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July 2004

Hi everyone,

July really is one of the most gorgeous months in Puerto Rico, there is something about the flaming-red Flamboyan Tree that is so amazing. The trees are abundant in Vieques and are pretty spectacular. For those that like Mangos, the trees are heavy with fruit. There are some trees out in Pilon that are on the road so nobody monds if you take some. Avocado trees will be the next bearing fruit! The weather is hot and the ocean is like a bathtub! July is the month where the majority of our visitors are residents of the main island of Puerto Rico. The weekend ferries will be filled so if traveling by ferry get there early to get your ticket. They sometimes will run an extra boat if there is enough demand but you just never know. As the fourth of July is a huge weekend here, if you have the opportunity to read this before then make sure you fill up your gas tank, this is the type of weekend where it is possible that we will run out of gas. Remember gas trucks usually arrive on Tuesdays so if we run out it can be a few days ‘til we get more.

Not to scare anyone but remember we are now officially into hurricane season. Hurricane season runs from July until about November. For anyone traveling to the Caribbean during these months it is important to keep an eye on the local weather down here. Historically September has been the month that the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have experienced some major storms. Now keep in mind major storms are not an annual event! Sometimes they come, usually they don’t. We may get some minor tropical storms that come close, bringing wind and rain, but major storms are uncommon. We just like travelers to be prepared and to follow the weather, makes for a much better vacation when you know what to expect.

Some changes are taking place on the island, we have a great new restaurant for one! Bili is the name of the restaurant at Amapola in Esperanza. Chef Evita Bolivar and her husband William worked very hard giving the dining room a new look and a new menu. The menu offers more of an upscale Puerto Rican cuisine and the things that I tried were wonderful. Everyone on the island that has eaten there has raved about it so make sure you visit while in Vieques. They are still working on the hours but I noticed that they were open for lunch today and I had heard that they wanted to offer lunch and dinner through the month of July anyway. Best to call ahead to make sure that they are open.
Duffy’s Chez Shack is supposed to open July 9th. Duffy has been looking for someone to work since Tony Casino left and says he has a very talented chef coming for the season, more information to come in later months! For now he has someone new arriving on the island next week for the summer. Duffy said that although he is not sure exactly what the menu will be, it will probably be a lower priced summer menu with lighter foods. Our webmaster, Jim, is already threatening to stay for the reopening of Chez Shack, we shall see if he does!
In other exciting restaurant news Bayaonda is going to offer Sunday Brunch! Wanda’s food is always a treat so I am anxious to get over there and try this. Not sure what specialties she will prepare but I am sure there will be some amazing home-made bread! Brunch will be from 11am-4pm, and they will still be serving dinner on Friday, Saturday and Monday nights.
Casa Alta Vista, formerly Ruiz Guest House in Esperanza is under new ownership. Mark Biron has kept some of the rooms the same for now and is adding some new rooms. The colmado (small grocery) should be opening soon. They will carry lots of light provisions, perfect for a day at the beach or cooking light at home. They will also have a “beach accessories” department, complete with some hats, sunscreens, beach umbrellas, chairs, etc. Seems like his brother John is doing some of the ordering for the colmado! Room rates are very reasonable and it is a short walk to the malecon. Parking is limited but you can get off the road across the street. Plans for the future include offering prepared foods, beach baskets, and maybe a bbq night. We will keep you posted!
Chef Michael started offering Bistro Nights at FoodSpace last month on Monday night. The menu was light and different each week and it became very popular. Reservations were required and of course I called too late and it was sold out the nights I wanted to go! Well it was so popular that he is thinking of adding additional nights. He returns from vacation tomorrow so am not sure exactly how many nights he is thinking of doing. If you are interested it is best to call on a Thursday or Friday afternoon and ask about the days and menus. As his seating is very limited, reservations are required.
Good news for when the ATM runs out of money at the bank, there is an alternative! Colmado Molino, located in Isabel, has a new machine that will let you make 2 $100 withdrawals a day. Owner Joseph Rexach is always looking for ways to improve service and so is the first to have this machine in Vieques. They are open 7 days a week and are the only convenient store that stays open until 11pm. They are located next to El Patio and have a good selection of groceries, refreshments and the all important Cold Beer, better known as “Cerveza Bien Fria”!\
Vieques will have draft beer! Café Coconuts in Isabel has the tap all set, just waiting on the beer (it was supposed to arrive this past weekend but I was away so not sure if it is operational yet), this is pretty exciting for Vieques. They will offer the popular Medalla Light beer and Carlsberg. You just never know what to expect here!

So of if is July that means Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festivals) and Bili. The celebration begins the 14th and runs until the 18th. The schedule is still not finalized but as it is an election year you can bet that it will be a great festival! Usually all the Latin music genres are represented like salsa, meringue, pleno, bachata, etc. and people are dancing in the street. There are a few rides and of course carnival games. It is all very entertaining! If you want to attend Patronales, come to town early so that you get a parking space. Music usually begins around 9 or 10pm and lasts until 4am. This is one of the highlights of the year.

On a sad note, for those of you that ever ate at La Campesina or more recently at Posada Vista Mar, Barry Lindberg died in a car accident early in June. It was a shock to all of us that live here as just about everyone knew him. Barry and Diane moved here from St. Thomas about 8 years ago. They leased La Campesina making it one of the best and most popular restaurants on the island. They then started going to the main island and picking up supplies for several of the businesses on the island. Barry missed the restaurant business so they leased Posada Vista Mar and turned it into the only Italian restaurant in Vieques. On the 19th there was a very special celebration at the fishermen’s pier in Esperanza. Diane was amazing and talked about her life with Barry. Anyone that had a memory that they wanted to share was welcome to do so. We all cried and laughed with Diane and Barry’s family members. Barry’s ashes were spread over the water, close to where they used to have their sailboat. It was very moving. A party continued at Casa Vieja Gallery and Barry’s sister Kim, and his father sang later in the evening. It was a day that none of us will soon forget. On a positive note, Diane has resumed doing the supply run to the main island and is talking about reopening Posada Vista Mar. I will keep you informed on when that happens.

I spent a short weekend in Pennsylvania visiting my Mother. She is selling the family home, where I was born, so all of us are making an effort to get there and go through some things. It was a real trip down memory lane, finding old photographs, school papers, etc. Got to visit with family and friends as well. Ate at a great restaurant in Bethlehem called Edge. Food was fabulous and the place was very upscale.

That about covers another month in Vieques. July is a great time to visit, everything is still open and it is only busy on the weekends! Stop in and see me on Thursday or Friday afternoons at Mar Azul! Thanks for reading yet again this month. The calendar follows and there are still things to do here!

Thanks,

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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