Esperanza (southern Vieques) Musings

They NEED a coffeespot in Esperanza! 

 

Can you say business opportunity???  The few restaurants on the Malecon which offer breakfast don't start serving until 9AM.  That doesn't help those of us who are early risers and have no access to a coffeepot or kitchen!  The only place we found to get coffee, early, is the panaderia.  It is open 7A-11A....but is closed Sundays & Mondays.  (Our first full day was a Sunday!!)  The panaderia also sells pastries, the only we could find in that part of Vieques, too (they serve breakfasts and sub sandwiches and seem to be a spot for the locals, always a good sign!). 

 

Some of us also like a place to relax, unwind, get caffeinated throughout the day. 

 

Some of us don't want to hit Happy Hour every evening just to have a place to enjoy the outdoors, the ambiance that is the boardwalk of Esperanza.

 

Animals Everywhere!

 

One of the coolest things about Vieques, besides all of the pristine beaches, of course, is the presence of wild horses.  They will be strolling down any street, grazing in the grassy areas (or picking thru garbage bins when there hasn't been enough rain to keep the grasses lush), sipping water from tiny pools amid the shade of trees.  They are so beautiful and I don't think it is something I would ever get used to or take for granted, if I live there.

 

On the flipside are the homeless dogs.  They all seem so friendly and I wish I could give them food, shelter and love...but that is impossible when on vacation.  It is funny, however, to see them trying to figure out if they can compete with a horse for a mango lying on the ground!!

 

Roosters!!  And hens & chicks.  But the roosters, as is their nature, are the noisiest little things around!  I think they crow (is that the right word??) just to hear themselves!  A conversation of one!  If you are unlucky enough to be staying near a home with a rooster, I hope you are lucky enough to have an air conditioner for your room to help you sleep at nite.  But they make noise night AND day! 

 

Bring more cash than you think you need!

 

Our original travel plans included rental cars, which we would have paid for with a credit card.  We changed to taxis, which were cash (just under $200).  We decided to rent a scooter for the day, $55, and their credit card "machine" was down.  More of our cash stash we had to, unexpectedly, use.  Many of the businesses, like excursions, will charge you $5 (each) for using your credit card over paying with cash.  While $5 or $10 won't break the bank, I really don't like to waste my money on service charges (especially when they are being passed on by the merchant, for whom this is a cost of doing business).  We used our credit card for all meals and were watching our cash closely by mid-week. 

 

Miscellany

 

Yes, you can drink the water (on the main island, Puerto Rico, and the smaller islands, Vieques and Culebra)!!!  So bring those refillable water bottles and stay hydrated!

 

Use sunscreen.  At least SPF 55.  Apply it liberally.  Reapply it often!  Avoid sunburns, which might ruin or, at least, hamper your trip.  While also warding off the peeling that will follow once you return from the island and are loving your golden glow (which is making all of your friends and coworkers so green with envy!!)!

 

Have an idea of what you would like to see and do while on the island.  Time can easily slip away while you are walking the Malecon, dipping your feet in the azure waters of the sandy beaches and sleeping your nights away under the dark sky lit only with the stars (there are no streetlights).  There are so many beaches to see (and you, like us, might not get to every single one), historical spots to visit (former US Navy pier, old pineapple factory, former sugar mill, site where a 2000-year old skeleton was unearthed), excursions to take (scooters, catamarans, scuba, stand-up paddle boarding) and ways to just wile away the hours (this one is up to your own imagination!).  Mix it up and do a little bit of each every day, if you can.  Or....if what you really want is to lounge on the beach and laze in some calm waters, then get thee to the beach early with plenty of provisions (most of the beaches do not have food/drink facilities, or bathrooms).

 

There is no "wrong" way to enjoy Vieques.  Chatting with locals and other tourists, like yourself, could lead to an opportunity!  Mama Nature might not give you the weather most preferable for all of the outdoor activities.  Craft a visit around your needs & wants ... but also remain flexible.  You may not see and do everything on your list, but that just means you enjoyed some relaxing down-time ~~ and, really, isn't that what vacations are meant to be??!! 

 



Sister Site

If you look over to the right-side of the page, you will see a list of "Blogs I Follow".  There you will find sandals + sunscreen, my new sister blog. 

 

This is where I will share some travel photos (I am at my limit on Google without paying, so I haven't had any photos on this blog for years).

 

I just made a new post, please come take a look!

 

And visit often!!

Island-Bound!!

