Greetings from Vieques!
Greetings All
The isle of enchantment looks especially lovely right now due to lots of rain, mostly at night! Everything is incredibly green and lush and it has been a great season for local fruits. Did you know that there are about 50 different varieties of mangos on our little island? Rumor has it that that is about half the number of types available on the big island! Mangos are everywhere except sometimes the grocery store, but there are lots of people selling them on the street. In addition to the mangos it is also papaya, avocado, banana,
limón, pineapple, guava and quenepa season. I saw my first pineapple plant the other day and it was beautiful! The season has lasted longer and produced more fruits than other years probably due to steady precipitation. The avocados have been especially delicious this year and fortunately I have a sister that keeps me supplied.
I am no expert on fruits however there are several types of bananas available too, some are small and sweet and the others look more like what you would find in the grocery stores. The limón is a local fruit that tastes more like a cross between a lemon and lime, they are smaller and usually a paler shade of green, this is what you will usually get in your cocktails at the bars and restaurants. The quenepa, I hope I am spelling that correctly, is a small fruit that you break the skin of and suck out the fruit. I personally do not like the flavor of it, however the locals make a beverage called BILI with it. I know that they put the quenepas in the bottle of rum but not sure what else is involved in the making of it. It is really quite good and packs a powerful punch! If you see people on the street carrying a little flask or even regular size bottle with fruit floating in it that is Bili. Usually we see people selling the fruit in July however it is still available now. There is also a man selling Bili in the Florida section of the island for those of you interested it trying out a local flavor.
Many of these backyard fruits are not available in the grocery store, so ask around to see who has trees and can supply you with some of the best fruit you will ever eat. I have been warned though that if you get some fresh guava, do not let it sit around in a bag, it can smell pretty nasty; good thing it tastes better than it smells! I think I also saw a grapefruit tree the other day that looked just a few short weeks away from being ready to pick. I know that I am missing some of the other local exotic fruits but while here you can do some investigating on your own.
Capt. Richard unfortunately has stopped doing the Friday night sunset cruises until November. Everybody raved about them so if you're planning a trip down this winter that is a must do. There have also been some restaurant changes since last month. La Campesina will be closing for 6 weeks beginning in Oct. reopening before Thanksgiving. Stopped out to see Barry and Diane (owners of La Campesina) last night and it really is a lovely romantic place to have dinner and the food is wonderful.
Look for Monday night football events to start at Eddie's soon. Ran into Mike, he handles the food there and he is looking to do some additions to his menu this fall and it is still the only place to get a late night meal or snack on the weekend. Last I heard Café Media Luna will be open Sept. but will be closing for a few weeks maybe in Oct. They offered live music Labor Day weekend and Thank goodness Ricardo and Monica have these great friends who come and perform for us. It is hard to believe you are on a small island in the Caribbean when you listen to the quality of music played. Mostly Latin Jazz rhythms but often times you will get people out of their chairs and dancing. Been there and done that at Media Luna, but if music is not available be sure to try a meal there, I especially love the appetizers.
Another fabulous addition to the island is the return of Thai food. Phil has cooked at a few restaurants in the past and Lyman, owner of the Crabwalk Café, has persuaded him to cook Weds. I think he will be cooking lunch and dinner but not positive on that note. I have long been addicted to Phil's cooking and was so glad to get a good sweat going last night. He will cook to varying degrees of "hotness" but he knows that I love it really hot! He does offer some meals that are more tame so be not afraid, it is definitely worth a try and the prices and portions are great. The Inn on the Blu Horizon is expanding their kitchen facility so later this fall they will be back to offering 2 menus. Lighter fare will be available at the bar and the regular menu available in the dining room. Chef Michael was only serving at the bar the past several weeks and his lighter fare included such treats as a "soft shelled crab" sandwich and a Bloody Mary Steak, these were incredible tasting! He is truly gifted in coming up with fantastic food and I really am looking forward to them reopening in a few weeks. I think the Trade Winds will still be offering dinner on the weekends but heard that David is trying to get away for 2 weeks in October so that is one you will have to call about when here. Everett is enjoying a much deserved vacation in Maine, so Café Coconuts is also closed until about the middle of
September. Please check last months letter for additional restaurant information as there is not enough space to repeat all of it.
The Mar Azul, the only bar right on the ocean, has been doing some remodeling. They have moved a wall and opened up a larger area in which to play darts, no fear now of having a close encounter with a steel tipped dart! Yes we still play old fashioned darts here, mostly cricket but sometimes 501 or 301. Beware if you challenge Al, the owner, to a game of darts, he usually plays for shots of Tequila so be sure to establish the rules up front! Another addition to the bar, which should be completed this week, is a wooden deck sitting right over the ocean. Sunsets are amazing most of the year here and now sitting right over the water will just make it that much more lovely. There are still plans for a kitchen and restaurant but no idea when that will be a reality. Be sure and catch Happy Hour daily from 5 to 7 and enjoy the sunset.
As elections are coming up in November there are lots of political events happening. The race for Mayor is in full swing so you will often here the loudspeaker trucks cruising around the island. Trust me they are loud but a very effective way of letting residents know what is going on. Not only are the speaker trucks used for politics but also to let us know of other events coming up, such as dances, live music and even funerals. We have a small local paper that comes out about once a month, in both languages, which keeps us informed however the speaker trucks fill in the gaps.
If you do not rent a car while here and want a tour of the island, many of the
Publico(taxi) drivers will be happy to be of service. Many speak some English however the one talked about the most is Lolo Felix. This man is a wonderful driver and tour guide and we have had feedback from guests who wanted all of you to know how much they enjoyed him. For rates and availability give him a call on his cellular at 787-741-5447. Other publico drivers that I can recommend are Ishmael Ramos, home 741-0095, cellular 381-7205 and Angel Martorell, cellular 484-8796. Thank you Joanne (The Inn on the Blue Horizon) for offering help with the other drivers!
Well due to a surprising and positive response to these newsletters, Jim Starke, our webmaster, has suggested starting an
"Ask Judy" page where I will try to answer some of the questions that you have concerning vacationing and Vieques. I will surely be getting help from several other folks on the island with the task but look forward to helping with and answering any questions. Again any feedback is appreciated and bring on the questions! Hey Jim we are all looking forward to your visit, you are this weeks topic of conversation! See you soon.
Thanks all for reading,
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 you have read some of the past letters by Peggy you will be familiar with the "must do" things here. If you have not read them I suggest that you take a few minutes to browse through them to become better acquainted with life here on the island. She has filled her columns with lots of "things you need to know" and I don't want to pass on the same information month after month!
<click here for the archives>
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
