Another Party in the Street

This party was between Hostos and Duarte here in Colonial Zone. The aea is really narrow so all the people were really packed in. All the neighbors were there and we had a great time. Good dancing and music by Los Hermanos Rosarios.
Here are a few videos I took of the dancing. Oh, if only I could wiggle like a Dominican! jejeje


The song that is being danced to is called "ROMPECINTURA" roughly translated it is break the waist. The song got the people really wiggling.


Don't you just love Christmas Dominican style??!!

I have pictures I have taken around Santo Domingo and Colonial Zone Christmas 2007. Take a look.

Neighborhood Christmas Party

Last night was the Navidad party for the neighborhood. It was a really great time. There were 2 different bands that played (I can't remember their names) and they were really good. they played Christmas music as well as the dance music. The Christmas music here when I first heard it, I had no idea it was Christmas music. I had never heard Christmas songs that had he merengue music with them. Now I can't imagine Navidad without hearing at least a few merengue Christmas carols.
It was a little cold last night as some of my neighbors and I were waiting for everyone to walk to the next block to join in the fun. but after we got there, in the big crowd, I was happy I didn't put on a long sleeved shirt. I was sweating bad! Especially after doing some dancing.
It was good seeing all the old neighbors. Some that had moved away while I was in USA were there as well. I thought I lost touch with them forever but last night I saw many of them again. many of the people that stay in their homes most of the time, the older ladies and home bodies always come out for the neighborhood party. I love seeing an older woman dancing with a teenager. I even danced with this great grandfather type man and I couldn't keep up with him! After 2 dances I had to go and rest a bit. he was still ready to dance so he asked the next girl he say and kept going. bless his good strong heart and legs!
I love Christmas here in my little town. All the Dominican families visiting for the holidays. the streets are full of people talking and enjoying. The lights, even though there are not as many as in the years past, are beautiful. the Christmas foods...yummm. The neighborhood park is near a church and they always seem to have Christmas music flowing out from the windows into the park which makes sitting there with the Christmas tree lit feel so much like Christmas even if there is no snow. Another thing I really like here is they have no problem having a manger scene in public places. Even the government offices they have the manger set up. I love seeing this. It is one thing that I always felt bad about in USA. They don't permit the creche to be displayed in government places. It is not "politically correct". Yet it is Ok to have Santa and the reindeer. I just cannot understand this. But it is all good. I am here and don't have to deal with that politically correct crap anymore (I hope).
More Christmas/ Navidad stuff and pictures soon..
Learn more about Christams in Dominican Republic.
Oh, by the way, there is a new hotel opening in the nest week or so in Colonial Zone, Coco Boutique Hotel. Check it out in our HOT SPOTS! section.

Subtropical Storm OLGA

This storm left much of Santiago area devastated. They opened the Taveras Dam on the Rio Yaque Del Norte releasing about 5000 cubic meters or water per MINUTE in the middle of the night causing many people to be caught unaware. Having to leave their homes fast in the middle of the night without any electricity to see must have been terrible.
There are pictures of people standing atop their homes and one of a person sitting in a tree with fast running water surrounding it.
Here is a video taken on the Puente Hnos. Patino bridge spanning the Rio Yaque Del Norte.

Here is a link to a thread on DR1 with many pictures.
This picture has circles where there are people stranded.
Here is the link where there are many more pictures taken this morning in the barrio of Bella Vista in Santiago that are just amazing to view.
This video is from the television just to show the force of the water as it was being let out of the damn

I just cannot believe the government did this without warning the people better. There have been lives lost. Who is responsible?

Singer With a Dagger

Sunday I worked on my web site as usual. After I met a friend, Odalis, the owner of Cafe de Toi. We went to visit a friend of hers.

On the way back in the taxi we met another friend and got into her Jepetta for the ride back to the bar. Standing in the road was someone whom I thought was a nice guy. I talked to him before and Odalis knew him also. He is a well known singer in the area Luis Dias. We pulled over to say hi to him. Odalis was going to buy him a beer.

This man turned crazy! He started swearing and yelling at us. He came to the window while yelling. He pulled out this big Bowie-dagger knife and started waving it around! I was in the back seat and just opening the window to say hi. Odalis yelled as he moved the dagger into the window, very close to her. She put her purse in front of it and yelled for the driver to get out of there FAST! I just caught a glimpse of the knife as it was being waved about and I closed my window as fast as the thing would go up. We drove away as this wild man singer was yelling and waving the knife around like a lunatic.
It all happened so fast but we were all a bit shaken up and couldn't believe what had just happened. I had spoken to this man a few times in the past and he was very nice to me. He was in Odalis bar a few times and she was friends with him. For him to act in this fashion we just could not understand. He was out of his mind!

I sure hope I never see him again, if so I will not greet him and will get out of his way fast. I will never go to another concert of his and I really enjoy his music. Too bad.

So just beware of people you think you know as you just really never know what mind altering drug or drink they may be using at the time.

Poema Epico-Epic Poem

I went to Cafe Teatro and saw an extraordinary production on Friday night. It is a very small and intimate theater in Colonial Zone. Located above the Sala de Arte Comtemporaneo of Juan Mayi on Arz. Portes #20. Mayi had an art exposition the night before and they told me about the show the following night.
Poema Epico: Maximo Gomez Bajando (Epic Poem: Below Maximo Gomez). Maximo Gomez is a street in the capital, which has a main highway over top much of the street.
The performance was in Spanish but it did not matter that I did not understand all the words. The actress Tarsis Castro was excellent. I was really drawn into the performance. It was very emotional. It was about a woman, a poor woman, and her sufferings with her life. The monologue was about her suffering, her struggles and her trying to overcome them all.
The writer, Monica Volonteri is a very likeable person. The way she wrote the lady in the poem was so realistic and captivating. I can't wait to hear more from her.
This monologue will be presented until Tuesday (Dec. 11) at the Cafe Cinema and I urge everyone to attend, even if you don't speak Spanish, you will enjoy the performance I am sure.

New Neighbors

I'm back and felt like I never left.

My new neighbors are nice too. I live in a large apartment where all the 5 rooms are rented out. There is an Italian man, a really nice human. There is a Dominican man. I think he is an artist but I can never understand when he talks. But we say hi and he is also nice. The other room is rented to tourists so the people in this room change often.

The older woman living there is a true Dominican woman. She has taken up the job of housemother. She never leaves the place except to go to the market in the morning. People come and visit her and they sit in her room and chat and watch TV. There is a woman that comes every morning to have coffee with her. Her door is always open so she can see who is coming and going.

When I first hooked up my wash machine (more on my Dominican wash machine) on the patio she came out to instruct me on how to wash. She washes Dominican style. she doesn't trust the washer to really wash the clothes. She does one wash with the machine then she puts the stuff in a wash tub and hand scrubs it. I can't understand this unless the clothes are really dirty and they need a little spot cleaning, but this is how it is done by most Dominicans I have observed. She was telling me how to wash. She even took some of my stuff out and tried to scrub them. Even my panties! When I told her it was OK I could do it, she sort of put her hands up in the air and walked away. Like she was saying "OK, but you are doing it all wrong."

After a few times of her watching me wash she finally said, like she was shocked, "you can wash good". This has always been my goal in life, to wash my clothes well and get approval from the neighbor. LOL!
In the morning as soon as I open the door she yells for me to give her my little coffee pot "Janette, dime su greco". (I don't have gas for my stove yet, so she makes me coffee in the morning). First thing in the morning I hear her yelling for this. Her voice is a bit high and squeeky and, sorry to say, not that pleasant to hear first thing in the morning. But, it is nice of her to make the coffee (more on Dominican coffee and what is a greco) for me so I can deal with this.

She knows when everyone comes and goes and usually asks where we are going and for how long. She is for sure the mother of us all who live there.

The other day I decided to just stay in and watch movies. She came knocking on my door to see if I was sick or something. It was nice she cared but it does take some getting used to.

All in all, my neighbors are very nice. I really couldn't ask for better ones.

