Greetings from Vieques!
Greetings from the island of "LOUD TRUCKS!'
The loud trucks should be gone by the time visitors get here but we will sure be glad when the elections are over. There have been lots of political rallies taking place and each candidate has their own "speaker truck." Some of these trucks are equipped with generators that would run the island for a few hours! In addition to the generators they have enough speakers to satisfy any rock group playing in a large field! I am tired of having to cover my ears each time they roll through town. Only a few more days to go! But not all the trucks disappear, they are used to announce upcoming events on the island too.
We all said farewell to Café Coconuts. Everett, who has fed all of us for years, has decided to take some time off. He is still living here among us however is toying with the idea of going north to be closer to his family. Richard, owner of Casa Amistad, is trying to fill the void here in town. His small restaurant is serving the same menu that Coconuts offered with the addition of waffles and eggs benedict. He is located just a short walk away, near Taverna Espanola . To be honest he has a great cook but is working on finding the right waiter or waitress. Some people have had a bit of trouble getting what they ordered but we all deal with it! Things should improve soon he says!
In this edition I want to cover who is doing what for Thanksgiving! I am listing the restaurants that are more "American" in nature as they are the ones who will be offering "traditional" fare for those of you who love turkey!
Inn on the Blue Horizon will be offering a special menu with Turkey, etc. As of right now they are not accepting any more reservations but that could change. Chef Michael is awaiting new arrivals for the kitchen and if all works out he may just be able to feed a few more hungry travelers. Please call for information and check to see if they are accepting reservations. Those of you who think you can just show up may be disappointed!
Trade Winds also will be offering a traditional Thanksgiving menu plus a limited dinner menu. Dinner is served from 6 - 9:30 and reservations are definitely suggested.
Oasis will be offering a special Thanksgiving menu. For that day only they will open at 5 and serve until 10 PM. The usual hours are 6-10. Again reservations are suggested and their phone number is 741-0655.
La Campesina will also be open from 6 - 10 PM. Barry will have some traditional items on the menu and be serving some of the regular menu too. Please call for reservations.
Trapper John's will also be open from 6 -10 PM and will offer their regular menu in addition to the traditional Thanksgiving fare. Again please call for reservations.
Banana's and Crabwalk Café will also be open that day but will only be offering their regular menus. Lyman (Crabwalk Café) said that they might do a family type day where some of the locals, who are regulars, bring along a covered dish and have a big family meal, but that was still up in the air!
Café Media Luna will be closed for Thanksgiving.
That covers the restaurants for this month. Everyone should be going back to their winter schedules soon so when you get here please call and see who is open and when. All these restaurants are worth a visit and we hope you all have a chance to experience them. They all offer something different in atmosphere and food!
The Mar Azul was the place to be for Halloween. The party started about 8 and ended at closing time. There was a contest, categories were for "sexiest", "most original" and "tackiest." And the winners were: Carlos, a local hairdresser, was in drag and won for the sexiest! He looked divine! Most original went to Dennis, he was outfitted as a scorpian! He and his wife, artist Helen Davis, always come up with great costumes! And tackiest went to Shirley, she might wait on you at lunchtime at the Crabwalk. She had on a " big stuffed body suit" equipped with red pasties (with tassles) and a green g-sting! In addition to that she also had on a big curly black wig. Thank goodness she does not look like that when she is working! For those of you who like the "time warp" aspect of the island you may be disappointed when you next visit the Mar Azul. There is a great new deck and a bigger bar located in the center of the building. Some things just have to change now and then! The new bar seats more people and you can still experience the great sunsets from the deck.
News of Martineau Bay's upcoming opening has not been confirmed as of yet. The website is still saying December however the rumor mill says that is not happening. They should be up and open for business early in the new year. Hopefully I will know more for the December edition of "What's Happening." Again the rumor mill is saying that when the resort opens American Airlines will start flying in. There were some things that had to be improved upon at the small airport and again I will try and find out more for the next issue!
As more of you are making plans to visit I just want to remind you not to take anything to the beach that you will miss should it be grabbed. This is not a huge problem but it does happen. Use common sense, don't take anything of value to the beach and when possible have someone stay on the beach with your things. I also recommend not locking your car at the beach. I would much prefer having my car rifled through than finding a broken lock or window!
It was great to see Jim here, it has been much to long since he visited! Please make sure you read about his adventures while here, there is a lot of great information included in his travelogue! And fun reading!
See Weblogue
The "Ask Judy" page is up and running and I welcome your questions. Please make sure you check out the site and also read past articles before submitting a question. I am getting a lot of repeat inquiries (which is fine) however I am referring people back to past articles and questions on the site. Most of the information you need to know is included in the "What's Happening" and the "Ask Judy" pages. Take your time and browse through all of the enchanted-isle website, the "important stuff" is mentioned somewhere in there!
Thanks 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
