In search of limes....

Another grey day here in Vieques. Cool last night. Well....let me back up, cool in Vieques terms. I think it was in the low 70's with a really nice breeze. Perfect sleeping weather. This morning brought grey skies and the off and on light shower. We decided that it would be best to just hang out at the house again and it's nice that we enjoy hanging out here. This is a really comfortable rental house. It's well suited to spending time at. I'm in one of the two bedrooms now typing this and looking out towards Puerto Rico through the sliding glass doors. This would make for an extremely comfortable living room.  I've more or less claimed it as my own and Lorrie has taken up residence in the other bedroom. The beds are the most comfortable place to lounge. 

So that's our mantra of the day, chill-axe, to quote my daughter. Oh we did wish each other happy Valentines day, but for us it's always Valentines day. Yeah I know, kinda sappy Curt, but it's the way we feel. Why designate just one day a year? How about all year?

Which brings me to the point of this post and how easily I forget the importance of holidays to  Puerto Ricans. Silly me, it's just Valentines day. One wouldn't think that downtown Isabel would turn into something akin people returning home after a three day religious festival in Punjab. 

Not quite as spectacular, nor as large as the above photo, but I think  it would elicit the same response from  somebody from the lower 48 who's not used to this sort of disorder. I've never been in the situation I was today in Isabel, back home, it just doesn't happen. People just don't pull over into the oncoming traffic lane and stop, get out of their vehicle and walk up to the ATM to get some cash, all the while stopping all coming traffic. It pretty much was a Gordian knot in downtown Isabel when I arrived. It was then that it hit me "oh sheit, it's Valentines day."

I was hoping to just pass through Isabel and out the double lane road that ends at the intersection of 200 and 997. My goal was the VM (vegetable museum). After some fancy driving and a few times where I just turned on the radio and took a deep breath, I made it to the VM. They had the limes that we were in need of for our Valentines Day Margaritaville.  It was at this point that I realized we had used up all the Coqui Fire hot sauce we had during "taco night". As much as I dreaded it, I need to dive back into the morass that downtown Isabel had become.  I  was hoping I could hit Morales on the way home.

As I was walking up into the Morales in downtown Isabel I remembered that it was the OTHER Morales on 200 that had the Coqui Fire sauce I was in search of. 

Well sheit.....

So, back through Isabel again. Yeah...I'm beginning to get used to this, and on to the Morales on 200. The Morales on 200 wasn't a whole lot better than downtown Isabel. I always drive all the way to the back of the store and turn around, that way I don't have to try and back out onto 200 or try to turn around to the west of the store. If you've been there you know what I'm talking about. To my surprise the back of the Morales, you know the pot hole gardens that resemble some lunar landscape, was full. Full I'm telling ya. I've never seen this before. I finally found a spot. Seems everyone on Vieques was either in Isabel or shopping at the Morales.

In the end I found the Coqui Fire sauces we needed. A  number 3 and a number 10 called "Komodo Dragon." 

As I was walking out of the Morales I was ask by a disheveled woman for 50 cents. I usually just say "sorry no dinero", but the poor person either by her own device or that of the world we all live in, had lowered herself to this sad state.  She had beautiful brown eyes and was probably once a gorgeous young person. She also didn't press and acted as though she expected me to just brush her off. I told her ok, it's Valentines day isn't it. She gave me a smile that showed just how poor her health was. I gave her $2 and I know she probably went and bought some beer or liquor with it, didn't matter.  I have noticed this trip an upsurge in people begging for money on Vieques, predominately at the Morales on 200. Maybe they just see an easy conduit of money from gringos fat with cash or maybe it's a sign of the times, I really don't know.  But it is increasing. 

At any rate, I got the hot sauces and the limes. I was set. Now back through Isabel. I could not turn right/east at the colmado that's across from Blackbeards to get me back to Beso. It was total chaos down that road. Instead I went down to the the turn for the Morales. I almost decided to just take the north shore road and try to miss it all, but instead turned right (at was once the coconuts restaurant, gawd how we miss that place) and finally back on track towards home. 

Lorrie of course was worried and ask "where in the world have been?"  I said "let me make a drink and I'll replayed the trek for you." 

And now for our version of the Coqui Fire margaritas. Oh, but I have to warn you,  my measurements are in tablespoons/teaspoons. There is no jigger or and shotglass or facsimile in Beso? 

3 tablespoons of Tequila

1.5 tablespoons of Triple sec

juice from 3 lime halves

3/4 teaspoons of Coqui Fire #3

Put in shaker with ice and shake. Pour into salted rim glass. Enjoy!

I like 1/2 teaspoons of the Komodo Dragon Coqui Fire sauce instead of #3. 

Tonight is Red Curry coconut shrimp with Coqui Fire Margaritas. 

:-)