A Weekend Without Television!

Friday afternoon the cable went out!  Probably not a big problem to get something like this fixed quickloy in the U.S. but appears to be so here. Saturday our property manager tried to get someone out to fix it, but it was a holiday....so no go.  So we've resigned ourselves to a weekend without t.v.  What to do?

Well, Saturday we usually go to the pulgaria.  Pulga is flea in Spanish....so a pulgaria is a flea market.  We do this most Saturday mornings so definitely wouldn't miss this one....since no t.v.  The Saturday market is more a social experience than a buying opportunity.  There is one large table and a lot of ex-pats gather there to chat over coffee and cinnamon buns.  We normally ride the motorcycle to the market, but it had rained that morning so Matt wanted to walk.  It's about a mile from our condo so no problem.

Later in the afternoon we hooked up with two other couples staying in our condo and decided to walk to LaBoca for lunch.  Bea, Bob, Cheryl and Jim had never been there before and it's definitely a "must do" while in the D.R.  It's only about 1 1/2 miles from our condo so we walked.  Had a great lunch and we were just about ready to leave when Robyn and Greg (some of our Canadian friends) showed up.  So seemed like an opportunity to have another cerveza and visit.

Bob taking his turn.

We finally got home about 4:00 and decided to go the grocery store with Bob and Bea.  If we got that out of the way then we could devote all of Sunday to a quiet beach day.  We lucked out and some folks with cars were leaving our condo, so we snagged a ride to Janet's.  After shopping we decided to split a cab.  Matt asked the driver "how much to go to Serenity del Sol?" and the driver said 200 pesos.  This is about $5 USD so a reasonable fare so we jumped in.  On the way to the condo the driver tried to stop about half way here;....saying we had said we were going to a condo complex much closer than Serenity del Sol.  He would charge us $350 pesos to go all the way to our condo.  We have heard this is a common scam with some cab drivers, but the first time we'd run into it  This wasn't acceptable so we told him to drop us off at the entrance to our little community and we would walk the rest of the way  So he only got his $200 pesos but we had to walk about 1/2 mile in the rain with our groceries...but it's the principle.

Later the rain let up and we went down to the pool.  Nine of the ten condos are currently occupied so we have a lot of company now....big change from the first two months we were here.  Jim was at the pool and he's a musician.  He rarely goes to the pool without his guitar...he just likes to strum and sing while lounging at the pool.  He has a beautiful, strong voice so always nice to listen to.  One of our newer tenants, an Irish guy named Mike, was also at the pool.  Turns out he's in a band and also has a great voice.  The rain started so we all moved under the covered veranda and Jim and Mike took turns passing around the guitar and singing.  Then Bea and Bob joined us and turns out Bob is no stranger to a guitar either so he took his rotation.  We sat under the veranda, drinking wine and beer, and listened to this for about two hours.  Was a very sweet evening listening to the rain all around us and all this great music.

Mike & Jim

Full Moon at "Our" beach

Sunday turned out a bit rainy but we did spend some time on the beach.  Matt was disappointed because he missed all coverage of the golf tourney this weekend....and Tiger has the lead.  But he followed on the internet. Got cleaned up early and went into Cabarete for happy hour.  We met a couple who had lived in Olathe, KS....small world. They had heard about another "Kansas couple" through mutual friends so were actually hoping to meet us.   After happy hour we hung out at the pool chatting and then noticed the incredible full moon.  Couldn't miss the opportunity for a beach walk with the moon like that, so about six of us headed out to the beach.  What a stunning view this was!

So....turns out that a weekend without t.v. isn't so bad after all.

Pups on the beach!

OK, these videos aren't much....but Matt and I have really been struggling with how to post videos.  So we played with a couple of options - one using our camera and the other the Ipad.  Then the challenge to figure out how to upload.  Finally we figured out how to upload to Youtube and then link the video in our blog.  Hope to have some better ones soon....like a view from the back of a crowded gua gua, but for now it's just some shots of "our" dogs on the beach.

