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August 2004

Hi everyone,

July was very busy this year and there was lots going on here. Typically July is the month when many of the snowbirds return to the island for a few weeks as it is so gorgeous with the flamboyan trees in full bloom. The island bustled with tourists from the main island of Puerto Rico as well. With all the local holidays it was definitely a party month on the island!

The ferry schedule has been kind of bizarre, not sure exactly what is going on. At one point I heard that the Coast Guard had limited the number of people that the ferries were allowed to carry. Not sure if that is/was true as the next ferry that came in had many more people on it than the number I had just been told. I also heard that they are trying to set up some security features at the docks and that was holding up passengers and causing delays. They seem to be following the schedule, however, on occasion there have been extra boats. Best advice is to get to the ferry dock early if that is the way you are traveling between Vieques and the main island.

One of the major problems we have faced recently is a lack of water. Some parts of the island have been without water for 2 weeks now, other parts get water for a few hours a day and Isabel II seems to have water most of the time. To make matters worse the water company throughout PR went on strike for a few days so getting an answer was impossible. Again through the grapevine I heard that some of the pumps on the main island were broken and that is why service to several areas of Puerto Rico was interrupted. Hopefully this problem will get fixed soon, it is a shame to see people pumping water out of their swimming pools to use for flushing toilets and taking showers. After the past few weeks with the crazy ferry service and water woes a friend looked at me last night and said “ living in Vieques is a full time job,” nothing is easy for very long! Yes it is gorgeous but if you like all the comforts of home, don’t expect to get them here on a daily basis! Sometimes it really is like living in a third world country!

