Upcoming Fiestas

Here in the Dominican Republic they do not observe daylight savings. The time here is now four hours ahead of Vancouver, British Columbia. They also don't celebrate Hallowe'en, but in honour of all of the tourists who do, there is a fiesta tomorrow night. No trick-or-treating, but that's ok with me. Some people here can barely afford to eat, so to think of them buying a bunch of candy to just give away seems out of place. Besides, the chocolate would melt before you even got it in your hands. Next week there will be something they do here that is part of the Dominican culture. Whenever there is a full moon, they have a big fiesta. There is a disco here on the beach called Jellyfish, where the dance floor is the beach, and there are lights hanging in the palm trees. They say that is the place to go for the full moon fiesta. I think I'll need to check it out.

Time for some pictures!

Ok, it took a while, but I finally have internet access at mi casa, so I uploaded some pictures! Click on any photo at the top of the screen and you'll be able to see them all. Also, since I'll be online more often, you can try to catch me on msn messenger. If you want me to add you to my contact list, email me your info.

It's a little bit cloudy here today, I think it might rain tonight. It is so cool to stand on the beach at night and look out into the Caribbean Sea and watch the lightning strike, miles away from the shore. It lights up the whole sky, and for a brief second, you can see the blue water, and all the anchored boats rocking back and forth.

If you want to see a bit more about the villa where I'm living, they have a website: http://www.los-corales-villas.com/

xoxo

janet

Post cards

I'll send a postcard to anyone who emials me thier address. They say it takes about 3 weeks for a postcard to reach North America from here. Let's find out if it's true...please don't post your address here, email it to me.

xoxo
janet

i'm going to have to figure out how to show you all some pictures soon. I've been taking LOTS. And little video clips every now and then. Today is Domingo (Sunday). So alot of the stores, banks and so forth are closed. There are lots of families on the beaches today, and young (hot) men. I saw three guys swimming FULLY CLOTHED today. I can understand not having a bathing suit, but can't you just swim in your underwear? Do you really need to wear your shirt AND pants? I wasn't about to ask them why though.

I bought some dominican music today, it only costs $3.00 for a cd here. A guy was strolling along the beach with a big backpack full of cd's. I've made friends with some guys who work in those shops where you have to bargain for anything and everything, so I've gotten pretty good at knowing how much things are supposed to be. There's dominican prices and tourist prices for everything. I think I end up getting somewhere in between. Not bad for less than 3 weeks of being here though, right?

I`m still here!

Sorry I haven`t written much lately. I`m sure you`ve all heard enough about the weather here and all that. Here`s something that I see every day here - but definately not at home. The gas stations: people leave their cars RUNNING while they fill up with gas. I asked my friend to turn off his car and he thought I was crazy?!?! And half of the time the gas stations have no gas, so you will see a bunch of guys standing at the corner with 2 litre pop bottles and milk jugs full of gas, and they are more than willing to sell it to you, for thier price. Unfortunately, it isn`t always just gas in there so you have to be careful. Unbelievable. xoxo janet

Moving Day

I'm "moving" into my new apartment here today. It's more like a private villa - with its own beach, swimming pool, shops, and security. It's still in the village of El Cortecito, which is where I've been staying in a hotel since I arrived.

The weather here is very humid today because it rained last night and this morning, and it's still cloudy. That's fine with me because I spent ALL day in the sun yesterday. I'm not burnt, but if I went out in the sun today I probably would be. I don't think I've ever been this tanned in my whole life! I heard on CNN that it's snowing up north?!?! I can't say that I miss that (yet).

Well, I guess that's it for now. Bye everybody!

janet
xoxo

I think it's Thursday today...it's so easy to lose track of time here. Boca Chica was absolutely stunning. It was a 2 hour drive, and on the way there we bought sugar cane from some kids on a street corner. for 5 pesos (there's 30 pesos in one american dollar, so you do the math). We drove through Higuey, San Pedro, and La Romana to get there. Each little town or city is the same yet different. But between towns is the most beautiful scenery. Rivers, rolling hills, sugar plantations...I took lots of pictures. But this computer doesnt have a USB port so I can't download them to show you. Ill find one sooner or later.

Once we got to Boca Chica, we went to a restuarant on the beach where our table was on the shore with the waves gently lapping at our feet. I ate fried plantain bananas for the first time. They were delicious! Not at all like a regular banana. And of course we drank rum, and beer, and swam in the ocean. It was a perfect day.

I guess my first week here is over. I'm glad I'm staying way longer though, because I feel like things are just getting started here.

janet
xoxo

Estoy Aqui!

I am here! OMG the weather here is insanely hot. 31 or 32 degrees all day long, every day. I went for a nice 2 hour stroll down the beach yesterday. There's quite a few tiendas (shops) along the beach, usualy between resorts, and of course everybody wants you to look in thier shop, and buy something. But every shop is exactly the same, and it gets a little repetitive...I managed to get away without buing anything - except some water. After the first hour of walking in the blazing hot sun, I was so parched! I walked into a little cafe called "Coco Loco" and grabbed 2 bottles of water out of the cooler. They were $1.00 each, but the smallest bill I had was a $5. So the lady took my 5 and said "no change". Riiight. So I said to her "Bueno, entonces quiero cinco aguas" (fine, then I want 5 waters) and I tossed three more bottles into my beach bag, which was already full of a towel, magazine, sun screen, purse, and the 2 waters I just bought...it suddenly became EXTREMELY heavy. The others in the cafe were laughing, I'm not entirely sure if it was at me or with me.

The resort is very nice, there are lots of palm trees, and some wild kittys that hang around the restaurant in the evening. I fed them some fish last night, they are soooo cute. One of them is a little kitten that reminds me of my own cat.

Tomorrow I'm off to Boca Chica with a friend I met last time I was here. It's totally different when you see things as the locals do, rather than as a tourist. For instance, last night we went to what I guess is a bar, but it was not like any bar I've ever seen. There were no walls, and people sit on whatever they can find - milk crates, boxes...there was a man with a pickup truck full of pineapples, and one of the people i was with bought me one. I've never had such fresh pineapple in all my life. It was amazing. And when in your life will you ever see a huge-a$$ pineapple for $2.00?!?! And everyone was walking around with roosters - live ones - in thier hands. Ummm they had a little shack next to the bar where you can go and buy a rooster and then there is an arena beside it where you place bets on your rooster and they fight until the death. It's so sad!!!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now. Hope you are all doing well. I'm really loving it here so far.

xoxo
janet