The Spanish Virgin Islands refer to two tiny islands just off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico – Vieques and Culebra.

The larger and more well-known of the two, Vieques was one of the main reasons why I wanted to go to Puerto Rico in the first place. Long ago I had written about Mosquito Bay, one of the world’s most impressive bioluminescent bays, and knew I wanted to have an evening dip in the waters to see the tiny little organisms glow with my every move.

While planning the trip, I learned of Culebra and figured it would be the perfect first stop. Turns out, Culebra’s main attraction was the tiny isle of Culebrita, where you could enjoy some of the world’s best snorkeling amid the translucent waters and bone white sands.

Of course it was my plan to arrange a tour at both of these stellar attractions. Unfortunately, things just don’t always play out the way you thought they would. On the morning I was supposed to head out for Culebrita, the wind was blowing strong and the waters far too choppy for me to enjoy the hour and half boat ride out to the island. I also figured there would be very poor visibility in the water with all that wind and resultant swells (rare for these waters), so I canceled at the last minute.

Once I got to Vieques, the attitude of “I’ve got all the time in the world” really worked against me. I kept putting off making my reservation for the bio bay tour until it was my last night, which just so happened to be a Friday – one of the busiest days of the week. With a considerable amount of help from the manager of my hotel, Ricky, I managed to secure a spot on a kayaking tour that departed from Sun Bay. The only problem was that the entrance to Sun Bay, where everyone was supposed to meet was a good two miles from my hotel and there were very few ‘publicos’ (taxis) that operate on the south side of the island at night.

I started out on foot a little late, but still determined to make it. The only problem was that all the roads on Vieques have no shoulder and the darker it got, the more dangerous it felt to be out there walking at the hot tourism hour when all the tourist-packed buses are headed for the bay. After a couple close calls with oncoming traffic and one wrong turn, I realized that the plan just wasn’t meant to be.

Instead, I hit the bar to get something to eat and lament over the fact that I had missed the best attractions of both islands. Oh well, it goes to show that things never quite work out the way you planned.

February 6 , 2006