Luperon - a quick visit
After a few years of not visiting, we had the pleasure of taking a trip to Luperon and meeting Bruce van Sant, author of the Gentleman's Guide to Passages South. Bruce is the undisputed sailing and boating guru of our waters.
We also got re-aquainted with the Luperon anchoring area and the developments in the area generally. I was quite surprised to see the changes on the outskirts of Luperon over the past few years. New construction, new expats moving in, a hustling and bustling little town and a generally good feeling.
We visited a community of quite colorful expats. I mean that in both senses, interesting people, as well as people of all kinds of colors. All these colors are reflected in a mess of kids running around and safely playing all over the neighborhood, while we spent a delightful time with Bruce regaling us with stories of his background in IBM, Bell Labs and similar corporates.
Lunch was at the yacht club, and I was surprised to find that there now are two yacht clubs. The old one, at the dock, and a new one a little higher up, with spectacular views across the harbor area. The harbor was packed with boats waiting out the hurricane season and the relaxing atmosphere, water, boats and relatively slow moving people made me long for my yachting days. Lunch for me at the 'higher up' yacht club, was an excellent and generous portion of grilled shrimp with salad.
All this remained tranquil, until one of us 'outsiders' asked a question about the Atlantica development. The Luperoners grew quite animated and insults of 'big talk and no money' to the developers, abounded. Locally at least, there is no 'Atlantica' or any other similar development.
Luperon is still a quiet and sleepy place and I would still consider it part of 'the real Dominican republic'. There are two tour operators that I saw. One is located at the 'higher up' yacht club and run by Bruce's wife, Rosa. She has a real and vivid love for the area. I would have liked to go out somewhere with her, just for the vivaciousness. The other is located, yes, you guessed it, at the 'lower down' yacht club.
Well worth a visit and I would have liked to stay a day or two.
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