"The Ceiba Tree" and the Lighthouse Ruins in Vieques

The Ceiba Tree

The Ceiba tree is estimated to be over three centuries old!

Some new friends we acquired after giving them some of our granola.

I wish I had those eyelashes!

No, I do not have pants on....Don't judge me :)

We were heading to the beach after some pictures and exploring the Sugar Plantation Ruins!  On a side note, don't plan on spending a lot of time here.  The only thing to really see is the tree and some horses.  As majestic as they both are, I don't think you need to spend hours of your day here.  If you are looking at the tree, look left.  There is a dirt road and some hidden beaches along there.  You should have a 4X4 though.  It can be a bit bumpy.  There is one parking spot where you can string some hammocks up and watch pelicans dive for their food.  Its not a beach to hang out on...Just one to nap in a hammock in the shade on.  When leaving the Ceiba tree, get back on the road and don't turn left, which should be the direction you came from, but keep going straight.  You should run into Mosquito Pier which has the awesome snorkeling I was telling you about in an earlier post.  The pier is on the right side of the road. 

Lighthouse Ruins

There is a chain around the lighthouse, so you can't get too close.  She sure is a beauty, though!

The view from the lighthouse.  This was the best view on the island!

It needs some upkeep.  It's a shame that something this old with so much history is falling apart.

One the way there, you will see many of these signs.  The Navy is still doing extensive clean up on the island, so this is not just a threat.  It is a true safety concern.  Stay on the marked paths!

Check out this gorgeous view!

From what I heard and read, the lighthouse was used in the late 1800's until the 1920's.  The inside of the building is closed, which is a shame.  We heard that vandals tore it up inside and painted graffiti.  To find the ruins, you take a right as soon as you enter the Refuge and drive down the road which is marked with a sign.  There are two parking lots you will pass while on the road.  Park in the second one you get to.  Walk up the path and there you are!  You will feel the ocean spray and feel the warm breeze.  The views are fantastic from this vantage point!

XOXO...Becky   

Puerto Rican Food

Food is one of my favorite things.  That's probably why I have some extra cushion :)  I love to try new things and I had fun researching what to eat during our vacation to Puerto Rico.  The main thing I saw from every post was Mofongo and Plantains.  Of course, this is what I had to order numerous times!  Rather than tell you what it is, what's inside it, and how you make it, I will show you pictures.  Every restaurant made Mofongo and Plantains differently.  There are other different foods we ate as well that are also worthy of being seen :)

Chicken Empanadas with red beans and rice on the side at "Bananas"

Fish Tacos at "Bananas"

Pork Mofongo Spring Rolls with fresh Coleslaw on the side at "Bananas"

Lemon Shark Bites at "La Vista"

Tostones (fried, mashed plantains) at "La Vista"

Seafood Mofongo at "La Vista"

Key lime pie at "La Vista"

Red beans and rice with 1/4 rack of BBQ ribs at "Hortas"

Red beans and rice on the side at "Hortas" with a salad

Isn't this considered food on the beach?  Rum, Mojitos, Medallas & cheese sticks??

Jerk Chicken Rangoons from "Bananas"

The picture is poor quality, but this is Garlic Basil Gorgonzola Bread from "Bananas"

Chicken Taco from "Coqui Fire" with beans and rice on the side

Carnitas with black beans and rice, served with warm corn tortillas at "Coqui Fire"

Big Kahuna from "Coqui Fire"

Coqui Fire Margaritas...They had some spice to them because of the salt!

Coqui Fire sauce! Go to their website and buy some! You WON'T be disappointed! Yummmmmm!!!

So, when you travel, research the local cuisine and try it out!

XOXO...Becky

La Plata & Sun Bay in Vieques

La Plata

La Plata is gorgeous.  There generally aren't that many people there, so you can have most of the beach to yourself.  There is the "Gallery" that you can wade to, there is decent snorkeling, and there are coconuts to drill into and drink the milk from!  Did I mention the soothing sound of the waves and the view?  I will start off by saying this...There are NO topless beaches in Vieques; however, if you wanted to go topless after all of the other beachgoers have left, this is your spot ;)  There is no shade, unless you leave the beach and walk back to your vehicle.  Ditch the umbrella!!!  You have got to make a canopy to protect your beer on ice!  Read my earlier post about canopies.  Our friends Curt and Lorrie that have the blog "After the Mortgage" perfected the beach canopy. It withstands the ocean wind quite well.  It's definitely a must!  On a side note: 

• Do not walk around near the foliage without shoes.  Sand burs are terrible.  I pulled many out of my foot! OUCH!
• The sea grass looks lovely to sit on, but check where you are sitting.  I almost sat on an urchin. 
• Always keep valuables with your person.  There is some petty theft that has been reported.  Keep your vehicle windows down so somebody doesn't have the chance to bust them out thinking there is something inside worth having. 
• I always keep in mind when traveling, that it is not my home and some of the places we visit are poverty stricken.  I know that I haven't walked in those shoes, so we are mindful of ourselves by having respect and mindful of our property. 