Float Trip.....DR Style

Friday night was our bonfire/fish fry at La Boca.  La Boca, which means "the mouth", is where the river runs into the ocean.  On the sand bank there is the La Boca restaurant....which is a bit of a legend around here.  It's a very rustic Dominican style restaurant.  You can choose between fish, shrimp or lobster....all fried over a wood burning stove.  La Boca is generally only opened during the day....the road getting there is a bit of a challenge even in the light of day.  But they will open for special events and we arranged in advance to have a river trip from a nature park down to LaBoca, the fish fry and then the bonfire for our group of about 18 folks..

Friday turned out to be a beautiful day!  The transportation was provided.  They picked up at Orilla del Mar, a condo down the street, and then they picked us up.  Here's our "limo" on it's way to pick us up.

The truck dropped us off at the nature park for a little tour.  It was simple, but fun.  They had some birds, a crocodile, snake, turtle and iguana plus a lot of native plants.  Then the guide took us to our boat for the cruise down the river.  It reminded me of the movie African Queen.

Sunset from our river cruise

We had time to mingle and have a welcome drink while the staff prepared dinner.

Waiting for Dinner!

Friendly Cook in the La Boca Kitchen

La Boca Bar....they specialize in pina coladas served in a coconut

The Bonfire is Lit

After dinner they loaded us back in the truck and took us home. Stars were beautiful!  Fun night!  Love these beach bonfires!

Other than this, it has been a a quiet weekend for us.  Matt needed to catch up on his rest.  Good news though....I have a job!  I was talking with Lynn on Saturday morning about the volunteer work she does at a nearby grade school teaching English.  T\urns out she could use a teacher's aid.  So now on Tuesdays after yoga, I'm going to help Lynn.  Looking forward to this!

Golf, Ladies Day & Medical Care DR Style

Before we arrived in the DR, Matt was busy searching for (affordable) golf courses.  There is one in Puerto Plato (45 minutes away), one in Santiago (1 1/2 hours away) and a very nice one about an hour east of us call Playa Grande.  The Playa Grande course was by far the nicest, and most picturesque, but also the most expensive.  Also not easy to get to without a car.  So Matt didn't even bring his clubs to the DR.

 

Well, after we won the fantasy football pool, Matt decided time to splurge.  He got together a foursome and arranged tee times.  Plus one of the guys he was playing with had a car!  So off he went Tuesday morning with David, Pat and Bob.  Bob and his wife Bea are staying in our condo complex for the month of January.  It was a beautiful course and by all reports a great day for the guys.

Well, sounded like a perfect excuse for a Ladies Day Out to me.  Louise suggested Ocean Village in Sosua and glad she did.  It was beautiful.  Bea and I walked over to Orilla Del Mar (the condo complex where the rest of the gals live) and caught a gua gua from there.  Bea is quite the trooper.  She always dresses great for any of our outings and then I have her picking our way through muddy streets covered with chicken and cow poop just so she can squeeze onto a crowded gua gua.  Ocean village is a complex about a 15 minute walk from the main road.  There are condos, a Gold's Gym, a water park and a really nice restaurant there....oh and some incredible views.  The place was not crowded at all.  No one in the pools or water park and maybe six or ten people on the little beach.  In the restaurant there was maybe about five other tables that were occupied.  Rumor is that it's Russian mob money that keeps this place afloat.  But no matter, we weren't complaining. There are two private cabanas at the the restaurant and we were able to snag one of them.  The ocean view from the cabana was jaw dropping.  Plus, the food was really good as well.

Bea, Wendy, Nancy, Louise, Robyn and me at Ocean Village

the view from our cabana

So Tuesday night both Matt and I were pretty wiped out.  This was our first day apart since November 2nd!  Pretty sure it was good for both of us.

This week we also got our first taste of Dominican health care.  I have had an issue with my left ear for so long that I can't remember when it first started.  I think I began having problems in November when we flew to Cancun.  It doesn't exactly hurt, but always feels like it's closed.  I have also noticed that my hearing is not so great in that ear.  I was ignoring it until we took our bus ride to Santo Domingo last week.  When we were in the mountains it really started to hurt and didn't subside right away.  So I decided time to get it checked.

