Blog

Having some trouble with updating the Blog from our SAT phone e-mail. Sent two entries, but one failed so they may be out of order now. The most recent update is that we are in Puerto Rico now! Yay! But that posting may actually appear below the posting of “Bryan and Allison visit the DR” (which is a loooong entry) which says that we’re still in the DR.

Did I mention we’re in Puerto Rico now??? The DR was great, but we’re very happy to be on the move again.

October 13-24, 2006

September came and went in the blink of an eye and then we blinked again and it’s November!

At this writing we are still anchored in Luperon, Dominican Republic but are anxiously awaiting the next appropriate weather window to head east to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for the winter months. We spent September doing some additional projects on Lucky Peek to get her ready for the next leg of our journey and also in preparation for much-anticipated guests!

Bryan and Allison Mann (from Boise) arrived in Santo Domingo on Friday, October 13 and we set out for an adventurous 11 days with them. We had a rental car for the duration of their stay so we had a full agenda of inland touring planned. We stayed the first few days in Santo Domingo, enjoying the city’s old New World sights and getting B & A accustomed to other big city normalcies – persistent tour guides offering their services, aggressive merchants calling us into their gift shops, and young shoe-shine boys that are sadly working the streets when they should be in school. Our first lunch at a sidewalk cafe held an emotional moment when a young boy, seeing that our flip-flops hardly needed shined, looked longingly at the club sandwiches on our plates. We knew when our next meal would come so we shared our sandwich quarters with him and were rewarded with a beautiful smile of gratitude in return.

From Santo Domingo we traveled into the interior mountains to Jarabacoa. At the Hotel Gran Jimenoa we had rooms overlooking the Rio Jimenoa rushing by with a backdrop of lush green mountainside. We had originally planned a one night stay here but by the next morning we all agreed that it was worthy of a second night. That decision allowed us to enjoy a long day in the area hiking into the Salto Jimenoa waterfall and then a spontaneous horseback ride at the confluence of the Rio Jimenoa and Rio Yaque del Norte. In the mountains there aren’t aggressive merchants but there are persistent offers for horseback rides. After repeatedly saying no to a man and his young son offering their horses Allison said “Let’s do it!”. And so she and I were off on a ride along the river. I have to admit that I wasn’t a willing participant initially but with the little boy sitting behind me on my horse talking non-stop in Spanish that I couldn’t begin to understand and swatting the horse’s hindquarters with a switch from a tree to make it go faster so I would giggle… well, it turned out to be pretty fun. We celebrated our ride afterward by sitting at the small riverside thatch-roofed shack/bar sipping an ice-cold Presidente’ grande in true Dominican style – sharing a 24 ounce bottle of beer among the four of us in little 4 ounce plastic cups. We amused the proprietor with our Spanish and in turn he gave us a Spanish lesson by holding up items in his small open-air shop and exclaiming the Spanish word. A little reminiscent of Sesame Street – only with beer.

Leaving Jarabacoa for Luperon meant leaving the cooler mountain temperatures for h-e-double hockey sticks. We tried to warn Bryan and Allison but our words could not adequately prepare them for what they were about to experience for themselves. Sun, boat in the sun, tropical heat, no A/C, no A/C, no A/C. You know the kind of heat that causes a constant stream of sweat to run down your back dampening your fresh shirt? A sweat mustache the no amount of dobbing will erase? A heat with no relief. Once on the boat we advised them to sit very still under the direct flow of a fan. They advised us to go for rides in the air conditioned rental car. And so we did!…

On Thursday, October 19 we took the air conditioned car for a 40 mile drive out to Rio Damajagua where we hired a guide to take us into the jungle, rock-climbing up the river, so we could then descend that very river via it’s many natural waterfall slides. It was late afternoon when we left the main road and turned down onto the narrow gravel road that was flanked by thick fields of 8-foot tall sugarcane. “Children of the Corn was mentioned and creeped us all out a bit. We eventually arrived at a deserted gravel parking area where a Dominican with a blue “Guide” shirt sat in a folding chair. A small group of young men was clustered on one side of the parking area enthusiastically watching an informal cockfight. We were immediately greeted by another “Guide” and once we agreed to a price of 200 pesos each ($6.00) we were off with our two guides, Commando and Manual, to experience 7 of the 27 levels of waterfalls that Damajaguas has to offer.

