This is the lady that writes this column every month and to whom I am extremely indebted. 
 

Seasons Greetings!

As I sit at my desk in Pennsylvania, watching snow flurries, I am really missing home at the moment. This is my favorite time of year in Vieques! The weather is perfect, days warm, sunny and slightly breezy, making for great beach time. The temperatures then drop in the evening, you may be comfortable wearing a long sleeve shirt and you certainly will be comfortable sleeping without air conditioning! We look forward to taking a hot shower after months of using cold water just to cool off. Ladies you can actually apply a little make-up without if melting off in 20 minutes! Just remember, even though this is our winter, apply sunscreen regularly – no point in ruining your vacation because of a sunburn. Even when it is overcast and breezy, don’t be fooled, you can still get a horrific burn and be miserable.

I spent Thanksgiving in Vieques and it was wonderful. The island is lush and green because they have had ample rain to keep everything alive and gorgeous. Restaurants are reopening with their “winter” schedule, anticipating a busy season. With all the damage done to the Yucatan and Central America, the Caribbean should enjoy a very busy winter. Christmas week is possibly the busiest week on Vieques. Restaurants are small and intimate, with limited seating so you must make dinner reservations this time of year. Keep in mind that most kitchens close around 9:30pm, especially if there are no reservations for that time. Staff gets badgered by travelers that did not make reservations and don’t want to take NO for an answer, Help to keep the staff pleasant by being polite and friendly, it is not their fault that you did not make reservation, or that the kitchen ran out of food. Also if you make dinner reservations for early in the evening, keep in mind that this is not Italy where you get the table for the night, free up you table for other guests and move to the bar area for your next drink. Be adventurous and explore one of the other bars on the island for your after dinner cordial. On weekends make sure to stop by the Palms at Bravo, this is a great place to unwind after dinner, sitting around the pool and enjoying the company of your friends. The deck at Martineau Bay is also a great place to enjoy the view to the main island over a cocktail. Of course there is always Esperanza where you can relax with a tropical beverage at Bananas, Bilí or Trade Winds. If you are in Isabel make sure that you stop by the Mar Azul, the only spot right on the water, or peruse the wine list at El Sombrero Viejo, both of these support a very mixed crowd of Viequenses and Ex-pats. Coconuts is also a great little neighborhood bar for those of us that live there. If you want a “classier” place to enjoy a cocktail be sure to stop by Uva, MBar or even the downstairs of Café Media Luna. Actually enjoying dessert at any of these is a good idea! If you are renting a house remember that you can order fabulous desserts from Colleen at Side Street Bakery or ask Lauren at bbh (during lunch hours) if she still has time for custom orders. If you want some great brownies or quesitos stop by the bakery in Esperanza. Quesitos are amazing and La Dulce Esperanza has the best, they are a puff pastry wrapped and baked around a log of cream cheese, then glazed in sugar. They are also good at the other local bakeries but I found that Esperanza uses the most cheese. I miss these so much!

If you have to do grocery shopping you can get organic or natural produce at the Zee Store in Puerto Real. Johanna is never quite sure what she is going to get and is also trying to gage demand for season. I usually email or call her a week in advance to let her know what I want so that she can save it for me or make sure that she is ordering enough for her customers. You can find her number on the information page of www.enchanted-isle.com. If you need organic, natural, vegetarian or vegan ingredients try the Vieques Health Food Store. Victoria is the current owner and has kept many of the items that Karen brought to the island. For basic ingredients you can find them at either of the large Morales grocery stores. If you need to buy beer, sodas, or bulk supplies, try the Morales Warehouse downtown. Most of the colmados (convenient stores) have extended hours and you can often find what you need there as well. Check out the Vieques Fruit and Vegetable Stand for fresh fruits and vegetables, keep in mind that you may have to dig for some things, they do keep the trailer a bit cold but they have the best selection of produce there. Many people do send down meats or do a shopping trip to the main island since we do not have many specialty items like lamb, pork tenderloins, veal, etc. The grocery stores usually have some steaks, chicken, ground beef, pork chops and you may find turkeys, Cornish game hens, duck, fish, shrimp, etc. all in the frozen section. If you have favorite spices that you like cooking with, bring them with you. You will find very basic items here like oregano, garlic powder, chili powder, maybe curry powder, parsley, bay leaves, but if you have a special recipe that you intend to make, bring the spice with you. We used to joke that if you were going to invite people over for dinner, go to the store with 3 menus in mind so that you could cook whatever you could find ingredients for. It has gotten better but with all the visitors to the island this winter, the selection could get picked through early. But then you are on vacation so go out to eat, order a pizza and take it home, and on the weekends check out the food kiosks in Esperanza and try some of the local fried specialties, one of my favorites is the rellenos de papa, a beef-stuffed mashed potato ball that is deep fried! I can hear my arteries screaming each time I eat one but sometimes you just have to do it! Also if you want to try some great Criollo food, stop by El Resuelve on the road between Isabel and Esperanza. They have great local food, wonderful pastelillos (fried dough stuffed with meat or fish) and inexpensive beer!