11/4 Sunday Walkabout

On Sundays I always liked to walk around where ever my big feet would take me. I loved walking with my dog Sniffy. Now Sniffy is gone my walk abouts are a bit different. No one to talk to as when I walked Sniffy I had to tell her directions since she had no eyes.
So my first walkabout without Sniffy was a bit sad at first. I took my camera in case I saw something picture worthy. I ended up going to Calle las Damas checking the prices of the different monuments to add the info to my web site.
I ran into some people I knew and talked a while. Then I headed to Casa del Reales. The entire time I lived here in the past I never went into a museum so I decided to do a little research. I started talking to one of the guides in the place. We sat together in the window of the museum and talked. We got some chicharones (Fried pork skins. One can usually purchase these in the streets carried on the shoulders of street vendors. Topped with a special vinegar sauce or límon these are very greasy, not that good for you. But they are sooo tasty that once you have tried them you won't be able to resist making the guy stop to sell you a little bit) and had a soda.
Some people from Peru wanted him to be their guide and he invited me along to listen. He really knew his stuff. He went into detail of the history of the country with dates included. I was really impressed as it is hard for me to remember the year I was born (just joking). So we worked out a deal for when I get a tourist that wants alot of history info I can pay him to help me take them around.
After the tour we were talking again and a friend, Buddy (Buddy has let me use many of his pictures on my web site), passed by. He was out on a picture taking walk. So we joined forces and I showed him some of my favorite picture taking spots.
We ended up at the Ruinas del Montasterio de San Francisco. I love that spot especially at night with the lights shining on it. I was looking in the gate and the watchman came around. I told him I had a web site of the Zone and Buddy was my photographer and he let us in to take some pictures.
Then of course we had to stop at the Colmado there for a beer after the hard work of picture taking. lol.
We walked to the other side of the Ruins and enjoyed some more conversation with some locals then walked on.
There were these people eating outside their door and as we passed I said hello, as I always do. They invited us in for lasagna and a few beers. We had a great dinner and met some really nice people. They may be my normal Sunday stop from now on.
We fed ourselves, talked a bit. Buddy took some pictures of the family and will give them these pictures at a later date. Then we walked on. Stopped in another Colmado for a beer then we went our separate ways to our own homes.
It was a great day.
Here are a few of the pictures I took.

Tormenta Noel

This last week has been so sad here. The Tormenta Noel hit us without any warning. It was raining hard Sunday and then in the evening the wind started. It was whisteling through the streets and things were crashing and banging all night. We had no idea there was a storm passing by. The lights were out so there was no television and I didn't have a battery powered radio (I wouldn't have understood much anyhow as my Spanish is bad). The following morning it was still raining hard and there was noone in the street as usual. I didn't plan on going out that day and hadn't gone out on Sunday either as I was trying to rest to get rid of this Gripe (flu) thats been hanging on.
Finally the power came on and I turned on the TV. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. A tropical storm hit and wasn't moving fast. Places were flooding fast with the people having no warning. The rivers were overflowing and houses were covered. The rain was still coming down. The power went out again. It was out in the entire country.
The next day the rain was still here. The power was out in almost all the country. Here in Colonial Zone we did get power but it kept going out. Things were not bad here. But the rest of the country, outside of the city. People living in the campos and along the rivers had lost all they had which is not much. Big houses and small all wiped away. Bridges and roads gone. Crops whipped out. Lives lost.
Just watching the images on the television made me cry for these people. I had to go to a Colmado and wath as the power was out and I don't have back up power. People were just watching the images in horror.
A friend of mine, living in a small barrio in Santo Domingo had been without electric for 4 days.
I spoke to a shoe shine boy. He siad that the water rose over his house in less than 2 hours and his families home was covered. They had no time to remove their things. All they have is gone.
Here in Colonial Zone life was going on as almost normal. I, in a way, felt guilty that I was in a dry bed. Was able to drink a cold beer and have hot food and these people were struggling for their lives.
Heres some pictures I found to share from some different newspapers.
Associated Press


http://www.elnacional.com.do/article.aspx?id=30543#
Dominican Today
According to Dominican Today "the number of fatalities are now 73 and rising. 43 people are missing, 64,960 were evacuated, 22,758 of which were taken to shelters.
Police spokesman Ramon Rodriguez said 526,000 people have been rescued and 16,024 houses were damaged by the floods, 686 of those completely destroyed. He said 62 communities are still unreachable by land as 35 bridges and highways were affected."
They also have a list of organizations to help the flood victims

This is just devastating for this country. The people, crops, farm animals and now the aftermath heath issues. The dams are bing watch closely. Clean water is hard to find. Food prices will rise because of all the crops and farm lands affected.
This problem started with the rains and it will be a long, long time before it is resolved.

Back Home

I haven't posted for a while. Trying to get my apartment together. Seeing old friends. Getting my computer connected in my friends office. It all takes time. Then I had a client here for a week and had too much fun showing him around. I love being a tour guide and sharing the country I love with others.

I finally arrived in the airport Oct. 7 in the evening. I had 2 extra pieces of luggage so it took some time picking it all up. I had it all piled on the cart. I couldn't see over the top of the pile so I was pushing, laughing and trying to watch for people around the sides of the pile.
Then a lady directed me to where they check the luggage. I didn't want to open all the boxes and luggage as all was packed perfect, each was the exact weight I was permitted.
They opened the box with my tower computer. she looked in and waved me on. They didn't want to open all the boxes. Thank goodness.
My friend Bu (name change to protect the innocent) was waiting for me. I, as usual, was about the last person out.
We went straight for the restaurant closest to the airport for my first beer. It was sooo cold and as wonderful as I remembered. I tried a Presidente light as they didn't have that when I lived here before. Not bad but the regular Presidente still tastes best. Bu and I had some dinner and great conversation.
Since it was late I didn't want to unload my stuff into my room at that hour so he let me stay in his businesses apartment.
It was so beautiful. Malecon Central. The view was great. The Caribbean and the entire view of the city from high above the world. I felt like I was rich.
The next morning Bu dropped me off at my room. I entered and it was a complete mess. The room was good but all my stuff was there in boxes and strewn around. It smelt bad after being stored in a garage for almost 3 years. But it was all there and I was happy.
My friend Felix watched my things for the time I was in USA. He got the keys to the place I found to rent and had it all there for me when I returned. I am so grateful for him. Not many people would keep a persons belongings for that length of time and ask for nothing in return.
I started arranging some stuff. All the clothes needed washed. But it was ok as I gained about 50 pounds while in USA and none of the stuff would fit me anyhow. I do plan on fitting into all again very soon though.
Met my neighbor. A really nice lady and she helped me alot. She is the motherly type. She made me some coffee and we talked a bit. She explained about the water (which I am so happy to have after my last apartment here without water for about 8 months). She explained about the lights and other stuff. The landlord came to meet me and collect the first months rent. He seems like a nice human.
It was time to go to the street. I had to get a phone first thing then go to Mamita and Jimmys place, my Dominican family. I was walking down El Conde and about 4 people stopped me. "Janette, como estas?" "Que gorda!" (Janette, how are you, how fat you are!). At least they asked how I was before they said how fat I got! lol!
Thats one thing I love about the Domincan people. they say exactly what they want without worrying about being politically correct.
I entered the Galeria. Mamita was happy to see me. Willy and the others working were all happy also. But noone was as happy as I was just to be here again where I feel most comfortable.
Jimmy went and got a few beers and we stood at Jimmys Bar and had a few and talked and caught up on all the good stuff. It was just like I had never left. *I need to explain Jimmys Bar. It is across the street from the Galeria. In the shade from the afternoon sun. It is a box where electric lines connect. Perfect height for leaning on. This is what we call Jimmys Bar.
They invited me to their home but I had to get stuff together so I declined. I went to the Cafeteria on el Conde to say hi to some people and still everyone first thing said how fat I got. I know I got fat. They didn't need to rub it in!
Then I went back to mt room, threw the mat from my sofa cama on the floor and went to sleep. I was home. My own place in my adopted country. Lots of work ahead of me but it was all good.

