Goodbye to the McMurrays

This morning I woke up and mom and dad were up but Brendon was still asleep. Dad was on the computer and i was waiting for him to get off to go on Facebook. After we got dressed we walked down the beach to see the micks. We swam in the ocean and layed in the sand and had a great time. When we were done we said goodbye and and hugged :( good bye McMurrays. We came back and went in the pool. Then we had supper. We ate calamari and it was yummy. We went in the pool again and then it was dark outside so we went in and watched T.V. 

-Ben

The rental car

One last adventure with the McMurrays.  Glen and I made a final trip downtown to return his rental.  Might as well stop and buy some essentials... like groceries, beer, and a couple of Machetes... you know, essentials.

The car died on the side of the road - well, it was actually in the center of the road until we rolled out of the way.  Dead battery.  We had numerous Dominicans stop by to ask if we needed help - and to tell us that the battery was probably low on water.  They weren't wrong, but it was still dead.  A dead battery is a dead battery.  We walked to a nearby Colmado to have a beer and contemplate how lucky it was that the car didn't die on his trip to Miches where they were 4 hours from anywhere, no cell service and limited Espanol.

50 pesos got me back to the apartment on a moto concho so I could return on the bike.  By then the rental company rescued Glen and had him back to the store.  All in all a happy ending.  Unfortunately now that the car is gone we have to do our shopping on the bike.

Groceries, beer, and... oh yeah... Machetes.

-Brad

It's raining again :(

We spent the day with the Micks yesterday to check out their resort.  They stayed at the Melia - pretty nice.  It was a shame to have to leave and come back to our apartment.  There is a lot to be said for resort life.

It is raining this morning so we are glad to have gotten to go to see them before they leave on a day with sunshine.

Jenn emailed and said that comments are not working... I will look to see if I can find anything wrong.

cheers.

Today was a quick brisk day. Everyone was up at eight except for me, i was up a ten. And as soon as we all got up, fed and showered, we walked  down the beach to meet glen and the girls. It took us around 20 minutes to get there. We hung around the beach by there hotel for about 3 hours.  Were all glad we did too; because now, we are going to get up early tommorow and spend the whole day at their resort. We all bought day passes so now, we can spend all day swimming, eating and drinking all we want. When we walked back and got to are appartment, ben and i hopped into the pool for a little swim. We finally got all dryed up and then i made everyone a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches. Were going to do some homework and then get to bed early since we have a big day tommorow.

-Brendon

nothing going on...

The Micks moved into their resort (Melia) on Saturday.  We plan to go visit on Tuesday  not today, it's a 'home work day'). 

We did get propane today.  We might blend right in on a bike with a bottle on the back but didn't have to Brendon was happy... Aaron offered to give us the car.  Call us cheaters.

the morning after Saturday Night

We went out tonight with Aaron and Laura.  It has been a week since we have seen her (she actually has a job) so the two of them stopped by for some pool time before going out.

There is a local bar called the HotSpot - it's in a cave!  We've never seen anything like it.

Normally, you never see a tourist there. It's a spot for locals and for the staff of all the resorts to go - kind of 'elitist' I guess.  We were told that on the resorts, the guides will tell you it is 'not safe' to go around town at night.  It is also clear that they only recommend bars, excursions, or activities in which the resort gets a kick back.  There are 2 girls that own HotSpot.  Austrian, and yes, they are a couple :).  It's a pretty popular spot with the Dominicans and with the resort staff - so there is not need for them to look for kick backs... they are busy enough. - Brad

A little something for Bob and Heather...

When we moved in there was no propane in the house.  Not a big deal, we have a microwave. It is nice to cook over a flame though, so we went on a trek to get gas.  As it turns out (I may have mentioned this before) there are only 2 places in about a 50 mile radius that sell propane - and 2 weeks ago they were sold out!

Well, we are out again.  Either I was sold a half empty bottle, or we have a leak.  Either way, we are in the same boat again.  Tomorrow is Domingo and so nothing will be open.  We won't get any now until Lunes.

Here's something we see quite regularly - and soon will be us. I am wearing the helmet, Brendon has the tan :)

Friday.

