I just realized that I have been writing "What's Happenin" for 2 years, hard to believe as I recall sitting at the computer scared to death writing the first one! I can admit that because of this column I have learned to type, gotten bolder about phoning and harassing people about events and have earned the nickname "Scoop". In reality only one person calls me that but everyone refers to me as "Ask Judy" which I thoroughly enjoy. I bet Jim had no idea what he was creating when he offered me the job to write for him! I had agreed to try it out for a few months but then got very possessive about the articles and refused help from others. Thanks Jim, I hold you somewhat responsible for the creation of "Vieques Events" where I get to utilize all these new found skills.
It has been a bit crazy around here, hard to believe as it is summer. We saw the return of "main islanders" who decided to try a vacation on Vieques. We had lost them 4 years ago with the phone strike and then of course with all the negative publicity regarding the military presence on the island. Whether it was because the Culebra ferry was full or that we have avoided the front page headlines, it was a nice change to see the island busy. Many have found it to be a peaceful getaway from the main island and have vowed to return. In addition to the extra visitors to the island we have some new things happening. Tom has opened his Vieques Flowers and Gifts shop in Esperanza, next to 18 Degrees North. Let me tell you that if you want a nice, classy gift or souvenir of your trip, this is the place to shop. In addition to flowers he has a wonderful selection of gift items including pottery, candles, flower presses, greeting cards and much more, I just love standing in there and looking at everything and know where I will be shopping for the holidays. Speaking of which he has some great hand painted glass tree ornaments that are a must have! I told him he better plan for a big Christmas and have plenty of back up stock available! Further down the road you will see the freshly painted and renovated La Central, a restaurant and nightclub. They just recently opened the kitchen and I have heard good reports on the food. They also plan to bring musicians from the main island over periodically in addition to local music and DJs, so bring your dancing shoes along on vacation. Dancing shoes can be whatever goes with your casual attire! Another new addition to the island is the Cessna Caravan, recently purchased by Vieques Air Link. Isla Nena already has 2 of these and MN Aviation has one for trips to Vieques. Vieques Air Link plans to purchase 2 more of these planes by the end of the year. These are all brand new, leather interior, air conditioned, roomier and very comfortable to fly in. VAL is working hard on improving their customer service so with the addition of these new planes they should be in good shape for providing reliable transportation this winter.
On a sad note I have to report that Chef Michael's has closed at the Inn on the Blue Horizon. This breaks my heart as Michael is a very close friend and I always ate there for special occasions. This happened rather suddenly and everybody was surprised by the change. Michael is thinking long and hard about his future and hopefully we will have more to report in the months ahead. For those of you that have eaten his food you will know how much he will be missed. For those of you that love eating at the Inn on the Blue you will be still be able to enjoy meals there this winter as Blue Macaw Catering will be taking over the restaurant. Honor and Rick have many loyal and admiring fans of their food as they too have been in the "fine dining" business for many years. Like I said before it has been a busy month. More restaurant news! Duffy has reopened Chez Shack for the summer!!! Chefs are changing all over the island! Seth, formerly of Island Café has taken over the kitchen at Chez Shack and is doing a wonderful job. I had dinner up there recently and it was delightful. The prices are moderate and the food delicious and plentiful. You would think now that Duffy has reached the young age of 80 he would think about retiring but not our Duff. He keeps buying lumber and concrete and expanding the shack, soon it will be Chez Coliseum! He is currently open Wed., Thurs., Fri., and Sunday. Okay for those that know Duffy you also know that he is fickle and that the hours could change any minute. Best to call ahead and make sure that he is open but he does seem committed to trying this out for at least the month of August! And now that it is August, the Mar Azul celebrates it's 6th anniversary with Al and Val. The tequila will be flowing on August 2nd as
Rootsticks performs reggae music to celebrate the occasion.
OOPS I almost forgot, for those of you who miss the Crab Walk Café and the great lunches there, look for Lyman at the Bakery in Esperanza. He will be doing sandwiches, tacos and burritos on Wed. - Saturdays from about noon until 4 pm. I used to regularly stop in at Crab Walk for lunch so am really happy that he will be offering those items again.
