The walls are a pale green and the floors are a soft green with blue added.  The bathroom is finished and the kitchen cabinets are done.  We have electricity and running water.  The furniture is in place - pictures in next blog.  The family has been living in the house for 1 1/2 weeks now.

Today I did a very Dominican thing.  I bought 4 chairs and brought them home on a motorcycle. The driver was infront, then me holding 4 chairs behind me on the bike. It was easy until we got to the hill that I live on.  Gravity didn't help matters but I didn't drop any of the chairs.  I was laughing my head off by the time we got to my gate. 

The house now has a floor and painted walls/  The windows go in tomorrow.  By Thursday night the family should be able to sleep in their hose.  The electrical and plumbing are in and only need to be connected to their sources.

First fine sand called "arena fina" is screened for foreign objects then mixed with concrete and water until the correct consistency is achieved.

Wood is placed at ends of walls to create a form that ensures wall coatings are all the same thickness. Walls have been previously prepared with tubing for electrical lines, outlets and switches. Plumbing is also in place before wall coatings go on.

One man places the first coating on in a smooth layer over the concrete block wall.  Another man follows behind and creates a very smooth top layer that is flawless.  The wall looks like it is coated in suede.  It takes a few days for the walls to dry. 

To date the interior walls have been coated and the men are working on the outside.  When dr,y the windows go in.  The floor can also be poured now that the inside walls are done.

We have a roof as of today.  Next the walls have to be coated and the electrical put into place, then the window and finally the floor.  Plumbing needs to be roughed in before the floor goes down in the bathroom.  It finally looks like a house.

Soon the roof goes on.  The wood for the roof has been painted and is ready for constructing the rafters.  It was my idea to paint the wood first.  The men thought it was a good idea.  Ya think!!

We finished the walls on the house yesterday and today we are building 6 colunas =columns.  One fancy one on the gallaria and 5 regular.  All are needed to support the roof.  After that we construct the parade that finishes the roof line.

It is starting to look like a house. 

Building a house that you have personally designed is an interesting activity while living in the DR.  This house is small about 27' x 20 ' but the family thinks that it a mansion compared to what they use to live in.  The contractor is working for free as he is the nephew of Migilin.  With mostly free labour from the family it is a very economical project.  The contractor, Rolando, calls me the engineer as I designed the house and I am there to answer all technical questions or correct him when a mistake has been made.  I realize now that men do not look at or read floor plans or even think about window placement as they lay contrete block.  If I wasn't on site yesyerday, all of the windows would have been the wrong size and in the wrong place.  Look at the diagrams please and read the sprcifications given by the window contractor please.  Ok, maybe they can't read, but surely to goodness they can decipher diagrams.  Ok, maybe not!!  They do take verbal instructions well though.  I am good at drawing pictures of all sides of the house too, so they that understand me.  That seems to work the best. My construction vocabulay is pretty good too.

sand = arena

gravel = grava

block = bloc

cement = cemento

floor = piso

roof = techo

wall = muro

delivery = flete

rebar = varilla

nails etc = clavo

wood = madera

lead roofing = zinc

porch = galeria

paint = peintura

pala = shovel

footings = zapaticos

In July we began building a house in Maimon for Migilin's family.  Today we are starting on the walls.  By the end of the week, most of the house will be completed.  With free labour from family members who are in the trade, it will be very economical.  There are experts in barrilla, concrete, block laying, and roofing.  Watch the walls and roof go up here daily.

This weekend was the Puerto Plata Merengue festival.  Highlights were Tono Rosario, Eddy Herrara, and Hermanos Rosario. There were fireworks on Friday and Sunday night.

It is overcast this evening,  Maybe we will get rain tonight.  We had rain last evening so we did not go to karaoke and dancing at Terraza Caribe as planned.  We hope to go to karaoke tonight.  Rain clouds go away please!!!

It was hot and sunny all day, but last night the breeze through my balcony doors in the bedroom was cold enough for me to use a blanket. Yep!! a blanket.

Monday we continue the construction of the house in Maimon.  Before I went back to Canada we had poured the footing, reinforced with barrilla, and put in a sub floor wall 3 blocks high.  The old septic tank has been removed and a new one is being installed away from the house.  The sizes of the windows were chosen today, so now the walls can be built.

Watch here for pictures and updates.

Ok!!!!  I know that many of you are wondering - "Where is Charlielyn?"  Well!!! At the end of July my apartment was robbed and my laptop was stolen along with other items.  It happened on a Friday afternoon.   So no internet access for blogging.  I returned to Canada mid August for 5 weeks, but I am now back in the DR as of yesterday.  The weather is beautiful - hot and sunny.  A great time of year for a vacation.  October and November are also great times to come here as packages to resorts are really cheap.  So come on down!!!!

