We remain in Luperon harbour at least until late next week and are enjoying new friendships with other cruisers who are also waiting to make passage to Puerto Rico: Jim and Renata on S/V Emerald Seas (Vancouver), Will and Susan on S/V Blue Moon (Montana), Terry and Barb on S/V Wind Whisperer, Bill on S/V Turn the Page(California), Dennis and Dodd on S/V Vesper Light (Arkansas), Jean Pierre and Denise (Montreal) and Sim and Rosie (London). Marcel and Lise on S/V Sea Belle (Quebec) are anchored right beside us and are heading north…we met them in Manzanilla. We are still getting squared away on boat names and who lives where. On Wednesday we rented taxis and went to Puerto Plata, a large city about an hour from Luperon. We went to the Brugal Rum factory which turned out to be a bottling plant. For the discriminating rum drinker, Brugal, even 12yo Brugal, can be equated with the imagined taste of jet fuel. We are contemplating seeing if the dinghy will run on it. Following that, we went to an old fort. The next stop was an amber museum but Skip, Craig, Angela, Dennis and Dodd took off for a cold beer and meaningful cultural exchange. I met a Belgian man who finally explained the mystery of why US coins are no good here…banks and money exchangers will only accept paper notes. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch, then went to the bank, a marine store (West Marine it ain’t) and a supermarket to stock up.
The Brugal Pant (refinery??)
The Fort. The docent explained that the doors to the powder rooms were short so that entering enemies' heads could be chopped off when they stooped through the entry. ?? Craig demonstrates:
Dominican Sno-cones. He is shaving ice off a large block. My Belgian friend. He has only been home once in 20 years to get a throat cancer operation. Effect a thick gutteral European accent and speak his words: "I am a stranger in my homeland!!"
Our lunch spot and the biggest Banyan tree I have ever seen. Octopus stew....who knew??
The merry pranksters??Thursday evening, the yacht club that overlooks the harbour sponsored a pot luck dinner which was well attended. They have an open grill (we enjoyed our Omaha burgers) and set up the bar for side dishes brought by the cruisers. It was a great evening of good food, dancing and getting to know other cruisers.
After dinner, the dancing got out of hand, literally....
New friends...
Rosie and Sim; me with Will and Susan; Skip with Marcl, Jim and Renata
The waiting is the hardest part. We see the clouds scooting around the mountains, on their way, I guess, to where we want to be. It is quite windy during the day but mostly sunshiney. At night it is dead calm as the night lee settles in and the heat of the land dissipates over the water. It is noticeably cooler tonight though...the weather for which we have received warnings must be close at hand.
2 comments:
Hmmm waiting on a tropical island with sunny skys and beer and rum (albeit questionable rum) nearby OR logging into the corporate giant on Monday morning and preparing for a flight to your former home towns for business??? WOW see what you mean - waiting is soooooo tough.... NOT :)
Heading to Dallas this evening- will have dinner with your baby sis then in meetings all day tomorrow. I get home late Tuesday night- Stevie boy heads to Cuba on Wed- and I head out for a little fun myself Thursday (girls foo foo cruise to Cozumel). Guess with this flu stuff we'll see if we can get off the ship-- who cares-- they have GOOD rum !!!! Poor MGT will be spending quality time with her Uncle Jim and Aunt Sherry... guess she has it worst of all-- since at least we can ditch the corporate monkey's occasionally... little girl's not allowed to ditch the high school monkey just yet:)
Love the pix- keep em coming-- hope the weather clears soon so you can have new adventures to tell us about.
AS always... pea green with envy-
karen
Hmmm angry clouds - maybe the island gods want you to sacrifice something...
yeah, my heart is just crying for you having to goof off in the islands but it sounds like you are getting lots of good advice from the little nest of cruisers you've fallen in with so all's good - aside from poor Skip not making it back in time for his flight but it's not like he has to get back to corporate America or anything...
Love ya and so glad you all are having such a maahvaalous time :)
Well, it's springtime here in DFW and the insurance adjuster is coming to check my roof tomorrow - woohoo - guess I'll get to buy a new roof (or at least pay the deductible) for my summer vacation :( I'd much rather have an island adventure!!!
Later gator -
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