Seems I Found A Home

As I said before I am coming back home to Dominican Republic. Count down is on!! 21 more days until my big feet touch the Dominican Republic tierra.
I have been trying to find a place to live while I'm still in USA so I don't have to spend the extra money staying in a hotel. Well I have been searching and asking everyone I know to watch out for a place for me for the least amount of money possible as I don't want to spend too much money at first until I get myself organized and figure out just how much money I will be making.
So anyhow, I found a place. I called about it and we got the basic information communicated. Since I've been in USA there are not many people to practice my Spanish with so it is getting a bit rusty and it really was not very good to start with. But I got the basic information and told the guy my friend would come and look at the place for me.
Mamita (my friend - family in DR) went and checked it out . She said it was OK. Not the best but for sure not the worst. But I figure since it is in my price range and its OK it is better than a cardboard box in the street (Which my box would be laid out as I do know a box manufacture in DR...jejej). It's a room in a large house in the area where I want to live. 1 block from Calle el Conde in Colonial Zone. I would have access to the home and can put my things throughout the home. Like my wash machine on the patio, my sofa in the living room and my stuff in the kitchen. There is also a large balcony. It sounds OK for the time being. The only thing I.m not comfortable with is sharing the bathroom. But this will have to be the way it is until I find something better.
I will for sure have to change some of my habits as I will be in a home with outer humans. It will be another challenge. One of the many I've had since I've discovered DR. I am sort of looking forward to this challenge. It will teach me some things I'm sure. I may learn a bit more about the country I have grown to love and have adopted ads my own.
My friend is going today to give the apartment people my deposit and to get the keys. The next step is trying to get my belongings moved into the place while I am still in USA. My belongings are being kept by a friend. I have to organize him and another friend with the truck to get my minimal belongings moved. Not sure if it will work out the way I hope..I'll keep you all informed.

Movie Review - Santo Domingo Blues

I saw the movie Santo Domingo Blues recently. I really enjoyed it. Being away from Dominican Republic when watching it made the movie so much better. It made me long to return home to the island (but then everything makes me want to return to DR).
My favorite parts of the entire movie were the scenes that showed the campo. The real people of the country living their everyday lives. Reality of life away from the cities.

There are many different well known Dominican performers from the past and present represented in this film. The one I most enjoyed was Aridia Ventura. She is known as "The Executioner" because of the way she puts down men in her songs. All we women can appreciate her bitter and true words about the opposite sex. She doesn't preform any longer since she lost her eye sight. This rare performance is very special and informal.

The old timers include Eladio Romero Santos(he has past on but his music is forever with us),Ramón Cordero known as "The Sparrow",and José Manuel Calderón. I loved watching these performers in their element. Sitting in the yard with a little ron or a bien fria (rum or a cold beer) and playing and singing from the soul.

This movie was about Luis Vargas, of course. He was one of the first bachata singers I ever heard. I went to Dominican Republic on a vacation and heard this music. I was not sure if I liked it with the twangy guitar and the strange old sounding voices. So when I returned to USA I ordered the Putumayo Presents: Republica Dominicana CD. This disc had some great songs along with their lyrics and the translations. After listening to it a few times I was hooked. So I searched for this new (new to me) music, even if I didn't understand the lyrics.

Later, after I started understanding more of the language, I realized that Luis Vargas was a bit of a pervert. I liked his form of irreverence, even though his Machismo attitude does irritate me a bit (you must remember I am a woman). He sings songs with double meanings (which is elaborated on in the movie Santo Domingo Blues). He was even banned on the radio for a time. But I enjoy irreverence with style, and I do have to admit Luis Vargas has this attribute. I have seen him in concert and it is a really good time. The enthusiasm he brings to the audience it contagious.

If you would like to learn about Bachata music known as Música de Amargue(music of bitterness) this movie is great. If you want to see some of the real life in Dominican Republic this movie will show this also. For a documentary I thought this movie presented the information in a really entertaining way, not just a bunch of people talking. Another big plus was the narrator, one of my favorites, Luis Dias (read more about Luis Dias and hear a song of his).

For more information on Bachata music

You can rent this movie from Net Flix

To buy the DVD from Amazon...Santo Domingo Blues (2007)

to get the Putumayo Presents: Republica Dominicana CD from Amazon

The official Santo Domingo Blues web site

My Return

I'm coming home!!! I can't believe it is really going to happen. I will be returning to Dominican Republic to live again. To get my life back.
I am trying to find a studio or regular small apartment with electricity included in the Colonial Zone or surrounding area. It needs to be not expensive as I am not exactly sure what my income will be and I don't want to stress out when the rent comes due each month. So if anyone knows a place please let me know. I need to have it all in place for sure by the first week in October.
So there will be many new adventures added to this blog regularly. I know I will be having many more stories to tell.
This video represents the way I feel. Not happy, wandering aimlessly, feeling lost and lonely. Until my little hands find the Presidente cerveza (which can also represent Dominican Republic not just a bien fria). Soon my little hands will be happy again. Returning to my island.

Stealing Electric

I wrote about living without electric before in this blog. But I came across this video and it brought back lots of memories.
I remember when I was just a tourist in DR. One of the first things I told friends when I returned home was about the electric lines and how people seem to steal the electric. I had no idea then just how bad it was in real life.
When I moved to DR I would watch the tourists take pictures of the electric lines. Isabel la Catolicá and El Conde in Colonial Zone was a favorite electric line picture taking spot.
I had to check my line every so often because there was one neighbor that connected into my electric. I found out he didn't do it on his own, the landlord told him to do it and to pay me for it. He never told me and of course, never paid me so I cut his electric.
Another neighbor, she had a bar. She stole the electric all the time. They would come and cut the line (give her a fine I'm sure) and the next day she had it connected again. If it was in the evening and she couldn't get the line connected in time she would call up to me and ask for an extension cord so at least she could have music in the bar. Then she just used candles for light. I couldn't do much in my apartment when she used my electric. My lights were really dim and I was afraid to try the computer so I would just go down to her place and hang out. I knew she wouldn't pay me for the electric so I just drank my pay. That was fine with me.
Now check out this video. This guy is on top of the pole. Sitting there working, using a machete it seems. There is no ladder so he must have shimmied up there. I am afraid to play with any electricity. When I had to hook op my outside light I made sure all the power was turned off. Checked it with a voltage thing, and I was still a bit shaky. This guy looks like hes ready to have a beer sent up or even happily spend the afternoon atop that pole.

Que vaina! Humans..go figure...

Martins Invading Dominican Republic

They have arrived! Check out this video of the space invaders over Dominican Republic. Is it real or fake? Do you believe?
Do you think this is a hoax? These ships are just checking us out to return at a later date. Or maybe they/we are already here and you just don't recognize us.
Watch and let us know your opinion.


Now, to tell you what I think. I KNOW the Martians are already here. I am from Mars. Mars Pennsylvania, USA that is. I went to Mars High School. My family went to Mars High. The name of the football team is the Planets. The Mars National Bank's slogan is "Service out of this world". There are even aliens in the town of Mars if you look really close. I have invaded Dominican Republic. So it is a fact, there is without a doubt a person from Mars on the island. Will there be more arriving? One never knows...

Yes. This is Mars PA, USA.
More on the video now..I was reading around the net about the video. There is another which looks just about the same said to have been recorded in Haiti.
If you look at the palm trees in the video they are all shaped the same according to this picture .
According to UFO Roundup there was a Space Ship went down November 19,2003
According to UFO Casebook there was another spotted August 29, 2005
Read the articles. Watch the video. Visit the town of Mars. You decide for yourself. "The truth is out there". If you look hard enough for it or believe enough you will find your truth, whatever it may be. But always remember, have fun in your quest for your truth and if you can record it and post it on You Tube (because you do know all you see there is truth (sic)!

Dominican Spanish Lesson 2 - Animal Names

This is the second Dominican language lesson from Sir Nube Negra. This is a lesson on how to use animals in conversation. It is too funny, in my opinion. Since this is my blog my opinion is the one that counts, verdad? jejej
Make sure you take notes for your next visit to Dominican Republic!

I also have many of the animal names on my web site. And even better if you want to know Dominican animal talk check this out. This way maybe you to can be Doctor Doolittle Dominican style.

Dominican Spanish

I came across this video and had to share. It made me laugh. The words. The tone of the guys voice when he speaks Dominican Spanish is so perfect (It should be since he is Dominican duhhh).
So as you practice your Dominican Spanish make sure you listen to your teacher Sir Nube Negra and you will be speaking Dominican Spanish in no time.

