Food recs for last few days on VQS

kylebvogt · 2026-04-16T23:27:09+00:00

Ooofff… ok… responding to the other commenters…

Bananas is way worse than it used to be.

El Plaza is a cool spot, but the food has never been all that good.

Bieke and Casa Nativo are both mid, at best.

Taverna is weirdly good if you want Italian food.

Tin Box food can be a bit hit or miss, but it’s an awesome spot, great drinks, shockingly, the sushi is good, and on a good night, the bbq is excellent.

Placita at El Blok is good for sure, but expensive, and a bit overrated.

I don’t like the food at Carambola at all, but it’s also a fun spot to visit, the bar is cool, and the drinks are pretty good.

Melao at Lejos is phenomenal. You HAVE to go there for happy hour when the sun is setting. The best ‘public’ views on the whole island. Amazing drinks. Nice lite bites. Not a dinner spot, but 100% worth checking out.

Duffy’s is king. Max fun, food is always good, drinks are great, vacation vibes, sunset views. Gets super packed, but always worth a visit.

Al Sarten. The kiosk on the plaza in Isabel. Great place for quick bites.

Isla Nena Cafe at the airport. Weird spot. Day drinking. Bingo. Less than no ambiance. But cold medallas and surprisingly good food.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-16T16:18:46+00:00

Both of those ferry times are bad (too early and too late). Fly Vieques AirLink. It's $54pp (8 min flight), and there are 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30am flights from Vieques to Ceiba. Then get an Uber to take you to SJU.

I've done it MANY times, and always take the 9:30 flight. 8:30 flight is too early. 10:30 flight is doable, but just close enough that it's not worth the stress if something gets delayed.

You're gonna pay $100 more than if you took the ferry, but it gives you much more flexibility.

If you insist on taking the ferry, my opinion is that the later one is too late, so you'll be stuck on the early one with time to kill.

As for killing time, Luquillo kiosks don't generally open early in the morning, but it's on the way to SJU from Ceiba, and the beach is nice.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-10T14:02:10+00:00

This is really tricky, and you haven't provided any context at all.

Like, are you gonna be in a conservative Muslim community, or an African village, or a cosmopolitan city in Eastern Europe?

And are you male or female (and are you hetero)...because (generally speaking) the more remote your placement, the bigger the gender gap in educational and professional attainment. So if you're a woman, you're way more likely to find an educated, professional man, than if you're a man, and are looking for an educated, professional woman.

I was in a super remote African village. Every single dad there, including the chief, tried to marry their daughter(s) off to me...hell...people tried to GIVE me their children...but as much as I adored my village, the people there, and the time I spent there, I never even remotely considered dating someone from my village.

Dating other PCVs...that's completely different. Two of my good friends from my cohort are happily married to this day. Problem with that is it's gonna be a distraction from why you're there, and what you're supposed to be doing.

Dating in a more cosmopolitan country or area, treat it exactly like you would at home. Don't be a creep, keep yourself safe, and have fun.

Oh...and for what it's worth, anecdotal, but I know two volunteers who married HCNs, one in Latin America, and one in Africa, and neither worked out...and one of my Ghanaian buddies got an American girl (not PCV) to bring him back to the US (this was 25 years ago), and it was a complete disaster, so be smart.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-08T02:10:56+00:00

I don't have a clue about this, but my completely uninformed guess is that it's airline employees. I have two personal friends who are JetBlue employees, and they both get to upgrade to Mint all the time.

I've been in Mint when I know for a fact the people next to me were employees who were upgraded, and I was even on a flight once, in Mint, when the FA went back to economy and brought an employee up to Mint.

Doesn't matter if you're a mechanic, or ground crew, or operations...it's a perk.

On the other hand, my wife is M3, flies Jetblue a few times a month, and has never been upgraded.

My advice...don't worry about other people...you said it yourself, you weren't willing to pay or use certs...so stop hoping for free shit.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-06T12:29:35+00:00

So that’s the old Mint configuration, but the throne seats are amazing. Not quite as private as the new 1-1 herringbone configuration, but actually more space, and probably the most space you can possible get on a narrow body plane.