Unlike a third world country though we do have great restaurants! I had the opportunity to eat out a few times and it was a real treat. Had dinner twice at Blue Macaw, the first time was with Jim Starke (webmaster) and Diane Green (Posada Vista Mar), it was one of Jim’s last evenings on the island and we had a wonderful time. Later in the month our friends JJ and Larry came over from St. Johnto celebrate JJ’s birthday. JJ has a restaurant over there and a few years ago bought a house here which she unfortunately does not use enough. Whenever they arrive on Vieques it is cause for a celebration! In the picture, taken during an awesome meal at the Blue Macaw, is Larry and JJ on the left, me, Barry Duncan (he moved here from St. John several months ago), Reenie (from the Mar Azul) and Steve (Steve’s Car Rental), missing were Al and Val who had to stay close to town because of Patronales. I guess when you look at the guest list you can guess that JJ and Larry frequent the Mar Azul when they come to the island! Keep in mind that Blue Macaw will close the end of August and will reopen in November.
Had Sunday Brunch at Bayaonda which was fabulous! We are so fortunate to have amazing chefs on the island and Wanda is another of those. The brunch menu has a nice selection of lighter foods on it but with an international flavor. As it was a quiet day, had the opportunity to spend some time with both Wanda and Gustavo discussing life on the island. I think the highlight of the day though was playing with their gorgeous daughter Ursula, what a wonderful baby! Okay I am not really a baby person, however, Ursula is truly a delight, so much so that I even offered to babysit for them if they wanted a night out!
I went out to the bar at Martineau Bay the other day, needing an “out of Vieques” moment and of course walk in on a group of friends, more people that have moved here from St. John. Brian has taken over the water sports concession at Martineau Bay and is adding new toys constantly. He recently purchased a small motor boat and will take people around the island. You do not have to be a guest at Martineau Bay to enjoy the boat or water toys. Brian and friends were going to M Bar for dinner and asked me to join them so of course I could not refuse! Carlos, the chef, has just changed the menu and as usual the food is incredible. I can’t seem to get away from ordering the salad that has the venison on it, it is so gooooooood! Brian traded a piece of his lamb for some venison and that too was wonderful. They have done so much work out there and made it so cozy and comfortable, it is a favorite spot for many of us now. Carlos is a true workaholic and his menu reflects it, make sure you try it when here.
Other friends, the Hankins family, invited me to join them for dinner at Café Media Luna and again the food was wonderful. There menu is set up differently and items are maybe a little bigger than an appetizer but smaller than an entrée. It used to be that people complained about the size of the portions but I would have to say that they seemed more than adequate, maybe bigger than in the past but at the same prices. The only complaint that we could make about the meal was that food did not come out to us at the same time so some people had food in front of them when others did not. Not one of us complained about the food though, it was fantastic, and I think between the 7 of us we may have had just about everything on the menu!
I was invited to the “Gala Dinner”, a fund raiser for the current mayor, which was held at Martineau Bay. Wow twice in one year I got to get dressed up for a formal event! It was the first time I have ever worn stockings in Vieques! The secretary of the Municipality invited me to the $500 per plate event which was possibly the most elegant campaign event to ever be held in Vieques. Several prominent business people on the island were in attendance. Also Dr. Guadalupe, an OB/GYN who works here alternating weeks, posed with me for the event! They brought a band over from the main island for it too and a few people got up and took a turn around the dance floor. The food was awesome and I understand from the manager, Ben Tutt, they recently hired a new executive chef and the menu will be changing there as well. From talking to some people that eat there often they say the food is great and the new chef has made things for them that are not currently on the menu. It is such a gorgeous place that I do love going out there, just get to feel like I am not really in Vieques for a few hours.
Chef Michael is adding more dinner nights at FoodSpace and that is always well received. Mondays are usually Bistro Nights and the menu changes weekly, he still does his Sushi Nights occasionally, which are awesome, and he added a steak night too. He may be cutting some of his hours at the store as it is pretty quiet here this time of year. Remember that the best selection of food is available on Thursdays and Fridays so shop early for your stay.
Friends and visitors celebrated Coqui Fire Hot Sauce Company’s 2nd Anniversary at the Mar Azul during the weekend of Patronales. Jim and Patty did much of the cooking for the event and few others of us prepared something for the event. Everything had to have one of the hot sauces in it. Patty made a pumpkin pie and a cheese cake that were amazing! Those of us that were brave enough to take a shot of the newest sauce, Smoldering Frog, got a free Tshirt. I am a pepperhead and could not refuse the shot! The new hot sauce is really good, not their hottest but a nice amount of heat and excellent flavor.
Patronales this year was awesome, each night there was a internationally known musician. The event drew thousands of people each night and there was quite a bit of dancing going on in the streets! I got a few more Salsa dancing lessons and was in attendance until the wee hours of the morning. Missing from the event were some of the typical carnival games that they usually have but everyone seemed to have a great time. Some of the musicians that performed were La India, Ednita Nazario, Mayra Mayra, Los Sabrosos del Merengue and Manny Manuel and Orchestra. I imagine that because it is an election year no expense was spared to bring some major talent to the island for the festival! The only problem was that a schedule was not posted with the times that certain groups were performing so people missed these stars.
I learned from Val, the owner of Vieques Air Link, that they will be getting a new plane in the next few weeks that will carry 19 passengers! This is great news for season as flights to the international airport have sold out early. He said that they may also be getting a second one later in the year but that is still not official. With all the people that travel between the islands we really need a bigger plane. Still no official news as to if and when American Eagle will begin flying into Vieques.
Being an election year it is pretty noisy on the island and will remain so for the next few months! Speaker trucks with loud music and campaign slogans drive the island on a regular basis. By November we will all be sick of it but that is the way it works here so….. Politics is a passion here and Puerto Rico I think has the largest percentage of voter turnout than any of the 50 states. Just imagine if we could vote for President!
Hey it has been over 2 months since I quit smoking! For those of you that doubted I could stay off them, I am still going strong. It has been easier than I thought it would be but still really miss it at times. Definitely feel better though and breathing better! Well that about covers another month of island news and restaurant news. Keep in mind that as we go into our slow season that many of the restaurants change their schedules and/or close for a few weeks. Call ahead to make sure they are open.
 

Thanks,

Judy

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