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Remember to check the Dominicanismo Dictionary here. I will post new lessons as they come available. I want you to learn the proper way to speak your Dominican Spanish so you can feel like a native on your next visit. I do all this because I care.(jejee)

Boca Chica All Alone

Continued from the Bus Ride to Boac Chica..yes..there was more.
I get out of the bus in the park in the center of Boca Chica. I had been to the beach before but it was usually at some restaurant along the beach where they had chairs and you could get drinks and food. This didn’t really look familiar. I had never entered the beach from this direction.
So I just walked. And there it was. My friendly Colmado. I knew where I was now. I had been called the Colmado Queen by a few friends in the past (not sure if that’s a good thing but I thought it was funny. I'm always the first to laugh at myself). And I did know that Colmado. I stopped to have me a bien fria (more on Dominican beer) and say hi to the owner. He remembered me from about a year back when I took the 3 sisters there (that’s my mother and my 2 aunts when they visited me. thats an entirely different story I'll tell sometime). We talked a bit while I had my first beer of the day. The first always tastes the best. That Presidente beer just does down so easily. I got one to take with me.I only had to pay for the to-go beer, he wouldn’t let me pay for the first one. Nice guy.
I head down the little alley where all the wonderful smells hit me in the nose like getting slapped in the face with a fish tail (not that that has ever happened but the prevalent smell is fish so I thought it a great analogy). This alley is lined with people cooking the most wonderful fish and other goodies. I’ll get me somma that good stuff later. I wanted to get me some of those clams and oysters on the beach first. I had a plan.
As soon as I left the concrete of the alley and my feet touched the sand there they were. The dreaded people looking for paying butts to occupy their beach chairs. I ignored the first few then saw a place where I thought I’d like to park my bottom. The "incharge-of-the-chairs guy was hounding me so I thought I’d have a little fun and barter with him a bit. This is sometimes a fun thing to do.
First I asked him how much for a beer in the restaurant where the chair was located. It was much more than the Colmado, which is normal. Then I asked how much for the chair. He was all sweet saying for me a special price(I can’t remember the price now). But, oh yes, I truly beleived him he was giving ME a special price. Does my head look like it screws on? I told him I would be buying my own beer from the Colmado but I would still leave him a tip. His price went down lower but not too low. Then he said that if I buy a few beers from him the chair would be free. So I went for that deal. He was a nice human. We ended up talking a bit. Laughing and discussing why I decided to live in DR. I saw a few people I knew passing by but didn’t say anything. I was just observing.
One man I saw is an acquaintance I had spoken to in the streets in Colonial Zone. He’s older, hair colored to cover the grey. (I will not go into more detail because I don't want to give away his identity) but he’s always with a young, pretty, chica. Hmmm…wonder how that happens (LOL!)??? Anyhow, I was watching him making his moves on a group of girls that obviously were working girls.
After he passed on and the 4 girls were standing there talking near me I had to say something. I love to learn where people’s heads are. So I told them that I knew that guy. They laughed and said something about he was always there. They sat down and we were talking. They worked at a massage place there. One of the girls spoke English and she was going to college. Working to get through college. The others were career “masseuse”. They ended up getting some of the seafood that was passing by for us to share. I tried to put some money in for all to share but they wouldn’t let me. We ate some of the mixed seafood stuff with squid. I ended up buying a few beers for us to enjoy wile I asked more questions about their chosen profession. Then they went on their way. It was very interesting.
A few more people passed by that I knew and we said brief hellos. I got me some oysters from a vendor that remembered me from my other visits to the beach. I paid for the normal 6 crustaceans but he had some that were really small and he let me have them at no charge. I was eating and we were talking. He even sent a buddy of his to the Colmado for a beer for me (I paid for that one).
Then it was time to go. My day at the beach was over. I paid the guy for the chair. I paid the "lowest price" he gave me but then I tipped him to make it be the original price he gave me. He was happy. I had fun. He even made a few guys (Sanky Pankys) get away from me before they even started bugging me. So he was worth the little monies I gave him.
I went to the bus. I was tired and content. It wasn’t as full as on the trip to the beach. As we were approaching the city I decided to ask someone how I would get to the Zone. I thought maybe the bus went somewhere close to home then I could just get off. It didn’t. But this man was with his son and we decided to split a cab because he lived near to the Colonial Zone. So the taxi home was only $50 pesos and I had to make the man take that money.
So, all in all, my trip alone to the beach was all good. It did not cost me as much as I had thought. Noone really bothered me at the beach even though I was alone. I met some very nice humans. I had some great food and learned some new things. I also got a little sun and beach fun. All was good. I was one content human.
A little helpful hints for beach going

First Bus Ride to Boca Chica

I wanted to go to the beach. I had asked different friends, always they didn’t want to go. I had been trying to get to a beach for about a month and I finally decided to take the bus. I had never ridden a bus on my own before. In fact, I had only ever been on a bus a few times (other than the yellow school bus I rode for 12 years back and forth to school).
I asked a neighbor where to get the bus, also known as a Guagua. I knew in general where it was. Sort of near Enriquillo Park of of Duarte some place, I knew the general direction. I was going to walk instead of paying a taxi (I figured a taxi ride would be 2 1/3 beers and I’d rather have the beer) I could use the exercise. The neighbor took me to the public car route a half block away. He told the driver something, gave him some pesos (yes, he paid), and I got in.
The driver took me directly to the bus. The express bus too. Which was great because I would have never known the difference. A bus is a bus is a bus.
The area was chaotic. There were humans everywhere. Hustle and bustle. I had no idea what was happening. All I wanted was a bus to the beach. Was that too much to ask?
I saw a bus with a header that said Boca Chica. Yeah! I was getting somewhere. I asked the man loading the people onto the bus like they were cattle. Is this the express bus for Boca Chica in my broken Spanish. He says “Yea, yea lady. Get in” (in English). I hate when people do that. It was like he really didn’t hear my question or care what I had to say. He just wanted the fare and herded this heifer into the bus.
It was an OK bus. There was an inkling of air conditioning. Not dirty like many of the other buses waiting to load. Comfy and not too crowded. Until the rest of the herd burst on board. The bus full to the seams.
I was sitting next to a lady carrying all these brooms, mops and buckets. They were all new. I just didn’t understand why she took a bus to the capital to buy these items when I’m sure any store carried them. But she was happy. Of course, I was the only Gringa on board.
The broom lady and I started talking. I helped her hold some of her items. She was really nice, even though I didn’t understand all what she was saying. Usually when someone says something I don’t understand I ask them to use a different word that I may understand. But I found many people didn’t know any other words, only the ones they were using. She was one of those “only one-word” persons.
But we communicated and laughed. Every time the bus stopped I asked if that’s where I was to get off. She kept putting her hand up giving me the stay signal. She got off in route, before the beach stop. She told the guy working the door, the loader, that I wanted the beach and for him to help me. They said something else had a little chuckle, I’m sure at my expense. But I smiled and thought that if the hooves-shoes were exchanged I’d probably have a little chuckle myself at the Rubia with no clue.
But I got there. The herder man told me where to go and when to get the last bus back. He was really helpful after all.
I got out of the bus and was on my way to the beach. All alone. My first time on the beach by my self. I was so excited for the adventure.
Heres some information on how to take the bus from Santo Domingo (near Parque Enriquillo) to Boca Chica.
A little more information on Boca Chica, The World's Largest Bathtub"

Horse Sounds

I was standing outside on the deck drinking my morning cup of coffee. Doing my morning talk to God. Off in the distance. Down in the valley. In the morning mist. I heard a horse whinny. Loud and long. Further off in the distance another horse responded with the same whinny in a different distinct pitch. Then the closer horse did a few of those bbhhh-sounding things they do while shaking their heads. These small sounds made me miss Dominican Republic. (This picture is part of our Bayaguana-Festival of the Bulls collection here)


This sound when I was young, I hated the horse sounds. Those sounds were reminding me that I had to go and feed my horse, Blaze. No matter the weather it had to be done. First thing in the morning. No important if the water pump was frozen and I had to carry water. No matter if I wasn’t feeling that great. The horse had to be fed and let out of the shed.