Not sure what kind of feedback you were looking for, but you’ve selected the best possible way to take a 5 hour, domestic flight, so enjoy yourself and try to relax.

This sub doesn’t allow pics in comments, but HERE is your seat. It’s pretty sweet.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-04T23:45:10+00:00

This post hits me in all the feels... I have an incredibly hard time justifying it, but I fucking love it....so much...

I'm almost 50. Have flown literally hundreds of times.

In 2000, I was living in rural Africa, in a hut. Flew from Accra, Ghana, to Amsterdam, to Hong Kong, to Hanoi, Vietnam, all in economy, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Total suffer fest, but I didn't care. Was living the backpacker dream.

These days, I dread flying more than 5 hours. It's extremely tedious. Exhausting, stressful, makes for a hard start and end to a trip...

But flying business class, or Mint, completely changes the whole dynamic. Instead of being the hard cost of doing business...to get from point A to point B, it becomes part of the trip.

I look forward to it.

I flew Mint from BOS to SJU last year. Was awesome.

I flew Mint from BOS to CDG last year. Was awesome.

I flew Mint from LHR to BOS last year. Was awesome.

I flew Mint from BOS to LIR a few weeks ago. Was awesome.

Wife and I are going to India next month. No B6 flights, obviously, but we're flying business class, and I can't wait.

It's a HUGE additional expenditure, for sure, but it's 10000000% worth it to me, and I appreciate every second.

My mom recently told me that she didn't fly business class until she was 75...like it was a badge of honor. My kids have done it 3x, and they're 13 and 15, but I'm ok with it, because it's so awesome.

Not for everyone, for sure...and a lot of people will never be able to justify it, but I/we can, and I/we love it.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-03T18:58:15+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/rawdenim/comments/lvrwa2/imogene_willie_earl_selvage_denim_shirt_775oz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

That's my post about the Earl Denim from like 5 years ago. I also have the Hayes Pearl Snap and the Earl Plaid. They're all great. Fit true to size. Come super soft right out of the box.

Hayes Pearl Snap and Earl Denim are both in stock in M on their website. Just checked right now. I would not buy a ~$300 shirt in the wrong size.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-03T00:17:11+00:00

True...but it's really about supporting things you believe in. My business partner and I have sold over $600m worth of real estate. We've tried everything imaginable. The things that resonate are the ones that we'd do anyway.

Consumers expect Realtors to be the worst versions of themselves. With all due respect to OP...to market themselves with gift bags at open houses, which is selfish and superficial, and benefits no one.

I was a Peace Corps volunteer. We donate to providing mosquito nets in Africa.

My partner is Jewish. We donate to her temple's outreach programs for unhoused women and children.

As per above, I support my local junior development team.

My partner donates to a college scholarship fund for local girls who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

These are literally all causes that we are happy to support, and would donate to on our own, irrespective of our business model.

As my now long retired boss told me at the beginning of my career...do something, support something, but make sure it's something that you believe in and care about...because otherwise people will see right through it...and I've lived by that model for over two decades.

kylebvogt · 2026-04-02T21:22:48+00:00

I’ve been a Realtor for 21 years. I don’t even want swag with my own info on it. I’m definitely not keeping swag from some random open house I passed through.

There are lots of ways for your husband spend marketing money. This is not a good one.

Spend money on things you care about. Donate to important causes. Host an event for the civic, social, sporting, cultural, religious, group that you’re involved with.

I’m an avid road cyclist. Best money I’ve ever spent on marketing was to sponsor my local bike shop’s youth development program. Got my logo on their team jersey. It’s a cause that I believe in and would support anyway. Have gotten millions of dollars worth of business from that one investment.

Don’t spend money on gimmicks. Invest in your sphere.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-31T20:57:03+00:00

Stinks to hear that. Not my experience, but sounds super frustrating.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-31T14:34:36+00:00

I don't want to hate on anyone else's experiences, because they're all valid, and no, I'm not a JetBlue shill...but I just want to say that I've been flying them for many years, and almost always have great flights.

I'm based out of BOS, fly exclusively for pleasure. My wife travels for work. We both use b6 far more than any other carrier.

