Puerto Real Barrio

The kids were champs despite an early morning wake up Tuesday. Another picturesque drive, this time along the southern part of PR to catch a ferry to a small island, Vieques, east of the main island of PR. Everything for the first time especially in a foreign area takes a little longer. Thankfully, “follow the crowd” and some helpful boarding agents got us to our spot with time to spare. After living in a single room hotel, two bathrooms and two bedrooms for two nights was desperately needed. Vieques is a beautiful island with postcard beaches and a laid back island vibe, but not without its warts. Between the beauty were many houses near collapsed or abandoned. The roads were tight and lined with potholes and up/downs. It didn’t help that there didn’t seem to be any rules either.

Food
Our first meal was at a quaint cafe near the ferry landing. Breakfast sandwiches, huevos rancheros, pancakes, and the first of many fruit drinks/smoothies (mango, pineapple, strawberry). We were staying at an airbnb and figured we’d try to eat in a bit. Unfortunately the “nice” grocery store was expensive (bell pepper for $6) and overall produce and meat departments were “sus”. We grabbed some snacks. Fortunately we found a veggie stand on the way to our place and stocked up on a few things. We capped the stay with a tasty dinner at coqui fire (thanks Tom and Kasia).

To do
So many beaches. Our hosts had provided some recommendations and with the help of a map we conquered several beaches. Despite close proximity the drives were dirt/sand roads with lots of undulation. I was surprised at how empty and private most of the beaches seemed. Plenty of palms to produce perfect shade. Crystal clear water ideal for snorkeling. The kids and I swam to an island- oops that sign says don’t explore this island because there may still be munitions?!? We saw multiple fish species highlighted by the numerous tropical fish- Dory!- and a fierce looking fish I think was a barracuda. We also saw an eagle ray with a wing span of around 4 feet- “that shadow is moving faster than the others”. Noel loaded up on her sea glass treasures.

The one planned excursion on Vieques did not disappoint- bioluminescent tour. While Noel and I both admitted we thought we’d see fish and turtles glowing- the algae attached to them- the trip was nothing short of amazing. Our dinoflagellates did their thing. Unfortunately, pictures didn’t really turn out. The guides from Jak Sports shared knowledge of this unique ecosystem. Mosquito bay holds the Guinness record for brightest algae in the world!

As Noel and I reflected on our time, we were both astonished that while our lodging had multiple tvs, I don’t think we ever even turned them on.

Animals
While initially we were mesmerized with the wild horses, we soon realized why they are known as the “raccoons” of the island. In another life, Noel might go back and rescue them all. Chickens could be described similarly. Our neighborhood had a few competing roosters who would sound off not just at sunrise but 24 hours a day!Read more