How to describe Vieques?? An island with gorgeous deserted beaches hidden behind overgrown bushes & vine-covered trees with a one lane sometime paved & sometimes barely passable road weaving through it. And horses! Everywhere! Roaming wherever they want. Here we don't say "Deer in the road!" You say, "Horse in the road!" Some are branded. Some wild.
But also hiding is the past. My friend, Mary told me to duck when she heard I was coming here. After a couple days here, I had to call her and find out what she was talking about. She said, "Duck when the bombs go off!" I did some research. How did I not know that the US Navy was using this island as target practice until just 15 years ago?? How did the US justify bombing, using napalm & leaving the island loaded with radio active particles which are causing cancer & other health issues? How did US justify giving them 10 days to leave their homes and either move to the middle arid land or leave the island? I realize the Navy needed to practice somewhere...but was it fair to use an inhabited island that has no voice in the US govt? Is it better that I know now?? What would I'd done if I'd known?? And what else don't I know??? Living in my little blissful bubble of ignorance is nice...but traveling does make pinholes in it at the same time as it fills it with a deep love of other cultures & places.