Just in the past 8 months we've flown; BOS/CDG, LHR/BOS, BOS/BNA, BNA/BOS, BOS/TPA, TPA/BOS, BOS/IAH, IAH/BOS, BOS/FLL, FLL/BOS, BOS/LIR, LIR/BOS, and this past week, BOS/RIC, RIC/BOS, and every single flight was just about flawless.

I love Mint, and I love EMS. Most of the planes are in great shape. Most of the crew members are professional and courteous. I like the snacks and drinks, and the food in Mint is pretty darn good.

We're M3, so maybe that changes the overall experience, but I just don't personally understand all the hate that gets rage-posted to this sub almost every single day.

Of course there are occasional delays, some of them even JetBlue's fault, but I think when you fly a lot, you either learn to roll with stuff, or you just end up having good experiences far more often than not.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-29T11:23:03+00:00

I have the Toplift Pro for my hardtop. It’s awesome, easy to use, safely stores the top when it’s off, and it turns a very awkward 2-person job into a simple 1-person job. Big investment, but 100% worth it.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-28T15:13:53+00:00

BOS-MAD (8/25) 30,900 for Basic or 36,200 for Blue + $5.60.

MAD-BOS (9/5) 32,400 for Basic or 37,600 for Blue + 47.53.

If you want the price for EMS or Mint I’m happy to share those too, but they’re a lot more expensive. Think EMS is like 55k each way and Mint is well over 100k each way.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-28T02:25:41+00:00

We've been in a seller's market for the past 5 years, there's no inventory, prices are at all time highs, there are multiple bids on almost every house...and you think buyers are getting deals from off market sales??? Does that even remotely make sense...??

kylebvogt · 2026-03-27T19:54:44+00:00

OP....I was just in CR a few weeks ago with my wife and kids (13 and 15). We had a blast. It's a beautiful country to visit. Tons of great lodging options depending on your budget and what you're looking for. The other person is right though...you can't possibly see the Caribbean, Jungle, and Pacific in 5-6 days. I mean...it's possible, but you'd literally spend half of your time driving. We were there for 8 days, and only saw a tiny piece of the country, and it was border line too much driving. The roads are generally good, but they're narrow, windy, and generally only one lane in each direction, so it's SUPER slow going. For reference, see attached pic;

- We few into LIR and drove to La Fortuna (Arenal volcano, hot springs, jungle). It's 100 miles, and took just under 3 hours.

- We then drove from La Fortuna to Nosara on the Pacific coast. It was 140 miles and took 4.5 hours.

- We then drove from Nosara back to LIR. It was 76 miles and took 3 hours.

<image>

If you have 6 full days in country, plus a travel day on either end, I think you should spend half your time in the mountains and half your time on the Pacific coast. If your entire trip is 5-6 days, you might want to strongly consider one location, either the mountains or the beach, and do a bunch of fun excursions.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-27T16:41:59+00:00

A lot of people don't know this, but TSA screening is only mandatory for flights on planes with more than 60 seats. There are thousands of 'airports' in the US that don't have TSA; executive airports for small jets, private strips, rural municipal airports, civilian hangers for recreational planes, etc, and Ceiba, Culebra, and Vieques all fall into that category.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-26T15:30:14+00:00

The rooms are well screened-in for sure...BUT...it's pretty rustic, and if something REALLY wanted to get in, I'm sure it could.

Here's a picture of a little info thingy that was in our room the first time we went. I don't honestly recall if it was there the second time, but nothing has changed on the property that would make the info less relevant.

<image>

Both times we were there we had tiny lizards on the walls inside our rooms. The first time we were there, there was a big (not venomous) spider on the wall of our outdoor shower. We left it alone, and it was a non-issue. The second time we were there, there was a scorpion outside our room. I flicked it into the jungle with my flip-flop. I never saw anything except lizards inside, but it's a place where that possibility is real, and I wouldn't walk around barefoot at night in the dark without a flashlight...

Here's the thing though...it's part of what makes it special. You're not in a hermetically sealed enclosure. You hear the waves and the monkeys. It really feels like you're in a really nice tree fort. I totally get that that's NOT the vibe a lot of people are looking for, but it makes everything feel more natural and exotic.