Ahhh. Those sounds in Dominican Republic. They were such relaxing sounds. When there were no cars in the street in the early morning hours. When all was quite and still. I could hear a horse coming close in the distance. The distinctive clip clop of the hooves on the pavement. It was sort of a lonely sound. Like a lost soul trying to find its way. Yet it was also a soothing sound. Relaxing. So steady and constant. Just the clip clop. Getting closer then passing by and disappearing in the distance.

This picture is part of the Dominican people collection here.

New York Dominican Day Parade 2007

Sunday August 12 2007 is the big Dominican Republican Day Parade. This years parade on 6th Avenue from 36th Street to 62nd Street will be hosted by TV host Karina Larrauri. For the first time in the history of the parade it will be aired live on satellite from NYC to the DR. Television Dominicana which broadcasts on Dish Network channel 844 and 434 by way of Direct TV, will have live coverage of the parade from 2 to 4 P.M.
The New York Dominican Parade and “Fiesta” will be attended by an estimated 500,000 people. There will be lots of great Dominican food, music and cultural events. Our friends from Mabi Refresco will be there with their new product right behind the Goya Foods float.

So if you are in the area go enjoy the sights sounds and scents of the event. If you can't be in Dominican Republic at least during this parade you can pretend you are. Even if it is only for a few hours.
I wish I could join everyone! Enjoy!

A little more information..

Crime in Pittsburgh PA, USA verses Santo Domingo

I was talking to a lady a few weeks ago. She said how she didn't like Dominican Republic because of the high crime rate and that noone ever talks about that.
Well..I don't have any information on the crimes in Santo Domingo but I was curious and decided to look at a city near where I was raised. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
First some population facts just to put it in perspective a little better:
US Census Bureau Facts says 2006 population of Pittsburgh estimate was 1,223,411
Population of United States in 2007 is 301,139,947 according to the CIA World Fact Book
Dominican Republic population estimated July 2006; 8,950,034 according to the CIA World Fact Book
Estimated population of Santo Domingo (Metro)estimated 2,253,437 in 2006 according to Wikipedia

I just glanced through The Post Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review and pasted a few headlines.
Friday, July 27, 2007
N.Y. man charged in local bank robberies
5,000 student loan customers' info on stolen laptop
Town mourns death of tot and Grandmother. Driver who killed them was on her way home from methadone clinic
North Side vigil tonight for teen shooting victim
Man and teen shot in McKeesport
Man who killed Fayette County family set to die Sept. 19
Manchester man wounded in Hill District shooting
Man wanted in Wilkinsburg shooting
18-year-old shot in the head
Man convicted in severed body case
Driver in fatal hit-and-run at Station Square sought
Man arrested after holding two hostage
“About 12 hours ago, I heard again the sound of a 15-round clip being emptied”
Man and teen shot while riding in SUV in McKeesport
man in stable condition after being shot 5 times

I hear people saying that there is so much crime in DR. Which I know there is. But if you look anywhere in the world there is crime. In larger cities there is usually more crime. Why? Maybe because there are more people. In tourist areas there seems to be more crime. Why? Maybe because the bad guys are looking for an easy hit where they know people have cash.
I’m just trying to put it all in perspective.

Now if your talking about bad driving incidents…this is another story.

*Note - I know Pittsburgh is smaller than Santo Domingo. I just needed to compare a city that I knew and never really thought of as being "dangerous". I may delete this post after a few days because I'm not sure if its pertinent just yet. I was just watching the news and decided to check out the thoughts flowing through my jumbled up head

Dominican People

I came across this video of still pictures by Paul Gerace. These pictures are great Paul says "For better picture clarity the show should be viewed by clicking the centered rectangle located at the bottom right of the viewer". Thanks for these pictures!


There are also some great pictures (slide show) of the Dominican People here for your viewing pleasure.

Don't you just love my new country???

Flying and Ticket Refunds

I was checking out the new web site Yapta.com and had to share the information I learned.
When you buy an airline ticket and the price changes you can get a refund, rebate or credit (depending on different airlines policies). Yapta makes it easy for you. They will let you know when the price goes down and you can make the decision if you want to change the price. The price of a ticket can go up and down drastically many times within one day.
Just remember if you do change the ticket sometimes there is a fee for doing so. Just make sure the fee is not more than the money you will save.
A great place to purchase tickets on line is
Find Cheap Flights from
Kayak.com
They let you search for tickets by price for over 100 airlines and ticket sellers. Then they send you to the appropriate site to purchase your ticket on line. It's great being able to see all the prices from so many airlines at once. They also have hotels, cars and cruises.
Then after you get your tickets remember to make an account with Yapta and watch for cheaper tickets. This way you can have more money to spend on playing in Dominican Republic or wherever you chose to visit.

Views From My Balcony - The Strike (Huelga)

I really had no idea what it meant when there was a strike (in Spanish it is Huelga) in Dominican Republic. I didn't really pay attention when the neighbors and Mamita told me about the strike and she was not going to open the Galeria until she saw what was going on that day. I just had no clue why anyone would stay home just because of a strike.
I learned.
I got up around 6AM the morning of the strike. I had to do some laundry and it was best to get up early to do it because one never knew when the water would stop flowing. I've done laundry when it was all soapy and wet and the water stopped. What a pain in the butt. Its not bad having to wait for the next day for water. But I always kept the washer filled with water for storage for household usage and when I couldn't get it filled there was always a shortage of washing water.
Anyhow. I was on the balcony hanging out the laundry and I noticed there was a group of humans gathering across the Malecon in front of the ship docks. There was very little traffic on the road but what little there was they would not let past so there were some people standing by the stop light further down the street telling the vehicles to detour there.
My neighbor came out to observe from her balcony which was almost even with mine. I asked her what was happening. She told me it was the strike. The old light came on. Ahh, the strike, now I understood why people were talking about it as being a big event.
The neighbor was talking about different things, half of which I didn't understand (seems people kept forgetting to talk slow). As I was trying to understand her story a gun shot went off in the crowd. She motioned for me to get in my apartment. I went in fast and sat on the floor to watch TV. I wasn't going to take a chance of getting hit with a stray bullet through the window.
After about 5 minutes I heard her calling me "Janette, Americana. Ven" So I went out to see what was happening. She said it was OK now. I could make out some guns being held up in the distance. There were some police cars sitting around by now. One at the intersection at 19 de Marzo and the Malecon. A few at the entrance to the ship yard and one at the intersection on the other side at Merino and Jose Gabriel Garcia making traffic go the wrong way on my street.
After that noting much happened. Mamita called and said she was at the galeria. I got the laundry in and went to the galeria about 2PM. There wasn't many people in the streets or the parks. Tourists were still around so she had to open.
Later in the night the park got crowded with the neighbors discussing the events of the day. Another normal evening after a very interesting day and another learning experience for the Gringa. Now I know what a Dominican huelga is.

There was a huelga just the last week in Dominican Republic. Here are some links about what happened. These are not all the information but its what I could find
in english:
Dominican Government warns the strike organizers
One death, reduced transit in first hours of general strike
General strike concludes in Dominican Republic, 1 dead, 5 injured

Chat Thingy

I added the new chat thingy on the right side of the page.
Anything you want to comment on or just to say hi, please feel free to talk.
I have it connected to the sister web site www.colonialzone-dr.com. This way you can talk here or talk there and it will be shared.
So if there are any questions about DR or the Zone please leave them with your email (if you prefer) and I'm sure myself or some viewer will help you out.
You can also click this link (or save it anytime you want to chat) and the chat box will open in its own little window.. Now Isn't that just amazing??!! LOL!
You may need to hit the refresh button..seems it is sometimes a little slow on the refresh so if you desire refresh manually. We have lots of smileys too. I tried to find some that were not the norm. Enjoy!

Movie Review - Intimate Stories / Historias Minimas

Intimate Stories (2002)originally named Historias Minimas / Minimal Stories (Spanish with English subtitles)
This movie is very uneventful but I considerer it to be one of the better movies I have seen. It brings 3 people (and a baby) together who have nothing in common other than they are traveling to the same area, San Julián in the deserted and desolate southern Argentinean region of Patagonia. Each traveling on their own, their paths cross, as do their stories and dreams, throughout their separate journeys along these lonely roads.