This flower was a big surprise for me.  I had no idea that these plants even bloomed.  It was about 3 feet tall.

We have been having great weather.  It is hot and sunny with a good cool breeze.  Going out at night with no fear of rain is great.  Last night we went to a disco/bar near Torre Alta in Puerto Plata.  On Thursday nights they play only salsa music for dancing.  We had a great time dancing.  I'm pretty good now.  Tony is impressed with my progress.  I still have a lot to learn though.

Tonight we are going to Montellano for dancing and a comedy show.  Tomorrow night we have tickets for the Antony Santos concert at el Campito.  Life is fun, plus all this dancing is helping me to lose weight.

For all my buddies in Canada - if you are looking for hot and sunny weather, this is the place to be.  It is 82 but feels like 104 today with a nice breeze.  Sunny!!!!!  The full moon last night was beautiful.

Today I am off to a meeting about construction costs for a small house in Maimon.  We are meeting with people that are comparing the cost of concrete houses to rice(similar to straw) bail block construction.  A new proccess believed to be stronger, cooler and cheaper.

Days are very hot right now, but usually there is some form of rain about 6 p.m. every evening.  Yesterday was very hot but no rain in the evening here.  There was rain west of Puerto Plata.  These pictures were taken earlier this week on Monday and Tuesday.  It is now Friday morning June 26th, 2009.  It is the day after the death of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.  Both deaths are sad.  Both came to their end way to soon in life.  They will both be missed by many in this world who loved them.

This young man is Fernando and he is responsible for repairing the machines at the sewing school.  We went shopping in May to purchase missing parts for the schools machines.  He had made a list of every essential item from bobbins to foot controls then we went to another store and purchase giant spools of thread for every machine.  This is one of three projects that I have going here.

1- Sewing School for girls in Augua Negra in Puerto Plata,  We still need $1400 for an inversion system.

2. Building a house for a poor family of 4 at the cost of $1400 in Maimon.

3. Assisting a 32 year old mother of 3 with chemotherapy payments for Breast Cancer. She lives in Puerto Plata and has to travel to Santiago every 3 weeks.  She has had 5 treatments at the cost of 4000 pesos each.  Tomorrow is her 6th treatment.  Only 2 more to go.  I am paying for the last 3 treatments as she has exhausted sources of friends, family, community and the church.  A beautiful young person in need of a hands up.  I look at it as a gift from my mom to her.  If you have read all of my blog - you know my story.

I just noticed that the recurring costs are the same for every project.  Strange!!!

I found a peso in the street today.  I hope that is the same as finding a penny. 

Maimon is where people go to eat fresh fish at a very low price.  I go there to visit new friends.  If it doesn't rain this afternoon, we are going to visit a family just west of the Maimon restaurant area.  They are very poor and are in desperate need of a new house.  The one that they live in now is made of wooden poles (which the termites are eating) and lead roofing material for the roof and walls.  When the wind blows, the lead raises off the wood.  The roof has holes in it and I bought them patching compound to help stop the leaks.  When it rains heavily, which is about every day now, the wife and 2 children go up the hill to stay with her mother in a little wooden house that is not that great a place, but at least drier.  They have invited me for the afternoon today.  I have been looking into the cost of building a very plain, small cinder block house for them.  The cost so far seems to be 165,000 pesos which is roughly $5000 Canadian.  A very small amount of money that would increase their lifestyle 100%.  The family and friends would do all the work and it would take about 10 days to build the simple structure.  See below for pictures of their house.

For 14 years I have shared the same birthday as my dear Dominican friend Candida.  She is 2 days older than me as she was born on the 6th and I was born on the 8th.  It is her family that has become my family over the years.  Yesterday we celebrated both of our 60th birthdays with a pool party.  The family gave me a beautiful floral arrangement that totally surprised me.  We had hot dogs, chips, drinks, and a black forest cake.  The boys brought their guitar and sang for us.  I think that it was the first time that frandy's parents and grandparents had heard him sing.  We had a great time.

Tonight I will be celebrating my birthday with Tony and some of his family and go dancing at La Canita.

One Sunday I was sitting on the deck of Barcos Restaurant and watched this sailboat come across the ocean heading for the city port.  By its size, I knew that it would draw too much water for it to dock in Cofresi.  It has 3 furlers in the front, 5 spreaders and an extreamly tall mast with 4 sonar dishes.  It docked here for about a week then left.  A few weeks later it came back for about a 3 night stay.  It was huge.  I would love to know its story.

