I Survived a Vieques Day!!

First, though, a travel tip. Easter is an excellent day to travel on the ferry. From Culebra, where there weren't enough people to call it a crowd - though there were some sleeping who came in way early, just in case - to Fajardo, where there was no crowd at all, and Fajardo to Vieques, with a probably more than half empty boat; it was happy faces and good moods. Nice!

I never rode in this ferry with all the windows. Bright and light, I like it.
This was on the Fajardo to Vieques portion of the trip.

It was a beautiful morning.
Despite weather warnings, we got picture perfect, cool breezes with sunshine and gentle water.

Even the clouds participated in a wispy way

Coming upon Vieques

When I got off the ferry, I found a text saying Jimmy and Kat would be late and to go to Mar Azul's and we'd meet there. Mar Azul has one of my favorite bar views and a funky vibe I like a lot. I could do that. I did do that. They make a good Bloody Mary.

Porch with a view

Jimmy and Kat showed up, joining me in a drink, before we moved on down the road. First they took me to see their restaurant, Coqui Fire, which is in Isabella Segunda. I can't believe I didn't take photos but I was too busy gushing over the place. An old building that has been through a number of transformations, including being a church before they got it, it is now painted and decorated in a way that makes it look like it's been your family's favorite spot for 50 years or more. A big open kitchen (and I mean wide open) with tables in front, a lovely bar, some outdoor seating on a covered porch and there it is. Great rustic woodwork throughout, except the very tall buffet/hutch type piece that holds the liquor and supplies, it's a fine piece of furniture built for the bar by a very talented guy. Here is a great article on the restaurant with lots of photos, check it out. 

That was a great stop on the way to the next bar. With food. I love this place! I'd never been here but it was easy to see it felt right, right away. Plus, at the end of the bar was sitting an old friend I haven't seen in many, many years. We spent a long time catching up. People came and went, Kris, Jimmy and Kat also exchanged local stories about things going on Vieques wise. A grand way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Or morning that became afternoon...it was like that.

I don't know why I thought of Kelli when I saw this.
But I did. 

Kris ordered the dumplings and let me try one. they were amazing.
With Lyman in the front and his wife and whoever that other guy is in the back,
this place covers a lot of ground personality wise and good food and drink wise
in a really small space.

Great to see you again, old friend!

Yes, the famous Vieques horses were everywhere

Next we went to a restaurant bar, rather than a bar that happens to have some darn good food. The next place does a bit of everything, but we were there for the sushi. When the Dragon Egg was explained to me, I didn't see why I had to look any farther. One last half of avocado was found to make the 'shell' of the egg, covering a lot of raw tuna bits, with roe on top. And a delicious sauce underneath. It's making me drooly just writing this.

There was another stop at another very nice place to finish off an incredible day, but by then I was pretty sure any photo I took could be a wee bit fuzzy. I absolutely got the best tour with the best tour guides I could ask for, thanks, Jimmy and Kat!!! 

The bad news is my camera seems to have died. One minute fine, the next no attempts so far have brought it back to life. So for now it will be phone photos and the hunt for a camera is on. Unless this one magically resurrects itself, which would be just dandy, as I am off today to St. Croix for the wedding of a very good and dear friend, before coming back to Vieques for Jimmy and Kat's wedding! I need a camera! This seems to be a theme with me, go to an unrepeatable event, camera dies...it's not the first or second time. Maybe I am sending out intense electric happiness and frying them.

Have a magical Monday. Do something momentous. 

Daze for Daydreams

Every once in awhile, a moment happens and around here the first thought is, only on Culebra! Of course, I'm sure every place has those things happen but I'm not every place. 

Yesterday morning going to the ferry was one of those moments. 

It was pretty much dark when I came upon these cows loaded up and ready to be put on the ferry. Where were they going? To a big stud bull? To be made into dinner portions? Who knows? Not I. 

The tide was low and the ramp was steep. The cows went on truck first. They didn't raise a moo. I kept thinking of the Pony on My Boat song. If you aren't familiar with it, you should be. It's a wonderful song.

The weather was extraordinarily beautiful on the way over, shiny and bright. Even El Yunque was standing in cloudlessness, though I foolishly didn't get a photo of that while gawping about it.

We were trying to figure out what is on the top of the center house.
I still can't figure it out.

Errands took as long as errands take. For me it was a buying frenzy, little this and that's the houseboat calls for. I listen and obey. Until finally, like holding my breath under water just a few seconds too long, I burst to the surface, gulped some air and got the hell out of there. 

Ann said she wanted to sit by the window
since we couldn't sit outside (and why can't we? I don't know).
The bottom of the window came to just about the top of her head.
At one point I looked out and saw this flying by. 

Zaco's had the perfect follow up to a day of errands and purchases.

With no Pam's or Ann's list (someone help them!!) it was
pretty quiet at Zaco's. Which was pretty nice, sorry Moni!

It was fun to hear Eddie singing. He'll be back next year we hope!

It's sad that Gil is so shy. I think there is therapy for that.