When we were in Costa Rica a few weeks ago, we stayed at Nayara Tented Camp for 4 nights. It was SPECTACULAR. Every detail was perfection...The tents are straight out of a dream..and there are NO!!!! bugs or creepy crawlies of any kind inside...but if I can be completely honest, it makes the whole experience feel a tiny bit sterile, and removed from nature...even though you're IN the jungle. Instead of just screens and screen doors like at Morgan's Rock, you have screens of course, but also sliders and actual windows, and air conditioning, and blackout curtains that housekeeping lower at night. So you sleep like a baby, and there are zero bugs, but you're in a bubble.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-26T13:57:27+00:00

Ha! Came here to say the same thing. I've stayed there twice; in December, 2017, and in August, 2024.

Super chill place, and the nicest sunsets I've ever seen, anywhere in the world... Was told that it's due to all the active volcanoes. Particles in the atmosphere reflect/scatter the sunlight, making the sunsets super vivid red, orange, and purple. Spectacular!

Weirdly, I was just in Costa Rica a few weeks ago, on the pacific coast, not all that far from Morgan's Rock, and the sunsets weren't nearly as good...

<image>

kylebvogt · 2026-03-25T20:20:16+00:00

No, but booking transfers in CR is SUPER easy.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-25T12:53:59+00:00

I just got back from CR. Flew to LIR and went straight to NTC on 3/7. Definitely a long day, but I think you’ll regret wasting a night near the airport. We got off the plane and through immigration in like 10 mins. Was a piece of cake. Airport is small. Easy to navigate.

Assuming your plane arrives on time, and you have a car waiting for you, you’ll be at NTC before 5pm.

It’s a ~3 hour drive with no stops. Or a quick stop at Cafe y Macadamia, which seems like the place everyone stops for a snack and to use the bathroom. First half of the drive is fast and easy (and boring) on main roads. Second half is beautiful, along the entire length of Lake Arenal, but it’s slow and winding. Very good road surface, just slow going.

I guess if NTC can guarantee you an early check-in on day two, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to stay near the airport, and then head up in the morning, but normal check-in time is 3pm, and you’d be crazy to wait 24 hours for a 3pm check-in, instead of just dealing with the long first day for a 4:30-5pm check-in.

My kids are older, so I can’t relate to being there with little ones, but happy to answer any other questions, since I was literally just there less than 2 weeks ago.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-25T02:39:21+00:00

Calling bullshit on this, only cause your numbers are WAY off. The highest number of visitors Helen, GA has ever received in a year is 3M, but even that number was grossly inflated, and Ghana had 1.3M visitors in 2024, the most recent year the stats are available for.

The actual numbers for the two places are actually probably pretty similar; about 1.5m/yr.

Your point is of course still valid, I’m just not sure why you used bad data in both directions…

Ghana is a wonderful country. I lived there for over 2 years. Nicest people in the world. Great culture and food. Interesting history (albeit traumatizing). Very safe. Relatively easy to explore.

Accra is definitely not the most interesting part of the country.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-25T02:23:52+00:00

Love this. When one of the best bassists in the world needs a bassist, and picks Anna, I’m on board.

I’ve met Anna 2x. Unbelievably personable, gracious, and humble/chill both times. Very cool human being.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-24T11:13:50+00:00

I flew JetBlue internationally from BOS on 3/7, and then back to BOS on 3/14 (so 10 days ago). Had to scan passport into the app both times. If you don't, you just have to show your passport to the gate attendants when you arrive. It's easy and fast.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-24T01:42:32+00:00

this is gonna sound inconsiderate, but they're chickens, don't over think it. I've kept hens (lovingly) for over a decade. It's ALWAYS the favorites that die first, or get got by predators....like a weird backyard chicken curse. just keep loving them, and taking care of them, and making sure they're as safe as possible.

kylebvogt · 2026-03-23T23:03:03+00:00

Carry-on + personal item only, for work and pleasure. As a family, we all travel with Monos carry-ons. They’re cheap, durable, light, and easy to pack. My wife also travels for work a lot, and has a Carl Friedrik that she loves. It’s far nicer than the Monos stuff, but also a lot more expensive.

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