Original art in the city centre. Many walk past without looking inside.  My life is busy here and I find that there is very little time for blogging, but lots of things to blog about.

More art coming!

Today at around 5 pm we had an amazing electrical storm.  Most of it circled Puerto Plata, but I know that areas like Maimon got hit very hard.  I watched the bolts of lightning from my balcony.  Definitely not a day to be on the water in a boat with a metal mast.

This is one of my favourite places to take people to see.  It is a little gem that most people walk past everyday without knowing it exists.  My friend Liz has enrolled 8 of her boys from her Boy's Club for Saturday art lessons.  Check it out the next time you are in Puerto Plata.  It is on the north east corner opposite Parque Central.

The weather is hot and sunny during the day now, but heavy rains overnight.  This morning there were 2 large BOOMS of thunder. Woke up the city, I'm sure.  I love a good thunder storm, as long as I'm not out on a boat.

My Dominican family has 2 members with heart problems right now.  One (male) was hospitalized with a heart attack for 4 days, and the other (female) is having heart tests done today at Centro Medico.  My prayers are with them today and always.  It is a scary time for them right now.

My friend Liz has taken 4 young female Canadian volunteers to work in Haiti this week.  I promised to take them dancing when they get back on Friday. 

Tony is still my dance partner.  A group of us went to karaoke and dancing at La Canita Monday night.  It was  a friend's birthday so many people from the condos were there.  Tony sings as well as dances.

Today, I am taking it easy.  Yesterday I did the laundry, went grocery shopping, cleaned the condo, and walked for exercise on the Malecon. 

I will go for a walk later today.  I need to lose some weight.  Dancing helps of course.

Sewing by hand because the power is off.  This was 3pm on a Saturday afternoon.  The projects shown above are what the girls learn to sew. They are for sale.

I am currently working with a sewing school located 0n the edge of Agua Negra a poor barrio located beside the port.  It is very close to where my 2 Dominican families live.  The school teaches 4 different sewing courses.  After the girls complete all 4 courses, they have a graduation where they are presented with a sewing machine.  The machines are donated by a Rotary Club.  The girls are also expected to come back to the school and help teach the incoming classes.  My Quinte Home Economics Association has donated $200 towards repairing and maintaining the sewing machines in the school.  I am working with a young man and will be going with him to purchase the parts that he needs to do these repairs.

The day that I took these pictures there was no power in the area, so the woman were being instructed in hand sewing.  They are in desperate need of an inversion system for back up power.  This would cost about $1400 cdn.  My goal is to help them purchase this.

Sorry to my blog readers for not posting lately.  The sun came out finally in PP about 4 weeks ago and then I flew back to Canada to do my taxes and visit with friends and family.  I have lots to tell you about my life over the last 4 weeks, just don't have the time right now to type.  However, I was dancing about 3 times a week, my friend T had a scooter accident and most of the Canadians in my condo complex went home for the summer.  I am involved with a sewing school in Barrio Agua Negra and I'm fund raising for that right now while home.  They need a new fan, an inversion system, and some of the machines repaired.  I have money to repair the machines and I think that I have enough to buy a new fan.  The inversion system is the most expensive project.  We need about 38,000 pesos for a system that can support the sewing machines when the power is out. I'll post pictures of the school soon for you to see.

Beats traveling on a subway, wind in your hair, sun at your back, a bitch when it rains though, and it has been raining since my last post. If you look closely you will notice that this truck is on the wrong side of the road.  It was going the other way and had to turn around because of the truck strike I blogged about previously. Today the rain is heavy and non-stop.  It is cold to boot.  In between rain showers I have managed to do a few things.

The 17th was St.Patrick's Day, so Iwore the green and went to Sam's Bar to meet up with other green wearing expats.  Had a couple of beers then walked home.

The rain started on the 18th.  The next day, during a rain stoppage, I was picked up by Liz in a big bus and we went to Agua Negra, a poor Haitian barrio in PP.  I got to tour some of the projects and classes that Liz is involved with there.  It was first visit to Escuala La Luz and Escuela Taller.  Escuella Taller has a program that trains young girls to sew with machines.  After theycomplete 4 sewing coarses, they graduate and get a sewing machine.  This is the program that I am interested in helping.  I am taking an inventory of needs like missing presser foots, etc. and will bring back supplies from Canada on my next visit home.  We then went Liz's house to pick up a donated stove for another school in the same barrio that is going to teach cooking to young girls.

