Travels with Anita: 2021

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Getting ready for Christmas

Tuesday, December 21, 2021 Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

Over the last month and a half we’ve been enjoying Las Terrenas. There hasn’t been a lot of excitement. In mid November, one of the catamarans moored inside the reef somehow broke free and ran aground on the beach. After 10 days of arm waving and shouting, someone finally figured out how to float it off the underlying coral and get it back out to its mooring. They eventually placed a lot of sealed steel drums under it but it’s still lying low in the water so it must have a damaged hull. However, it’s still afloat.

Our son Zack and his family got a ride up from Santo Domingo for the long American Thanksgiving weekend. Unfortunately they had had a car accident a week before so they’re waiting, perhaps months, before parts are available to fix their car. Nothing happens quickly here. But they got here and we enjoyed a long weekend together including watching some CFL football. With a VPN subscription and a TSN subscription it’s possible to watch any sports here.

At this time of year, when there’s no moon, apparently the eels are running. Easily over a hundred local people with metre square nets are out in the surf in the bay as soon as it’s dark, scooping up tiny eels. The fishermen have a headlamp and a plastic bottle hung around their necks. After each scoop, they examine the net and slip any of their catch into the bottle so they’re quickly ready for another scoop. Apparently all these small eels are exported to Asia.

Most evenings, especially Sunday, many local people gather by the fish market to have a few drinks and socialize for a few hours.

On December 8th, our son Dylan’s birthday, his second son and our 4th grandchild was born to he and his wife Kasumi in Nagoya, Japan. We are so pleased that both mother and son, Luka, are doing well.

Last Saturday, we left our apartment at La Fenice and moved into the top apartment of a house near the beach while Zack, Annie, Maia and Noah have the bottom apartment. We have our own private pool and yard and are about 80 metres down a little side street from the beach. It’s a great spot except for the house construction going on right next door.

We’ll be here for Christmas and New Years before flying home on January 3rd. Our son Josh was supposed to join us but, after much discussion, we cancelled his flights due to the sudden rise of the COVID Omicron variant. He doesn’t have time to even be mildly sick, due to his work schedule. We’re missing him but glad that he’s safe in his apartment in Toronto.

We had scheduled a vaccine booster shot in Barry’s Bay for a few days after our return home. Then we discovered that there are ongoing vaccine clinics in most little towns throughout the Dominican Republic, including in a sports centre in Las Terrenas. There are no line-ups, there is no cost and they have no problem vaccinating non-residents who happen to be here. It was a bit of a walk to find the little sports centre at the other end of town but we eventually got there. We felt a little awkward about accepting vaccines in a developing country but nobody else seemed to care. With the rapid increases we’re reading about in Canada, we’re glad that we got over our hesitation. By the time we fly, we’ll have had 2 weeks to build antibodies. Being here doesn’t seem as dangerous as being in the Montreal airport.

This morning Annie, who is becoming very fluent in Spanish, helped me make an appointment for PCR tests for Anita and I on December 31st to make sure we get the results before we fly. There is a lab in town here that sends a technician right to our house to administer the test. It will cost us about $150 Canadian each but we have to do it. Apparently, we’ll also get tested when we arrive in Montreal.

We’ve rented a hotel room in Montreal overnight and an Avis car the next morning to drive home. Then, if it’s allowed, we’ll return the car to Renfrew the following day. We’ll see how all this works out when we get to Montreal. Until then, we’re going to enjoy Christmas with at least part of our family.

How not to moor your sailboat

The solution?

Dinner at Paco Cabana on the beach

Fishermen netting small eels during the new moon

The normal evening fiesta by the fish market

By the fish market

The boys watching the football playoffs

Our grandson Kaito with his little brother Luka

Anita getting her COVID booster

Construction next door

Getting ready for Christmas

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Las Terrenas routine

Tuesday, November 9th 2021, Las Terrenas

On Sunday night we shared a really good pizza at Pizza Raffaele just a few steps from where we’re staying. The decor was basic but the pizza was exceptional. With a beer and a wine we spent 900 pesos (about $18 CDN). Tonight, we’ll probably go back. It’s too easy. We have a tentative restaurant schedule figured out so we can try a variety of places over the next couple of weeks.