In my previous post, I wrote about our travel issues getting out of Denver.  While waiting for our redeye flight out, I had to do some land travel rearranging.  We were going to rent a car at the airport and drive to Fajardo for the ferry to Vieques.  A one-way rental for just a couple hours.  When I contacted Enterprise to let them know we would be picking up the car several hours later than the original reservation, I was told the cost is over $60 more!!!  I am looking at my email AND at my reservation online while talking with the representative....somehow, she is NOT seeing what I am seeing!  So rather than about $56 for the one-way, we are looking at $120!  Uh....No!  I scramble and do some searching on the internet for other options.  I knew there were taxis with a cost near $100 (not per person, but for about 5-7 people...so this is a very good option if you have a group as you can split the cost).  I stumbled into a forum that began back in 2008 and read many of the posts over the years, with the most recent being in 2013, if I am correct.  Someone mentioned a guy named Henry or Henri or Enrique (Enri) and said he was great and charged about $80.  I figured I would give him a call to see if he is still running his service.  To my delight, he answered the phone and said it would be $70!  I got online and cancelled our one-way rental car!  When I called to let him know we had arrived at SJU, he let me know that he wasn't feeling well and sent someone in his place.  During that same phone call, I asked if he could pick us up from the ferry on Thursday and drive us to Old San Juan, to which he agreed and said it would be $80.  (When I next got a chance, I cancelled the other rental car reservation.)  He gave me the driver's name and told me that the white van would have it's lights flashing.  We easily found Victor when he arrived and off we went to Fajardo. 

 

Let me say, NOT getting a rental car was a great decision!  Our messed up travel plans, while taking away 7 hours of our vacation, did keep us from driving in the crazy traffic, along a route that, at times, is not well marked!  Also, after such a frazzling trip of flights, waiting hours in two airports and only getting snippets of sleep here & there, we know that trying to navigate the highways and byways from San Juan to Fajardo would have left us rattled. Letting someone else take the wheel was needed at this stage of our travels.  The costs were very comparable, too:  Enterprise ~ $56 + gas and $109 + gas on the original reservations tho I suspect they would have thrown a bunch of other fees at us and forced us to pay them (to include the $60 drop-off fee for the one-way); Henry ~ $70 + tip and $80; Taxi to the airport ~ $25 with tip.  I am happy to give you Henry's contact information.  He also lived in New York and is a US veteran!!

 

Victor dropped us off at the ferry dock, let us know where we needed to go to purchase our tickets (I got round trip) and pointed us in the direction of some food & drink.  We paid him and he was on his way...maybe for another roundtrip to the airport and back. 

 

Having a bit over 2 hours to kill before the next ferry arrived at 4:45, we did a quick freshening up in the ferry terminal bathroom and drug ourselves to the bar, where we enjoyed cervezas while sitting on the patio under the shade of a tiki-style umbrella, looking at the water.  Into our second cervezas, a couple locals sat next to us.  One of them, William, was born in Puerto Rico, but went to the States as a young boy, growing up there and getting a degree, then coming back to the main island about a year and a half prior.  He was fun to chat with about many things, to include the UFC!  As we parted he said it had been a pleasure for him because he got to speak English with us!! 

 

We got to the ferry station and noticed two roped off areas, one looked to be filled with darker-skinned locals, the other with pasty non-residents like myself!  We got in line and as we got closer to boarding the ship, we were told to wait as we were not residents....who are given preference for boarding, which means tourists may not get on the ferry they hope to catch.  We acted as if we were going to follow her instruction, but when she turned, we got on the boat.  There was no way in hell we weren't getting on this ferry!  The next one did not leave until 8:15!!!  And it is an hour & a half trip...to go 8 freakin' miles!  We should have been on the 1PM ferry, but now we were on the evening one with so many Viequens headed back from the main island.  It was rather noisy with lots of kids who had played sports games that Saturday afternoon.  That said, Chris napped for most of the trip and I for a bit (those 2 beers, while thirst-quenching, weren't sitting all that great in my empty stomach on this choppy ride).  Unfortunately, you cannot be outside the boat to enjoy the sun and sea air; however, inside is air-conditioned.

 

Once off the ferry, a publico driver asked, in Spanish, if we needed a ride to Esperanza.  I asked how much (Cuantos?) and agreed (Si!) when he said $3 each.  This publico was what we use in the States as shuttles to/from airports.  Once he had about another 7-9 people on board (gotta make the money!!), we headed south to Esperanza.  We were almost ~finally~ at our accommodations!!  In Spanish, I told him where we were staying and, also in Spanish, we found it together!  (I didn't recall the house being called Coco Loco, so when the driver said it as we were having a hard time finding the house number, it didn't click with me.  I called our host's number and the voicemail said "Coco Loco"!!  I informed the driver that, "Si, Si, es Coco Loco!!")