Today Barb went with Glen and Di and the girls back to Macao.  Brendon and I stayed home.  Between a little schoolwork and some business paperwork the two of us had a very relaxing day.  Surprisingly, we needed it - and we both got a lot done - and we also cleaned the apartment :-)

When everyone returned from a very nice day at the beach, the four of us adults went for a quick visit to Kevin and Ella's.  Their house is amazing.  Like many around here, it was built with a second house in the same yard for either guests or a rental, a large pool between them, and flowers and plants from all over the island.  We cut fresh Aloe for its cream and she gave us Oregano leaves to take home. Pretty neat.

This is Glen and Dianne's last night in their apartment as they head to the Melia resort tomorrow.  So... pizza day for the kids and the 4 of us adults went for supper.  We ate at K'comer (kay-com-air) and it may have been one of our best meals so far.  (I think we say that for every meal).  The waiter spoke very little English and so we had to muddle through the menu in Espanol - a trick in itself - the highlight being Mofongo y Camarones. I had Pescado surprise.  Dianne took the pictures so I will post them later.

Afterwards we went for a quick drink (I know, I thought 'quick' sounded funny as I typed it...) at the Corner Bar.  It has been awhile since we've been there and it seemed a good idea for Glen and Di for their last night before the resort.

Who did we see there...?  Why Aaron and his dad of course.   I'd tell you we were surprised , but you may not believe me.

At any rate, it was not a late night and we got home safely.  It was also our last night with the benefit of Glen's rental car.  That is a commodity we will certainly miss.  Aaron offered us the use of his novia's (girlfriend's) Peugot.  It needs a bit of work and since being a mechanic they wanted to make a trade.  While that sounds good we haven't decided yet if there is a better way around this area other than motorcycle... we will leave the explanation of the driving for a later post. Try to visualize two or more herds of cattle crossing paths in different directions.  Then add speed and no traffic laws.

-Brad

Thursday, Feb.19th

We went for a walk on the beach first thing this morning. It has been a couple of days since we walked - turns out we get lazy in every country.  We did come back to fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast, though. 

We met some more people from Toronto this morning.  Valerie knocked on our door to introduce herself... we all forgot her name and had 're-introduce' ourselves later.  Her husband, Barry is sick and they needed information about hospitals.  It seems we are slowly become more local and are now giving directions.

We were invited to go for drinks at Kevin and Ella's place tomorrow.  We noticed that we need more pictures for our blog.  And so we thought we should spend some time this afternoon taking some more and posting them.

So far, our apartment is not only the cheapest of all the ones in the area, but it is easily one of the nicest.  Everyone we have spoken to has a long list of complaints about "something" in the places.  Either a nonfunctioning hot water heater, bad stove/oven, bad electrical, no decorations, always something... maybe we just aren't too fussy :).

We were on our own today as Glen and Di took the girls to Miches today.  It is roughly 4 hours one way and so they thought it would be a good road trip.

What no one here told us is that the road North of Higuey is terrible.  Actually, 'terrible' isn't really the right word - I don't think there is a word in English that fits.  Glen's only description of the trip was "white knuckled".  It has been since February of  2008 since I have been on that road and I apparently has gotten worse.  There was one section where the road suddenly 'ended' forcing everyone to back up a ways, and another spot where a policeman escorted the Traveling McMurrays out of town, suspecting they may not find the way.

Apart from the rough conditions an potholes, the road is often only wide enough for one vehicle with either a cliff or rock face on either side...  eek!

It was all worth it though, their reports of the view as they crossed the mountains at the center of island and all the sites along the way made the trip a success.  And everyone came home safely.

Wednesday - Miercoles.

Today was long.

We ate leftovers most of the day and didn't get much accomplished.  Glen and I took one of the motorcycles (the good one) into a Belgian motorcycle mechanic living here for its first rental tune up.  The bikes were supposed to be inspected before getting rented... well, you know, this is the Dominican - things don't always happen in order.  At least they are getting looked at sooner instead of later.