Everyone has a different suggestion on where to go for medical care in this area.  There is the hospital in Puerto Plata where you can see specialists but not necessary for this problem.  There is a new clinic in Sosua that has 24 hour care plus a hospital.  And there are several small medical offices in Cabarete.  Louise (who is an RN in the summer months when she's back in Canada) recommended a medical office in Cabarete that she and David use;  The office is set back a bit from the main road between a farmacia and a fruit stand.  Louise says if the doctor isn't in, ask at the fruit stand.  In the U.S. this would sound crazy, but makes perfect sense here.

So Monday after lunch Matt and I took the gua gua into Cabarete to see the doctor.  We got there about 1:00 and no one in the office.  I asked at the fruit stand and she told me "doctora en la officina a un tres" or something like that.  Well, Matt and I had already eaten so didn't have much to do in Cabarete and it was looking like a gorgeous beach day, so we decided to go back home and try another day.  David and Louise actually had an appointment at the office on Wednesday at noon to get some test results.  She suggested we go at the same time as we knew the doctor would be there, and Louise wanted to look at my ear herself.

So Wednesday we take the gua gua back into Cabarete and got there a little after 11.  Hard to judge times here as you never know how long a wait you will have to catch a gua gua.  We went on to the clinic and it was closed.  I asked at the fruit stand an got the same reply -- the doctor would be there at 3.  Matt happened to see a guy near the clinic who offered to call the doctor.  So we sat and waited and she came in about 20 minutes later.  There was a problem with the lock on her door, so the guy (who turns out is her assistant) pulled out a screw driver and broke the lock.

Her office was very basic, an old desk and an exam table.  Her English was probably better than my Spanish....but not much.  She looked in my ear using a flashlight.  No ottoscope (sp?). She decided to clean out my ear so she pulled out her supplies, all new and sealed so very clean.  She flushed out my ear many times and nothing came out but this was starting to be uncomfortable.  Louise and David came in about then and Louise looked at my ear but couldn't see the ear drum just using the flashlight.  Finally the doctor stopped the flushing and decided I need antibiotics and eardrops.  She disappears and is gone about 15 minutes.  Turned out she went to the farmacia to buy the drugs.  When she returns she tells me that if I have any more problems to call her and gives me her office and cell phone numbers.  She also says that if I need to come back for a follow up, there is no charge.  The total charge for visit and prescriptions was $3000 pesos....or $75 USD so not so bad.  I was happy that we had the opportunity to check out this process when it was a non-emergency.   Also good to have the doctors cell phone number.  I understand she will make house calls if necessary.

Inside Pictures of Our Condo

Living Room and Balcony

Dining Room

 Several people have ask to see the inside of our Condo in Cabarete, Dominican Republic.  These first two are the Dining Room / Living Room and the the first Balcony.  This table is made out of local wood as are the chairs. This picture is of our Kitchen.  If any of you remember the kitchen in Overland Park, well Syd likes this

Kitchen

one and it has lots of space.  We just got the microwave from our friends Pat and Angie that live here full time in their house around the corner.  The picture below is of the master bedroom and our balcony off that room.                                                                                

Master Bedroom

Closets and Hallway to BR

Hallway to Bathroom
Lots of closet space

Master Shower

Second Bedroom

Second Bedroom

Enjoy Pictures, we really do enjoy this place.

Santo Domingo

On Thursday we headed to Santo Domingo for two nights.  Seemed to be a good time to hit the big city!

The bus system in this country is incredible.  From Sosua, Caribe Tours runs buses to Puerto Plata, Santiago and on to Santo Domingo every hour from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for a very reasonable $12 per person.  Here's the group waiting in the Sosua bus station...I thought we looked like we were at the police station ready to get booked.

These buses are very nice and comfortable...but cold.  They do not spare the a/c.  The scenery was beautiful.  We went up into the mountains and down through the valley where they grow tobacco and citrus.  A lot of this countryside looks very prehistoric....think Jurassic Park which was actually filmed here.

We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Conde de Panalba.  Our room was the corner balcony just above the entrance to the restaurant.  It was a great spot to have morning coffee or a glass of wine and look out into the square. But actually our favorite spot for happy hour was the beautiful roof top terrace.   We would take our wine and beer up here and just hang out.

Lot of incredible historic sites in this city which was founded in 1502.  My favorite was the home of Christopher Columbus.

We took a walking tour of the city with Angel, our friend in Santo Domingo.  He hooked Matt up with  a great place to buy cigars...so made Matt VERY happy.

