minutes
later I was pedaling out of the airport and over to the beach. I checked in and
went running on the beach. I ate at a table for one on a deck overlooking the
sea cooled by a gentle breeze. The next day I started early an found a lovely road along the coast. Unfortunately, a new tired went bad. It could not be patched and I had to gingerly make my way back to town where I found a bike shop after asking several people who couldn't help me. I guess most people are about as aware of bike shops as I am bars. Anyway, they put a new tire on my bike and I tried again. The road took me south by the airport and along miles of empty beach. Good weather and flat, lightly traveled roads with a view of sand, surf and palm trees seemed too good to be true. A day before I had been working. I rode through a couple of small villages which like all that I encountered on the island were choked with cars. After about 30 miles my quiet little road ended and forced me on to the main highway. It lacked a view and the roar and stench or cars overwhelmed any bird songs or natural aromas but it had a paved shoulder which
made it okay. I stopped in Luquillo and bought a pizza. It came with a free two liter
bottle of Diet Coke and I drank almost the entire thing as part of a wonderful
break. Refreshed I continued on the busy highway but soon hit my turnoff. I
passed the sight of a new Wal-Mart as I pedaled into Fajardo. A few inquiries
and I made my way to the Fajardo Inn high on a hill with a grand view of mountains
to the west and the Caribbean to the east. I quickly changed into my suit and
went for a dip in the pool from which I could see the ocean and the little
island of Vieques--tomorrow's destination. I pedaled around that evening and met
Werner, a loan rider from Switzerland who waited for the ferry to Vieques. We
took pictures of each other and I later sent him one via e-mail.
Early the next morning I had a small breakfast in a crowded little restaurant that had no doors or windows. I sat on a bench seat watching the mass of people boarding the ferry, dropping people off or picking people up. Because of my bike I could not ride on the regular ferry but had to wait for the cargo ferry. I had a grand time watching gargantuan gravel trucks being loaded onto the boat. The process took a while, but no one seemed in a hurry.
Eventually
cargo filled every inch and we departed. I enjoyed this view of the little
harbor area looking over the tops of the tightly packed trucks. I enjoyed the hour-long trip as I sat and tried to make conversation with truck drivers. As the ferry passed through swells the big trucks were lifted and tipped sideways as if they were toys. We landed in the little village of Isabel Segunda, the main town on Vieques island. It's quiet little harbor, guarded by an old fort and a small light house, welcomed me and promised a quiet quaintness. I pedaled first off the boat and road up into town where I asked a woman in a Jeep where I could get breakfast. She recommended the Cafe Coconuts. Tucked away under palm trees and hidden behind turquoise lattice work it had no doors or windows but a welcoming atmosphere. This was the most laid back place you can imagine. The proprietor came from Mexico, Maine and the waitress spends her summers in Bar Harbor, Maine. I felt instantly comfortable and stayed a while. The owner recommended a room for me to stay in Esperanza that would be cheap and safer than camping. After a good meal and lots of regular American coffee I headed to the other side of the island. I don't know why I wanted to stay on the far side of the island but I did. It was only seven miles but the first half was up all the way and the last half down. I passed the gate to one of the military reservations which was currently manned by protestors. I rode into Esperanza, which
means
hope in Spanish. The tiny little town charmed me with its lovely malecon
(boardwalk), peaceful beach and views of the mountains. I found a fabulously
cheap room with a good location and acceptable cleanliness. As soon as I checked in I left my luggage and took happy to be on a light-weight bike for a change. The small island became even more so during my visit due to the protests against the military. Getting the Navy to stop using Vieques for military exercises has become a cause celebre all over Puerto Rico. Usually the the military opens its beaches when they are not "hot", that is being used for training. Because of the protests they were all closed and that left me restricted to the roads in the middle of the island. Nevertheless, I found wonderful back roads winding through lush vegetation with almost no traffic and great views. When I got tired I would sit at a very casual outdoor restaurant with a great view of the malecon and the beach. It was the kind of place where you can sit as long as you like. I have my journal and a good book and loved the luxury of time to spend just sitting. Sometimes I'd talk with people and I liked watching folks come
and
go. Anyone entering the cafe received a greeting from Cairo,
one of the parrots who enhanced the area with their presence. Mountain bike
riders like muddy trails and I found some great dirt
roads wandering around a big stretch of nature preserve. Ubiquitous palms trees
and a profusion of native vegetation surrounded me as I followed unmarked
trails. Several of them took me to empty beaches that
look like something from a movie,
I enjoyed the highpoint of a great trip when I visited Mosquito Bay to see the bioluminescence. One evening I climbed in a beat up pick-up truck for a rough ride down some of the muddy dirt roads I had pedaled by daylight. About a half dozen of us paddled kayaks out into the warm water under a gorgeous tropical moon. Just being on that bay on such a perfect mild evening would have been a joy, but we came to see the bioluminescence. Millions of little creatures called dynoflagelletes live in the water of this otherwise unassuming bay. Whenever, something disturbs them they give off a little bit of light like a tiny firefly. Due to the large quantities of them in this water the light becomes observable. Every stroke of the paddle gave off a bluish light corresponding to the disturbance of the water. Every time a fish swam away it left a flash of light along its path. At one point I observed a ray, it's distinctive shape outlined in the ghostly bluish light. At one point we all went swimming and I could see my hands and legs as they moved through the water. As an "independent traveler" I tend to avoid tourist outings because I don't like them and they are expensive. I will always be glad that I didn't miss the bioluminescence on Vieques. For more information on this phenomenon here's a great web site.
I never tired of Esperanza but had a yearning to see more of Puerto Rico. In particular I wanted to go to Ponce and knew I couldn't waste much time and still make it to that city on the southern half of the island. So I managed to get myself and my bike back to the main land and headed south along the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. The ride took me through big forests on high hills and along miles of coastline. I had a lot of trouble finding a place to stay. I'll forgo the details and say that it was getting dark and I was in Humacao, which had only one really dumpy hotel and it was full. I tried to phone ahead to some places to be sure that if I got there, after dark, they would have a room. A nearby resort charged more than I'd spent in a week. I was getting quite concerned and even wondering how it would work to camp in the woods when I met a friendly fellow who knew of an Inn nearby and offered me a ride in the back of his pick-up truck. Well, I pride myself in being an independent, self-sufficient traveler, but I took him up on his offer in a minute. The father-son team at the Viejo Campo may have been as glad to see me as I was to see a moderately priced hotel with rooms. I was just about the first guest at this delightful inn which sat high above the surf in a wonderful undeveloped area called Yabucoa. Though the paint had yet to dry
they served me a great meal at a good price.The next morning I started out early into a rainy morning. Rain doesn't last long here and I soon dried off. The road ran along the coast where the mountains met the sea so it involved a lot of hard climbing that rewarded me with magnificent views. After a few miles of big scenery and arduous riding I began to think about breakfast. Just then I came upon a Burger King hidden behind the sign welcoming me to Manuabo. I've rarely enjoyed a meal more than that collection of pancakes, orange juice and coffee on a picnic table in the early morning light.
