting at the hotel is amazing and I really always feel like I am somewhere else when there. Although I don’t know that all the paperwork has been completed, I have heard that the resort under the new owners will be run by Starwood and will be a Sheraton. Again, this is just talk on the street, did not have a chance to ask the hotel manager about all of this.

There is a great new cd available at lots of locations on the island if you like Latin music. The cd is called “Sentimiento Latino” and was released by Georgie Flynn and his Viequense Trio. 8 of the songs on the cd were written by Will Colon, one of the band members. They performed a concert prior to Valentines Day up at the Fort which was really fun. The music is described as Bohemian, it sounds like romantic, easy listening to me!

Well I hate to call attention to it but have to….. there have been lots of robberies this winter. The robberies have been at rental houses and at the beaches, especially beaches on fish and wildlife lands. When staying in a rental house, make sure to lock all the doors while you are there and while you are away. Robberies are common in all Latin countries, this is not something that is just happening in Vieques. When you go to the beach just take things you need for your stay at the beach. Leave wallets where you are staying, take a photocopy of your drivers license with you. Take a minimum of cash, do not bring anything valuable and leave cell phones someplace else. People have had cars broken into when they are 25 feet away from the vehicle. Do not leave anything unattended on the beach, it will go away. Luckily most of this crime is non-confrontational, the thieves really do not want to interact with you so they grab and run. People have been robbed in guest houses while they were sleeping too. Some of those incidents were break-ins, however, some were people not only leaving doors unlocked but wide open for air circulation. You can not do that here, you must try and keep your property secure at all times. You don’t need to bring flashy jewelry to the island, leave it at home. Take only things that are not important to you with you to the beach. Stay alert and you should not have any problems. It is still a very small number of visitors that this is affecting but it is best to mention it to keep all of you safer so that you have an enjoyable vacation.

Okay so in the past we joked about how to drink and drive in Vieques, with a straw so that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road. Here are some of the ones that you should all be aware of now:
Carrying open containers with alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of 0.5% or higher in the passenger or interior of a vehicle is prohibited. The fine will be $100.

Driving either too slowly or too fast will be subject to a fine of $50. Driving 20 miles below the speed limit will be considered as too slow.

The speed limit in school zones is reduced from 25 to 15 miles, and it must now be observed between 6am and 7pm.

Drivers parking on sidewalks, in front of fire hydrants and in green areas will be subject to fines of up to $100.

The fines on tinted windshields are reduced from $100 to $50, but the owner will now have 24 hours to replace them.

Drag racing is prohibited. It is defined as the unauthorized use (by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works) of one or more vehicles, whether in common agreement or not, to pass or block another vehicle(s) from passing ahead of another vehicle(s) or to test the physical resistance of drivers over long distances. The first conviction will be subject to a $3,000 fine and the suspension of the driver’s license for up to six months. Second and subsequent convictions will be fined between $3,000 and $5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both at the option of the court. The driver’s license will be suspended and the vehicle confiscated.

The use of “fourtracks” in paved public roads is prohibited. The fine will not be less than $250 or greater than $500.

Okay so I don’t think that drag racing is a problem here but if you are so inclined to race another rental car the fine and license suspension is enough to scare me from participating!

The island congratulates Nelson Dieppa who retained his his World Boxing Organization junior flyweight title last month. Nelson is a local hero, an excellent role model for our young athletes. Hi has won 22 of his 25 fights! Oh and we share the same birthday! Hope he had as much fin as I did!

Well that about covers the news of the moment. Thanks for reading and sorry this is a few days late, just took the weekend off completely then had to work.

Hope to see you all soon.

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 

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