Inland

Trip Start Nov 06, 2010

105

108

Trip End Ongoing

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Where I stayed

Casa de Pascual

Flag of Dominican Republic Higuey, Dominican Republic
Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Today we traveled by bus to the town of Higuey, I think. We were lost the entire day. Our friend from the Cap Cana Marina had the day off and invited us to visit his home and family. Pascual loves to practice english, and show off his two German Shepards. He had written us a note to show the bus drivers in Spanish, we were like kindergardeners on our first day of school. The drivers and passengers led us blindly through the countryside, arriving far from the ocean at about noon. The bus conductor pointed us in the direction of Pascuals street and the bus drove off. While grabbing some cold Cokes we realized people were staring, school was letting out for lunch break, and the kids were very interested to know what the deal was with these bearded gringos. Luckily they knew the street we were looking for, and we wondered off. I knew we had found it when two German Shepards were spotted in a yard, along with Pascuals beautiful wife.

An amazing lunch was served, beans and rice, mango egg salad, chicken, and fresh squeezed cherry juice

Pascual house

. It was amazing, and the cherries and mangos came from the yard. The house was small and wood, the yard tiny, containing four dogs, two boats, a dualsport motorcycle, and fruit trees. After lunch we walked across town to visit Pascuals mother, niece, and nephew. The assembled posse was ridiculous, three bearded gringos, two giant shepards, and skinny Pascual. The townspeople were terrified. Throughout the day strangers continued to call me Bin Laden, fairly insulting, although one of them was a barber, of whose professional opinion I will take under advisement and get another haircut in Luperon. Motorcycles whizzed by, we dodged trash on the street, and dust stuck to our sweat. It was hot in the country.

Throughout the day Pascuals english improved, while our spanish became worse, and our brains began to hurt. After the walk we were served Cinnamon ice cream out of what are best described as condoms. Delicious. Pascual Wife joined us for a long walk to the Basilica, a massive cathedral cast in concrete. Along the way we purchased a new coffee strainer, and Grady picked up a bottle of MamaJuana, some sort of aphrodisiac bark soaked in honey, red wine, and rum. It is not tasty. Pascual introduced us to everyone, including his sister. He showed us a building lot in the downtown section he wanted to buy 'someday' which cost about $10,000 USD. We stopped and got coldbeers and Cokes in a park, and started to fade

In this photo only 3 people stare

. The sun was broiling and we walked only on the shady side of the street.

The Basilica was massive, impressive, and impossible to photograph. It was open air, shady, and very cool inside. The grounds were equally impressive. We ate cheese empanadadillas for 7 cents each. The bus back was packed. After a random bus change in a dark parking lot, arranged by cell phone, we arrived back at the marina complex gate, and had dinner at a gringo taco restaurant, which was terrible after such a day. After returning to the boat, the pool was poached, cocktails served, and a movie watched, The Patriot.

Just before falling asleep, exhausted, Grady thought of an excellent idea. Tomorrow we should do something better than today, and it was decided we would go for a sail.

-PFR

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