 

During our drive from the airport to the ferry, we were able to look around and take in much of Puerto Rico.  Our first impression:  Third World.  Our drive from Isabel Segunda, the town on Vieques, to Esperanza, the southern area where we were staying, we maintained the same impression.  We have only been to Mexico, back in 2006, so we don't have many other countries with which to make a comparison. 

 

One of our hosts, Joe, greeted us at his gate and took us right back to the casita, the once former shed that had been converted into a small efficiency, where we would spend the next several nites.  He gave us a quick rundown of things and let us be.  We did a bit of freshening up and headed down to the Malecon, in search of food!  We walked the stretch to see what was offered and made our way back almost to the beginning to share a chicken skewer meal at Belly Buttons.  Picnic tables, fresh air, cooked-to-order food, nice staff and the sea just steps away...we would eat 3 of our 4 breakfasts here and another dinner. 

 

I will share more details about how we spent our days in upcoming posts.  I am also going to start a separate travel blog to give more general information mixed with our impressions.  I will post a link here when I get the new site created and post my first blog entry.  I hope you visit me here and there!

 

 

 

 

Thrown for a Loop

We left our home at 4:30P to head to the hotel where we are parking our car during our vacation.  We were shuttled to the airport about 6 and our flight was to leave at 8:06.  We had a very small window, about 25 minutes, for our connecting flight from Houston to San Juan.  We were able to get our seat assignments moved up 17 rows in order to get off quicker, so that we could hot foot it over to the boarding plane. 

 

Then, our departure time was changed, slightly, to 8:18.  We were on one of the last "blocks" and while waiting for our number to be called for boarding, we were informed that NO PILOTS were on the plane and none would arrive for over 2 hours!!!!  This flight would now leave at 10:45. 

 

Our connecting flight was leaving at 11:55. 

 

There was absolutely no way we were making it to San Juan by 5:30A!!!

 

We had to wait in line at United customer service to see what flight we could be rerouted on.

 

We ended up with a new flight, connecting through Newark....on a redeye!!! 

 

Then, we discover that Chris was given Standby!!  The Newark flight was overbooked!  We had to sit and wait until everyone had boarded to see if Chris was going to get a seat.  I wanted to vomit!  I wanted to scream!  I wanted to cry!!

 

After the scrambling we had to do ~even debating if we should just scrap it all~ here we were in the most tenuous of positions.

 

Fortunately, a seat was found and we took off!

 

We are remaining positive that our checked bag made it to this flight and off the Houston leg!

 

We decided to cancel the one-way rental car, and found some great online reviews about a guy, "Enri", to drive our tired asses to the Fajardo ferry terminal.  Not having any real inkling of the route from the airport to the car rental office in Fajardo was a bit off-putting already...trying to do it utterly without sleep, is more than daunting.

 

We should be arriving for sunrise in San Juan, Puerto Rico, any minute.  Rather, we are sitting in the Newark airport.  Our connecting flight doesn't leave until 9, leaving us over 3 hours to kill here. 

 

We are exhausted with no where to lay our weary heads and we are arriving in San Juan at midday,  catching the ferry almost 3 hours later than we had wanted.

 

I guess this is a lesson to teach us the patience we might need once we begin foreign travel.  I suppose I have handled it better than I would have a handful of years ago. 

 

Looking on the bright side....we are heading to Puerto Rico!  We have beaches on our horizon!  We are going to sleep under the sun on the sand, lulled by the sound of the waves.  We get to kayak for the first time together, at nite, under an almost new moon, with the bioluminescent dinoflaggelates illuminating our path.

 

Life is (still) good! 

It Takes a Village

They say it takes a village to raise a child and I agree, wholeheartedly!!!

 

I have been fortunate to be "raised" by so many amazing women in my years!  My parents divorced when I was in elementary school and my mother moved from Indiana to Florida when I was in 6th grade.  I definitely needed women in my life to help me with "stuff"!

 

My dad had some girlfriends and other wives over the years, but only one really & truly brought meaning to my life, Judy.  Judy started to teach me to drive.  She and I joined a health club.  She showed me how to be both silly & generous when driving the highway and going through toll booths (this was back when there were actual people in the toll booths!!)!  She was light-hearted and carefree!

 

One of my dad's sisters would take me shopping for school clothes.  My Aunt Marla

 was quite the shopper, too!  She knew deals and helped outfit me with some nice clothes that saved my dad some cash!  A win-win for us both!!!  She would also give me many of her hand-me-downs, which were always name brands! 

