POP Report
So as not to bore anyone, I'm just going to post a few highlights of my trip thus far.
I arrived in POP last Wednesday and settled in to the POP Beach Resort (I'll be honest and mention that it's not much of a resort. The sad thing is that with a little investment on the interior it could actually be a pretty nice place to stay). I sauntered over to Sam's bar to meet up with Carina and Joanne, have something to eat (I hadn't eaten since 4:30am, and had been awake since 2:30 am), and have a couple of cold ones to wash down the trip with. As always, it was nice to see some familiar faces and to connect. We chatted a while and I was able to convince a few people to down a couple of shots of some Don Julio Tequila with me. I decided to make it an early night as I had a few things to take care of the following morning.
I met up with Carina the following morning for breakfast at Sam's, and she took me to the bank to open an account. So, in the future, should I have a need to access some money, no problem. I feel a little more settled with each trip. That afternoon I met with the owner of the home which I am buying just to hash out a few last minute details. After that I actually don't recall what comprised the rest of my evening and, in all honesty, it had nothing to do with partying or drinking. I had to get up early the next morning so I did neither.
Friday morning I met with Carina for breakfast at 8:00am for our trip to Mao. I would have liked to have been fresh for the trip but the night before, though I got to bed at a reasonable hour, I was awakened at 1:00am by the sounds of what seemed to be bombs. I realized it was fireworks being set off by the locals. Unfortunately for me, I only got 2 1/2 hours of sleep before my trip, so this was the 2nd night for which I didn't get much sleep. At 9:00am Carina and I were off to Mao. It was a very beautiful drive through the countryside (Carina has posted some pictures) and, in spite of my tiredness, I enjoyed it very much. We spent the day with Christa and Richard, which was not only informational, but very enjoyable. On our return to POP, I noticed what I have heard so much about. Some of the most beautiful women are located in the hinterlands. We traveled through Navarete and some other smaller towns and, so help me God, I wanted to stop and speak to the women because they were so beautiful. They simply stood by the side of the road waiting for, I'm assuming, a ride. God, I love this country!!!!
In any event, I finally made it back to the hotel, rested up a bit, and headed over to Sosua for a night of partying. And a night it was. I believe I made it back to the hotel at 5:30am.
Saturday I decided to stay at the hotel and simply lounge around. One of the problems I had with the hotel during this time was that there was no cold water in which to take a shower. I was moved a few times, which was a bit upsetting as I had to repack my things, only to find out that the new room didn't have hot water either. So, I ended up going from one room that didn't have hot water, to another which didn't have hot water, air conditioning, or a mini-fridge, to another which didn't have hot water or a mini-fridge to, finally, one that had hot water and air conditioning. Good enough for me, and I finally decided to stay.
Sunday (New Years Eve) I decided to take it easy during the day but had planned to go out that evening with Carlos (the bartender from Sam's) who was going to take me to some of the tipico's. I wanted to get a feel for the real and typical Dominican life. I headed over to Sam's for dinner (where we agreed to meet) and ran into Sunnie and her significant other, Duarte. I will say, in spite of some other differing opinions, this guy is my kind of guy. Very laid back, respectable, and carries himself well. He epitomizes the type of Dominican that I knew existed in this society, despite his social status. I will most certainly catch up with the two of them on future trips just to hang out.
Carlos said that he had a few things to do before we could head out, so I decided to go back to the hotel to watch a little tv and kill a little time. A bad decision on my part. I went back to the hotel and laid down to watch a bit of tv and, the next thing I knew, I was waking up at 7:00am, the next morning. In all honesty, I wasn't angry with myself because I knew I must have sorely needed the rest. I very rarely get more than about 4 1/2 hours a night, so I knew if I had slept that long, I really needed it. I do feel bad though. One of the things that I have always prided myself on is staying true to my word because, in the end, I truly believe that that is what is most important. So, at some point in the future, I'll have to make up for it.
Anyhow, although there is more to say, I'll have to finish this up later. I hope all will enjoy.
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