Time for a Vacation?
Relax at Casa Violeta,Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
   
 

Frequently Asked Questions - General and Miscellaneous

Please also see other FAQ pages at the bottoms of many of the main menu options.

Are you going to be in Vieques while we will be there? Unlikely, but if we are staying at our in-laws we'll probably pop round and say hello.

Who's responsible out there if something happens and if you are not there? Our house manager Cindi. You can sometimes find her in the basement of the house a couple of times a week, evenings at the Tradewinds store (three or four minutes walk), or call her on 787 741 3407.

We are thinking of living/buying a house on a Caribbean island. Would you have any advice on that? Yes, think very very carefully before you do!

Vieques is in may respects a typical Caribbean island - its a paradise, but it is a dysfunctional paradise. This is a wonderful place to come on holiday, hang out on the beach, sit in a bar and drink Pina Coladas. Many people, including many of our guests, fall in love with it and start to dream of coming back here to live.

However, the economy is sluggish, and most of the jobs will be related to the tourist industry - and hence very cyclical. Unless you have independent means, or a job that is location independent (such as work you can do from home over the Internet), then you may find it difficult to make ends meet here.

In terms of buying a house, it took us about four months to get a mortgage, and that was dealing with Citibank (Puerto Rico). There are language problems, legal issues, and a very inefficient government bureaucracy to deal with.

Last but by no means least, if you have ever though dealing with contractors was a pain, try doing house renovations on an island. The water goes off (no water, no cement or plaster!), ferries get delayed (no supplies), or locals just get priority and your workers disappear half way through a job to do something else. That's just the way it is!

We'd recommend you read "Don't stop the carnival" by Herman Wouk. Set on a fictional island that is based on one of the British Virgin Islands (very close by), it tells the story of a New Yorker who falls in love with the idea of moving to a Caribbean island and his misadventures. Its will give you a quite good idea of island life.

With the military base on Vieques, have the events of Sept. 11 caused any areas of the island to be restricted? The bases have gone and almost all former military areas are now open to the public.