Liz is also the lady that does my hair in the DR.  She managed to do my hair later in the day before my students came for English and before she had to take the bus to pick up 14 Americans here helping her mission.

Friday we were able to go dancing, because the rain let up in the evening.  We went to La Canita again.  It is my favourite spot. They play a good mix of salsa, merengue and bachata.

Saturday the girls escaped to the Malecon in the afternoon during a sunny break.  We drove to Barcos for a drink.  Sunday we had more rain, but 3 of us managed to take a taxi to Tarappas Restaurante for dinner.

Today is Monday and I am housebound because of the heavy rain.  The sun is suppose to shine for the rest of the week.  I hope so because coffee chat tomorrow is in Costambar and that road is a mess in the rain.

I sat on the upper level at Barco's for the parade on Sunday.  The police had cleared the Malecon of all vehicles by 11 in the morning.  The parade started at 4 to 4:30 in the afternoon.  Instead of standing on the side of the road or sidewalks, the Domincans eventually closed in the street until the parade participants were limited to walking in single file.  How Stupid!!!!  They wouldn't even move back when horses came through that were obviously nervous of the crowd closing in on them.  The concept of standing back so that you can see the parade in full glory both coming and going is lost on Dominicans.  The only thing they could see was 12 " in front of their face. It really ruined the parade for themselves and others.  The funny part was, because of all the space they left behind them on the road, the guys with the bladders could now hit people from behind.  You could drive a transport behind the crowd as that is how much road was left behind them.

Another great two weeks in Puerto Plata.    We had truck strikes that blocked the highway into the city that kept 270 people from making their flights back home.  Trucks blocked all roads into PP and the highway in the centre of the city.  In front of my condo, 6 trucks blocked the east bound roads and Dominicans driving as they do, would either drive backwards down the road or do a U turn and drive into oncoming traffic.  Hysterical to watch from my balcony.

Thursday, March 5^th, La Sirena finally opened its doors to shoppers.

On the weekend, we went dancing at El Caballon and Teraza Caribe.  People don’t go dancing when it rains here.  We were lucky to get a break from the rain.

We had coffee chat on Tuesday and 2 new Canadians joined the group.  Networking is very important here.  We met at Armondos again.

I had 3 birthday celebrations this week.  Monday and Wednesday were birthdays in my Dominican family.  Friday we celebrated my friend Jan’s birthday at Café Cito. I got to see a lot of people that I hadn’t seen for a few years.  It was great.  Phil brought his guitar and sang for us and Chad bought every flower that the flower vendor had to sell for the whole night.  Jan had more than she could handle so she gave every girl there 3 or 4 bunches of roses.  She still had about 20 bunches to take home.  Mine are drying so that I can keep them in a vase later.  You have to hang them upside down to keep the stems straight.

Saturday we went dancing at Ranch Tipico.  I love to dance and having the best dancer in the city to dance with is a treat.  That is why I love this country so much.  Everyone dances and boy do we dance.  We hardly sat down. Today I went to the Malecon for another Carnival parade.  Pictures to follow.

Wednesday morning, I took the C guagua to Playa Dorada to meet with Canadian friends.  One couple has 2 condos at the old Dorado Club Resort. This is no longer a hotel and it felt like a ghost town as I walked through it.  No one in reception, one person at the pool, no music, no staff – it felt very strange walking through the complex.  My friends have completely renovated their 2 condos.  They are now very stylish and modern with new kitchens and bathrooms.  The other couple was staying at the Blue Bay Resort. Ian and Sylvia post on my blog.  They are a very nice couple from Ottawa and have been to the Blue Bay 5 times.  I met them when they were here in January.  They came back again in February.

Wednesday night was a great time.  My friend L and I decided to go to dinner in Costambar before movie night with the girls.  We happened upon a very quaint little restaurant, had a great meal, then discovered that we had dined at Las Rocas.  A nice little place. I will go back again. The movie at our friend’s house was Chicago.  A fun night out for sure.

Thursday, some of the kids from my Dominican family came for a late afternoon swim.  The 1 ½ year old came with her mother.  She loves the water.  The kids swim here at least a couple of times a week.  Thursday night 3 of us drove to Montellano for Karaoke. I don’t sing, but I had a lot of fun.  It was another adventure in the DR.

Friday I spent most of the day on the Malecon for Independence Day.  My kids joined me after the parade for pizza at Barco’s.  They make a good thin crust pizza.  It rained Friday night so we didn’t go dancing.

Saturday morning, I was invited to brunch at W & M’s apartment.  M is a great cook and baker.  I am not losing weight living here as she bakes and shares will all of us.  It is too good to resist and I have no will power at all.