 

When I "became a woman", as they say, my gifted & talented teacher, Mrs. Hanson, had to take me to the nurse.  The next day, she gave me a felt rose with a beautiful note welcoming me to this important change in my life.

 

Throughout most of high school, I lived with my aunt and uncle.  My Aunt Nita became a second mother to me.  She fed me, cleaned my clothes, gave me my own bedroom, helped me get ready for prom, threw us a small wedding reception and my college graduation party....among so many other things.  She introduced me to coffee.  We, along with another of my aunts, binged on Fannie Mae chocolates, just for the sheer lunacy of it!  She was there for me when we put my brother on a plane to live with my mom in Florida.  She was there for me when my dad was off doing his own thing.  She was there when I married Chris.  She was our place to go for every holiday, when we lived in northwest Indiana!!

 

My friend John's mom, Dolores, was a gem in my high school years, too.  Lucky for me, they lived just around the corner!  I almost lived with them, actually, before we moved in with the family.  She and I had private jokes and she just has the sweetest soul!  I love the whole Stillson clan, to include Dolores's sister, Dorothy!  Dolores is the epitome of what any girl would want for a mother-in-law!  (Ellen, John's wife, is one lucky gal!)

 

For many years, I was the youngest wherever I worked and at many places I was blessed with women who gave me advice and support, in a myriad of ways.

 

My grandma is incredible when I visit my family in Florida!  She makes my favorite cookies, no-bake chocolate!  She brings them to the airport, along with a sandwich and other goodies, for my car ride!  She will also send me back to the airport with provisions!  And she & my grandpa just take amazing care of feeding us when we are their guests!!

 

My uncle's wife, Betty, is the consummate hostess!  She was always at the ready when anyone dropped by and, when most of us still lived in Crown Point, theirs was the house to gather for any and all events!  Chris and I lived with Uncle Mark, Betty, Kyle & Matt for about 5 months when we returned from Florida in 2001 (just before we bought our house in Hobart) and Sundays were a day we all congregated for a meal.  Betty always turned it out!  It reminded me of the movie "Soul Food" where the extended family gathered on Sundays for a big meal at the grandma's home.  We began calling our Sunday meals "Big Betty's Soul Food for White People"!  Which also became the name of her personal cookbook!!!  Even after they moved, visiting their home was like staying at a B&B!  No lie!!!  I wish I had a tenth of her innate hostess abilities! 

 

Now, here I am, early 40's with years of life & work experience under my belt.  I feel it has become my time to return the graciousness and the wisdom shared so generously with me by the variety of goddesses brought into my life at certain times and for specific reasons.  The goddesses who taught me without necessarily knowing they were giving a lesson. 

 

Like today, my aunt and her husband (she is no longer married to my uncle) are arriving for a visit in Denver, to see her son, her granddaughter and us!  In advance, I helped her find a place to stay that wasn't a hotel.  Also, I know how hard travel days can be, so rather than waiting to take her to the grocery store, I bought a few staples (bread, PB&J) and shared some of ours (butter, water, ham from Sunday's Easter meal, eggs, mustard & mayo...and the chocolate mousse cake) for something to eat (that wasn't fast food!) the moment they got to their rental place.  This I learned, picked up, from the women in my life!!

 

May we all be the community who shares our gifts, teaching valuable lessons, even when we aren't aware we are doing it.  May we be The Village!



Family & Food

Another family meal shared with my cousin, Matthew, his now fiancee, Megan, and Hushpuppy!! 

 

Just the family for this gathering!  We enjoyed a simple meal that started with bacon & jalapeno deviled eggs, made by Megan, and baked almond-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates, made by me.  Mmmm!!!

 

Chris and I made a spiral-sliced ham, mashed cauliflower and mixed veggies, which we ate with rolls M&M brought.

 

Dessert.....well, since Chris works at a university with a strong culinary program and where the chefs are very appreciative of the IT support he provides, we had a professionally-prepared chocolate and peanut butter mousse cake!! 

 

After all this good food, we headed across City Park to the Denver Zoo!  On this sunny & not-too-warm day, we enjoyed an hour & a half walk in fresh Colorado air. 

 

My aunt, Matt's mom, and her husband are arriving tomorrow for a short visit.  When we lived in Indiana, it was her home where we gathered for the holiday meals.  We sure do miss her cooking!!  I am going to share some of our leftover ham, plus pick up a few other grocery items, so they can have a meal once they arrive at their airbnb rental. 

