Back from Vieques

Hi all, Jane and I just got back from the island of Vieques, which is situated off the coast of Puerto Rico. It use to be the the bombing training ground for the US navy. I believe the navy left in 2003 after a local was killed in a bombing miscue. The natives protested and they finally won. However, the navy left all sorts of unexploded ordance on the island that will take another twenty years to remove. That being said, the beaches are pristine. If you see four other people on a beach , it is considered crowded. The island has a very diverse animal and plant life. Wild horses wander the island and they are competely road savvy. I have seen iguanas up to four feet long and mongoose as well. The iguanas were introduced by people who had them as pets. When they became to large for them to be cared for they were released. Now they are considered a real problem for the islanders. They eat many of the local plants and they like to poop in swimming pools. How strange is that? We also went to the bio-luminiscent bay with a group of people one dark night. This was a magical experience. The bay lights up when the dino-flagelettes are disturbed. When swimming every stroke produces this blue light. Fish swimming through the water leave a blue light trail. The ride in was a trip unto itself. It is on a one lane dirt road through the jungle. About two miles long. We rounded a corner 1/2 way in and we met another outfitter towing a dozen kayaks. Welll, the bus driver was amazing. After slamming the bus into a couple of boulders he finally managed to pull the bus into the jungle. The other vehicle passed by scraping the side of our bus. No place to drive a new car. lol. Their are several great resturants on the island. This is probably the last place in the Carribean where land and homes are still reasonable. It won't take but a few more years before they totally discovered by the rest of the world. The downside is that the infastructure is really poor. When the navy was there they were responsible for the upkeep of the roads and such. When George bush was in office he closed all the military bases on the island and the main island of Puerto Rico and that devastated the local economy. There is a 60% unemployment rate. There are quite a few Americans living here now or that have vacation homes. Several friends of ours have homes here. It is nice to have good friends in the Carribean. Well Jane and I are home for a little while now. Until next post. Have a great holiday season and a prosperous and healthy New Year.