Saturday night we went dancing at Teraza Caribe.  Thank goodness we didn’t go to La Canita as we usually do.  Other people we knew unfortunately did go to La Canita.  The police AMET and the Liquor Control police surrounded the bar and blocked the doors.  They sprayed tear gas into the discothèque and started searching for drugs, etc. and looking at ID’s.  It was really crowded at Teraza Caribe after people left La Canita and came to where we were.  My friends that were there went to Rancho Tipico instead.  The police are really harassing people here at night.

Another week in Paradise.  More happened this week, but I can only type so much with 2 fingers.

The police in PP are making their presence well known throughout the city.  Everywhere you go, the locals are talking about how they are sweeping through the barrios at night arresting people for no reason (well maybe for the 1000 peso fee to get out of jail) and taking motorcycles.  On Friday night night I witnessed this on the streets that are located between Parque Central and La Canita.  Large trucks for the motorcycles and 4 police vehicles.  People are staying home at night.  On Saturday, there was a problem at Teraza Carribe and the police were involved.  We were at La Canita and suddenly everyone from Teraza Caribe showed up there.  The word is that they are also harrassing small businesses - no plastic chairs are allowed on the sidewalks outside their stores.  Walking down the street is easier now. The store fronts are tidier.  Our security guard and the moto concho driver he was riding to work with, were both arrested for absolutely no reason on the weekend.  I think that it might be a cleanup for the President coming to PP in the near future.  He is opening the new Little League Stadium and La Sirena.  I noticed yesterday that they are painting yellow curbs in the area too. The city has to look good for the President.

Today I met with the girls for breakfast in Costambar.  Afterwards we went to a nursery near Cofresi and bought plants.  My balcony is getting ptettier every day.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Playa Dorada to meet with friends from Canada that own 2 condos at Dorado Club.  They only have condos there now.  They have renovated theirs and I'm curious to see how they have decorated them.  From the pictures that I saw, they are beautiful.

Tomorrow night is movie night for the ladies in Costambar.  Should be a lot of fun.

Friday is Carnival in PP.

Lots to do right now.  Let's hope the sun keeps shining.  At least during the day.  It is raining this evening.

To Ian and Sylvia - You will like the Blue Bay very much.  I will look you up.  I have other friends in a condo at the Dorado Club that I need to see also.

Sunday and Monday were beautiful sunny days.  Sunday night a group of us went dancing at La Canita again.  Today everyone took advantage of the pool as it was a hot day.  Even my 2 students went for a swim after their English class.

But the highlight of the day happened about 9 p.m. tonight when a huge transport truck tried to come up our road and got stuck coming around the corner.  Our road is difficult for even a small truck to come up as it is very steep, so to see this 40’ semi try to maneuver a steep 90 degree corner  was hysterical.  Dominicans definitely don’t think out situations.  They just barge ahead without a plan. If it doesn’t work the first time try again, and again, and again, then maybe sit back and come up with a plan that might work. They nearly took out a phone line too.

Much to our amazement, the transport did make it up the second part of the hill, but it took a long time to complete this task.  The rest of the story is even more entertaining, but I can’t disclose all that happened tonight,  I can tell you that some of us went up to the roof of the condo to watch the show unfold below.  Our roof is awesome.  It is painted a beautiful blue and it is where we do the laundry.  There is an automatic washing machine and the “solar” dryer works most days.

Rain! Rain! And more Rain!

It has been raining since Wednesday night and it is still raining on Monday night.  It is suppose to rain again tomorrow.  Yuk!!!!

Well, we did have one adventure this week, even with the rain.

M looked out her window on Thursday and saw 4 puppies huddled together at the side of the road.  Small puppies (maybe 4 weeks old) and soaking wet.  She gave me a box and I went out and rescued them for her.  For the next 2 days she fed them, de-fleaed them and kept them warm until she managed to find them a home.  She phoned everyone that she knew.  Finally, a call to friends in Sosua .  found all 4 puppies a home.  So Saturday, 4 of us drove the puppies to Sosua to the home of Frank and Conrad.  They have an orphanage for abandoned dogs.  They have about 17 dogs that they are trying to find good homes for right now.  Their website is www.animalrescuedr.comze.com  Check out their website and if you can give a good home to one of the dogs featured there please call or email them.

_____________________

Friday Jan.30/09

Another beautiful sunny day in Puerto Plata.  I decided to walk to the city centre to visit with friends.  At my favourite jewelry store, I met a lady from the Yukon.  She comes down here in the winter during slow season back home.  She is a carpenter and I have now made contact with a person in the local Rotary for her to meet.  While here, she would like to get involved in a few projects. 