Lunch on the island can be enjoyed at numerous places. If you are looking for inexpensive, local PR food, try the $5 specials at El Patio or Shaunnas, both in Isabel II. Also in Isabel is Mucho Gusto, but as the building has been sold Carmen does not know how much longer she will be open, but if she is stop in for lunch or dinner. Another spot to try for local food is Gran Parada, near the GE plant. I have eaten there before and the food was very good. Both Panaderia Lydia and Panaderia Viequense, in Isabel, offer great, inexpensive sandwiches which are a meal. Panaderia Viequense has a huge selection of sandwiches. If you want a big lunch at a really affordable price, check out Café Mamasongas, where it is sometimes hard to find a seat. Ute does a great breakfast and lunch and a bonus for lunch is ordering and then enjoying it on the deck at the Mar Azul. For a really healthy sandwich or salad visit Lauren at bbh at Bravo. She uses organic greens and great ingredients plus you get the great view. “bbh” is where Chef Michael was last winter and they have done some great renovations to the space. Due to my vegetarian, mostly organic diet, this will be a favorite spot of mine! I am not sure if Uva is going to be open for lunch or not, he did try a lunch menu this summer and it was great so just stop by and check it out. If you are headed to Esperanza there are a multitude of choices! For authentic Puerto Rican food try El Quenepo (next to Blue Caribe Kayak), this is a very relaxed place and Mario says he has the best seafood. Bilí also has great PR cuisine and it will be a bit more upscale and creative, and they will be open for lunch Tuesday – Sunday this year! Bananas is the meeting place in Esperanza, you will be sure to recognize someone there that you perhaps flew over with or sat near at the beach, I really like the “sunburn” sandwich which I used to order with hot wing sauce for dipping! Most people rave about the burgers which are big and hearty, and make sure you try either the chips or fries, they are classic! For a nice selection of sandwiches check out Tiki Hut, I know Steve has added a few new things to the menu but they were closed when I drove by last month. Tiki Hut also has a nice breakfast menu. Speaking of breakfast and lunch, Trade Winds has great menus. Breakfast I believe is until 11am then lunch until 2pm. Omelets are wonderful as are the Eggs Benedict for breakfast. For lunch try the Angus beef burgers or one of the other great menu items. When I talk about the menus on Vieques, I really miss eating meat and fish but hopefully I can add those things back into my diet next year. Goodness and I always forget that now there is a snack bar open at Sun Bay, the name escapes me at the moment (Ed.:Arenamar), but it is there and close to your beach chair! Chasty had talked about offering delivery so maybe stop in at the pavilion and ask if he is doing delivery to your beach chair!

Dinner menus are amazing on Vieques these days. So many wonderful choices makes it really hard to pick favorites. For PR food you have Bilí in Esperanza and Richard’s Café, Mucho Gusto, Taverna Espanola (if you get there late it takes a long time so order lots of sangria) and possibly El Patio in Isabel. Richards has a big seafood and steak menu and if you are looking for air conditioning this is the spot to go. They do a great business with local people and do not rely on tourism. For more upscale dinners my favorites are “bbh” offering a tapas type menu, Café Media Luna, Island Steakhouse, Martineau Bay Resort, MBar, Trade Winds and Uva and those are in alphabetical order because I can not recommend one over the other! I still love Sushi night (Saturdays) at Uva and was sorry that I did not do it while I was home last time. For a more casual dinner experience I like Chez Shack, all I know is Duffy has someone new cooking this season and if it is not good it won’t stay open for long!!! And I am happy to report that Tropical Baby will be doing dinners this winter, I believe Tuesday – Saturday night. She has a very limited amount of seating and the place is small and casual, however, don’t be fooled, her meals are big on quality and taste but affordable. Also new for this winter is the opening of El Topacio just outside of Isabel in Pueblo Nuevo. I really do not know much because they are having their grand opening early this month. Also new for this winter is El Jardin at the Crow’s Nest. This will have an outside cooking area and bar where they will do burgers, chicken sandwiches and shish kabobs. This should be another fun spot to go have a drink and a lite bite to eat. Bananas is always another choice for a relaxed dinner on the island, much of the lunch menu is still available at night as well as the dinner menu. Coconuts also is a favorite spot for inexpensive, casual dining. With 2 menus, the inside menu which has some great comfort food like chicken or eggplant parmesan to Mr. Sushi who does an extensive menu out of the shack. You can order your sushi from Mr. Sushi’s wife and there is another waitress to handle bar orders and the inside kitchen menu. This is a good choice for those on a budget. As far as reservations even I would not show up at “bbh”, Bilí, Café Media Luna, Chez Shack, Island Steakhouse, Martineau Bay Resort, MBar, Trade Winds, Tropical Baby or Uva without a reservation and most of these restaurants would bend over backwards to seat me!

