by Pia Saunders

Hi everyone,

Anyone who works in a tourism-related industry in Vieques, whether it’s giving island tours, working in a restaurant, or attending to a guesthouse, knows to "aprovechar" the off-season. Summer is the time to catch up on the past years books and movies, to spend the afternoon relaxing at the beach or adventuring along the island’s coasts, and to take the evening off from cooking and experience fine dining in Vieques!

Twice I dined at The Blue Macaw: My first experience at a chic corner table with a bottle of Firestone Gewürztraminer and thai-style Sea Bass effectively seduced me into returning two nights later. As my dinner mate wasn’t feeling like a wine this time and opted for a nice, cold Coca-Cola, I decided on sparkling wine: a glass of Mumms Cordon Rouge. Sipping our bubblys, we perused the menu and at meals end were perfectly satisfied with our selection of Braised BBQ short ribs (served with ‘ritzy roots’—a well-balanced puree of root vegetables—and fresh corn on the cob) and Shrimp Fra Diavlo (again the ‘ritzy roots’ and a fresh green salad). I hadn’t seen such good-looking corn on the cob since a summer meal at home in Maryland. I hadn’t tasted shrimp so lightly cooked to perfection (and brilliantly sautéed with spicy tomato sauce) in recent memory. Rick and Honor, and chef Nick Ovando continue to impress and please with an experience that warrants an evening out.

The re-opening of Media Luna, originally scheduled for August 8th, will be on August 15th. New proprietors Michael and Robert have planned “cuisine theme nights, roof-top dining under the stars, and a Luna Lounge on the first floor featuring live music nights.” Though dining in Isabel II is not the same without Monica and Ricardo, it seems that they have left us in talented and capable hands. Welcome, Michael and Robert! There new hours of operations are Wednesday thru Sunday at 5PM.

The strip of sometimes-abandoned store fronts on Calle Antonio G. Mellado in Isabel II, beginning at El Patio and continuing toward Richard’s Café, is coming to life. Barefoot Beachware displays chic summer clothing in its display windows, the Vieques Video Club—operational for nearly 30 years—continues to indulge movie buffs with an evening rental, and Jade advertises ‘Moda y Accesorias.’

The Vieques Video Club, one step away from Barefoot Beachware, rents DVDs and VHS videos for $2 (due back the next day). This long-time video store, run by Lucy Benjamin and her family, is dependably open daily from 4 pm to 9 pm. Although the collection is small, I’ve been sufficiently entertainment by ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, ‘Volver’, and ‘Anatomy of a Shark Bite’ in the past few weeks. Movie-seekers in Esperanza need not travel too far from home for a good rental as Zona V, in Plaza Guyayacan, offers an excellent selection. And of course, a trip to the old, island favorite, Chepito’s Video (in Bo. Florida) always delivers—sometimes you get just what you were looking for, other times you walk away with an unknown title.

Consistent openings bring us to new closings, which include The Post Office window closes daily for lunch from 12 noon to 1pm. Roy’s Island Coffee House is enjoying summer hours: Monday through Thursday, 8am – 2pm; Friday, Saturday, Sunday 8am – Noon (check first for Sunday hours, as they may move to 9am – noon). In addition to these, be aware that many restaurants change hours with the closing of summer.

Radio Vieques, transmitted every Sunday on 740am and broadcast on the internet at www.radiopr740.com, is now from 1 – 2 pm. Have you ever tuned in to hear the experiences and opinions of various community members, activists, and visitors to Vieques? This educational outreach program covers many topics, including updates on development, the international solidarity network, community health concerns, and exciting new events, and invites those interested in more information or possibly participating to email bieke@prorescatevieques.org.

Hot August Happenins are on the horizon. Billed as “Vieques’ first all weekend gay event”, Trendy Beach @ Vieques invites residents and visitors to party at Next Door Lounge, Villa 7 at Martineau, Kama Club, and Bravo Beach Hotel from August 17th
- 19th. For tickets and information, contact 787-635-8726, 787-587-9392, or www.myspace.com/trendybeach.

The Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting is to be held August 9th at the Multiple Use Center at the top of the plaza in Isabel II. The third of the four yearly meetings will address the progress of the clean up of East and West Vieques. For detailed information on the cleanup, see http://public.lantops-ir.org/sites/public/vieques. The Navy, Fish & Wildlife, various US federal agencies such as the EPA and EQB, and the PR police and other local agencies will host an event to address safety concerns in the former Navy range. Drop by the area next to the gates of Camp Garcia on August 11th (11am to 3pm) for a discussion on the risks of unexploded munitions in the US Fish & Wildlife Refuge.

All the best for an enjoyable end to summer! Take advantage of all the goodness around us: visit the exhibit at The Fort, spend the day at a different beach, splurge on a good meal, and most of all, relax.

Thanks for reading!
 
Pia

Oh, and Pia forgot to mention Jim Starke, the webmaster for Enchanted-Isle.Com is coming down for a couple of weeks. See you then ~jim

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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