Today, I bought a painting by my favourite Dominican artist for over my bed.  Love it!!!!  I also bought carnations for M and I.  Makes the condo feel like home.

I was walking back home when my Dominican taxi driver came along and gave me a free ride home.  I need to walk but Carlos has a crush on me and looks for me all day long.

For dinner tonight I took my friend De out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant called Tarappas. It was a belated birthday present for her and a chance for us to reconnect. We shared and order of Fettuccine Alfredo and an order of Pork Tenderloin in a Mushroom cream sauce.  Excellent!!!!!  The owner is the past owner of Portofino’s. A must to dine at and not expensive.

Sat. Jan. 31^st

Pool Party Day!!!!!  A great day to hang out with my friends by the pool.  That is what we did in the a.m., then, in the p.m. M, De and I went for a drive along the Malecon, stopped for drinks at Cosita Rica and relaxed in the cool ocean breeze. I ran in to my friend Jan here too.  It was another beautiful sunny day.

Superbowl Sunday!!!!

A rainy day, but the game made up for the rain.  I sat with the guys at Billy’s sports Bar and watched the game.  If you saw it, you know what I mean by an exciting game.  It was my first time watching the game outside of Canada, so to see the American commercials was special too.

Feb.2^nd – Ground Hog Day – he saw his shadow folks so 6 more weeks of winter for those of you up north.  It was cloudy and cool here so stayed close to home.  I actually wore long pants and a hoodie today. Brrrrrr!!!!

Tuesday Feb. 3^rd

Another sunny great day.  In the morning I went with D to Costambar to coffee chat with Liz and 2 other ladies.  Liz told me about a sewing school in PP that trains women with a four session course at the end of which they receive a sewing machine. I will be hooking up with this group in the near future. I think that they are through Rotary also. We met at the R&B Bakery at 10 a.m.  Pictures to be uploaded soon of the bakery/restaurant.  Excellent baked goods and bread.  Then D and I drove to the Breezes Resort near Cabarete to pick up supplies for tourists for the Beyond the Beach Foundation.

I got home just in time to meet up with my students. 

The biggest surprise of the day was when I checked my emails.  There were lots from friends back home, but a friend from past years contacted me through Facebook wondering if I was the person that she used to know.  I was !!!!  I use to rent from Sue at the Dorado Club many years ago.  It was the easiest way to stay in the DR for a month every summer.  They are in PP for the next 2 months staying in their newly renovated condos at the Dorado Club.  We will be getting together soon.

That brings us to today – Feb. 4^th

First thing this morning, W, B and I went to check out items for sale at an apartment where the people were moving to the States.  I lucked out and bought a huge framed map of the world for my living room wall, perfect colours to match the furniture, a small bed side table for the bedroom loft, and 2 plants in baskets for my balcony.

Late morning some of us took in the sun by the pool – it is great to be retired. 

At 1 p.m., 4 of us did the grocery store run with Billy.  That is one of the great features of living here.  You get almost daily rides to the Tropical.  That and the automatic washing machine are perks. Today was another great sunny day, but I hear that rain is on its way.

I am behind in my blog writing.  Monday Jan.19 until Friday Jan.30^th have been days filled with great things.  Mon. and Tues. were sunny days so I went walking a lot, bought flowers, etc.  The kids came for English on Tuesday and we planned a birthday party for my friend’s son.  Wed. was sunny so I took F, A, HL, and F (the birthday boy) to Fun City for the day.  It was a school holiday so we celebrated his 9^th birthday a day early.  We totally lucked out as we were the only people at the go-cart track and the boys drove carts, dune buggies, bumper cars, race cars non-stop from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.  It was a great day for them and I got good sun.

Then the rain began.  It rained from Wed. night until Saturday afternoon.  It rained so hard on Thursday and Friday that they closed the airport at Puerto Plata.  All planes were diverted to airports in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo which are on the other side of the island .  Friends of mine from Canada had a hellish day on Friday.  First their plane was delayed 6 hours in Toronto, then they had to land in Santo Domingo and be bused in a rain storm at night for 4 hours to Puerto Plata.  They arrived at their hotel at midnight – 12 hours after they should have arrived – so they lost their first day.  They had been up all night the day before as they were at the airport in T.O. at 3 a.m. for at 6 a.m. flight that didn’t take off in time.  They were not happy!!!!!

The rain stopped by noon on Saturday, but we had rain over-night.  To the pool!!!!