The 80 year old man was tired of his life running a grocery store. He snuck away to search for his dog that ran away, he thinks because of something he did. Someone told him they saw the dog so off he goes hitchhiking, he can't drive because he is almost blind, his way into the lives of the other travelers.

The traveling salesman who seems to have a crush on a widow lady overheard it was her child's birthday so he goes out of his way to get a cake. He wants to impress her with this cake and tell her of his love for her. Not knowing if the child is a boy or girl, the cake is changed a few times throughout the movie from a boys cake to one a bit more generic.

Then there is the single mother and her baby. She won a ticket to participate in a game show and could win a food processor. She was so obsessed with the TV and the chance of winning something, even though she has no money, she took off to seek her fortune and her dream.

The director, Carlos Sorin, used mostly non-professional actors in this wonderful film. The peoples lives blend so perfectly with the scenery in this movie. It is filmed on many lonely, desolate roads in the Patagonia region. I was mezmorized by the beauty of the area and the colors of the sky were enthralling.

This road movie shows the spirit of people trying to make a dream, no matter how small, come true. Through humor, generosity, determination and a good spirit these people are very likable and honest. This movie is simple and enchanting with no special effects or action scenes. Watching it made me smile and feel good remembering it does not take that much to be truly happy.


The film won the Special Prize of the Jury in the 2002 San Sebastián Film Festival.
The winner of the 2003 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival.

Buy Intimate Stories from Amazon.com

Also available for rent from:

Movie Review - The Secret of Roan Inish

"The Secret of Roan Inish"
This movie is one of my all time favorites. After I discovered it I bought it. When I moved to Dominican Republic out of all my movies I had collected (about 300 or so) I only took about 15 of my favorites with me (sold the rest) and this movie was one I saved.
It was made in1993 but it is a timeless movie. It is a fairy tale of sorts. About this young girl Fiona, who had to leave the city after the death of her mother and go live with her grandparents. They lived within view of their ancestral island called Roan Inish. It is called the island of the seals.
Fiona learns about the families history and why they left the desolate island. She learned about the old stories of the selkies and how they effected her family.
Since it is an Irish tale the music is wonderful. Celtic, happy music. I love the entire sound of this movie. The crispness of it. Like the time when Fiona was helping her grandfather stirring the tar pot for mending the boats to the sound of the water lapping against a little row boat when a seal was taking Fiona to the island of Roan Inish.
I give this movie 5 stars all around. From the soundtrack to the tale itself. It makes one fell happy and stirs the imagination.

Views From My Balcony – Doggy Love

Can dogs fall in love? I never really saw doggy devotion until I observed these 2 semi-street dogs from my balcony. Semi-street dogs meaning that they belonged to someone but they were not considered to be a real part of the family.

They slept in the front of their owner’s door and were fed but not really an integral part of the family. They had the typical street dog look. Skinny and lanky, short haired non-breed dogs.

The main boss dog was the lady. I thought for the longest time that her name was Latrina and could not understand why someone would call his dog the name of an outhouse. Thank goodness that her name turned out to be Ladrina. I never knew the name of the man in Ladrinas life.

They were always together. She was much more presentable than he. She would go into the Colmado for a treat and he would wait outside. She would walk the street and he would follow close behind her. Anywhere you saw Ladrina her man was close behind.

Once the man-dog was hit in the street. My guess is he was sleeping under someone’s car and his leg got damaged. Someone put a few sticks on his leg and tied them with cloth. That was his splint. He hobbled around as best he could. But mostly he just lay around in the park. Ladrina was never far from his side. His leg healed up and his walking returned to almost normal. He had a little limp-drag-swagger to his gait but he did just fine.

At night when Cezar, the burger man, was cooking the doggie lovers were near by but never interfered with the cooking. They were even very discriminating on what they ate. My dog, Sniffy, ate anything. She loved pan de auga (the bread) and she would even eat rice. But these thin dogs of the street were never caught eating these things. (only once did Ladrina eat some bread and that is because she saw my dog eating some and she had to give it a try). One would think that they would scarf up anything they came across but this was not the case.

One day Ladrina was alone. Lying in front of her feeder-humans door. Alone. She looked sad, sort of lost. Very rarely was she ever alone without her man-dog. She walked the park alone. She went to the Colmado alone. She lost the spring in her walk.

Other dogs in the area started coming around her but she would chase them away, which she never did to her man. She looked so lost and sad. Where did her love go?

Finally after about a month Ladrina disappeared. No one saw her. She, along with her man, had just stopped existing.

Did she die from a broken heart? Did they join each other in Doggie Heaven? Did she wander off in search of a new love?

After seeing Ladrina and her man I do believe in doggie love and true doggy devotion.

Movie Review - Pan's Labyrinth

I have seen some great movies that I must share so I'm going to make a little movie review section. for me a good mivie is one that holds my attention. It makes me feel like I am right there and gives me some emotional feelings.

"Pan's Labyrinth" also known by the Spanish title "El Laberinto del Fauno"
This is a Spanish language movie with subtitles. It is a bit graffic with a little more blood and gore than I usually like but the story was just too good for the gore to matter much. It is concidered to be a fairy tale for adults. It is about a 10 year old girl that has a not too happy life but she loves to read fairy tales. She finds a decaying labyrinth guarded by Pan, an ancient satyr who claims to know her past as a princess and also her destiny. Her mom is a sad lady and her step father is a nasty sadistic, fascist officer in the pro-Franco army. There is lots of death and towards the end of the movie I was starting to wonder how it could have any type of a near happy ending. It was a suprise for sure.
This multiple Oscar-winning tale set in 1944 Spain from director Guillermo del Toro is for sure a must watch in my opinion (which is the only opinion that counts...LOL).
It is available for rent from
Netflix.com

Palos Video - I Just Couldn't Resist It

I never put a video on my blog before but I came
across this and just had to put it on here. I love Palos
music and wrote about it on my web
site http://www.colonialzone-dr.com..
This song , Los palos by Kinito Mendez is great.
I'm not really into the the TV show Family Guy but
this is just too great to let it pass by. Enjoy!

The Campo- Whats Biting

I did get to see much of the island but most of the time I had no idea where I was. I just went along for the ride. At times the rides were uneventful and others they were quite noteworthy.

Once I went with a friend and his family to La Vega to visit the grandparents. It was nice just hanging out with the family and sometimes I even understood the conversation.

From here we got in a truck and headed to the mountains. It was somewhere near Pico Duarte. We drove on some hazardous roads. It was dark so I had no idea just how dangerous this road was until the next day when I saw it in the light of day. I couldn't believe the road. Dirt. Steep banks dropping down into the forest. Road half gone because of a rain storm that passed. But it was worth it just to have spent the time in the campo.

The home we were going to was some type of mountain biker stop off. There were a few rooms for sleeping but most of the house was open air. It sat on a steep hill that decended to a calm, cool river. It was so peaceful and serene just watching nothing, enjoying the quite.

There was a little Colmado(picture of the Colmado) down the street, or should I say, down the dirt trail. There was no electricity in the area just generators. This Colmado didn't use the generator but on the weekend so we couldn't get any cold beer. So the next best thing was some rum. We did bring some coolers with ice so we shared that with the people sitting in the Colmado and had a little party with the locals. I even danced a little bachata with some of the men around. They got a good laugh out of it. I will always be the first to make fun of myself.

The caretakers of this house cooked us some sanchocho on a fire in the yard. There was about 8 of us that got to devour this typical Dominican dish (Picture of us eating). We were all so hungry after a day in the country we devoured that stew up.

Since I do love the outdoors and camping, I had to take a walk alone. I walked down some trails and ended up by the river. There was a horse tied near the river with no one in site to claim ownership. There was a swinging bridge crossing over the river which looked as if it was used often but there didn't seem to be any life around. It was just amazing to me that people lived in these remote areas where there were no roads. Only foot paths. I could never imagine having to carry groceries such a long distance on foot.

I did a little more walking and my friend came to find me since I was gone, alone, for over an hour. We decided to take a swim in the river. Sin ropa / without clothes of course.

