Egads, ...15 visits in the past 5 years. What the..
Everytime I leave the D.R., I say to myself, that's it. I won't be going back. A month later, the island starts gnawing at me again and I tell myself I have to go back!!
Once again, Santo Domingo was my home base. I have not become an AI recluse yet and don't see that likely to happen unless Penelope Cruz wants to shack up for a week, then I'll mull it over.
My recent visit, October 19 -30, began with a 4 night stay at the Dominican Fiesta. The hotel has renovated the 7th floor for executives and they are beginning work to renovate the 6th floor. The hotel has a new business center make-over, new gym, and the facilities are getting better to compete with the Hilton and other hotels.
October 23rd - 30th, I moved to PIB's rental apartment in Mirador Sur. It rained cats and dogs that Sunday, ...so hard that the taxi driver had difficulty finding the apartment on Leonor Feltz Ave. PIB in her non chalant manner had a way of calming my nerves.
For those DR1ers who have not met PIB, she is a beautiful, classy and highly intelligent woman. And another special treat - I got to meet the very sweet and lovely Nadia, PIB's 3 month old daughter. What a cutie pie. PIB did not let little Nadia out of her arms. She probably knew I pulled 20 years at Sing Sing for baby napping, ha!
I loved getting out of the hotel environment and interacting in the Mirador Sur neighborhood a little. One day, I walked down Leonor Feltz Avenida and delivered some mail to a man who had the same street number. I guess that is common in the D.R. Duplicate street numbers on the same street. Then as if the nice Dominican man were waiting on me, he said "Here, is mail for the occupants of your apartment building! Unbelievable. I guess criss-crossing of mail is common.
I found Mirador Sur to be a relatively safe and upscale neighborhood. Though, even in the daylight hours, nearly every house has a watchiman with a shotgun. Just to keep things honest. There is a nice English-speaking, Dominican school in the neighborhood, taught mainly by Canadian teachers. The school is for the more upper Dominican bluebloods. Walking around the neighborhood, there were new apartments buildings being built on nearly every street. I counted more than 10 different apartment buildings in active construction. Lots of construction in Mirador Sur.
I went into a nearby Organic store on my street, where they also sold oils and incense. I began sniffing some scented massage oils. Perhaps the store clerk thought I was confused. She uncorked a bottle and began rubbing some oil on my neck. Hell yeah.. a little lower on my left shoulder. What a nice person. And I bought a bottle!
Anything that I needed with PIB's apartment, she came right over. I loved conversation with this woman and valued PIB's insight into Dominican culture. I think she could write articles for the Economist.
How wonderful to discover a La Cadena Supermarket right around the corner and a drycleaners where I got 1 hr. service. How convenient. And I found a nearby Internet cafe for 40 pesos an hour.
Well, I seemed to hang out alot at the Acropolis alot on this visit. A little odd. But damned if I did not buy some great art from Guillo Perez. And I got to personally meet el Maestro Perez on two occasions and have him sign my art. There was a good turnout for his Oct. 25 Exhibition at the Acropolis.
The Outback steakhouse gave out free Wallaby Darned's and there were ample trays of wine. Speaking of... a high falootin' woman moving her arms in an animated fashion and knocked a wine glass out of my hand. The red wine went down the center cleavage of another high class woman standing next to me, who was wearing a $200 dress.
A few minutes later the same woman knocked a glass out of another woman's hand and the red wine splashed onto the white shirt of a man's tuxedo.
By this time, the husband of this tipsy woman comes over and starts calling her "barracho" several times in front of the other guests. I guess that is what rich people do - go to fancy events, get smashed and spill wine all over each other, haha.
Speaking of wine, it helped loosen my billfold as I paid heavy pesos for Mr. Perez's artwork. One original landscape, 2 "gallo" serigraphs, and 1 coche serigraph. Good thing I had my Uranium Visa card.
The following day, Guillo Perez met President Fernandez at the new Las Americas technical school to donate one of his originals.
Lots of the usual Carib stud poker playing, roulette, and bombing around Santo Domingo casinos. I also hit many high end restaurants with friends,... Don Pepe's, Peperoni's, and Davy Crocketts to name a few. For what it is worth, Crockett's had the best shish kabob I've had in my life. Very memorable. The bill was also memorable too. Of course there were 4 in my party. I resorted to my Kryptonite Visa card for that occasion.
Oh, yeah... I think I fell in love, with a long dark hair, drop dead Spanish beauty, whom nearly caused me to propose at Altos de Chavon. Fortunately, the serenading guitarist was out of tune and that redirected my attention. I hate "out of tune" guitar players. (We all have ideosyncracies
I'm leaving out alot of juicy tidbits, but don't want to get a rap on the knuckles from webmaster Rob. I respect him. He does a great job and blue material is better left for private emails, haha.
I did notice many potholes in frequent trips bombing around Santo Domingo streets. Maybe the deep potholes are considered norm. But a few were bone-charring. I can't help but think that front end alighment is a big business in the city.
Next visit, a return to the girl I fell in love with... egads - trip no. 16 beckons!
Plus, I want to see how little Nadia progresses. I thought PIB was reading nursery rhymes to Nadia. Turns out, it was a book on mathematics. That girl may grow up smarter than HB's boys. Holy crap.
Great country. The D.R. that can be broken down into 2 forces at play. Survival and protecting what you have.
Until, next time...
Kingofdice
(10)
Trip #15 to the D.R., Playboy musings...
I got me some free publicity.
