Buffett's inspiration for Cheesburger in Paradise?
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Buffett's inspiration for Cheesburger in Paradise?
It was asked of me today by someone, what or where the inspiration for Cheesburger in Paradise came from. If someone knows or can even care to guess, let me know.
'Til one night he did find her
in the arms of Shrimper Dan....

in the arms of Shrimper Dan....

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I'm pretty sure I read about this in an interview a while back - either that or it was a pretty realistic dream.
Jimmy said he was on a boat somewhere and almost ran out of food and water. He limped into port and got a cheeseburger. I can't recall the specifics but I'm hoping someone will post a link with more info.

It was a pleasure and a hell of an evening
Truly was our night to win
But the authorities insist on my leaving
Take care my American friend
Truly was our night to win
But the authorities insist on my leaving
Take care my American friend
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according to the Parrot Head Handbook (that came with the box set) Jimmy wrote:
"it goes back to a long trip on my first boat, the Euphoria. We had run into some very rough weather crossing the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Peuerto Rico and broke our bow sprit. The ice in our box had melted, and we were doing the canned-food-and-peanut-butter diet. The vision of a piping hot cheeseburger kept popping into my mind. We limped up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and into Roadtown on the island of Tortola, where a brand-new marina and bar sat on the end of the dock, like a mirage. We secured the boat, kissed the ground, and headed for the restaurant. To our amazement, we were offered a menu that featured an American cheeseburger and pina coloadas. Now these were the days when supplies in that part of the world were rather scarce-when horsemeat was more plentiful than ground beef in the tiny stores of the Third World. Anyway, we gave particuliar instructions to the waiter on how we wanted them cooked and what we wanted on them-to which little attention was paid. It dindn't matter. The overdone burgers on the burned, toast buns tasted like manna from heaven, for they were the realization of my fantasy burgers on the trip. That's the true story."
"it goes back to a long trip on my first boat, the Euphoria. We had run into some very rough weather crossing the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Peuerto Rico and broke our bow sprit. The ice in our box had melted, and we were doing the canned-food-and-peanut-butter diet. The vision of a piping hot cheeseburger kept popping into my mind. We limped up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and into Roadtown on the island of Tortola, where a brand-new marina and bar sat on the end of the dock, like a mirage. We secured the boat, kissed the ground, and headed for the restaurant. To our amazement, we were offered a menu that featured an American cheeseburger and pina coloadas. Now these were the days when supplies in that part of the world were rather scarce-when horsemeat was more plentiful than ground beef in the tiny stores of the Third World. Anyway, we gave particuliar instructions to the waiter on how we wanted them cooked and what we wanted on them-to which little attention was paid. It dindn't matter. The overdone burgers on the burned, toast buns tasted like manna from heaven, for they were the realization of my fantasy burgers on the trip. That's the true story."
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I've read the story behind the inspiration many times. One thing I have never read though is why....
Maybe I am just reading into this too much, or maybe there were other angles just not mentioned in the story. From a seamanship point of view, why would anyone with a broken bow sprit in the Mona Passage, completely bypass Puerto Rico and continue on to Tortola???
Mona Passage is about 65 NM wide. At most they were a couple 30 something NM away from the west coast of PR. PR itself is about 85 NM wide, and another 60 NM over to Tortola.
You're talking about a ballpark figure of 150 NM or so, bypassing numerous repair facilities and not having to clear customs / immigration upon arrival...I don't get it.
I've always figured the cheeseburger in paradise story to be a bit inflated or at least contained a little "writers embellishment" to color it up a little. I just think if you're disabled and down to peanut butter, you're going to find the nearest chunk of land with potable water and fresh food and adequate repair facitlities.
Just my .02 cents
Maybe I am just reading into this too much, or maybe there were other angles just not mentioned in the story. From a seamanship point of view, why would anyone with a broken bow sprit in the Mona Passage, completely bypass Puerto Rico and continue on to Tortola???
Mona Passage is about 65 NM wide. At most they were a couple 30 something NM away from the west coast of PR. PR itself is about 85 NM wide, and another 60 NM over to Tortola.
You're talking about a ballpark figure of 150 NM or so, bypassing numerous repair facilities and not having to clear customs / immigration upon arrival...I don't get it.
I've always figured the cheeseburger in paradise story to be a bit inflated or at least contained a little "writers embellishment" to color it up a little. I just think if you're disabled and down to peanut butter, you're going to find the nearest chunk of land with potable water and fresh food and adequate repair facitlities.
Just my .02 cents
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As far as I remember the Mona Passage is between Puerto Rico and Haiti/ DR......and isn't Tortola in BVI? That would not make sense. I only fished there once, so maybe I am not remembering correctly.....
Eat seafood? Use bait? Thank a commercial fisherman.
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On the island of St. Bart, in the town of Gustav, about a block or so from the harbor, stands a bar and burger joint named LeSelect. At one end of a tree-covered yard, two people stand behind a counter churning out burgers. Inside, a bartender pops open beers. Legend has it that this place was the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett’s bouncy song “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” Supporting the legend are yellowed newspaper clippings on the wall reporting that Buffett had been there and had even helped cook burgers. I have eaten at LeSelect and can add that there is nothing special about the food, though just being in the place left me hopelessly humming the song for the rest of the day. < P>Heaven on earth with an onion
I have an article some place but I can't find it online..
I have an article some place but I can't find it online..
"goin' where the weather suits my clothes" j.b.
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http://www.kgsr.com/iTOOLIncludes/buffett.php
from an interview with jimmy
"Cheeseburger in Paradise was written about starving on a boat for ten days and in the middle of the ocean and just desperately wanting something decent to eat after being beat to hell by this storm in the Caribbean and coming into a port and a new restaurant had just opened. And they had cheeseburgers in them. I mean, I remember how incredibly good that cheeseburger tasted. So, there's real authenticity behind even those songs"
from an interview with jimmy
"Cheeseburger in Paradise was written about starving on a boat for ten days and in the middle of the ocean and just desperately wanting something decent to eat after being beat to hell by this storm in the Caribbean and coming into a port and a new restaurant had just opened. And they had cheeseburgers in them. I mean, I remember how incredibly good that cheeseburger tasted. So, there's real authenticity behind even those songs"
"goin' where the weather suits my clothes" j.b.