PUERTO RICO

      VIEQUES

It is appropriate that this blog has been delayed. Island time almost necessitates a delay, and my reaction to Vieques was delayed as well. We travel a lot, as much as humanly possible, and our reactions are usually quick given we are both so mood driven. Our trip started in San Juan, but by the time we returned, we very much felt like we had been on two separate trips. We landed and immediately grabbed a cab to our hotel to dump our bags and hit the forts. A cab ride from the San Juan is not for the faint of heart. If you have been to NYC and thought the cab rides were too much, skip San Juan altogether. Every car in Puerto Rico has a horn, and everyone in Puerto Rico seems compelled to use them, repeatedly. Donnie immediately changed his mind about wanting to rent a car!

We checked in, dropped the bags, and did what we always do, started walking! I had not been to Puerto Rico in 25 years, and I could not wait to share with Donnie everything I remembered and missed.Canons still face to ocean today. The lawns are used for picnics and the trade winds on the island are ideal for kite flying. You simply cannot beat the views from the fort; we spent an entire day here, and went back for the sunset. We wandered around eating limber (icy treats) and Puerto Rican candy for hours, stopping to pet the Cats of Old San Juan. Hundreds of cats roam El Paseo Del Morro.

We went to the forts first. The Gibraltar of the Caribbean: Castillo San Cristobal, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Fortin San Juan de la Cruz (El Canuelo). Locals simply call it El Morro. It is a military structure that took over 200 years to build. Its history started with the Spanish Conquistadors and ended with World War II. It has six levels that include dungeons, barracks, passageways, and storerooms.

San Juan is a very pedestrian friendly city. There are over 400 Spanish style buildings from the 16^th and 17^th centuries, cobblestone paths, and forts providing a beautiful back drop for the perfect evening walk in this walled area of the city approximately three square miles. It is the oldest city under a US flag. It has a distinctive medieval, militant, gothic feel. The red doors were a highlight for us, built in

1520 for Spanish dignitaries to enter the walls of the island. We continued walking to the Raices Fountain and the Paseo de la Princesa along a 19^th century esplanade by the harbor until we found the street vendors. We indulged in every Puerto Rican street food we could find. Donnie had never had an empanada, a REAL churro, tripleta, or pinchos….so we had them ALL! This alone was worth the flight over! Puerto Ricans fry everything and we put our normally healthy eating habits on hold. When in Old San Juan, indulge in the food, and have the orange juice, it is to die for!

What is Puerto Rico without a little rum? Neither of us are “drinkers”, but I do get my sweet husband to have a rum drink with me on vacation occasionally. We took the ferry to the Bacardi factory on day two and tried rum that tasted anywhere from grape Kool-Aid to whisky. The grounds are beautiful, the ferry ride is cheap and relaxing, and you get two complimentary rum drinks. All in all it is not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. The tour is free and takes about an hour.

One of our favorite finds in Old San Juan was The Barrachina Restaurant. We stumbled upon it while checking out Cathedral de San Juan Bautista, which houses the tomb of Ponce de Leon. This is the alleged birthplace of the Piña Colada. Donnie had never had one, and this was the perfect time and place to try it! They are fantastic. The food here was also really good, but we literally went every day for our pina coladas (here is tip: you can get them to go!). The tale of two pina coladas is an ongoing saga, the Caribe Hilton, also claims to be the birthplace. So in our research due diligence, we went there, too! We both voted The Barrachina as having the best one, although it was pretty damn close, and you will not hear us turn down either. The grounds of the Caribe Hilton are beautiful, and the location is fabulous. So, do not take our word for it, try both!

Another notable mention was Punto de Vista, where Donnie tried mofongo for the first time. Garlic, chicken, and plantains! YUMMO! It is directly across from Senor Frogs, and if you go to San Juan and choose to eat a burger at Senor Frogs instead of having street food and getting your fill for $5 or having mofongo by the sea, delete us, unfriend us. Seriously, there is no way we can be friends that is just sheer blasphemy! Skip the chains and eat local (unless you have really missed Sizzler from the 80s, cause there is still one in San Juan!).