All was good. We found a deeper spot and were playing in the water when out of nowhere 2 boys magically appeared on the bridge. They were maybe 8 years old. Of course seeing a Gringa with her white butt shining like the sun itself got some unwanted attention. My friend and I knowing we were discovered could do nothing. Our clothes were across the river on a rock. Not within grabbing distance.

There was a large bolder so we clung to it. Hugging that rock because it was our only guard against those eyes that kept staring at us.

The kids would not go away. They were laughing and pointing. We were rock hugging and laughing with them. What else could we do? We were stuck.

Well, while we were hugging the rock and not moving much I kept feeling things on my legs. At first I thought it was just debris brushing up on my legs as it flowed down the river. Then the debris started pinching. It was not river muck it was fish! They were biting me! They were nibbling at my legs. It wasn't big bites but I could for sure feel them and it wasn't really pleasant. I kept thinking a bigger fish would decide to come along and join in the feast. We had to keep kicking our legs to keep the fish away, laughing at our situation, with the kids still gawking at us.

Finally the kids got bored. What seemed to be an hour was really about 20 minutes. We decided to make a run for it and get our clothes. I had just got my pants on when the kids reappeared. I had to put my top on under their watchful eyes. But it was too late. They must have been laying in wait for our escape from the fish and the river.

We got back to the house and shared our story with everyone there. Within an hour after getting back to the house these little red blotches started appearing on my legs. They were itchy and very noticeable. My friend had them also but his didn't show up like mine. Red on brown skin isn't that noticeable but red on white flesh really shows up!
It ended up that the no seeums got me. I didn't feel anything or see anything. I guess thats how they got their name..duhhh. But those dots stayed on my body for about 2 weeks. The itching went away but the blotches stayed. I thought they were never going to fade and I would be deformed for life. But in time they did leave. But my friend lost his dots within days. Not fair!
More information on nosseums(opens in a new window)

The experience in the campo was fabulous. I went out and laid in the street where there was no tree cover and watched the vastness of the Dominican sky. The stars were so bright. The air was so cool. Not a car or person passed by in the street. It was so quiet. Wonderful.

If I ever have enough money I would love to get a little place in the mountains away from humans. My dream is to have my apartment in the city and my place in the country. Hang in the country for a few days then go to the city for a few days. The best of both worlds...

The Tree Cutters

This story is about a tree trimming crew I saw in front of my apartment in Zona Colonial but first I must share some of my tree trimming history and knowledge.

I was born...LOL! But really my first time that I remember tree trimming affected me badly was on my first birthday. My dad (my dad was known as a tree surgeon and my mother was a nurse..yes..I come from a family of doctors..LOL!) was born “in the trees.” When he says “Bye, see ya later” it comes out as “In the trees.” He was a tree man since I can remember. On my first birthday he got the first knuckle of his ring finger cut off because of some chipper that went crazy. So my birthday party was delayed because of tree trimming. To this day when he pretends he is bending his finger over, when it really is long gone-by-chipper, we are reminded of that finger loss day when I turned 1.

When I was old enough to drag a branch my dad took me with him on his weekend make-extra-money tree trimming jobs. I was on the ground crew of 1. I had tree climbing envy because he would just shimmy up that tree using a harness and some really spiky shoes. He would be toting a big chain saw or some curved hand saw with really large teeth. I didn’t want to be on the ground picking up the droppings. I wanted to do the chopping. But I did my duty and drug all the branches to the brush pile as directed by boss man daddy in the tree.

We were always trimming trees. I don’t know how the trees grew so fast in our yard but it seemed that at least once a week we had to so something with picking up some tree parts. Branches, leaves or logs for chopping into firewood. Always something to do with a tree.
There were always chain saws around. At least 2 to 3 different sizes for different jobs. There was the big industrial size saw. That baby could bring down a big tree in no time. Just cut that wedge out of the side and the tree soon came crashing sown. After it was down then the chain saw changed. The medium sized one cut the tree into workable pieces. Bigger branches cut off and the tree cut into splitable lengths. Then the baby chain saw to cut the smaller branches and twigs for putting on the burn pile or sending to the chipper for mulch.

The firewood splitting was a real chore. I have a picture of me in the wood pile in my yellow bikini. Hair in pig tails holding a maul type ax (it is more wedge shaped for easier log splitting). I looked like a mix between Bonnie (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) and some Hillbilly gal. I got to make spending money splitting the wood. I got $5USD for splitting a face cord (our face cord was about 4 feet high by 8 feet long with the length of the piece being about 14 inches long). It took forever to do this splitting. My hands were callused. My arms killed me. I got splinters all the time. But for what I thought was a lot of money at the time, I did the work. Then one day I was using the sledge hammer on a chisel chopping some really large log into pieces. I didn’t realize that I need to grind the edges of the chisel, I guess I was really wanting to chop that wood instead of taking time out to get the chisel ground down. Well, a piece of the metal from the ragged edge broke off and landed inside my leg next to my knee cap. It really didn’t bleed but there was a white ball in inside flesh sticking out if the small hole. I pretended that it didn’t hurt but I ended up having to go to hospital and get the metal removed. So I still have my wood splitting scar on my knee.

I even climbed trees all the time. Be it to get an apple of just to go up there and sit. I even had dreams that Donny Osmond would stop and see me sitting in the tree and climb up and join me. I had all the good climbing trees names along with the spots that were best for sitting. My favorite was the queen tree. This is where Donny and I would sit in my daydreams hiding from the world in my green world.

My first time I was permitted to use the chain saw I felt like I had really grown up. I had made it in the world. Then my son and I started going camping all the time and my dad gave me my own chain saw to cut the wood I got from the firewood man or from the saw mill. It was one of his, a small one, just perfect. Then even better, I got my very own chain saw for Christmas from my dad. I was so happy. I loved getting tools and this was my treasure. I finally had MY own chain saw. This way I could saw my wood into chopable pieces and then ax and hatchet that stuff up into the perfect firewood size. I was finally content. I needed no more in life..jejeje

So now that you know the history and you will understand why this tree chopping story was so amazing to me....
I got up early before the sun hit my balcony full force to make some jewelry. I had to grind down some coconut shells into pendant size pieces and use the dremel to rout out different Taino type designs on the shell. Then polish the shell and drill some holes to make little necklaces. I was out on the balcony with my goggles on grinding away when this truck load of men pulled up to the park. There were 5 men in the back and 2 suit type men in the front. All got out and was looking up into the tree. I tried to look like I wasn’t looking and kept working. Soon the machetes came out and some very old rustic wobble ladders were leaned on the side of the tree. these machete holding men went up the ladder and crawled out to the edge of different branches. All this while holding onto their machetes. Then they started hacking away at the branches. They were trimming the tree!

This tree is huge, as you can see in the picture. If you know the park at Fort San Jose near the Malecon in Colonial Zone you will know the trees. This particular tree was huge. It looked like it was hit by some large storm and had a part that was cut away years past but it all grew up again. This tree was so nice. I wish I knew what type it was but the leaves made a nice brushing sound when the breeze hit them. The trunk was for sure to large to be huggable. This is one fine tree. If you get a chance just go and visit this tree. I'm sure it will know you were there just to see it.

I just could not fathom that there were no safety measures. Holding machetes and climbing a tree. Two of the men had hard hats and the others did not. Heres me grinding coconut shells using safety glasses and they're chopping trees and using nothing. They all did have work gloves on. I guess they wanted to keep their hands soft..jejej. I had to take a picture of these men but I didn’t want to let them see me do that so the pictures didn’t turn out. The matte of the tree was too dense. Since I couldn’t get a good photo I had to share this with someone that would appreciate what I was seeing so I called back to Pennsylvania to tell my dad what I was seeing first hand. This was too good not to share with my daddy the tree surgeon.

Finally the men finished hacking at that tree. They left the cuts all ragged and frayed. We never did that. All had to be clean and the larger cuts had to be tarred. These men did nothing. Just hacked away at its poor tree and left it looking mangled. Then they picked up most of the fallen branches and moved on to the next tree to hack that one. Leaving me to get back and focus on my coconut grinding once again.