A quick stop along the way to pick out helmets and life jackets for each of us and we proceeded to hike into the jungle, fording a river and many creeks, until we arrived at a beautiful pool of water that would signify both the true beginning of our ascent as well as the finality of our exhilarating descent. Our jovial guides set to work pulling us up rock faces – literally pulling us up over small waterfalls, leading us further up the river and deeper into the jungle. Beautiful, unspoiled, and so incredibly green and lush. The water so refreshingly cool.

After numerous pulls up and over rocks and swimming through rock canyons to reach pristine, isolated pools fed by waterfalls, Commando announced that we had reached level 7 – our destination. Time to head back down. No! We all cried – we must not stop! To reach the 27th level it takes all day, which we didn’t have, but we did have enough daylight left to continue on to the 11th level. And so we continued…

To reach the 8th level we had to climb a knotted rope up a rock face and then use a vine (yes, an actual vine like Tarzan) to climb the side of the mountain. It seemed impossible for this experience to get any better but it did. We hiked, climbed, and swam the pools to the 11th level. No other tour groups pushing us along. No liability waivers to sign. In a word, we were giddy. And then without warning Commando demonstrated what was expected at the 11th level — jumping off the cliff we stood on through the narrow canyon into the deep pool of water 30 feet below. Rod jumped after Commando, followed by Bryan, then Allison, then me. Well, not exactly. I didn’t jump. Call me chicken, call me a wimp, but I do not jump off of cliffs into pools of water. I was perfectly happy to scramble back down the rocks with Manual and meet up in one piece with the crazies I was with.

Three more cliff-jumps and umpteen slides down natural water chutes (which I did do) into pools of water and we were gradually working our way back down from the 11th level. Along the way we passed a pool of water where the rock rim had naturally taken the shape of a giant heart. What an appropriate thing to see on Bryan and Allison’s anniversary! Yes, this was their 14th Anniversary! What a memorable way to celebrate!

It was getting dark by the time we were hiking out of this most incredible experience. Jungle sounds were filling the air and the low light was getting more thickly filtered by the minute. In the car back to Luperon, through our dinner that night at Gina’s Upper Deck and for the rest of the evening we each took turns proclaiming that to be one of the most exciting things we‘ve yet to experience. What a day!

We climbed back into the nice, cool car the next day and headed west to Los Gringos, an intimate little beach-front establishment with two cabanas on the beach and Patrick, a world class Belgian chef catering to our cravings. The only downside to Los Gringos (aside from the jungle spider — ask Allison about that), was that we only had one night to spend there. We made the most of our one night and then got back to Luperon the next day with only 30 minutes to spare before leaving for Santiago.

Our trip to Santiago was to watch a favorite Dominican sport: beisbol. The DR has six professional baseball teams and many of the Dominican players also play in the US Major Leagues. Remember Sammy Sosa? With our new team hats on we cheered for both Licey (team from Santo Domingo) and the Aguilas (from Santiago). The cheerleaders – scantily clad, Dominican beauties – danced between inning and kept the fans, especially Bryan and Rod (and Steve and Chris and Jack) entertained. Licey won, and since I was the sole member of our gringo group wearing a Licey hat (I bought the Licey hat because it had a giant “L” on the front of it) I received many smiles and fist pumps (a popular Dominican gesture) as we left the game.

With only a few days remaining in their visit, we decided to keep packing the activities into our schedule. So on Sunday morning we toured Isabella, which contains the remains of the first European settlement by Columbus on Hispaniola (some claim the first in the New World). Then we continued westward to the town of Dajabon on the Haitian border. We didn’t cross the border into Haiti, but on Monday morning at 7am we did witness a stream of Haitians crossing the guarded bridge into the DR for the Haitian market. Every Monday and Friday the border is opened to allow Haitians into Dajabon to set up booths – many of which were simply tarps or blankets on the ground – and sell merchandise at cut-rate prices. The merchandise (household items, clothing, shoes, shoes, shoes, etc.) is typically goods that have been sent to Haiti in aid packages from other countries, including the U.S. The Haitians then bring those goods over the border to sell them for money so they can in turn buy food items from the Dominican vendors in the market – trucks of plantains, eggs, rice, ice (yes, ice – huge 3’x4’ blocks of ice), and other staples that are scarce in Haiti. The muddy streets were full of vendors and shoppers; a cacophony of Spanish and Creole filling our ears. The only English heard was from our own mouths. The bridge that serves as the border crossing was a bustle of activity as streams of Haitians were rushing goods packed in bundles on top of their heads into Dajabon. Crudely made wooden carts full of food items were pushed and pulled back over the bridge. Eggs – stacks and stacks of eggs – were carried back to Haiti on the tops of womens’ heads. Twelve or more stacks of 3-dozen flats at a time (that’s over 400 eggs on a head). The expressions on the faces of these women, and in the faces of all the Haitians, told a clear story of hard work and desperation. Very different from the smiling Dominican faces we were used to seeing. The few hours that we spent at this market holds a book full of visuals and impressions for me. Many times during that morning I found myself very emotional over what I was witnessing. A powerful imprint has been left in my heart and soul.