Here goes for the calendar, we remain full of fun and excitement here on Isla Nena, and we call this the slow season!
Weekly Events: |
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| Sundays | -Amapola - Bloody Mary Bar and BBQ all day, pre season NFL football -After Beach Party at Chez Shack - casual and begins around 4pm -Prix Fixe dinner at El Bohio (Crow's Nest) advance reservations needed -$1.50 Ribs/ $5 Brisket Sandwiches at Oasis |
| Mondays | -Pool Party at Oasis! Drink and food specials. Great prices -Italian Night at La Sirena, special menu |
| Tuesdays | -Happy Hour at Island Café 5 - 7 pm chance to win bar tab -Ladies Night at La Sirena 5-7pm, buy 1 get 1 free -$2.50 You call it well drinks at Amapola |
| Wednesdays | -Movies with Barry (formerly of La Campesina) at Amapola 7pm -Rib Night at Tropico (very popular) |
| Thursdays | -Roberto's Dinner Special and Oldies with Capt. Martin at Mar Azul |
| Thursdays - Sundays | -"Our Daily Bread" at Café Media Luna 10-1, great sandwiches and Sweets, a must try! |
| Fridays | -Pasta Night at Tropico -Fiesta Langosta at Trade Winds, lobster specials! -Asian Fusion Cuisine at Amapola, menu changes weekly |
Special Dates: |
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| August 2nd | Mexican Food Night at Oasis |
| August 3rd | - Really Bad Lottery Shots and hand painting contest at Amapola! 10pm - Bike the West End with Karl, call 787-617-BIKE for info - Caribes Baseball Game in Florida, double header starting at 4:30 |
| August 8th | - Cakewalk at Amapola to benefit the Vieques Humane Society 5pm |
| August 9th | - Karaoke at Banana's 10-pm, you never know I might be singing! |
| August 16th | - Cajun Food Night at Oasis |
| August 18th | - Paso Fino Horse Show, look for posters with location |
| August 22nd | - Iron Bartender Competition at Amapola, not sure what this is yet and who Knows, maybe I will compete! 7pm, should be interesting anyway! |
| August 25th | - Ferry to Culebra, leaves dock around 8:30am, return same day - GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION at Vieques Flowers and Gifts in Esperanza. Fill out coupon in Vieques Events to win door prizes, 12-5pm |
| August 29th | - Local Raw Bar and Medalla-0n-Tap (kind of!) at Amapola. 7pm |
| August 31 | - Jazz Night at Café Media Luna, reservations needed. Great Music! |
| September 2nd | - Labor Day BBQ at Oasis, check for times. |
*Remember to make reservations for dinner at all the restaurants, that way you will know for sure if they are serving the nights you want to go and you have a better chance of getting the meals that you want. All the staff appreciate knowing in advance what kind of night they are in for!
I hate to be the voice of doom and gloom but it is important for all of you to remember that we are officially into our "hurricane season" through the end of October. To ensure a great vacation tune into the weather station regularly for tropical updates. It is very important to follow the weather so you know what to expect. Years go by with no major storms however there is always the chance that one could be nearby. Best to know of the possibility before arriving so that you are prepared.
Well I think that we have covered most of the "happenings" on the island for August. I know that I will be busy going around and checking out some of these events. I wish I had the time and energy to do all of them! As you can see it is fun to visit even when we think things are slow, the best part is that you really have a chance to meet people and learn about the island as we have more time to brag about being able to live here full time. Well I can't brag about my bank account but I can about waking up and seeing the ocean every day, about being able to get to a beach in just a few minutes, about the fact that there are no traffic lights here, that you can eat a delicious lunch for about $3 at one of the local kiosks on the weekend, about the amazing BIO BAY and how it glows at night, about………. You get the picture! Come down and experience it for yourself!
Thanks for reading,
Judy
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Email: whats_happenin@enchanted-isle.com