After the bike mishap the other day we are all in a bit of a downer, so it seemed a good idea to look into going out for supper.  We chose PhotoBar in El Cortecito.  Great place with perfect atmosphere.  There was live music for half of our stay there - the most interesting thing was that one of the musicians played "a wooden box".  Simply just a crate with a microphone inside - complete with tatoos and dreadlocks.  By beating systematically on the flat surface of the box, he could create nearly any sound he wanted.  Who needs drums!

The food was excellent!  We walked home in the dark along the beach.  A little windier than it has been, but still a nice stroll in the sand.

Once we were back to the apartamento, the kids were still looking for a bit of a 'pick-me-up'.  The most obvious solution - phone calls home, of course.  We did suggest some grandparents and maybe an aunt or an uncle - instead we spent our $7.00 (~200 pesos)of cellular time calling Derek and Grace.  :)

We have looked into things a little further and it will work out that while it costs us quite a bit to call Canada, now Canadians (yes, even Trymer, lol) can call us at a very reduced rate - reduced for us that is :o)...

The cell we have is 809.906.7412.  remember that we are 3 hours later, so we go to bed around 10:00 here.

The Internet here is not as reliable or consistent as we had thought and so we plan now to make a call or two every weeks to keep in touch.

That's all for now, Brad.

Unforgettable Day at Macao

Today the McMurrays and the Pears' decided to take a trip to the most beautiful beach in the world - Macao.  Barb and Dianne explored the reef where Barb narrowly escaped an attacking crab.  Fortunately, Dianne saved the day - no cape, but she chased the creature away from the area, using her super powers for good instead of evil.  Unfortunately, failing in her attempt to capture an amazing picture.  No worries, the two took pictures of each of each other exploring  the caves.  At one point our fearless Dianne did sustain a near mortal injury to her toe which will be over shadowed shortly  . . . read on . . . 

Meanwhile Glen and Brad started to broker lunch with the Jose the Haitian.  Jose thought Glen was cheap and Brad . . . the Mafioso.  Brad spoke Spanish and Glen spoke French so they got along just fine trying to barter a handful of lobster.   After a lengthy debate, the fisherman grew unhappy with Glen's cheapness so he left.  Price was no longer a issue - they were just no longer for sale.  By the time Jose "re-negotiated" we were packing up to go . . . . interestingly the 

price was suddenly reduced when it seemed we would be leaving. 

But speaking of escaping mortal injury, the ride home was not the peaceful success that we have been getting accustomed to - unfortunately. After the various rains and weather, the pot holes mate, then multiply and grow.  It's a lot like mink... or rabbits... only meaner. Potholes everywhere, and deep.

Brad and Ben led the way, gaining speed and distance - Barb and Brendon behind.  Luckily though, sans speed! First one pothole, then two.  By the time the third sneakily showed up the bike was at an idle and starting to 'wobble'.  It's not common knowledge, but without any speed the potholes can smell fear in the bike!  Like any wild animal (and potholes are no different) fear is something you can never show if you want to keep the upper hand.

Well, the worst had to happen.  Just like the vicious attack of the 'wild water hole' of last week that poor red bike never stood a chance.  Casualties of the attack?? Two. A scrape on Barb's leg and one on Bren. The bike has made its choice clear: it does not like the road to Macao!  It seems that the cowboy whose job it was to 'break' these wild iron stallions did a poorer job on the red one.  Time to put it out to stud.

The good news is that a family of Haitians appeared out of no where with salve and lotion.  Ten seconds ago: no Haitians... small commotion - BAM - a family of Haitians!  They also helped to tame the wild steed.

In time, the McMurrays drove up and we arrange transport home.  Barb and the boys in the rental car (a Kia Pincanto - not large) and Brad and Glen rodeo bareback all the way home.

We ended the day in success though - with enough lobster to feed an army, and all for $2500 pesos.

Something Smells Fishy

We have not written for a couple of days so I thought that I would catch up.   On Sunday we hung by the pool and swam and had fun by the pool.  Then we went with Glen and Di and the girls for a long drive to a beach called Cabeza del Toro.  We hung out at a resort beach and had a picnic and buried each other in the sand. 