For holiday news, I do know that Inn on the Blue Horizon is planning a huge and wonderful New Year’s Eve party but what I don’t know is when they are opening the restaurant to the public. Check out the calendar for more special events for holiday nights. Mar Azul usually is one of the places that attracts the after dinner crowd for ringing in the New Year. No big party at the Plaza this year but it looks like the Municipality is moving it to the Maleçon in Esperanza so any of those restaurants and bars will be hopping!

Oh, a big thing to keep in mind all winter is, we have only 2 gas stations right now instead of 3. Of the 2 only one of them is open daily when they have gas. The one closest to Isabel II is closed and I do not know why or for how long. The last gas station (on the way to the airport) has sporadic hours so if you seen one of the 2 open and the line is less than 10 cars, GET GAS. The rental car companies do not have gas tanks where they can top off the car when you return it. You are responsible for turning in your car with gas. You may want to invest in a 5 gallon tank and fill it when you are at the gas station, then you will know that you have a few more miles available should the tank get low. Also another good idea is to always have a can of Fix-A-Flat in your car. I have never had so many flat tires in my life as I’ve had in Vieques, especially running over something with a big thorn at the beach.

As far as must do activities, the most important is, of course, visiting BioBay, whether by boat or kayak you must see the magic that is in the water. Again as it is such a busy time of year, and many businesses like to enjoy the holidays as well, you may want to call now and make reservations in advance. You can always try and change them if the weather does not cooperate, but better to have a night to see it then be told there is no space. FYI, the Dept. of Natural Resources, only allows so many people to tour the bay on a given night so when there are lots of people on the island those spots fill quickly. Also enjoy the beach, there are wonderful beaches on the former Navy lands that are now protected by US Fish and Wildlife, as well as, the beaches on Sun Bay. If you need beach chairs or beach toys, be sure to visit Wendy at Island Time, she also has some great gift items. The other must do is dine out, what else do you go on vacation for! For the most part it is hard to believe that Vieques offers such amazing food considering how difficult it is to get it to Vieques. And most importantly, Relax, enjoy the weather, meet new people, have a piña colada and don’t complain about what the island does not have. We all moved there to get away from fast food, traffic lights, fast paced lifestyles and rude people (however we are exempt from always being polite when pushed by travelers asking silly questions and demanding unreasonable service :~) .) We have all gotten used to sitting in line waiting for gas, so even though it seems unreasonable, get over it, we have. We have all sat at certain restaurants wondering why our food is taking so long, but we just order another drink or glass of wine, we have no place really important to get to. We are used to seeing bartenders busting their butts trying to get everybody served so be patient, they know you are there and will eventually get to you. But if you want better service when you see the bartender in the weeds, do not order a variety of frozen drinks at that time, 3 mudslides is okay but a mudslide, a piña colada and a virgin daiquiri is not okay! They take a long time to make and if you watched 15 frozen drinks being made while you are just waiting for a rum and coke, you will understand! Our rents and living expenses are going up rapidly and therefore it is getting harder for people who want to come down and work for the season to be able to afford to. So good help is hard to find and young, energetic help is even harder so be patient, not much of the work staff is real young anymore!

Well hopefully I did not turn anyone off to the island, I just want to make it as real as possible and the above things are all honest observations from living and working in Vieques for the past 9 years. Yes hard to believe that January 2006 I will be celebrating my 9th anniversary. With the exception of medical care, I love my life in Vieques and can’t wait to get back full time. As far as my health, I continue with Chemotherapy 3 weeks out of each month, and hope to be done with it in February. I have another CT Scan scheduled for later this month and am counting on a good report in time for Christmas. I have said before that I am very fortunate to be able to do all the complimentary things to support my treatment while here in Pennsylvania. I am also blessed to have so many people supporting me with prayers, good wishes, and positive energy. I have been so lucky to be able to get to Vieques after each cycle because I have been feeling so good. I will not get there for Christmas though because of the way doctor appointments fall and also because there will be so many people traveling to Vieques and with them lots of germs, so it is safer for me to stay home while my immune system is compromised due to the drugs. I am hoping that I can get back in January when the island has a bit of down time between Christmas and February. And because this has been such an amazing cancer journey, my niece designed a gorgeous heart pendant that we will be selling to raise money for lung cancer research. There is so little money raised for lung cancer compared to breast cancer, colon cancer, aids, etc. that we decided to try and do something where people got something beautiful for a donation. The one that I am wearing is a pink gold heart, with pink sapphire chips, set within a white gold heart. It is gorgeous and can be dressy but casual enough to wear with a t shirt. We are having them made in sterling too so there is a more affordable option. We are still working on the cost so that we can sell them but also make a nice donation towards research. We did 2 hearts to symbolize love and courage but also for 2 lungs. If you are interested in purchasing one as a gift for someone whose life has been touched by cancer or you feel needs love and courage to get through a difficult time or just want a great piece of jewelry let me know. I will try and get a picture to Jim that he can post on this page. We should have a few maybe for Christmas but will definitely be taking orders for them, just don’t know if we can guarantee a Christmas delivery.

The calendar is below with lots of great activities this month. Thanks for reading and hope you all have a joyous holiday wherever you may be!

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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