During the 2 days of heavy rain, I started writing poetry again.  It has been a while since I have sat down to write seriously.  I write occasionally for a newsletter back home twice a year, but all of a sudden poetry just started flowing from my pen.  It is this country that is inspiring me.

Sunday was a beautiful day and d and I went to the Beyond the Beach Foundation Meet & Greet at the Playa Dorada Golf Club. This is a group of Canadians who fundraise in Canada to support schools and educational projects in the Dominican Republic. 

Monday was another sunny Dominican holiday, Independence Day, so I decided at 10 a.m. to take the C bus to the baseball stadium and then walk to the Malecon.  I stopped at Raffi’s bar for a large lemonade and then waked the whole Malecon until I got to Barco’s Restaurant.  I spent a couple of hours there eating and people watching, then continued my walking journey home.

Tuesday was also a sunny day, so I spent it at the pool.  This was the first day that I actually worked on my tan since arriving here.  When you live here, it is not a big deal to fry your body as fast and as long as you can each day.  It becomes a gradual thing and really not as important as when you are on a vacation.  In the afternoon F came by himself for an English lesson.  I am preparing him for the next semester as he hasn’t had English in school since last June.  I was here then, so we are reviewing old lessons.

Wed. we had a mixture of rain and sun and Thursday it was sunny but quite cloudy.  Today the sun is shining but my friends had to go back to Canada this morning.  I here it is snowing there again.  To pass the time, I have started experimenting with my gas oven.  I have never cooked with these little ovens before and they are different.  I managed to make scalloped potatoes much to my surprise.  My next experiment will be brownies.

I will most likely walk in to the city today to visit with people and check out my favourite stores on Beller.  Another stop at Mariposa for Black Forest cake doesn’t help my hips.  That is why I need to walk.

Enough writing, I must get on with my day.

10 a.m. Friday Jan. 30/09

I have found setting up an apartment to be a fairly costly venture.  Over the last few days I have spent a lot of money in Puerto Plata and Santiago in order to buy food basics, cleaning supplies, etcetera.  I laugh when I read people asking if $1000 is enough per month down here.  With rent, transportation (public), food, supplies, living needs – I have spent over $1500 in just 1 ½ weeks.  My apartment is furnished but was lacking good cooking pans or baking dishes. I bought 2 little lamps, placemats, storage containers for food, a heavy duty frying pan, Kleenex, toilet paper, paper towels, a new pillow, pantry items, cleaning supplies, bug sprays, etc.  Everything was a necessity, but blew my monthly budget.  Next month I should be able to keep my expenses down, now that I  have a stocked pantry.

Thursday D and I drove to Santiago. I was able to get items there in bulk that will last a long time.  We also found BBQ lighters for lighting the gas stoves.  That was a scoop!

It was a sunny day and we left at 8 a.m. and came back to PP by 9 p.m.  It was a great day

Friday my 2 students came for their first official English class.  We worked for 3 hours.  They have decided that they are going to study with me on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.  Friday was a very rainy day and the roads around here became very muddy.

Saturday was sunny and I was able to wash and dry a load of towels.  W, B and I did another grocery run.  This time , I went with them so that I could use the ATM at Scotia Bank.  We are getting 27-28 pesos per Cdn $.  We had visitors from Calgary in the afternoon.  Saturday night we went to W and M’s apartment for drinks and chit chat.

Sunday morning it was raining again, but D and I went shopping at Jose Luis.  She got an ironing board for a good price.  This is where I found placemats with Palm Tree designs.  Very Tropical!  Jose Luis is a grocery store with an upstairs dept, type area.  When we got back more ladies from Calgary had arrived for a visit.  It was a very pleasant morning even with the rain.  The internet says that we are to get thunderstorms today.  It is now 5 p.m. and the sky over the ocean is darkening.  We are going dancing tonight so I hope that it passes by quickly.

Today is Wednesday Jan.14^th, I have been in the DR less than a week, but it feels like I have been here longer than that because of all of things that I have accomplished so far. 

When I arrived on Thursday evening it was hot and humid for this time of year. Billy was good enough to stop at the Tropical so that I could pick up cleaning supplies and a few basic food items before we got to the condo. I didn’t bother unpacking until Friday because I wanted to give the condo and the drawers of all dressers and cupboards a thorough cleaning before filling them.

Friday I got a ride to the grocery store to buy more food with the condo guys.  They take out the garbage and go for a food/beer run most days. I dusted and cleaned so that I could put all my clothes away and store the empty suitcases.  I would leave the cleaning of the  floor until a rainy day.  It was a gorgeous day so I decided to enjoy the afternoon outside. 