One morning Matt, Louise, David and I took a long walk along the malecon.  This statue is in the harbor and it's very impressive.  It's huge and dominates the skyline in the historic district.

We left Santo Domingo to come back to home to Cabarete.  Always good to get back hone after a long trip, and Cabarete does feel very much like home.  Benni and Nona took care of Hermann and he seemed very happy.  So might try and do this again....maybe a bus to Las Terrenas next time?

Benni

Something that has really made our stay here special and fostered our love and respect for the Dominican people, is the wonderful staff at our condominium who take such good care of us.  For our ten unit complex there is our property manager who is here intermittently, two housekeepers and the gardener Benni. 

Benni just recently turned 23 years old, so still very young.  He has a wife and young baby and helping to care for his 7 year old step son.  Benni works six days a week, like most Dominicans.  Although he is officially the gardener, he's also the jack of all trades.  If the housekeeping staff is short handed, he helps clean rooms.  He lugs the five gallon jugs of water to our condo when we need a replacement.  If the supply of water at the condo is out (which it has been for two weeks) he gets on his motorcycle and hauls some to us.  When he thinks our motorcycle needs to be washed, he takes care of it.  He takes care of the pool and helps us carry our pool chairs to the beach.  He also helps Matt with his beach clean-up project.  When we decided to buy a motorcycle, Benni went with us to Gaspar Hernandez, a nearby town, to help us negotiate and serve as interpreter.  The problem is Benni doesn't speak English, but he has the ability to  talk to me in Spanish slow enough and simply enough that I can usually understand.  And he does all of this with a sweet smile.   The housekeepers constantly lean over the balcony and call "Benni, Benni, Benni" when they need something.  Now that's the inside joke between Matt and me.  We are always calling "Benni, Benni, Benni" when we need anything, even when Benni isn't around.  Benni's standard saying is "esta bien" or "its ok" and that pretty much seems to sum up his attitude.

Benni struggles sometimes to get to work on his motorcycle.  It's "muy viejo" (very old) he tells me.  But nothing seems to get him down.   If it does, he never shows anger, irritation or impatience.


Yesterday we had the pleasure of meeting Benni's beautiful family. This is Benni with his wife Tanila, step son Feli and beautiful little LiBeni.  Cute family, huh?

Oh, and Matt couldn't taking a pic of me with sweet little LiBeni.  Matt thinks I have a "what do I do with this thing" expression on my face...

Jane, Toni & Me Getting Ready to Ride

The "Mississippi Girls" left on Saturday after a three week stay.  Jane and Toni were my horseback riding buds so probably won't be doing that again for a while.

Feliz Anu Nuevo!

Our first New Year's Eve in retirement....and in the DR!

Every restaurant and bar in Cabarete offered a New Year's Eve package but that didn't sound like us.  Matt has been busy with his beach clean up project and we have plenty of wood available, so he and Pat cooked up the idea to do a beach bonfire.  We were a little nervous about the weather forecast as there was a chance for rain, but it appeared we were going to be able to give it a go.

Matt collected a beautiful stack of wood for the bonfire.  By the looks of his woodstack you would have thought he'd been doing bonfires all his life.


He also wrote a couple of New Year greetings in the sand. 

 

 

The weather actually turned out ok and we had a great time.  There were about 20 of us there.....not counting the dogs!  Pat set up his grill and we cooked hot dogs, sausages and lobster.  Was a great time.  Seemed to be sand in everything, but that didn't dampen the fun.  We lasted until nearly 11:00 when a rain storm blew in.  So we had to dismantle everything quickly and call it quits.  We had intended on a "mature" celebration anyway, so not surprised we didn't make it until midnight. 

 

 

 

Now, on another subject, on Sunday night we had gone into Cabarete for happy hour.  We were coming back after dark so we split a cab with two other couples who lived at a condo on the way to ours.  Well, the cab got to their condo and left them off, then the driver got out.  We had a flat tire.  Nothing for us to do except walk home.  So we had a 30 minute walk on a pitch black road.....no street lights at all.  We made it home safe and sound but learned from this experience, in the DR it always pays to be prepared!  We won't leave the house again without a flashlight!