The Beast from Nagua Beach

A group of friends decided to take me with them for a few days on their quest for the big wave. They are surfers and on weekends they go around to surfing spots. I don't surf but I can always find something to do while they are in the water. I love exploring new places and meeting new humans. As long is there are people to talk to, sights to see and Presidente beer to drink I can be very content.
They decided to head to Nagua. I had been there before with some of my closest friends, Tony and Lenin, whose families live there. It is a fun city for sure. I love the saying for the town,"A Nagua tu entras si quieres, y sales si puedes" (translated, Enter Nagua if you want, leave if you can). Which I did not understand until I was there. (I also have a Barcelo Ron video on my web site which starts out with that saying.
The surfers took me to a beach where there were no humans. It had a strong wave. It didn't seem like a public beach as it had lots of debris on it. There was also a wall where the water washed away the sand and made a big drop off about as tall as I (5"9'). So I was sitting on this sand ledge watching the surfers doing their thing when these 3 children came over to investigate as to why this lone Gringa was sitting on their beach.
They were talking to me and they pointed to a small house almost directly on the beach. I figured this was where they lived. They were talking fast and I told them I do not understand that they need to talk slow because my Spanish is bad. So of course, instead of talking slower they talked louder. They thought I didn't understand because I couldn't hear. I told them again and they talked even louder, not slower. Finally I got them to understand and their voices returned to normal level.
This took a while but I finally got the story. One girl, the youngest, maybe about 7 was so animated when she was telling the story. She was jumping around and getting all excited. The older girl, maybe around 10 was sitting calmly and agreeing with the younger one and adding a little more description to the story. The little boy, maybe about 6, was too busy being hyper and making the sand wall fall down, smiling at me and flirting in his little boy way.
So heres the story as I understood it..
There is a beast that lives in the rocks in the distance. He is long, sort of dragon-lizard like. It can walk and leaves foot prints in the sand (about as large as my size 10 feet they said). It is very mean and only comes out at night. They have seen it on the rocks sometimes but they got to afraid to really look at it. This creature stalks the beach at night looking for dead fish and little children to eat. It had a large mouth and big giant teeth. It also has red eyes that glow in the dark. It has a long tail that drags behind it and leaves a trail on the sand. It makes a hissing sound that they could hear sometimes when they are in their beds. It is the color of the sand.
The way I understood it is it is a story the parents tell the children to keep them off the beach at night. A Boogy man story of the sea.
This story took a long time to tell, at least an hour. My lack of understanding Spanish was the biggest problem. During the story I had to make them explain in words I could understand. They had to draw things in the sad and dance around while they were telling this story. With the oldest sister chiming it to tell the younger when she said something wrong and the little boy coming over, wide eyed adding his 2 cents when he felt appropriate. If only I had a video camera at the time. It would have been a great tape.
After the story the kids wanted me to go to their house which was close on the beach. There was lots of people moving around the home as the girls held my hands telling me something else that I had no clue of what they were saying. The boy was in front walking backwards probably to make sure I was really following.
We walked around to the front of the house and a wonderful scent hit me dead on. I saw what all the adults were doing. Over a fire where was a pig roasting. Snout and tail still entact. They were placing this hugh feast on a cement table that was attached to the house. The smell was so wonderful. I was making yummy sounds because I didn't know the words to say. They were inviting me to have some of their piggy dinner.
I excused myself and walked to the street where there was a Colmado and bought a few Grande Presidente beers for my donation to the feast.
I returned and they gave me some of this meat that had been alive probably that same morning. It was so good and of course the kids were watching the Gringa eat like they never saw a person eat before. I didn't think I ate much differently than them but I guess I was wrong by the way they watched me.
I couldn't stay long as I didn't want the surfers to return and I wasn't there. Also I was feeling a little uncomfortable sitting there in my bating suit with a scarf wrapped around my bottom. There were a few of the men that made me feel as if I had no cloths on at all the way they were looking at me.
So I thanked them all and went back to my spot on the beach alone. The kids stayed behind. I sat down and was laughing to myself out loud remembering the children telling me their story, savoring the pig juices left over in my mouth, and waited with baited breath for the surfers to return. Keeping an eye out incase I caught a glimpse of the "Beast from Nagua Beach"

Dia de los Reyes/Three Kings Day

Dia de los Reyes
My first Christmas in Colonial Zone all was still so new to me. But then I try to always look at things as if I'm seeing them for the first time. Makes life so much more interesting this way. Anyhow...
The 3 Kings Day..I had never heard of Dia de los Reyes before. I had no idea it even existed. Sure I knew about the 3 kings but I didn't know that people celebrated this day. So when I saw all this commotion in the park in front of my apartment early one morning a week after New Years day I didn't know what was happening. So I got my cup of coffee and dragged my milk crates to the balcony to watch (I used milk crates because the plastic chair didn't reach high enough to sit and see over the balcony edge. 2 milk crates with a cushion on top worked just fine).

I thought the holidays were over but I guess I was wrong. This big truck pulls up towing a giant flat bed all decked out with Christmas decorations and some hugh speakers. It took a while for the truck to get the flat bed in the correct place. Going back and forth, over the curbs, almost hitting the telephone pole. In fact, it did scrape the pole and the wires were waving. I thought the pole was going to come down as it was not in the best shape to begin with.

But the flat bed was in place and the truck left. During all this there was a line forming along the wall down to the entrance to the restaurant La Bahia. More and more kids with their parents were getting in this line. Going around the Colmado and continuing down the street. I had no idea what was happening and the neighbors were just moseying around the park watching the flat bed turn into a stage and going about their daily business. As I was getting more curious. This was a normal event for them but I had no clue, as usual. So I went and got showered and dressed and thought I'd wander outside and to the Colmado to see what was going on.

By the time I made it outside the line of jumping happy kids with their parents in tow was moving slowly toward the restaurant and there was all types of kids in the park with their folks. I cut into the line and got into the Colmado and asked what was happening. Thomas, the Colmado guy, was really busy. He was the only one working so I at least got a few of the items I knew to help him out and collected some money for the candy the kids were buying. But he didn't have the time to tell me what was happening. My Spanish isn't that good and it takes time for someone to talk to me and for us both to understand. But I did figure out that these kids were getting numbers from the restaurant that they would use in a drawing for gifts. So I just had to wait and see what would happen next.

The park gang, my neighbors were already claiming our normal bench, I guess it was before the people from outside of the neighborhood could take our bench. They are very possessive about their territory. So I joined them. Trying to find out what was going on without looking too stupid. They were already starting on a bottle of rum, but then it was almost noon by this time. It was going to be a long day. There were 2 large bottles of Brugal Anejo, a bottle of coke and one of 7up along with a stack of styrofoam glasses and a cooler with ice. They were ready. One neighbor was setting up her little stand, she sold meatballs from the bench. And Cesar and Euclau were already getting the hamburger cart ready. This was a big day for sure.

So I went and got Sniffy (my dog) and came back down to fill my glass from the neighborhood alcohol stash and started to concentrate on the events going on around the stage.

It seems that it was a radio station. The Bahia restaurant collected presents for the kids. or they were just the place that the tickets were being handed out, never was sure about that. The kids all got these tickets. The radio people drew the tickets and the kids got to go onto the stage and they got a present. I felt sorry for the kids because the announcers were taking their time and making jokes and such when all these kids wanted was their presents. But the kids waited patiently. A bit rambunctious but they were on the average good.

They got good presents too. Most of them were bikes, nice bikes. There were transformer robots, tea sets. All the presents were good stuff. There was one little boy. They gave him a box and he started crying. He just stood on the stage crying. He wouldn't leave the stage. He wanted a bike. He was not going to leave until he got the bike. (I would have not let him have anything if he was mine after he started making a scene by yelling and crying). He got his bike and left the stage. Many of the kids were so cute and grateful for what they got. Many were dressed in their finest. Little girls in frilly dresses and ruffle socks, little boys in nice pants and shirts. It was really nice to see these kids getting presents where maybe their parents could not afford to get them something nice.

It finally was over as the sun went down. The truck took the stage back to where it came from. The kids left with their parents. There was a little garbage in the park but most was picked up in garbage bags left by the pole where garbage was picked up. What was left we neighbors walked around and picked up. All in all it was a nice day. I learned something new. I found out about what Dia de los Reyes was. I did go and read up on it a little after. I also found out that after this day, for sure, the Christmas holiday had come to an official end.