Then we went over to the marina and bought a fresh 2lb lobster and a 4lb trigger fish.  We got a good deal and paid 500 pesos for everything.  (About $17)   We drove home and Glen and Mom cooked the fish and the lobster.  I got to watch Glen cut the fish open.  When it was ready we all sat down together to eat and it was a great meal.  We had rice and fresh vegetables with it.  At the end of it all mom got sick and was throwing up.  She can't eat salmon and now she thinks she can't eat any kind of fish.  Poor Mom!  

The McMurrays Arrive

This morning we went for our usual walk down the beach and when we got back Glen, Di, and the girls arrived.  They were pretty tired but, once they got settled into their place, they came and hung out with us by the pool.  We spent most of the day swimming and tanning with everyone.  We were very happy to see them.  Later Aaron and Laura came by for a visit and to go swimming.  To celebrate the McMurrays being here we went out to the Pizzaria for supper.  It was such a nice treat and it was great pizza.  Mom, Dad, Glen and Di went out for a little while and Brendon and Ben stayed with the girls.  All in all we had a fabulous day.

What I did today...

Today we went on motorbikes to the mall. We got a floaty, goggles and a ping pong game. We also looked around for shirts and stuff but we did not find much. We also went to the Hard Rock cafe it was awesome there because there was famous people's signatures on the wall.  There was Elvis Presley's jacket on the wall and Madonna's too.  We ate there and had a lot of fun and there was music and it was awesome. When we got back to the condo we went swimming with the things we bought.  I had a great day.

 Ben.

Jueves

What a great day :)

It looks like the rain has finally stopped as this is the first day it has been clear the entire day.  Time to continue the house hunting for the Traveling McMurrays.  There are lots of places empty, but most are for sale... only a few for rent - and the majority of them are only willing to go for 6 months or more.  Any rooms that you can find to let less than 6 months are pretty pricy, or are plain tin shacks.  It's like they can hold you hostage...

I did find a few - but the best it seems is $100 USD per night or more.  That is only slightly better than the rate at a hotel!  But fear not, I kept looking - talking and visiting with people who know people and realtors and agents, and building managers...

Finally I hooked with Anne-Michelle.  She's a Canadian realtor (from Toronto) and very nice.  she was able to show me a few properties that were getting close to affordable and even some near us.  I got to see a few pictures... then the pitch:  The best she could do was a little more than 800$ US for the week, and oh... plus power (which might easily be about $100 because of A/C).  She only had the one, but luckily, she did rent another - surprisingly similar - place to another couple that morning who happened to have no preferences and no budget.  It was a bit of a hardship, but she was prepared to call them for me and ask if they would be willing to move to this room, then call the owner of that room to see if he would be flexible on price since it is such short term.

I recalled every single used car I have ever bought or sold, and as I sat in her air conditioned office I privately reminisced to myself about working in car dealerships, and about sales courses on "the Salesman: Learning to Lie Effectively", and "Honesty, It's Just a Guideline", and "Taking People's Money... Yes, You can!", and the Bible ... well, not really, but you get the idea.   :)

So I let her make the "call".  I needed a phone card and so this was a good opportunity to go next door and give her a minute to "work the numbers".

Success!  She could do it!  The room would only be $600 for the week.  Of course power would be on top though.  I told her I would have to get Glen to call her.  Unfortunately, this was getting to be the only choice.

On my return to our place I stopped in at Re/Max - just to check.  You never know, maybe it would be cheaper to just buy a place.  After all, real estate has been dropping.

Well, Good News!

The agent at Re/Max had a place... TWO actually.  Well, she wasn't actually the agent, she was the receptionist.  But she did call an agent (they are apparently very busy) and came back with $80US per night, no "working the numbers", no strings attached and power is included!

So... of course I am interested.  We went over some details, like "cash only", and "US funds", the deposit, etc.  Seems more than reasonable... let's go see it.

(insert huge big giant 'ahaaa' right here)

It was nice, really nice.  A perfect apartment with all the stuff like a coffee maker, a toaster, a big bed and clean furniture, close to the pool and close to our place.  More importantly though, IT WAS THE SAME PLACE!

I don't mean similar - the pictures I saw at Honest Anne's pre-owned Dominican Apartamentos Emporium were pictures of this place - exactly.  I'll pay her Friday for it.

Karma!