Yesterday morning we decided to walk to the east out of town along the beach road. We thought the narrow sidewalks on both sides of the road would end at the edge of town, which is about 50 metres east of our gate, but they didn’t. The road is well shaded and not too busy so we’ve now discovered our morning walking route unless we need to buy groceries. In half an hour, we had walked past Balcones del Atlantico, a nice looking condo development and turned around at a beach where some fishing boats were pulled up. We’re really getting into a routine.

Pizza Raffaele

Eating pizza

Our morning walking route

Playa Punta Popy across the road from our condo

Where we swim in the afternoon

Horses we see every morning on our walk

The beach road

Saturday, November 6, 2021

Arrival in Las Terrenas

Saturday November 6, 2021 Las Terrenas Dominican Republic

On our last Friday in Santo Domingo, our grandchildren got home from school a little early so we all went downstairs to the pool area for the afternoon. The next morning we all drove to a park called Mirador where the street is closed for about 5 km. It’s a great place for people to walk, run, bike and play different sports. On the edge of the park we had lunch at a little restaurant that sells nothing but chicharones (deep fried hunks of pork with skin attached). Very tasty.

On Sunday, Zack, Maia, Noah, Anita and I got up early and drove to the Santo Domingo zoo while Annie went biking. The drive was through a less affluent area so we saw lots of abandoned cars and other signs of a less fortunate city life. The zoo has exotic animals like lions, tigers, camels, hippos, rhinos and so on plus a children’s area with more monkeys, reptiles and other animals and a play area. It wasn’t too busy but, as usual, by 11:30 the heat and humidity were taking their toll so we went back home for lunch and an afternoon in the air conditioning.

On Monday morning, we said our goodbyes to Noah before he went to school. Maia was studying online again because one of her teachers had tested positive for Covid. Being restricted to online learning has happened to her a number of times. (Fortunately she was back in school by Thursday).

Around 10:30 am we loaded our stuff into Zack’s car and he drove us to Las Terrenas. It’s a 3 hour drive on good toll roads. One way, the tolls cost about 1100 pesos (about $22 CDN) so by the time a taxi would drive from Santo Domingo, pick someone up and drive back there would be $44 in tolls plus 6 hours worth of gas at approximately Canadian prices. For that drive the taxi owner would normally charge $160 to $180 US. There doesn’t seem to be much cash left for the driver. Anyway, once we were out of the traffic congestion of Santo Domingo, we went through green countryside and “moist forest” that only got more beautiful as we approached Las Terrenas.

Las Terrenas has 2 main one way streets that run north-south toward the beach. The business area of the town is mostly on those two streets. Then there are a lot of 3 storey apartment hotels and small cottages along the malecon or road that runs east-west along the ocean. Our apartment is in a small complex called La Fenice at the eastern edge of town right across the road from the beach. To the west of La Fenice, the beach is quite narrow at high tide but just steps away to the east is Playa Punta Popy, a large public sandy point. It’s a popular swimming and sunbathing spot. Beyond that is beautiful empty beach lined with palm trees for kilometres. We’re really happy with our location. Our condo is costing us about $82 CDN per day for 7 weeks. That includes a cleaner coming once a week. Generally, we find we’re spending about 2x what we would in Ecuador but less than half of what we would for similar services in Canada.

We had contacted the property managers on WhatsApp to let them know we were here. They sent us a code for the lockbox so we could get the keys and let ourselves in. We have a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 terrace apartment on the 2nd and 3rd (top) floors of a 6 unit building. There are about 9 such buildings in the complex. While we settled in, Zack took a walk along the beach to sightsee. He found lots of restaurants and a little shop not too far away where he bought some cold beer.

After we enjoyed happy hour on the large upstairs terrace, we walked across the road for drinks and dinner. Most of the restaurants are on the south side of the road but have tables and umbrellas on the beach side. The waiters go back and forth across the road. It’s a little noisy with all the motorbikes and ATVs going by but it’s great dining right by the ocean waves. We spent about 2500 pesos ($50 CDN) on drinks and fried chicken with “patatas fritas” (French fries).