Wiki joined in, as did Olivia. It t'were a beautiful thing.

Sigh

Some days you can just wrap Culebra around yourself like a cozy blanket and be lulled to sleep. Like that.

Have a savory Saturday. Do something sublimely spunky!

Going to the big island

I don't go shopping on the big island very often (I mean, c'mon, look at this place, why would I want to leave?), so when I do, it's always an adventure of one sort or another. That adventure is hugely defined by who you go with, according to one custom of taking the ferry over, renting a car or taking a car on the cargo ferry, with one or two or three friends - depending on the vehicle and what purchases are hopefully coming back over.

~~A side note here. I read in the paper on Sunday that the consideration of a bridge between Vieques and the mainland was put before some board with the attendees from Vieques voting all-but-one unamimously not to have such a bridge. One man in charge of something or other said he was surprised, that he thought the people of Vieques and Culebra would WANT a bridge. NO ONE WANTS A BRIDGE except those whose pockets might get lined by the funding. Plus, it would never get finished...but all of those points aside, we really don't want a bridge. And maybe someone not from an island wouldn't understand why we wouldn't like the ease of transporting ourselves and our goods more simply back and forth. Well, here's why. We live on islands for a reason. Young, old, inbetween. We like it this way, no matter how we grumble, we'd not change it. Period.~~

So. I was going over with Kim & Carlos and somehow Kevin, who was heading on a mini getaway mid-big-island ended up coming along instead of getting publicos to San Juan. Or maybe it started when I came over my hill at 5:30 a.m. and there was Pan in his van, with Kevin along, heading for the ferry just in time to give me a ride too. Perfect!!

Usually I take the three o'clock ferry back. This time we were going to take the 7 o'clock so it would be a very full day of shopping. Along with the excellent surprise of Carlos' choice for lunch, Il Nonno's in Isla Verde. Shrimp and sauces and tilapia oh my! Because Kim and I were a little wide-eyed at the prices - which are the same, lunch or dinner, good for dinner, high for lunch - we justified the well -worth-it splurge by calling it Dinner in the Daylight. Which of course called for wine, in this case a malbec we all really liked.

Kim and I split the shrimp in champagne sauce with spinach appetizer. Carlos got one for himself and Kevin had the prosciutto wrapped around arugula with honey and....and...goat cheese? Sound weird? Try it...then after wishing you could have a dinner plate more, tell me how weird it is! I forgot to take pics of the apps and that's too bad..but I did get photos of the entrees. Somehow the wine (and they have a great wine deal - up until 5 p.m. all bottles of wine are half price). So it ends up, if you don't buy a crazy expensive wine, to cost less than by the glass.

I ordered the tilapia in gorgonzola sauce and it ranks right up there with one of the best fish meals I've ever eaten. There was a choice of pasta or mashed potatoes as a side (a very blanco meal) and I got the pasta, which I didn't need but somehow managed to finish off. Along with bread for the sauces. And some more wine.


There was lobster ravioli and shrimp for Kim and gnocchi for Kevin, while Carlos had also ordered the tilapia. It would be fair to say only the remnants of our civilization that we carry with us kept us from licking clean the plates. It was a total splurge with complete sated (do these people look sated? yes they do) satisfaction. We'll give Carlos 25 points for the choice, on a scale of 20. Well done!



And then on to more shopping (way more shopping - we had to get help to get all the stuff on the ferry...yikes! and thanks, Lorraine! and whoever you were, 3 guys in Fajardo!), even though I think what we all wanted to do was curl up someplace and take a nap. But no, Home Depot and Super Wal-Mart awaited our ca-ching. How is it that Carlos asked "Does anyone want anything from Home Depot?" thinking no one would answer and I walked out with an electric chainsaw? But I'd rather go into a hardware store (if I can't go into one with wooden floors and bins of nails and seeds, Home Depot will have to do) any day than a mall, so it wasn't really that surprising. The weed trees in my yard are in serious trouble! I've always wanted my own chain saw and now I have one. Life is good. The CWIM thinks the box makes a good rainy day playhouse.




Coming home in the dark I forgot I'd left my mop hanging from the line (that runs the length of the porch) to dry. Arms full, the CWIM doing the where the hell were you I'm hungry dance, I hit the mop handle with the chain saw box and almost lost my head. First chain saw accident and it wasn't even turned on! But I'm ready to read the book and be the careful person I always am with new tools (yeah sure, I can't wait to plug that sucker in and go crazy with it).

It's a toss up which I'm happier about...the chain saw or the sea mossy green sheets. Nah, not really, the chainsaw, hands down But the sheets, which I'd forgotten all about, are really nice. Not that the ones I can get here made out of something like those paper towels that are cloth and paper aren't really pretty...but crackling during sleep time just isn't any more right than no sheets at all.

This morning dawned with misty rain. I opened the cart, got rained on twice, closed the cart, the sun came out. Feeling bad for the tourists, I kept the cart closed and came home. It shouldn't rain the rest of the day. No no, don't thank me...just buy me a drink next time you see me at Dinghy Dock.