The "Gallery" is a little beach you wade to that has rocks and other objects balanced.  I was lovingly told its NOT stacking.  If you want to know the creator, they are there a couple months out of the year.  Look for Judy and Andre.  They are neat people that you could spend the day with listening to adventures they have had and lived.  It's very neat to see and I think everyone picks out a favorite.  There is also some good snorkeling around the rocks on the way there. 

The "Gallery"

Looking out from the "Gallery" toward the sea grass!  Watch where you sit because it may be on an urchin!  Ouch! 

Brad's point of view

Side view of the "Gallery" looking back towards La Plata

Sun Bay

Sun bay is the quintessential beach from every post card you have seen.  There are palms to sit under, there are calm waves, there are coconuts, and there are the occasional dogs and horses that visit for an afternoon siesta.  Your vehicle is right there where you can see and I believe there is a snack/food area.  Keep in mind...if you are looking for seclusion, this is certainly NOT the beach for you. I DO not recommend going topless, either ;)

This beach is postcard worthy!

You never have to be in the sun unless you choose to be!

Sometimes you have a chair malfunction, so make sure your chairs are in proper working order :)

Selfie with friends!

Used our coconut tool (get one cheap on Amazon) to get a fresh drink and eat some fresh meat!

Someone loved our shady spot under the palms!

Whether you like seclusion, people, shade, sun, waves, or snorkeling, there is a beach for you!  This is two of many that Vieques has to offer, so go EXPLORE!!!

XOXO...Becky

Snorkeling Mosquito Pier

           Snorkeling beside Mosquito pier was an awesome experience.  If you go to the pier, hit up the beach to the left of it instead of driving up onto the pier road.  There is a little parking area and you just walk down onto the beach.  The beach itself isn't something to marvel at.  Walk in toward the rocks and get past the sea grass.  Just snorkel as far down the rocks toward the pier as you want!  It mostly stays the same depth.  We went almost all the way to the pier and we were told that if we would have kept going, there are sea turtles that eat around the pier.  Now I wish we would have done that.  Here are some pictures we took with the GoPros!  Enjoy!

Video I took of the Starfish! 

This fish is hard to see...Look in the center. 

The camouflage on this fish is phenomenal! I found this guy and he was about 3 feet long...Not sure what kind of fish this is???

Red Snapper...Brad wished he had his spear gun during this snorkel trip, because further down the

pier, the bigger these guys got! 

More Red Snapper

More Starfish

Look right below the surface of the water in the center of the picture.  I called it a needle fish but not sure of the actual name...

Barracuda ...These fish are probably my favorite fish to get pictures of. 

XOXO...Becky

Our Excursion With "Little boat Sailing" in Vieques

Honestly, this was one of the BEST excursions we have ever had.  The owner, captain, and operator of Little Boat Sailing is Jorge.  He has the most amazing travel stories and he was so knowledgeable about the reef, the fish, and his community.  He made our tour what we wanted, and not something that he does for everyone.  We told him what we hoped to see and he made that happen.  He knew that snorkeling was our main focus so we went to Lemon Reef.  There was some discussion as to the actual name so we decided it should be name "Jorge Reef".  Getting there was part of the fun since it was on a gorgeous Hobie!  The ocean water was spraying on us, the breeze was perfect, and the sun and temperature were just right!  After about an hour and a half of snorkeling, we went into the mangroves.  Jorge jumped out and got a starfish and did some teaching with us. Jorge had waters and protein available for us after snorkeling...I feel like we burnt off a ton of calories!  We were famished!!!  The best thing about this excursion is that it was one on one, we were there with only our two friends Curt and Lorrie, and we got to morph the tour into what we wanted it to be.  There are a ton of pictures, but the do not truly show how amazing this tour is until you just go to Vieques and experience it for yourself.  Some of the pictures were taken by Jorge and some were with our GoPros!  Enjoy!

                                                                         Eagle Ray

                                                                        Eagle Ray

                          Jorge was so awesome at taking pictures and he emailed them free of charge

                                 Jorge says this Nurse Shark was about 5 ft. long and sleeping

Eagle Ray

                                                  

                                                   This is a video I took with my GoPro

I have Jorge's website listed under the helpful sites section of this blog, so check him out!!!

XOXO...Becky