That night Bryan and Allison’s visit ended where it began – in Santo Domingo. Over a nice dinner in a beautiful courtyard we reflected on our adventures over the past 10 days. From the city to the jungle we had seen and experienced some amazing things. We were exhausted but didn’t want it to end. We decided we just needed a couple days to rest then we could go again for another 11 days. But alas, they had a plane to catch the next afternoon. And so we said Hasta Luego to our good friends and wished them well on their return home and their next adventure.

Muchas gracias, Bryan y Allison, por su visita. Buenas suerte en Carolina Norte.

We are now in Puerto Rico!

Bucking sailor superstition, we left Bahia Luperon on Friday, November 10th at 6:30pm. That morning, after comparing all weather data, we determined that we had a window opening for us and it was an easy decision to jump on it. We checked out of DR customs and immigration that afternoon, paying all fees – most legitimate and some questionable – and prepared Lucky Peek for our journey eastward. The winds were already light and they would get lighter in the night as the “night lee” set in. The night lee is an effect where the land cools faster than the sea, thereby creating a thermal effect that further diminishes the strength of the trade winds near the shoreline. Very favorable for a sailboat with a small engine that needs to travel directly into the trade winds to get where it wants to go.

This method of taking advantage of night lees to sail the northern coast of the Dominican Republic is discussed in great detail in Bruce Van Sant’s book “ The Gentleman’s Guide to Passages South: The Thornless Path to Windward”. Van Sant has several decades of sailing experience under his belt and his methodologies are highly regarded in Caribbean sailing circles. He’s now retired from cruising and lives full-time in Luperon, where we had an opportunity to meet him and get first-hand advice.

Following his Thornless Path advice, we motored eastward along the coast during the night. We deviated from his advice in that instead of stopping during the day and waiting until nightfall to continue, we just kept on going. The winds were light enough to make this possible, but also there was a slight northerly swell which made any anchorages along the north coast untenable. Stopping to anchor would not be a comfortable option. Better to keep going. Plus, after spending six months in the DR we were excited about moving on and had plenty of energy to just keep going. And so we did.

Thirty-six hours after leaving Luperon we were on the east coast of the Dominican Republic and were making a turn out to open ocean to begin a crossing that many cruisers talk about — the Mona Passage. The Mona Passage does not have a favorable reputation, to say the least, but a comfortable crossing is possible in the right weather window, which is exactly what we had. Light easterly winds <10 knots and a swell that was very gentle and was actually diminishing as the day progressed. As the DR skyline faded into the mist off our stern we looked ahead to one more night underway. After a beautiful sunset that evening we could already see the glowing lights of the western coast of Puerto Rico! At 8pm we had enough wind to give Forrest a break and we were able to make way under sail alone for the next four hours, until we had to change our heading and were pointed right into the winds again.

The remainder of the night we traveled quite slow so we could arrive in Mayaguez in daylight. At 6am we were on approach and by 7am (60 hours after leaving Luperon) we were anchoring just off the Customs dock in Mayaguez harbor. Clearing into Puerto Rico was fast and easy and best of all, it was free! No time to relax yet, though. Our real destination for the day was Boqueron, which was another 10 miles south. We continued on our way, at a slow pace, and finally relaxed that afternoon after settling into the anchorage at Boqueron. We were excited to see two other boats from Luperon in the harbor and very happy to see Magus arrive just a few hours after us. Receta would arrive the following morning since they made an overnight stop in Samana.