Our Canadian Neighbours

Today we said goodbye to our Canadian neighbours.  Al and Sherrie are from Victoria and without them, we would not be in the apartment we are in.  They, and their friend Patty (from Kansas) introduced us to Terry from Strathmore - our new landlord.

Al and Sherry also introduced us to Kevin and Ella (and their friend Stan) all from Toronto.  Kevin is originally from Kingston, Jamaica, and Ella was originally from Poland.  They have moved here to retire.

We see them around here a bit.  It's nice to meet new people.

We also met another couple from Ontario: Kathy and Terry, who have become great pool company and are here for a month.

We will miss coffee in  the morning with Al and Sherrie but thanks to them we have met a lot of really great people.

-Brad

A Trip to Macao on the Motos

We got up this morning and me mom and Brendon went to the beach close to apartment and  we walked down the beach for 40 minutes and we got a good exercise. Then we laid by the pool and sun tanned/sun burn for a while. Then we went to Macao on the motorbikes. 

Macao is the nicest beach ever. We just wanted to show my mom it so we did not stay long. She loved it and we plan on going there when Glen, Di and the girls come.  On the ride there i was with mom.  It has been raining so we had to go through a big mud puddle probably 3 feet deep.  Brendon and dad made it through but me and mom tipped over and fell in the water.  I hurt my ankle, but I am ok and mom scratched her knee.  A couple of dominican guys came and pushed the bike out of the water.  We made it safe to the beach and home.  When we got home dad went for groceries and we cleaned the apartment and did homework.  Me and  Bren went back into the pool and played catch with the football in the water.  We had a really great day today beside our little wreck on the motorbike.  We decided it was just all part of the adventure.

Ben.

tuesday

In the morning we all went to the beach. Dad and Brendon went for a run across the beach one way and me and my mom went the other way and we got great exersise.  Then we got back and we laid by the pool and sun tanned but these last couple of days it has been raining.  So it started raining and we went inside and did homework :(. 

Then it got nice we went back outside. Then we did more homework. Then we just hung around for a while in the pool and did homework. Mom made a traditional Canadian supper of potatoes and carrots, which we bought fresh at the market, and hamburger. 

The market is a short walk from here and nice.

Then Aaron came and mom and dad had a beer with him. Today was a pretty good normal day.

Ben

------

LUNES

It is my turn (Barb) to write today.  I got up quite early and went for a nice long walk at the beach.  It has been raining a lot here and it is quite windy but it was still nice to go for a stroll.  Later in the day we decided to take the bikes to Caribe (car-EE-bay, name of grocery store).  That was a very interesting experience for me.  The last time we took the bikes for a ride it was Sunday and not very busy.  Today it was crazy busy and I stalled the bike a few time in some crazy intersections.  There seem to be no traffic laws at these corners.  It is like you just close your eyes and hope for the best.  When I stalled the bike at the second intersection a couple of Dominicans rushed over to help . . . I think I could have started the bike myself but they insisted.  Anyway, went for groceries and the boys were very excited about all the fresh food and about not buying any junk food.  I could just tell by the smiles on their faces and the tone in their voices.  They love this healthy new lifestyle we've adopted.  (Can you pick up on my sarcasm)Brad and Brendon went out and bought propane today.  So, we cooked a local tradition of rice and black beans.  Brendon said that he liked it and might even request it again one day.  We all did homework and are going to bed early.

A Map of where we are...

Here is a quick look at where we are at.  Our place is in Los Corales.  We shop and get gas in Fruisa.  To get there on a bike or moto concho is little more than 5 minutes. Cortecito is only 2 or 3 minutes from here (a little shopping) by bike, it is shorter if you go along the beach, but since you are walking it is about a 10 minute trek.  If I did this right, you should be able to click the map and get a larger image.

Veron (pronounced Barrone) is 15 minutes South of here and the Airport is 10 more minutes.

We will likely go to Higuey this week coming up to do a little shopping.  That is only as far as Red Deer from Lacombe, but the roads here are not straight and unless you are headed to the airport or Santa Domingo, you can rarely can you go more than 60km/h.  It will take an hour to get to Higuey.

-Brad

Domingo, lots to do.

