After a scrumptious fresh caught fish lunch, I packed up my meager belongings and headed to the bus stop to catch a guagua to Samana. One leaves every 15 minutes and I happened to catch one just as it was pulling out of the "station." I was the only passenger on the bus.
This did't completely shock me, since I knew the chofe (chauffer/driver) would stop and pick up more passengers along the route.
What did shock me though, was that he stopped to buy shoes.
Not even joking.
A Haitian vendor was situated on the outskirts of town, and since I was still the only passenger, he thought it was cool to do a little shopping on the job.
"Mometito," he called to me in the back, and then went to peruse the selection and haggle over prices.
5 minutes later we were on the road again.
My first inclination was to be perturbed by this personal errand, (after all I'd prefer to spend as little time in transport between destinations as possible) but then I decided I'd rather be amused.
My amusement was not to stop there though.
On our next stop out of town we picked up a gentleman outside of a colmado drinking a litro of beer. He brought the litro and 2 styrofoam cups along with him and hopped into the front seat, promptly pouring himself a cup and then pouring one for the driver.
Amidst our other stops on the way to Samaná, the driver pulled over twice more and all the passengers had to wait while he picked up more litros of beer for himself and the front seat passengers to share.
Just wish he would have passed some along to the back :)
Only in the Dominican Republic, haha.
This did't completely shock me, since I knew the chofe (chauffer/driver) would stop and pick up more passengers along the route.
What did shock me though, was that he stopped to buy shoes.
Not even joking.
A Haitian vendor was situated on the outskirts of town, and since I was still the only passenger, he thought it was cool to do a little shopping on the job.
"Mometito," he called to me in the back, and then went to peruse the selection and haggle over prices.
5 minutes later we were on the road again.
My first inclination was to be perturbed by this personal errand, (after all I'd prefer to spend as little time in transport between destinations as possible) but then I decided I'd rather be amused.
My amusement was not to stop there though.
On our next stop out of town we picked up a gentleman outside of a colmado drinking a litro of beer. He brought the litro and 2 styrofoam cups along with him and hopped into the front seat, promptly pouring himself a cup and then pouring one for the driver.
Amidst our other stops on the way to Samaná, the driver pulled over twice more and all the passengers had to wait while he picked up more litros of beer for himself and the front seat passengers to share.
Just wish he would have passed some along to the back :)
Only in the Dominican Republic, haha.
In Samaná I caught a bus to Las Terrenas, and another hour and fifteen minute bus trip later, I was smiling next to Sydney and David and Sydney´s mom at our hostal, Casas del Mar y Neptunia. I have stayed there once before, but it bears repeating that the hostal is made up of some pretty darn cute little bungalows.
Fast forward a little bit and we were all four walking to dinner at La Yuca Caliente...a classy little restaurante brushing up against the sea.
We cheersed to the good fortune of being together in such a beautiful place, and then we got down to the business of eating.
I mopped up every last bite of my clams marinera and sipped cool wine as the sunset.
There is nothing better on a sultry seaside Dominican evening than good company, good food, and a beautiful view.
(My overall thoughts on La Yuca Caliente...nice atmosphere and very reasonably priced, especially compared to the other seafront restaurants. Just be sure to bring your own water since they charge 90 pesos for a bottle that you can find at a colmado for 15)
There is nothing better on a sultry seaside Dominican evening than good company, good food, and a beautiful view.
(My overall thoughts on La Yuca Caliente...nice atmosphere and very reasonably priced, especially compared to the other seafront restaurants. Just be sure to bring your own water since they charge 90 pesos for a bottle that you can find at a colmado for 15)
The next morning, after a nice beach jog, Sydney and I headed back to enjoy our hostal´s free breakfast. Having nothing to do but enjoy the beautiful weather, I decided to just sip on my coffee and lounge with my computer most of the morning to get caught up on some blogging. Maybe you´ve noticed the increased number of posts lately?
In any case, it was glorious. The breakfast. The coffee. The weather. The relaxing. Everything. A perfectly beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning.
But you know me, I can´t sit still for too long. And soon I was throwing on a swimsuit and headed to the beach.
In any case, it was glorious. The breakfast. The coffee. The weather. The relaxing. Everything. A perfectly beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning.
But you know me, I can´t sit still for too long. And soon I was throwing on a swimsuit and headed to the beach.
After some light reading, I took a little stroll, and who should I run into but Rolexis and their cousin Boli!
Boli and Rolando were having a ball with a stray beach pup.
Im not sure who was having more fun, the pup or the boys.
Boli and Rolando were having a ball with a stray beach pup.
Im not sure who was having more fun, the pup or the boys.
Alexis and I, having already soaked up a little too much sun, opted for the slightly cooler option of hanging out under the palms with piña coladas.
We also had the pleasure of a serenade from a traveling musician.
Note that weird ball strapped to his foot.....its actually a maraca! Perfect for tapping time while strumming out old Spanish love ballads.
Note that weird ball strapped to his foot.....its actually a maraca! Perfect for tapping time while strumming out old Spanish love ballads.
We sipped and sang until sunset, and then I meandered home to wash up and find something with a little more sustenance than pineapples and rum.
After strolling up and down the beachfront, I finally settled on a little pizza joint with an open kitchen where you could see the pizzas being rolled and thrown into the fire.
Although sorely tempted, I opted for a salad to stay on the healthy side.
To round out the evening, Alexis ditched her tuckered out man at the hotel and we headed out for gelato and a little girl time. What´s the fun in being too healthy after all?
The next morning, Sydney and I were up with the sunshine for a brisk stroll through town and lots of yoga.
God bless that girl for always wanting to work out bright and early with me.
God bless that girl for always wanting to work out bright and early with me.
We got to see the sleepy town come to life on our stroll as shop keepers began brushing off the sidewalks and the smell of fresh-baked French bread wafted through the air. .
A good stretch is just what I needed before the next leg of my journey: a long bus trip to Bayahibe on the next guagua out of town.
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