A summary of our route and timeline:

Friday, Nov. 10: 6:30pm, pulling up anchor and leaving Luperon. Adios!
Saturday, Nov. 11: 4:30pm, checked out anchorage at Escondido. WAY too much swell. Continued on.
Sunday, Nov. 12: 7:30am, making turn at Punta Macao to begin Mona Passage crossing
Sunday, Nov. 12: 11:30pm, sailing past Isla Dececheo. In the starlight this tiny island looked so close!
Monday, Nov. 13: 2:00am, the lights of Mayaguez are very bright and the rising moon is illuminating the outline of the western shore.
Monday, Nov. 13: 7:00am, anchoring in Mayaguez to clear in with customs. We made it!!!

We plan to stay in Boqueron for a few days – possibly through the weekend, as this is a popular weekend destination with the locals. Then we will work our way along the southern coast in short hops. We are excited to have a new country and culture to explore and experience! Stay tuned for PR updates.

‘Tis the Season! Tropical Storm Florence is passing several hundred miles to the north of the D.R. and if it weren’t for Lucky Peek pointing a different direction on her anchor than is typical, we wouldn’t even think anything was different.

This morning the trade winds were unusually absent. The slight breeze that has now picked up is coming from the North, not from the East. Even though Florence is well to the North, she is strong enough to knock back our dependable trade winds. Other than having a slightly different view from our cockpit today, everything else is the same. The sun is shining, it’s 88 degrees in the boat cabin, we have all six fans on, and I can hear bouncy Dominican tunes coming from the Puerta Blanca Marina.

Our most recent excursion off Lucky Peek was a trip to Santo Domingo to celebrate our anniversary on August 31. Quince’ anos! (15 years). We spent three nights in a beautiful old hotel, The Palacio, in the heart of the Zona Colonial. We had a marvelous anniversary dinner at La Briciola (a fancy Italian place in the Z.C.) and we spent our days meandering the old city and shamelessly enjoying the cable TV in our suite. Did you know that Katie Couric is no longer on The Today Show!

Aside from La Briciola, another memorable dinner in S.D. was at Castelao, overlooking the popular Plaza del Hispanidad. The restaurant was nicely appointed, modern, and had a very attentive staff. We enjoyed a complimentary glass of vino tinto (red wine) thanks to the recommendation card the hotel provided. Our Spanish-speaking waiter explained to us, in slow simple words, that we could order a sampling of items and they would keep bringing us these items until we turned over a little coaster that said “Si, Por Favor!” on one side to “No mas, Gracias” on the other. That sounded like a splendid idea to two hungry touristicos.

Castelao is a Rodizio Grille type of place. Having never been to a Rodizio Grille, that meant nothing to me. I now understand. Based on our experience, this restaurant, and it’s Rodizio Grille cousin, most definitely was dreamed up by men. Big, hungry, meat-eating men. Not metro-sexual vegans. No, I’m talking pure, unadulterated carnivores. I’m sure the original concept didn’t even include the delicious salads that were provided with our meal. Those had to have been an afterthought based on female or metro-sexual customer input. We were off to a great start with the initial variety plate of different tasty salads – potato, cabbage, squash, etc., which was followed by perfect caprese and ceasar salads. Then the meat started arriving.

A different server, “Meat Boy” (our endearment for him. I don’t think that was his actual title.), delivered our first sampling. From long skewers, he slid pieces of grilled chicken, grilled pork, and fried fish onto our plates. Then came roast beef, chicken wings, and Mystery Meat. Rod determined the M.M. to be chicken hearts. I gave him mine. Another round of fish, chicken, pork, fish, beef, in a variety of shapes and seasonings. Meat Boy kept delivering. I didn’t think I could keep up much longer without serious injury to my stomach and arteries and then I remembered — the coaster! I need to turn the coaster over to “No mas, Gracias!”.

We were full to our gullets, and we had possibly even eaten a gullet in the course of our meal. Regret started setting in. Mopping our sweaty foreheads with our napkins we commiserated in our gluttony. Rod’s discomfort was exacerbated by his dire need for a toothpick. Without our Spanish dictionary neither of us could remember the word for toothpick (palillo). The best we could come up with was needing an “arbollita por la vaca in mi boca”. Literal translation: I need a small tree for the cow in my mouth.

Our adventures continue to provide us with hearty laughs and fun memories. Our stomachs have thankfully returned to their normal sizes and we plan to practice restraint in future all-you-can-eat dining establishments. We will also carry our own supply of small trees.