We had a nice morning coffee our neighbours from Canada.  In all, we met a couple from Victoria who were originally from Rosetown. The didn't know the Cave's, though. Another couple from Toronto whose roots were from Poland and Jamaica. Another guy from Toronto, and the lady we rented to place from was from Strathmore.  It's funny how small the world is.

The kids slept pretty late and so Barb and I went on a run around to show her the area. We are in Los Corales, from home we went to El Cortecito and then up to Friusa for Groceries.  The Caribe (say car-ee-Bay) is a lot like Superstore.  Because it is Sunday the busy intersection at the Bomba (the gas station) isn't too bad.  Normally, it is a pretty hectic corner - there are no signs and no traffic controls of any kind.  People just seem to 'know' what to do.

We took a quick detour and headed to Aaron's place and picked up a second bike then headed home.

One more trip to Estrella (a local market) for some bread with Ben and we are back.   The only thing we are short of now is a fly swatter!

We may go out again with Laura and Aaron tonight - we haven't decided yet.  The kids were not really interested in doing any homework today nor were they into writing anything down about their past couple of days.  We didn't fight too much about it, but there is a good reason why some animals eat their young :).

Saturday. Waiting for Mom.

  Today was very rainy so we stayed in side and played games and watched T.V. Then we went to pick up my mom that was awesome because i missed her so much. when we got back to the apartment we showed her around, she liked it. Then Aaron and his girlfriend Laura invited us for supper at a place called Las Vacas. The food was delicious I had a yummy hamburger. My mom was tired from the plane ride. So when we went back to apartment me mom dad and brendon went to the beach at night.  it was beautiful we walked down the sandy beach and then walked back and it was so great hanging out with my family.

Then when we got back mom went straight to bed and fell asleep. My dad went to bed too. So me and Brendon stayed up for a while. But we went to bed listening to music.

-Ben

Mom comes home

Today was rainy all day so there was not much to do. We stayed inside the condo and played rummy and super mario. Then the time came around and dad, aaron, and ben went and picked up my mom from the air port. So we came home and unloaded her stuff and showed her aound our new place. Then all of us went out for supper with aaron and laura. Then came home and got a good night sleep and it is a lot easier to sleep knowing that she is here with us safe.

-Brendon

Viernes - It´s Friday. Barb leaves tonight.

It rained most of the night. By morning, (about 4:30am Mountain Time) it cleared a bit and left only a mist. Nice and cool. Still no internet though. We learned that the power was off because the bill did not get paid by the people who manage the complex here... we also learned that the liquor store actually closed up, so now the WiFi connection is gone completely. Things move pretty slow around here so it may be a bit yet before we get something better.
Homework went well last night. Brendon got into reading his math modules and Ben did some more long division. We used playing cards for flash cards and practiced times tables for the rest of the evening before calling it quits.
Aaron will be busy today at a new job. He was hired yesterday (for today only) to work at a resort. His job is to book excursions as a Canadian tourist… sounds like a great job if you ask me, posing as a tourist. They do this sometimes for training and for some internal reasons to check on people. So many of the tour guides will book local day trips for “under the table money” that are not sponsored by the resort. So the resort will hire a mole to see what kinds of trips are being offered. He will be gone all day and the pay is a pass at the all-inclusive. The trick is to be white I guess.
That’s all for now, I’ve finished my coffee.  Oh yeah, I got a coffee maker last night. 709$RD - roughly $20US.

 - Brad

Jueves - Thursday, we are all settled.

We all had a really good sleep. Beds were comfortable and the temperature was great. It was about 7:30am that we discovered that there was no power or water. This also meant that the Internet Connection from the café next door was down. Power came on for us by about 9:00am, but it was after noon before there was water again.
I left the boys to sleep awhile longer and went for a coffee with Aaron – then off to do some shopping. 

