But the thought of leaving this place is making me very sad and it's hard to look forward to all these new adventures. When we first arrived we were practically afraid to stick our head out of our condo. We had heard about the crime in the DR so we had an intricate plan of where to hide our money and what to offer up if we were robbed. Everyone we met on the street - when we did get out of the condo -- we thought was a potential ladron (thief). At night we slept lightly...fearful someone would be breaking in while we slept. Because of this fear, we allowed Hermann to sleep in the bed with us so he'd hopefully wake us up if we were in danger. Well....luckily this phase passed and we were quickly drawn into this island life. But somehow....Hermann never got kicked out of the bed.
Last night we had our first going away dinner for one of our Cabarette friends. Louise is leaving today. Her daughter had a baby boy a week ago and is needing some help from grandma so Louise is going back to Canada a few weeks early. Louise and her husband David have done more than they will ever know to help us get adjusted to this life. At first we were determined that we would not ride those guaguas. Louise and David told us it was perfectly fine, coached us on how it worked, and then we were off. They introduced us to Sosua beach and gave us many ideas for day trips to help us explore this island. They organized our trip into Santo Domingo which really opened up another world for us now that we know what incredible bus service there is here. Louise, an RN, always give me good practical advice on taking care of your health in this tropical climate without being fussy at all. If it's a nasty bug bite, she says "soak it in salt water, eh". If it's a burn, she says "soak it in salt water, eh -- and take that bandage off of it". If I'm hesitant about using a primitive toilet at a beach bar, she says "it's a perfectly good toilet, eh....just squat". Countless times, we've caught ourselves passing on all their excellent advice and island wisdom to new folks in Cabarette we've met.
We went to our favorite spot in Cabarette, Alli's Surf Camp, for dinner for Louise's send off. We had this picture taken before the entire crowd arrived. We will miss you Louise....and hope to see you again soon!
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| Louise, David, Robyn, Matt & Syd at Alli's |
I hadn't posted in a bit. Not because we're not busy. We are doing something nearly every day. When we have an occasional day when nothing is planned, we actually celebrate. But mainly because what we've been doing isn't a "first time" event. So when we head out the door, we often don't bother taking the camera so a lot fewer pics.
Last week we did have a pot luck dinner at the pool of our condo. About 20 guests that are staying here at Cabarette del Sol participated and six of our Cabarette friends joined as well. After the pot luck we walked to the beach where Matt had built a bonfire. Jim and Mike played the guitar and sang for an hour or so. It was a perfect night and an incredible good time.
I have given up on Matt ever getting really comfortable with our motor cycle, so I decided that I would! I started by driving into Sabanetta. Cabarette is to the west of our condo and much busier. Sabanetta is to the east, and a quieter little town although it has quite a bit going on. I've found it's a perfect little ride there. I actually took a passenger with me last week. Cheryl needed a pedicure, do she rode on the back of the motorcycle and we went to Sabanetta. No problema! Yesterday Lynn and I went on a ride. She has a little scooter that she rides all the time, but she doesn't like to go on off the main road excursions alone...just in case there is a problem with the bike. She lead the way and we went to some beautiful beaches I hadn't seen before and stopped at an oceanside bar for a cerveza and then back home. This was my first time driving the bike through Cabarette and it was fine -- and so much fun! Matt was waiting for me, and he was sure I'd say "honey, you're right - let's get rid of this bike" but not a chance! We're planning to do this at least once a week. Robyn has her scooter on loan to the yoga teacher, but she's getting it back so she can come along as well. With three members, we think we've officially formed a retired ladies island motorcycle gang. We're working on a name: Geritol Angels, Lusty Ladies, Dusty Daiseys. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Friday, Jim from Minnesota is renting a bike and he and I are riding our bikes to Los Gringos, a beach that we think is about an hour away. Jim's friend, Christina, and Matt will join us, but they are coming in a rental car. Hope to have pics of that trip!
And finally....my Domincan street dog Angel has a new home. I was hoping that she would be able to stay with Pat and Angie when we left. They have a large gated yard and they have an outside dog, Houdini. Houdini appears very vicious when you come up to the gate...just what they want...but is a cupcake once he gets to know you. We though Angel would be a good addition to their security, but I wanted to keep her with me until we left. Unfortunately, she just got too aggressive at the beach. There were a few beach walkers she just didn't like at all, and she'd run up to them and bark. She never bit, but she did scare a few. So we decided Angel's beach days were over. She seems to be doing ok over at her new home. I miss her but know this is the best place for her.
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