Waiting Out Hurricane Season in the Dominican Republic June 17 - November 15, 2007

Sailing from Provo, Turks & Caicos to French Cay.

Bailey doesn't normally come on deck while we're underway but on this day she was enjoying the shade and calm water.

Approaching French Cay.

What's cookin' in there?

Birthday Breakfast for Wendy!

Heading north and east to go south. Lots of coral to avoid around Big Ambergris Cay.

Our route to the Dominican Republic. Without a motor and the current and waves pushing us west, it was a long trip with long tacks.

Luperon Harbor.

Mainstreet Luperon.

A favorite hangout for cruisers, Captain Steve's Place.

Steve's daughter Stephanie.

Fishings over.

View from Burro Pass.

Men harvesting mollusks from the mangroves.

Jimbo with his Jumbo after the Saturday baseball game, Gringos vs Dominicans.

(photo courtesy of Sue Budde on Enee Marie)

Dragging anchor. When an anchor breaks loose, the winds will carry it swiftly away. This happened numerous times. It's dinghys to the rescue to stop it and get it re-anchored.

(photo courtesy of Sue Budde)

Hiking to the waterfalls.

Bob, Jim, Morgan, Ryan and Wendy at the falls. We climbed up 7 falls and then jumped or slid back down. It was beautiful.

Beachfront restuarant at El Castillo.
Our chef preparing us fresh fish and plaintains.

Waiting for the feast.

Columbus statue in Santo Domingo.


Jim, Kristin and Hans at our favorite stop along the square in Santo Domingo.


Touring a fort in the city.

The fort at the harbor in Santo Domingo.

Hans gives us a history lesson.

Santo Domingo church. These grates were a gift from Germany and were designed as crosses.

Can you spot the swastikas?

The cathedral in Santo Domingo.

A strange design on a church?

The Ham Museum full of serrano hams.

Jim wants to live here!

(photo courtesy of Hans Ericsson)

We spent the afternoon here celebrating a birthday with other cruisers.

Jim and friend.
Site of the first settlement established by Columbus in the DR, La Isabella.

The roof is built over the remains of Christopher Columbus' house.

View from the Columbus site of the bay where the Nina, Pinta and Santa Marie were anchored.

Climbing into the caves once inhabited by the Taino Indians.

Prior to Columbus, Hispaniola was inhabited by the Taino and Carib Indians.

Mike & Renee (Jacumba) at Mike's birthday dinner.
Mike, Joe, Wendy, Becky, Kristin and Hans as we get ready to toast the birthday boy.

Another birthday, this time for Joe (Half Moon).

Becky and Joe at his party at the Upper Deck Restaurant.
We were given Merengue and Bachata lessons!


The girlfriends! Renee, Kristin, Wendy & Becky.


Doing the Bachata!


The guys getting a lesson. They dance better alone!

Don't worry, that's just sweat. It was hot, hot, hot!!!

Jim gives the teacher a lesson.

Celebrating between dances.

Our dance instructors.

Our chef Wendy. She's the shy Wendy!
You have to try her Ginger-coconut Grouper!

Our friends at the Upper Deck, Agatha and Jessie.

In October, we took a trip to the mountains and the town of Jarabacoa with our friends Joe and Becky (Half Moon).

Part of the Hotel Grand Jimenoa on the Rio Jimenoa.

The gorgeous landscape near Jarabacoa.

The road to the coffee plantation.

Getting a tour, in Spanish. We understood most of it!


In addition to several varieties of coffee there were flowers, bananas, vanilla, oranges and more.

Starter plants at the processing plant.


The drying beans are raked several times each day.

Our wonderful guide (again in spanish) at the processing plant. We wanted to take her home with us!

This time we're celebrating Becky's birthday. We love parties!


Columbus Day parade in El Castillo.

Festivities started at the church.











Our great friends Muff and Reed come to visit us in Luperon, just in time for Jim's birthday.

They came from Minnesota but we didn't ask for snow!

The birthday boy in the pool.

The drinking is to try and cover the pain of another year older and to guard against scurvy!

Jim, Reed and Muff.

The pool is at the apartment they rented on the hill outside of Luperon.

The Lost Souls Tiki Bar.

The lost souls!

Jan and David (Deja Blue) join us for pizza and cake.

Reed, Wendy and Muff on the beach at El Castillo.

Lunch at the beach in Cabarete.

It's a good day for a Guinness.

Uninvited guest outside the apartment. But he did catch a cockroach!

We put Reed to work scrubbing crud off the bottom of the dinghy. Because he doesn't have to do it every few weeks, he thinks it's fun!


Roadtrip through the countryside....

Dominican traffic.

The Dominican Ross Perot running for office!

Keg o' rum. What a country!
5 liters of pure fun!

Birdseye view from the top of the dodger.

Saying goodbye to Gladys at the customs office when we go to clear out.

She's one of the special people we met in Luperon. Whenever we'd see her, we were greeted with a hug.

One last Jumbo (33 oz.) Bohemia before we leave. Notice the long face! And he wouldn't share!