All is well here in Luperon. Hurricane Ernesto, who was recently downgraded to a tropical storm, passed to the south of Hispaniola a couple days ago before crossing Cuba. On Sunday we received rain all day but strangely enough, no wind. The trade winds typically blow daily in the 15-20 knot range, but on this day it was unusually calm, which was actually a bit of a bummer for us because we had just completed the installation of our new KISS wind generator!

We know that we should never, ever wish for wind (or else you may get more than you want), but we were so anxious for even a whisper of a breeze to see if the three large blades would turn and generate precious power for us. Especially since with the rain there was no sun, so our solar panels were on a rainy day holiday. We did finally receive a puff of wind that lasted about thirty minutes but that was long enough to cause celebration on Lucky Peek – we were making power!

The trades returned to normal yesterday and right now (Tuesday, Aug. 29) the wind is blowing between 18-22 knots. The sun is shining bright with only a few clouds passing by. The Energy Nazi has a smile on his face. All is well.

We are doing great back in Luperon after our wonderful visit to Florida and Idaho last month. Hard to believe that it’s already been two weeks since our return on August 8.

We traveled a day ahead of the terrorist scare in the UK and had a smooth trip back to the DR, even though we were weighted down like sherpas with all of the items for the boat. We expected to have to use our Caveman Spanish with the customs guys at the Puerta Plata airport upon arrival to try and explain the wind generator, VHF radios, SAT phone, etc. while attempting to avoid any customs charges for bringing such high ticket items into their country. However, we employed a different tactic and just bypassed the customs line and marched confidently out the door with our truckload of bags in tow. We were intercepted by an official who asked us something to which I answered “Bahia Luperon” and instead of redirecting us to the customs line he helped us out the door! Resisting the urge to look back, we were happy to see a man in the loud crowd holding a hand-written sign that said “Lisa – Luperon”. That must be Jaime, our driver that was to pick us up in his large van. Turns out it was Julio, Jaime’s cousin, who was picking us up in his much smaller, much used car. Four of our bags fit in the trunk, two carry-on size bags went into the back seat with us, while both the giant orange 70 pound bag and the retro hard-sided red Samsonite bag were delicately shoved into the front seat. Julio drove with one arm atop the red Samsonite to keep it from landsliding onto him. And we were off on a typical Dominican taxi ride – fast and chaotic, but with a very friendly driver who seemed at ease with the other loco drivers.

It was a relief to be back to the boat and see that all was well. Instead of experiencing the anticipated culture shock upon returning to the D.R. after being back in the States, we found a comfortable familiarity. On our way back to Luperon I smiled as we passed a boy riding a burro down the side of the road. Smiled again at the sight of the typical game of dominoes taking place on a sidewalk table with players slapping their dominoes down with furrowed brows. Smiled at the sight of a beautiful young Dominican woman strolling confidently along with gigantic pink and blue rollers in her hair. Then I noticed I was just simply smiling. As much as we enjoyed our visit “home”, it was good to be home. Oh sure, I miss running water and toilet paper in public restrooms but all in all it’s good to be back.

Next on our project agenda is to get the new wind generator installed. We’ve ordered the pipe necessary to build the pole and we just need to go to Puerta Plata to pick it up. The trade winds continue to blow a steady 15+ knots from early morning until into the evening so we are looking forward to the additional power source. The solar panels have been doing a great job but we still end up running the engine a few hours every 4-6 days to keep the batteries charged. The investment in the wind generator should save on the wear and tear of Forrest as well as our nerves. Sitting on a boat at anchor with the diesel engine idling at 1800 rpms is not a party.

Next week we are considering a trip back to Santo Domingo to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary! We’ve been studying our Lonely Planet guide to the DR to consider our hotel options. We definitely want to stay in the Zona Colonial, the historic colonial zone that is rich in 16th century architecture and modern culture. Hopefully we can find a place with modern bathrooms.

Hasta la proxima vez.

Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana.
August 7, 2006

Didn’t intend on the last update to have a cliff-hanger ending! So you know, we did survive our 7-day island tour and didn’t get lost or kidnapped! We returned from that fantastic excursion to a busy two weeks ending June because we decided to make a trip home to Boise in July to address our homesickness. It was wonderful to see our family and we kept thinking that we would have time to post an update once we were “home”
but we seemed to maintain sprint mode for four weeks during our stay. And we still didn’t manage to see all our friends that we intended to see! For those of you that are just now learning that we were in Boise and didn’t call or see you – we are woefully sorry. If we could’ve managed our time differently to fit everything in we certainly would have. So please forgive us if we didn’t connect with you and for those of you that we were able to see – thanks for being flexible with your time.

