Good Byes, Easter, El Grippe and a Visitor!

Yes...it's been a while.  Our excuse is "el grippe".  We've heard about el grippe, once our gardener was sick and that's what he had.  He said it was "muy mal".  Well...yes.....el grippe IS muy mal.

I started getting sick on a Friday....but tried to hang in there until Sunday.  At that point I had to go to bed.  I had a sore throat, fever and body aches.  On Tuesday I thought I felt well enough to go to school....but I was wrong.  I got back from class and went back to bed.  I woke up later that evening with a sharp pain in my back everytime I breathed.  I started to get very worried and Matt and I discussed what to do.  We knew that if we were in the US we would go to see a doctor by now so maybe that's what we should do.  We roused up our neighbor Pat and he drove us to Sosua to CMC, which is a clinic, emergency room and small hospital.  We walked right into the emergency room, they  got me right in and a doctor came in to exam me within 5 minutes.  No paperwork at all, they didn't even ask my name.  The doctor listened to my chest and determined it was "muscular".  He didn't speak any English so it was my little bit of Spanish that got us through.  He wrote out a long list of meds I should pick up at the pharmacy....no prescription needed here.  We stopped at the front desk and paid - $400 pesos or about $25 US.  Quite a deal.  The drugs were about $30 but within a few days I was feeling better.....of course this was just about the same time Matt started getting it!  So for two weeks one of us has been sick.  We do think we're past it now....and ready to move on.

Fort at Puerto Plata

We have managed to do some fun things....between being bed ridden.  We went to Puerto Plata and attended a Dominican hearing at land court.  Our friend Robin had a terrible experience with a condo she bought about two years ago and the dispute is on going.  We went with her for moral support.  It was quite the experience.  But we managed to stop for a beer, visit La Sirena and go the old fort that is in Puerto Plata.  So not a bad trip.

Gun Turret from the Fort

Then there was Semana Santa.  This is the week leading up to Easter and is a huge celebration for most Dominican families.  We were prepared for a lot of guests at our condo and a lot of activity at the beach.  Well...then the weather turned.  It rained nearly every day for a week and the temperature was in the low 70s.  Really miserable.  Although there were several families booked at our condo, we rarely saw them since they stayed inside for most of the week.  We made one trip down to Cabarete beach just to see the crowd....and it was a crowd....although not nearly as large as normal.  The worst was the traffic!  Well...we saw this once....I don't think we ever need to see this again.

Breakfast at Dick's

Robyn left on Easter Sunday.  We went along with Pat to take her to the airport.  We stopped at Dick's Bakery for breakfast on the way to the airport....and as usual Robyn had a bottle of Bailey's in her bag to top off our coffee.  We will miss her....and the Bailey's.  There's a chance Robyn and her husband Greg will come to Mexico this summer to visit!

Then we had our first visitor!  My friend Cher arrived at 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning.  She is a trooper....she took the Spirit flight out of Ft. Lauderdale that leaves about midnight and arrives in Santiago at 2:00 a.m.  Then it's an hour ride through the mountains to get to our condo.  Matt and I got up to meet her and then we all went back to bed for a few hours.  Then we were ready to show her around!

Complete Rainbow

We spend Saturday at our beach and pool, just to relax.  About noon we were hanging at the pool and happened to look up....this is what we saw.  A circular rainbow.  It was very surreal and just a little eerie.  We took her to dinner at our fave spot - Alley's Surf Camp - that night and it was incredible as usual.

Sunday we rented a car and drove to Playa Grande.  Cher and I had a beach day while Matt played golf....I think we got the better deal.  It was a toasty day on the course, but perfect on the beach.  We had been to Playa Grande two other times...both times the weather was cloudy and rainy.  We were due for this visit!  Perfect weather, lots of time in the water, and a great time to catch up!

Pina Colada Pequena

Tuesday was my last day at school.  Lynn had given the kids the final exam the previous week, but only seven of the 13 kids were in class.  So we needed to test six kids.  Lynn had planned an art project for the kid's last day but that was going to be difficult since so many kids needed to be tested.  Luckily, Cher came to the rescue.  She got to do the art project while Lynn and I helped test the kids.  Oh....these beautiful kids.  I'm so going to miss them!  This has been my favorite Dominican experience.

Future Heart Breaker

Eurie, Raphael, Ranfi, Jonathan & Marcel

Jonathan, Marcel & Jennifer

Marcel's Art Project

Our Kids!

Me with Omar (my favorite)

Since we still had the rental car, we drove up to La Cumbre for lunch.  I love this drive....it's always so amazing.  Had a great lunch at La Molina once we made it to the top.

La Molina Deck

View from La Molina

Saw this sweet guy on our way back down the mountain.

Wednesday Lynn had invited Matt and I over to her house for lunch.  She's leaving Friday to spend three months in England....her first trip home in over six years.  We'll be long gone when she gets back so this was our last opportunity to spend some time with her.  Unfortunately Matt was too sick to go, but Cher came with me.  I really wanted her to have a chance to meet Lynn and see her sweet little house.  We had a great visit.  Lynn showed us photos from the years volunteered on the southern side of the island teaching in some very remote and primitive pueblos.

Lynn's Sweet Gypsy Girl

Lunch on Lynn's Back Patio

And then today we went to Sosua Beach.  I have been telling Cher that this is my fave spot in the DR.....and I'm so glad she loved it like we do.  It was a beautiful beach day!  Sunny and not too hot and very calm waves.  We spent a lot of time on the beach and snorkeling.  Good trip!

Cher at Kiko

Sosua Beach

Pina Colada Grande

Another View of Sosua Beach

Beach Musicians

And finally, I wanted to post this pic of Hermann.  Everytime I leave on the motorcycle or return home, he's out of the patio looking through the balcony....just checking on me.  What a sweet boy!