Vieques

Never saw it coming.
But I just may have found the beach that could lure me away from South Padre Island.

This is more than a one-horse town -- actually, several horses walk unimpeded in the streets as well as on the beach. As do the dogs. And chickens. No one is worried about building a median down the middle of the malecon -- heck, there is no lane indicator of any sort and not enough traffic to warrant it. No worries about green spaces because anything that isn't mowed quickly becomes overgrown with the lushest of tropical vegetation. Nary a high rise in sight though I am sure they are in the comprehensive plan. Somewhere. We are here in "high season" and yet are sharing the hugely spacious, open and drop dead gorgeous Sun Bay beach with maybe 5 other people.

The town of Esperanza is utterly charming. Our 3BR/1BA rental house is located in "el barrio" but the neighbors are friendly, the bread in the local bakery to die for and I can walk to

the corner store in 2 minutes
the nearest wifi signal in 5
a friendly waterfront tavern in 7
sun bay beach in 15

A plenitude of watersports are nearby should I feel the urge. The sand works. The water is clear as can be and the exact right temperature for swimming. Palm trees on the beach provide shade if it is desired. No signs of local constabulary nor any apparent need for same. The rum is cheap and my cellphone works (but on extended service so don't call just because you can ;-) I have only been here for 3 days and already I want to chat with a real estate agent.

Maybe other Nancy is right. Maybe I just want SPI as it was 20-30 years ago. All I can tell you for sure is that the Ritz-Carlton area of San Juan is what SPI is headed for, and where I guess the majority of the "stake-holders" want for it to go. But I would never spend my vacation at that place, even if I could afford it. I am mystified by folks who happily spend $3.00 for a cup of coffee and don't object to the surcharge for the workout room a vast majority of them will never use -- who don't mind being assigned an umbrella as long as a cabana boy is on hand to bring them their over-priced cocktails.

Me, I'll take a flask of tequila and the naked beauty of Sun Bay beach over that crap any day. I guess that makes me weird, and it also indicates I probably shouldn't be sitting on CPAC.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Our stay in this city was short and mostly sweet. The client put us up in the Ritz-Carlton - rumor had it the rooms were costing them a cool $600/night. We arrived on the eve of Three Kings Day - the commonwealth's equivalent of Christmas Eve so the city was still dressed in Holiday finery and Christmas music was still being piped through the hotel (just when you thought you would not have to hear "jingle Bell Rock" again for at least 9 months...)

We had arrived a day early so that we could gather supplies - being totally ignorant of the fact that everything would be closed on Three Kings Day. We caught a taxi into Old San Juan to see what would could see, but pretty much everything was buttoned and zipped up pretty tight. We did get to stroll around Fort San Cristabel and that was cool... got to learn a bit more Puerto Rico history. The cab ride home was exciting as our driver had very little regard for traffic rules and etiquette.... playing chicken with a fully lit and wailing ambulance just before pulling into the hotel entrance.

We finished the sculpture as scheduled on Monday afternoon. We had planned to make our escape from the city on the 8 PM ferry from Fajardo but discovered fairly late in the day that the ferry schedule was in holiday mode as well and had to make a frantic dash to catch it at 6 PM instead -- which we did with minutes to spare.

We disembarked on Viequez in the middle of a flash rainstorm that lasted just long enough to thoroughly soak us and all of our belongings. A cheerful cabbie helped cram all eight members of our entourage plus more luggage and musical instruments then one might think possible in his van and we were on our way to the vacation part of this journey.