I have been wet since my arrival in the D.R. Yesterday my dive trip was cancelled due to rough seas and the same again today. But yesterday I wanted some activity to do so the dive shop arranged for me to take a mountain bike tour with a company called Iguana Mama in Cabarette about a 10 minute drive east of Sosua. Cabarette is the surfing centre of the island it seems. Wind surfing, para-surfing, surfing, para-sailing... you name it.
Well the mountain bike tour was just me and a guide. Orlando is a native Dominican and he lives next to his brother and across from his mother.
The rain started about 30 minutes into the 4 hour, 40 Km ride. Mostly uphill for 2 1/2 hours on rough, washed out dirt roads in the rain. I loved it even when it was hurting. My guide, Orlando, was very patient and encouraged me not to quit when I wanted to continue. Although he did make the offer to turn back he was very proud of me when I did not. The trip back was much easier as it was downhill all the way but still very rough, muddy, slippering dirt road. We passed through native farmland, sugar cane farms, coffee groves, pineapple and coconut groves. We stopped a few times to look at the view, talk with the children begging for candy or just to rest. The last 5 Km were along the paved highway in a driving rain storm.
When we returned to the shop, we both doused ourselves in fresh water to clean off. I was already soaked to the bone so I couldn't get any wetter. I bought Orlando a hot lunch as his tip at the beach cafe next door. He left me to finish my chocolate fondue while he went to get his scooter. He drove me back to my hotel in Sosua. What a riot. It poured rain, hard, all the way. We had to stop twice to take shelter under trees.
Everyone has a scooter here because they can't afford a car. No helmets, no enforced rules on the road. Scooters ride far to the right to let large vehicles pass. The rain has been pretty constant all week with only occassional sunny breaks in the heavy cloud cover. This is the first rain they've seen here since early February.
Orlando has built a house in the Dominican style of salvage recycling. He is very proud of his accomplishment as most young men must marry a woman who also has a good job in order to afford to build a house. Most people here can't afford to buy or build a home until they are in their mid to late forties. He is. He had been married once to a woman in Philladelphia but that only lasted 1 1/2 years. He also lived in London, England for 3 years.
I got wet again on the scooter ride from his place back to Cabarette where I got a taxi back to my hotel. I still feel damp today.
Photos not coming yet. Can't find a place with real computer access. Most places have totally closed computers where you can't even empty the cache or delete history files. There's no staff who knows anything about computers to override that either. I won't be doing any computer banking from here.
The dive trip got cancelled for to day again. The sea is still much too rough and showing no signs of calming. Everyday the weather forcast is for sunny a day tomorrow but tomorrow never comes. After the dust bowl of Providenciales and the other Turks and Caicos Islands, this rain is welcome. It's making everything very lush. All the plants are in full bloom. Gorgeous.
Today, I go to the post office and in search of a laundromat. Yes it is still pouring rain but I can't hide in my room all day. Caio from the Dom. Rep.
Posted by gailene at April 4, 2003 09:44 AM