Anxiety twisted our stomachs the last few days of our Boise visit as we watched Tropical Storm Chris turn into a hurricane with a projected path along the north coast of the Dominican Republic. In the previous weeks we had received many welcome updates from our cruising friends in Bahia Luperon that Lucky Peek was doing fine on her anchor, sitting right where we left her – just looking a bit lonely. Then with the approaching storm we received word that many boats in the harbor had moved to the harbor’s edges to tie to the soft yet strong mangroves. Large fishing vessels from Puerto Plata were even moving into the protection of our mangrove-lined harbor. Ann and Steve on Receta graciously offered to move Lucky Peek for us but we made the decision to just leave her put. Before leaving her at the end of June we had set our storm anchor (Fortress FX37) in tandem on 25 feet of 3/8” chain with our 45 pound CQR acting as the sentinel on 140 feet of chain. We removed the headsail, storing it below along with the cockpit cushions. The mainsail stayed on in its cover with a tight wrapping of line securing it. We were relatively confident with the ground tackle in place and our other preparations, but suddenly with a real threat of a storm in our absence it all seemed inadequate. Fortunately, for everyone, Chris tuckered out before gaining more strength and visiting any shorelines.

We leave tomorrow morning to return to Luperon and are excited to be reunited with our home on the water along with our cruising neighbors. We’ve just spent the last six hours trying to fit the following into our new hard-sided thrift store luggage: a KISS wind generator, an assortment of 18 billion stainless steel screws/nuts/bolts, a handheld VHF radio (to replace the one that is now at the bottom of Bahia Luperon after Rod assisted with wrangling a boat dragging on its anchor), a replacement VHF radio for the one that went kaput in the Bahamas that we had to replace there for a billion dollars (the one that went kaput was under West Marine warranty so now we have a spare), one satellite phone, two Hella fans to help keep us not-so-hot at night, an anchor holder to replace the one we broke during a not-so-graceful exit from a fuel dock in the Bahamas, cotter pins and more cotter pins, a replacement shower hose for the one that sprung a major leak the morning we were leaving Luperon, and so many other boat things that at this moment of exhaustion I can’t think of them. It is 12:53am and we are leaving for the airport in six hours. Some things never change.

Night-night.

Republica Dominicana
June 11, 2006

Last night as we sat in the cockpit of Lucky Peek watching the full moon make it’s slow arc over us we reflected on last month’s full moon that provided the light for our two night crossing from Rum Cay, Bahamas to Providenciales, Caicos. It’s hard to believe that we arrived here three weeks ago already with tomorrow marking the beginning of our fourth week in the Dominican Republic!

We have made the decision to stay put in this protected harbor of Bahia Luperon as the “H” season officially began on June 1. Others planning to continue south have made the same call while some still plan to play with the weather windows and continue on. Old timers here say that there’s still plenty of time to get south to Trinidad or Venezuela; both popular destinations due to their latitudinal position for statistically hurricane safe waters. Our sights were set on Venezuela as well, but after a team meeting we arrived at a consensus (some habits die hard, or don’t die at all) – we would stay here and enjoy this beautiful country and take advantage of the opportunity to learn Spanish by immersing ourselves.

The people of Luperon are very welcoming and friendly. Since most of them don’t speak a lick of English we’ve been trying to refresh our Spanish from high school and college classes to make ourselves understood. Of course I remember some of the basics from those high school dialogue practice sessions. “Hola! Como estas? Muy bien, gracias, Y tu? Tango tu madre por la classe de salud!” That last one always throws people. Translation: “I have your mother for health class”. I try not to use it very often but it just rolls off my tongue so smoothly it’s hard to resist. Rod often surprises me with his ability to seemingly pull the right word for the moment out of thin air. How did he know that word? I ask myself, and then him later. He’s not sure but he has somehow retained some odd vocabulary words that he’s now able to put to use. We enjoy the practice of going into the local businesses and using our CaveMan Spanish to communicate, and the locals seem to enjoy it as well. They laugh heartily and then sincerely correct us when needed, which is often.