 

The only coffee maker I could find was 2598.oo RD$ - about $80. I picked up some groceries for supper and breakfast tomorrow and noticed that in all the stores I was in there was no pop, chips, ‘plastic’ or ‘wax’ foods. There were no pre-packaged items of junk with gummy fruit or sawdust or paper. What was there, you ask??? Fruits and vegetables, breads and cheeses andmeats. There is juice, and milk and fresh yoghurt in big jugs to drink. And, of course, there is beer.
Afterwards, Ben and I went to a fruit stand while Bren did some homework. It was about a 7 or 8 minute walk. We knew the fruit was fresh… we watch the workers unload the truck as we walked up to the shop. For a whole pineapple, a papaya, and mango, 2 peppers and a tomato we spend 280RD$.
By the time late afternoon was here it started to rain. Both Brendon and Ben spent it in the pool while I had a drink with the neighbours. We will do a little more homework tonight and relax awhile. Barb gets here on the weekend and we can start all this again. :)

-Brad

Miércoles - moving in.

Today we moved in to our apartment. Aaron helped us get our bags here and looked after paying Uttah for our other place (the German lady whose house we were staying at). We will still need a coffee maker and a blender. It came with a washing machine which we found out did not work. It was an easy fix though – just a sock stuck in the drain.
The boys and I went to the El Dorado Beach for 

awhile and spent the rest of the day in and near the pool. Our Canadian neighbours invited us out to supper, but we were pretty wiped out and so we didn't go – it was another big day.

 We explored some of the features on Ben’s new camera and took quite a few new pictures but the Internet Connection here was not up including a couple of fancy ones with 'more than one Ben'.  We did sneak in a phone call home, though. It was nice to hear a familiar voice.

After everything, we ended up playing cards for an hour before finding a movie on TV (Monster House). We were in bed by 11:00 – or 8:00 at home. This apartment is laid out well – we did not need any air conditioning and the house was pretty comfortable all night long.

Martes - Tuesday - some Espanol Lessons.

Well today we woke up rather late then we headed over to Aaron's and we regrouped. For the remainder of the day we ran many errands. first we had lunch and i had my first cheeseburger, ain't to bad i might add. and then we took the remainder of the day searching for apartments. we found one that we all rather enjoy and we will be moving in it tomorrow. After that we came home and Laura took about two hours to teach me some Spanish. We ate spagetti for supper then we came back to our place where this will be the last night a write a blog at this apartment. But until tomorrow I'll talk to everyone later!

-Brendon-

Lunes. House Hunting.

Today we went to our friends apartment then we left to go to the bank. At the bank there was stores. So went bought sandals for Brendon and Dad. But we didn't eat breakfast so we went to a place in bavaro and ate sandwiches. Mom wanted a place at the beach , but for a while we are staying by our friend. But when Mom gets here we are going to stay somewhere by the beach. so we looked for places to stay and most of them were really nice. Then we went to grocery store and bought bread, meat and cheese and juice. When we got back to the apartment we had sandwiches. After that we went to swim in the pool. We had a little nap and now we are going to eat spagetti.

-Ben

We're Here!

It's been a full day that we have been in the Dominican Republic now. It was difficult to get organized yesterday as we spent the majority of the day and night either in an airplane or waiting for one. The kids slept a bit on each flight and also a bit in the Pearson airport in Toronto. I was not so fortunate - it was a long day. Thanks so much to Uncle Gerry for the ride to the Airport and for letting use store our truck in Calgary! The flight across the prairies was bumpy and a little unnerving (at least up to about Virden) but eventually it smoothed out a bit and the boys were able to get a little sleep on the plane. Toronto was

a madhouse and, as expected, breakfast cost us a little over $40. Another quick nap and we were in the air again. I met a nice older gentleman while waiting who was happy to keep me wide awake with plenty of stories of his many trips to Higuey and El Siebo, as well as tales of his life as a Tailor, then a Farmer, and a Carpenter, and now retired. Interesting for sure, but not really good sleep material. Luckily we had a plane to catch.

Aaron met us at the airport in Punta Cana and drove us to his apartment near Cocotal. His girlfriend (Laura) and he made us more than comfortable. We had pizza for supper. A visit, a quick swim in the pool, and some nice conversation with the German neighbours before we hit the sack early... it was almost 8:00 pm DR time - that's 5 o'clock in Alberta.

Today was different - we spent most of it in the water at El Macao. Being Sunday (Domingo) nothing is open and not much is going on - so away we went to Macao... pretty great way to spend a Sunday.