The next morning, Zack left early to find a surf beach before heading back to Santo Domingo. Over the last few days, we’ve been exploring the town. There are two supermarkets, the Lindo, which is a chain from France, and the Super Pola. Both will deliver. We carried a few groceries home in our backpacks from the Lindo one day and tried the Super Pola the next day. We really loaded up at the Super Pola, paid by credit card and got free delivery to our door about 40 minutes later. Good system. There’s also an app called Komida which allows us to order from the supermarkets and many restaurants online and get delivery. We haven’t tried it yet but we will.

We were told about a good little fruit and vegetable shop. The storefront is about 10 feet wide and the shop is about 40 feet deep with fresh produce on shelves lining both sides. It can be a little hectic but the produce and prices are very good. There’s also a French bakery about a 15 minute walk from our condo where we can get fresh baguettes every couple of days for about 60 pesos ($1.25 CDN).

On Tuesday night we dined at a slightly more upscale Italian restaurant, Le Tre Caravelle, with a 2nd floor terrace overlooking the malecon. The food was great and portions were large. With wine and beer we spent about $65 CDN. This is about 2x what we’re used to in Ecuador but probably half of what we’d pay in Ottawa. Twice now we’ve dined at Urecano, a little Cuban owned restaurant right beside La Fenice. Last night, we each had a really good mojito and split a tasty burger and fries for a total of 1100 pesos (about $22 CDN). They have a lot of Cuban dishes on the menu that we’ll have to try. We think we’ll be there a lot. Next to that is a pizza place that has a good reputation. We won’t go hungry. We’ll have dinner at home sometimes but it’s also very convenient to go out.

We’re getting into our routine of rising early, Pilates exercise, coffee and breakfast on the terrace and then an hour walk along the malecon or into town to pick up any supplies. After lunch we often stroll along the deserted beach to the east and stop to bob about in the warm water for a long time and enjoy the sun. When we get back we sometimes float in the pool for a while. Then we get cleaned up, enjoy happy hour on the terrace while the sun goes down and often walk somewhere nearby for dinner. Life is good today.

Fun at the zoo

First afternoon in Las Terrenas

Dinner at Le Tre Caravelle

Dinner across the road at Urecano

At the French bakery

At the fish market

The beach across the road

La Fenice

Our upstairs terrace

The view from our terrace

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Travelling Again

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Statue of Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon)

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

After 19 months staying home and trying to be safe during the COVID 19 pandemic, we are finally travelling again. A little over a week ago, on Sunday, October 17th, Anita’s sister Lori and her husband Steve picked us up at our house and we rode with them to a Montreal airport hotel.

The next morning, we all got up early and took the hotel shuttle to the airport. We have all been double vaccinated for some time but naturally we still followed all the masking rules in the airport. Our flight departed on time at 8:30 and was uneventful. Although we remained masked throughout the flight, to our surprise, many people didn’t. We were less than impressed with their lack of concern for fellow passengers and didn’t understand why the flight crew took no action.

Anyway, we arrived safely at the Samana airport with our luggage intact. We had arranged a driver to take us to our resort hotel, the Bahia

Principe Grand El Portillo, near Las Terrenas on the Samana peninsula. The drive cost us $70 US. Our driver was very safe and accommodating so we gave him a $5 tip. We’re used to some hair-raising rides in many countries so we were pleasantly surprised not to be terrified by the drive through mountain roads.

Our resort hotel was situated on a beautiful beach lined with palm trees, like something out of a travel poster. The four of us enjoyed the week there and on Friday, our son Zack, his wife Annie and their two children Maia (6) and Noah (4), who live in Santo Domingo, joined us for the weekend. We all had a great time. On Sunday afternoon, our son and family drove back to their apartment in central Santo Domingo. On Monday morning, Lori and Steve departed to the Samana airport and back to Montreal and home while Anita and I rode to Santo Domingo with another driver. This time the cost was $150 US for the 3 hour trip and again the driver was safe and very helpful in getting us to their apartment so we gave him a $10 tip.