Luperon, as a town, is very third world. While the good-natured residents are very conscientious about their personal cleanliness they don’t seem to mind the garbage that is everywhere on the streets, in the gutters, on the sidewalks, in open lots. It’s a confusing combination to me. Walking into town from the government dock, which is where we tie up our dinghy, involves strolling past litter so thick in places that it appears to be piled that way for removal. But it never gets removed. It’s normal to witness someone (local) simply pitch their empty plastic cup wherever they are standing – on the sidewalk, in the road. If there’s a Spanish word for “littering” I don’t think it’s in the local vocabulary. We would suggest a national campaign involving a crying Indian – the local equivalent would be a Taino Indian, which was the original inhabitant on Hispaniola. Only problem with that is there are no Tainos left.

The Spaniards that took over the island after Columbus’ discovery in 1492 were ruthless and managed to reduce the indigenous Taino population from 400,000 to less than 3000 in less than 30 years. Once the Tainos were completely wiped out, the Spanish turned to the west coast of Africa to import their slaves. An estimated 500,000 Africans were brought to Hispaniola as slaves between 1518 and 1801. Centuries of political unrest and war lead to the island being divided into two nations: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic has actually declared its independence three times, twice from Spain and once from Haiti in 1844 after 22 years of occupation.

Of the roughly nine million residents, most Dominicans are classified as “mixed race” given their mixed ancestry of European, African, and some indigenous descent. The official poverty level is US$400/month and more than one third earn less than that. In 2005 the minimum wage (as we know it in the States) was US208 per month. Walking through Luperon the poverty is obvious. Rudimentary houses/shacks line most streets while more modern homes line another. Very nice homes are being built on “Gringo Hill” which overlooks the harbor and the ocean. Given the name, you can surmise where the occupants hail from.

Eating at the local comidors in Luperon is cheap and usually delicious. At the Pica Pollo (gringos refer to it as the Chicken Shack), you can get a chicken dinner of 3-4 pieces of chicken, delectably fried, rice and beans or cassava for 70 pesos. Right now the exchange rate is 32 pesos to $1. You do the math. A number of local establishments offer a daily happy hour where a grande Presidente’ or Bohemia beer (large bottle which can be shared between two) is 40 pesos. No wonder we’ve been here for three weeks already!

At the beginning of our second week here we took a land excursion to Santo Domingo with William and Terra on “Maja”. To get there we first negotiated a taxi to take us to Imbert where we then got on an Express bus to Santiago where we then took a nice air-conditioned modern bus to Santo Domingo. After about 4 hours of travel we arrived in the bustling capital. One more taxi ride and we secured a room for the night at the Duque de Wellington before setting out on a walking tour of the Zona Colonial, the old city – the Colonial Zone. In the day and a half that we were there, we toured the New World’s first hospital (what’s left of it), the oldest working church in the New World, the oldest monastery, and Christopher Columbus’ son’s house. We had an impromptu dinner the first night in the most amazing historical building with an expansive courtyard. Ferns sprouting out of the ancient stone walls in the courtyard provided the perfect ambiance after a day walking the hot sidewalks. Obviously a day and a half is too little time to see everything so we definitely plan a follow-up trip.

Tomorrow we are leaving for a week long land tour. This time we will travel by rental car with William and Terra (we liked traveling together the first time so we’re doing it again!) and we plan to tour the countryside of the interior and then visit the southern coast. We are anxious to see the waterfalls that are listed as a “must see” in the guide books and to get up into the mountains. It has been very hot the last couple of weeks so we look forward to the cooler temperatures in the higher altitudes. As we pass through the small interior towns that don’t get a lot of English speaking visitors we will have plenty of opportunity to practice and hopefully improve upon our CaveMan Spanish.

Hasta luego, amigos!

Luperon, Dominican Republic
June 1, 2006

Hola Amigos! We are now in the Dominican Republic! Luperon is a small town/village on the north coast and we are safely anchored in the Bahia Luperon (harbor). We arrived on Monday, May 22 after an overnight sail from Big Sand Cay in the Turks and Caicos.

We are planning to work on our Spanish and see the sights of this beautiful country! Hispaniola, the second largest island (after Cuba) in the Caribbean, is comprised of the Dominican Republic and Haite. It is green and mountainous, featuring the highest mountain peak in the Caribbean islands at over 10,000 feet. Quite a change from the low-lying, dry islands of the Bahamas. There is much to see here, waterfalls, beaches, spanish colonial architecture, and even possibly the bones of Columbus are buried here. Plenty to keep us occupied for a while!

Stay tuned for a more detailed update on our adventures in the D.R.

Hasta luego!