ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610180007
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: THOMAS R. FLETCHER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
THERE is the concrete Vieques (pronounced vee-ache-us).
The name is derived from a native Indian word, bieques, which means small island. Vieques is the second largest of Puerto Rico's islands. It encompasses 50.7 square miles of sun-blessed, blue sea-surrounded, virtually (tourist) undiscovered delight. It is located seven miles off Puerto Rico's eastern shore. The terrain is hilly. The Island is 21 miles long and 3 miles wide. It is a mostly agricultural island: the limestone which makes up the Island has weathered until it supports cattle farming and sugarcane growing.
Vieques has two main towns: Isabel Segunda on the north shore and Esperanza on the south shore. It was in Isabel Segunda in 1843, that construction was started on what would have been the last Spanish fort to be built in the New World. It was never completed. That was during the reign of Queen Isabella II, for whom the town is named. Isabel Segunda is the Island capital. Esperanza is a small fishing village, but it is here that most of the fine eating establishments are located.
That is a basic, concrete description of Vieques. However, Vieques is more, much more.
There is the abstract Vieques.
This Vieques cannot be adequately described. It is a nebulous idea of ideal place, an indefinable concept in the mind of each visitor. This Vieques must be experienced to be understood. If you were to ask those who have sampled Vieques' charms to describe their experience, you would receive a seemingly endless variety of descriptions. Each visitor has a personal mental snapshot of Vieques.
Vieques is not a major tourist destination. It is an escape. There are no high-rise hotels, no casinos. Vieques is a quiet destination where one may revel in the sun, sand and sea in relative solitude. More than a few have visited Vieques looking to get away from the fast-paced life of home, only to later decide to make that escape permanent. Vieques has its share of expatriates. These expatriates range from sailors and Marines who did a tour of duty on the Island (the U.S. Navy owns a good portion of Vieques) to doctors and lawyers. Each has found something irresistibly attractive about Vieques.
In many ways, Vieques represents the ultimate in laid-back living. You need no passport. The currency is the U.S. dollar. The official language is Spanish, but you will find many people speaking English. Even the majority of those speaking Spanish will understand English. Wonderful opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and diving abound. There are certain standards, however, so a word of advisement is in order. Swim wear is fine for the beach, but I don't recommend wearing it into town or restaurants. If the ladies make that mistake, they will receive long, unwanted stares from the men and nasty scowls from the women.
Most of the island accommodations are guest houses. Camping is an alternative that appeals to some. Another option is to get in touch with some of the island real estate agents. Many agents manage the vacation homes of prominent folks living in the United States, and these homes are available to rent by the week when not in use by the owners. We (me, my wife, and my sister-in-law) spent our Vieques stay in the vacation home of a Washington, D.C., area doctor. The home was fully equipped (full kitchen, laundry room, television), all the comforts of home in an island paradise.
Several forms of transportation are used on the island. Bicycles, horses, and autos are available as rentals. Auto rental representatives are located in the airport. Public transportation is available via publicos (public cars or vans where a small fee is paid and the driver picks up as many people along the way as he or she can haul).
The island sports some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, which must be a well-kept secret. Many times we were the only ones at the beach. At other times, we would see a few others.
We spent a good deal of time at Gringo Beach on the north shore. This beach is bordered on each end by rocky outcrops, with one-quarter mile of 40 yard-wide beach in between the borders. Isabel Segunda, the north shore village, is visible in the distance. On rare occasions a cloud drizzling rain would drift over us. We merely jumped into our rented 4 x 4 and headed to the south shore to Sun Bay. There we found the sun brightly beaming down. Sun Bay features an even longer stretch of beach, probably close to a mile long. There are a number of sheltered picnic tables and a campground. Camping permits are free from the Recreation and Sports Department. If the same cloud made its way to the southern shore, we merely headed back to the north shore, which would be once again sun-drenched. It was amazing to be able to travel such a short distance and find a change in weather, but that's Vieques.
The snorkeling is fantastic. If you don't bring your own gear, it can be rented in Esperanza. The waters are crystal-clear and the variety of color found in the undersea life is astounding. Snorkeling off Gringo Beach, I was amazed at the beautiful coral and purple sea fans. It looked like a beautiful underwater forest. The sea fans swayed in the current, gracefully, as if doing a slow seductive dance, as the waves rolled in on the surface above.
One night we decided to visit Mosquito Bay - one of the few phosphorescent bays in the world. I have been told that the correct term is bioluminescent because it is not the bay itself which phosphoresces but organisms in the water which produce the glow. It is a biological function of dinoflagellates in which mechanical stimulation produces a chemical reaction causing the glow. Any disturbance to the water will cause the organisms to flash, thus causing the water to appear to glow. While canoeing, one may drag the oar in the water and watch as the oar's wake appears to glow.
The night we visited, the surf was up and large waves were rolling in. As each wave's lip crashed into the sea surface it looked like lightning flashing in the water. We briskly ran our hands through the water, watching as the water lighted up. I had never observed anything quite like it. I decided to go for a swim. I never thought I would swim in water that glowed in the dark, but I did that night.
LENGTH: Long : 109 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: THOMAS R. FLETCHER. 1. On the island of Vieques, Puertoby CNBRico, there are no high-rise hotels or cash-conscious casinos, just
miles and miles of pristine beaches. 2. Vieques: 21 miles long and 3
miles wide with hilly terrain. color.