An empanada dinner at home in Santo Domingo

Zack greeted us and introduced us to their housekeeper, Marisol, who seemed as pleased to meet us as we were to meet her. Later, our grandchildren arrived home from school so we also met their school driver, Juan Carlos, and the building guard, Julio. They’re all great with the children. The apartment is in a wealthier section of Santo Domingo so the streets are reasonably clean and safe but not all of Santo Domingo is like that. It’s a big city and some sections are not so nice and not so safe.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 Santo Domingo

Yesterday morning after the kids got on the “Canadian bus” (actually a van with 4 kids from 3 families) and were off to school, Zack drove Anita and I to the Santo Domingo botanical gardens for a brisk hour long walk around the perimeter before the day got too hot. The gardens are a beautiful natural setting in the middle of a big city. We walked the perimeter trail and even took a little side trip through the Japanese garden designed by a Japanese immigrant who also introduced judo to the DR. We stopped for a photo to send to our youngest son, Dylan, and his family who live in Nagoya, Japan.

Unfortunately, we got a flat tire as we were leaving the gardens. The wheel nuts were rusted on so tight that we couldn’t get them off without help. Zack called Juan Carlos, who arrived within an hour with tools and a helper. By jumping on the wrench, they managed to get the nuts loose. We hadn’t considered doing that. We got on our way on the spare while Juan Carlos took the damaged tire to a shop. It was beyond repair so unfortunately Zack had to buy a new tire. It takes a long time to get anything done here so it’s often much easier and cheaper to hire a local person who won’t get overcharged to spend the time dealing with local businesses or government offices. Anyway, we had a small travel adventure.

After the kids got home from school we walked with them to their swimming lesson at a sports club a few blocks away. When we got home, Marisol had a delicious meal of meat and chicken empanadas for us. She’s a very good cook who always presents fantastic meals in the traditional Dominican style. Once again we were in bed early. The heat and humidity here drain a person’s energy quickly.

This morning we took an Uber to the Zona Colonial where Columbus established the first permanent settlement in the Americas. He had made two previous attempts on the north coast that were unsuccessful but around 1502, Santo Domingo was established. We walked around the Zona Colonial through the small cobblestone streets and plazas all morning.

We feel fairly safe outside here. The DR has a very high rate of vaccination with the Sino-Vac vaccine. Because of its lower efficacy, already over a million people here have had a 3rd jab with Pfizer. The government here has spent a lot of money getting everyone vaccinated. And there don’t seem to be many anti-vaxers like we have at home in the Madawaska Valley. As Marisol says, “It’s free; why wouldn’t we get vaccinated?”

At a cost of 100 DR pesos each (about $2 CDN), we got tickets and audioguides to the first cathedral in the Americas. It’s not as grand as European cathedrals we’ve seen but it was interesting nonetheless. Then, for 70 DR pesos each (about $1.40 CDN), we got tickets into the first Spanish fortress in the Americas, where construction started in 1502. It has been a fortress, a prison and now a tourist attraction for over 500 years. Many prisoners died there of course since conditions were very brutal. The fortress isn’t huge but again it was interesting to see.

By 11:30 it was so hot and humid that we were done. We caught an Uber back home to enjoy another Dominican lunch prepared by Marisol and rest in the air conditioned apartment for the afternoon. Later we walked around the corner to a local dance studio to watch Maia’s ballet lesson. Most of the children were delivered by nannies and drivers. As in all less developed countries we have visited, there is great disparity in incomes here.

Thursday, October 28, 2021

This morning we walked a couple of blocks to the Blue Mall, the most prestigious and expensive shopping mall in Santo Domingo. It’s not that big but most of it is composed of high end stores like Rolex, Mont Blanc and others. McLaren sports cars were displayed in the common areas. There wasn’t much for us so we didn’t last there very long. Later we walked to a nearby building to get cash from the ATMs there, which are reliable and don’t charge as high of a fee as some others. To go into 2 mall buildings and 1 grocery store today, we had to show our Ontario proof of vaccination each time.

We’re enjoying spending time here with our grandchildren but Santo Domingo doesn’t really have much to attract foreign tourists. If you’re here for some other reason like we are, it’s okay but otherwise there’s little reason to make this part of a trip to the Dominican Republic.