 

 



Simple Habits for Longevity

The other day on Facebook, a friend shared an article that reminded me how we can make small changes in our daily lives that will improve our health and help to extend our longevity....even without breaking a sweat!

 

FLOSSING our teeth can add anywhere from 1.5 - 6.4 years!!!  The combination of fighting gum disease AND heart disease is flossing's "anti-aging" trick.  As with any new activity that we want to make a habit, we need to create a routine.  This morning while flossing, I thought about 3 things I wanted to accomplish today.  One was this blogpost, so I was going over the things that I believe to be easy longevity tricks that I wanted to research and share.  When flossing at nite, you can think about 3 things for which you are grateful from that day.  Before you know it, you have flossed between every tooth while practicing daily mindfulness.  Here is an article discussing the benefits and how-tos!!

 

 

Our bodies are comprised of 70% water.  Thus, DRINKING WATER refills what we lose through perspiration and the daily behind-the-scenes working of our cells.  It is recommended to drink half your body weight of water, in ounces (i.e. a 130 lb person needs to consume 65 ounces of water everyday).  Our skin is our largest organ and it needs water to maintain firmness and elasticity, especially as we age.  Often times when we think we are hungry, we are actually simply thirsty.  Therefore, drinking water can help with weight loss (or maintenance).  Not having enough water in our systems makes our muscles sluggish and we cannot perform physical activities well.  That is especially true when exercising, so drink plenty of fluids enough in advance to get the results you are working toward.  Water helps with elimination, keeping our kidneys and bowels healthy.  This article will shed more light on these areas and gives five tips for getting more water into your day, to include by eating fruits & veggies!!

 

We can heal and enhance our bodies with the foods we eat and those we avoid.  Following an ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET, like this one recommended by well-respected Dr. Anthony Weil, helps work through and ward off chronic inflammation, which, when left unchecked, is what leads to diseases, like cancer, heart disease, even Alzheimer's, and, ultimately, death.  Eating the right combination of proteins, carbs & fats, supplementing with vitamins and minerals and drinking plenty of water are the keys.  Unfortunately, the typical American "diet" is completely unbalanced and includes far too many of the aggravating foods.  Here is a quick article that provides a bit of detail on some antioxidants that are super beneficial for healing and maintaining a healthy systemic balance.  Add and remove foods gradually as to not be completely overwhelmed by the process, thus avoiding falling into the trap of giving up. 

 

Stress, especially the chronic type under which many people "operate" on a daily basis, is a killer!  We must find ways to manage our stress to avoid an early death!!  MEDITATION is one of those ways.  It doesn't have to be transcendental, for hours at a time or even in a retreat setting, tho any of those can be part of your practice!  However, setting aside several minutes in your day to center yourself, to be mindful, to go inward and work with your inner magic is equally beneficial and, quite frankly, what most of us will fit into our lives, at least initially. (I believe that once you start making many positive changes to enhance your life and see the benefits, you will begin to set as a priority more & longer healthy practices.)  Meditation does many things, like bringing clarity and focus to your days, nurturing your creativity and promoting health and healing.  I have started to meditate using the seven chakras.  I take in and release several deep, cleansing breaths and start with the first chakra, the root chakra.  The chakras ascend the body and are associated with the colors of the rainbow (Roy G. Biv, for those who know this little memory helper!).  I take a few moments or minutes with each one, then I focus on areas of my body that are sore and channel healing thoughts and, finally, taking deep breaths from my roots and pulling them up & out through my crown. 

 

"THINK POSITIVE and positive things will happen."  Having an optimistic outlook and personality, as well as a positive attitude about aging, specifically, can add 5+ years to your life!!  Constant negative thoughts and beliefs not only drag you down, they work internally to damage your cells.  Changing those thoughts and beliefs changes your cells!!!  Revitalizing you from the inside out!  You ARE happier.  You smile more.  What you put out into the Universe comes back to you, multiplied!  You have an aura of health and radiance!  Others want to be around you!  You inspire others to be like you!! 

 

And, as a final practice, check out this TedX talk by John Marcotte where STRIKING A SUPERHERO POSE for just 2 minutes does the following:  "Your power hormone testosterone rises by 8% and your stress hormone cortisol drops by 25%… YES 25%!  And lastly, the research also showed that if you pose like a superhero for just 2 minutes you are more likely to take a risk."  You don't have to be wearing a costume to enjoy the benefits, but it would bring a smile to the faces of many who witness your ability to have some fun, get a laugh and take a risk!!! 

 

After 60-90 days of practice, an activity is hard-wired, thus becoming a habit which you will do automatically.

 

As always, To Your Health!!