After three days in Old San Juan, and on my birthday, we boarded Air Flamenco and headed to Vieques. Typically we either love or hate a place. I had lived in Puerto Rico as a teenager, so I already knew I loved it. This was not true of Vieques, it was not until we left that we truly appreciated the island. Vieques was the center of bombing tests and navy occupation until 2003. Now the former navy land is a national wildlife refuge and home of several beaches. Our favorite here was Playuela. Vieques is very undeveloped for tourism as a result of the majority of the island being blocked off for so long by the US Navy.

There are two ways to get to Vieques from the mainland, ferry or plane.
Although we were assured the ferry schedule is usually pretty reliable, and it is much more affordable, it has been my experience that schedules in Puerto Rico are much more suggestions than anything else. We knew we only had three says in Vieques so we wanted to get there as soon as possible, we opted to fly, and planned to take the ferry back. The planes are tiny and I actually was assigned the seat next to the pilot. This is an experience everyone should have, and now I am obsessed with learning to fly. It was a quick, uneventful flight, and truly beautiful. My poor husband was stuck in the back of the plane with the baggage, but he was grinning ear to ear at how much I was enjoying the flight.

We landed and grabbed a cab to the hotel. Our first two days we stayed at Case de Tortuga in Esperanza. Our cab ride there took us down fairly narrow rides, passing horses and swerving to miss chickens and stray dogs (Satos). We arrived at the hotel, where we had booked a Casita, but the office was closed. Again, island time, we waited for a little while and spent some time with more satos that claimed us for the remainder of the trip. We finally gave up on getting into our room, hid our bags in the courtyard (this is why we say do not pack valuables and ALWAYS pack light) and went to Trade Winds for breakfast. The food was average, but the view was amazing. We sat along the malecon (sea wall) and enjoyed the morning breeze while trying to decide what to do with our first day. Why we ever try and plan anything is beyond me. We always start the same way: walk and wing it.

We started by walking from Esparanza down the malecon, and walked to Sun Bay (widest bay). The beach was beautiful, white sand and azure waters. We continued on to Media Luna (shallow, excellent swimming) and Navio (higher surf, secluded). These beaches are stunning, undeveloped, and we had all of them to ourselves. We joked that if any beach had more than two or three people, it felt crowded and we went on to another one. Snorkeling is excellent, especially at Bahía de la Chiva (aka Blue beach). As a Texas girl, I have a special affection for horses. I spent so much time just watching the feral horses roam all over the island. We stumbled on a newborn with his parents, napping on the beach. How many places can you experience a moment like that alongside a perfect beach with beautiful water?

There are too many beaches to count in Vieques! We rented a scooter to explore the island. Do not forget that this is a small island. Donnie decided not to wear his helmet and was chastised for it a few times J We took the scooter up to a bent guard rail along the road where “Playa Negra” is written in spray paint. We parked our ride, and followed a dry (ish) creek bed and the sound of the waves, to a stunning black beach.

Although my favorite beach for swimming would be Playuela, this beach was one of my favorite places for just strolling and hanging out. It is like walking on black baby powder. We were the only people there, and shared the beach only with a lone sato (Puerto Rican feral dog) that tried to take my shoe.

We finally did check into our room (thankfully our bags were still where we left them) at Case de Tortuga. The casita was basic and comfortable, the place had a small pool, and the location was extremely convenient. Our satos stayed by our side in the evenings and we generally enjoyed our stay, sans the water situation. Keep in mind Vieques is a remote, small island. If you have are expecting a resort experience, skip Vieques, if you have been to a Caribbean resort, but craved something less crowded and more authentic, GO TO VIEQUES. When you go, however, remember there is a tradeoff. Hot water is on demand here, and well, despite our demands, we did not have any at Casa de Tortuga. After two days and lots of sand (that stuff gets EVERYWHERE) we moved to the other side of the island and stayed at Sea Gate, which is up in the hills and a horse sanctuary.

Day two on Vieques was the only day of our entire trip we had any itinerary! Donnie had never been sailing and knew I wanted to snorkel, so he planned a sailing, snorkel trip, and booked with Marauder’s Sailing Charters. The boat is owned and operated by Nathan Marr, originally of Boston. I love a good finding your niche in life story, and Nate certainly has a wonderful one to share. We met up with him on the beach in Esperanza and headed out for a day of sailing and snorkeling. We were the only two on the boat and I cannot imagine a better way to spend a birthday!

 His first mate, Nacky, helped us aboard the Marauder and we headed toward Sun Bay. These guys were excellent. Nacky tolerated Donnie’s obnoxious humor and Nate provided me with information about sailing. I think we are probably a lot to handle, but these two were wonderful. Despite his fear of water and sharks, Donnie did join me snorkeling yet again

! The water temperature in Vieques is perfect for swimming and the water is nice and clear for good quality snorkeling. They provided snorkeling gear, towels, sunscreen etc, so there was no hassle of having to take our own. We set off for the reefs and I immediately checked out. I have a tendency to find a fish and just follow it, unintentionally breaking my promise not to leave Donnie! The coral was stunning, and we saw many colorful fish. I caught a quick glimpse of a turtle, but never managed to find him again. Nacky pointed out lobster and I followed him over to check them out. He was an excellent snorkeling guide. The perfect balanced approach: not letting me wander off too far, and leaving me alone to explore. I would have felt completely comfortable having our children in the water with him.

Donnie went back to the boat early for a homemade pina colada! I think it is safe to say he likes pina coladas. The Marauder has an open bar and serves an amazing lunch. We had chicken pinchos, rice, and local mango chutney, all excellent. The drinks and meal were the best we had in Vieques. They also have plenty of “local water”, too. Modelo light, which is the local beer of choice, cheaper than water, and well, disgusting. That being said neither of us drink or like beer, so try it for yourself! On the way back, I had the best nap of my life! I literally slept the entire second half of the trip and have no regrets about doing so. That day was the most relaxed I had been in a very long time. We cannot say enough good things about our day with Marauder’s Sailing charters. You simply cannot go to Vieques and not sail with them!

That night we went to tour the bioluminescent waters of Mosquito  Bay. There are three ways to tour the bay: paddle boat, kayak, and electric boat. I think kayaking is probably ideal, but given Donnie’s fear of the water and how dark it was, we opted for the electric boat. We took an old school bus down a windy, bumpy road into pitch black darkness, then boarded a pontoon style boat and headed out into the bay. The moment the boat turned on, the agitation of the water cause the pyrodimium bahamense to GLOW! Glowing, bluish light across the water. We saw fish darting and swimming in what is called the blur effect. Then the guide brought buckets of water for us to play in.

The water literally sparkles as you move it, and sparkles on your hands! You cannot swim in the bay any longer, but we were allowed to go waist deep on the ladder, and I had to be the first one in! What an experience! We did not manage to capture it on film, but it has to be seen to be enjoyed. I could easily have stayed an extra few hours. The bay is best viewed without moonlight, and this is a rare outdoor event that is even more enjoyable in the rain. When drops hit the water it looks little stars on a black sky. We booked with Island Adventures, and will happily return, although next time we plan to take the clear kayaks out.

Our last day on Vieques we spent hanging out with the satos, wandering the sea glass beach, and indulging in Puerto Rican pastries at the panderia. We fell asleep on the beach at one point, only to wake and discover iguana tracks right over our head. Well, it is their beach after all!

The important things to remember on Vieques:  Everything is imported, so everything will cost more. Convenience is not cheap. The island is unspoiled and undeveloped, and hopefully it will stay that way. Try your hardest not to leave a nasty impression of tourist there. Take the “go home gringos y gringas” signs lightly and don’t be an ass to the locals. It is their home and they are sharing it with you, be a gracious guest. The sun is very direct, and you will need twice as much water as normal. Do not be in a hurry. Help the local animal shelter! There is no Starbucks or fast food to buy so donate to the satos.  They will touch your heart forever.