I was able to clean the floors on Saturday because it rained heavily all morning and afternoon. This was also a good time for me to pin the fabric that I brought for new curtains.  The old curtains in my bedroom had to go.  Just wasn’t the effect I was looking for, so I called my friend Y, who makes curtains for a living and asked if I could borrow her sewing machine for Sunday.  By the way, Saturday was really cold here and windy.  By evening, the rain stopped and we (4 of us) were able to go dancing at Rancho Tipico west of PP.  My friend D got a new Jeepeta that day – very nice – the Pantera Negra – as she calls it.

Sunday was a sunny day but breezy.  I took a taxi to Y’s house to say hello to the family and to sew the curtains.  Her power was off so we used the treadle machine (a good old Singer) to sew the top hems of the balcony curtains.  The power was still off so we packed up her electric machine and sewing supplies and took a taxi back to my condo.  Her son and his friend (F and A) came with us.  They swam in the pool while we sewed the curtains for the 2 windows beside the bed.  Pictures will be coming later.

Monday F and A got off school early so they came by for an English lesson in the morning.  The afternoon was my first trip into the city to change money (CDN = 28 and US = 35.2) and pick up items for the condo. I met my friend D at her office for a tour.  I went into Sam’s Bar and Grill and low and behold the ladies from Canada that I met 3 weeks before, were back again. They fund raise for the Dominican Outreach program that Marta and Dale run.  They will be here about every 2 weeks for a while.  After shopping all afternoon, I called my taxi driver, Carlos – who is cheaper – but he was in Jarabacoa.  I took a regular taxi instead. Of course, I made a stop first at Mariposa to by my favourite desserts. With these items, the condo is starting to  take on my personality. 

Tuesday was an interesting day.  I walked to the city with full intensions of walking back again.  On my way home, I pass by a fellow who sells cut flowers and I had planned on buying a bunch for M and me.  On the walk to town, I noticed a few stores that I hadn’t been in before – nice shops with stylish clothes, shoes, furniture, etc. Another day I will try on things.  This day I was more interested in exchanging some money and getting a few little items for the condo kitchen.  After changing my money at RUSA, I decided to tour some of the side streets of POP.  I came across a good bakery, clothing store, flower shop and dollar type store that I had never seen before.  After a visit to my favourite jewelry store, I decided to have lunch on the Malecon.  Lunch was Fetticini Alfredo at Barrcos – a great place to sit, eat, drink and view the ocean..  Before I finished my lunch, a strong cool breeze came up and dark clouds started to roll in off the ocean. This means only one thing here – rain is coming.  I phoned my taxi driver and he was in Cofresi.  No worry he was on his way to get me.  He had a passenger Nick (a Texan) who had been deep sea fishing out of the marina at Ocean World and needed to go to Cabarete.  And so, this is how I spent the afternoon – I went to Cabarete with them.  What a great way to get out of rainy PP – it was sunny in Cabarete.

That brings me to today – Wednesday Jan. 14^th.  I did laundry today and then went for lunch at an Italian restaurant called Quo Vadis with my friends B,W, M and W.  Excellent medallions of pork tenderloin in a mushroom cream sauce!  I’m stuffed.  No need for a big meal tonight.

Tomorrow I am off to Santiago shopping with D.  Friday - English lessons for F.

My condo is the one at the top left in the above photo.  You can see my kitchen window that overlooks the swimming pool and gives me a clear view of the cable cars going up the mountain. From the other end of the condo I have a balcony that overlooks the city of Puerto Plata and the Atlantic Ocean.

I came back to Canada on Dec.18th in hopes of having a White Christmas.  That I did, and now I'm ready to head back down on the 8th of January to start my new adventure in life.  I will be in Puerto Plata for approx. 16 months.

I have a guest bedroom, so I am looking forward to family and friends coming down for a visit.

This is the pool as I see it from my kitchen window. The weather has been great for 2 weeks.  We had rain in the night for a few days and a couple of cloudy days, but other than that, it has been great.

The Saturday that we went to Congrejo to have a Christmas Party for the chiden of the village, it was bright and sunny.  Good thing, because rain would make it a total mud bath there.  95 children were fed and given a small Christmas present.  The Dominican lady, at whose house we held the party, had decorated beautifully with braided palm branch arches and red balloons.  We had Christmas tableclothes for added decoration.  Everyone sang songs and had a great time.

I have been in Puerto plata for a week now and I am loving everything about my new home.  My apartment is perfect for me. The view from my balcony is amazing.  I can see the whole city and the ocean.  Ships are coming in and out of the harbour daily.  I can see the church steeples in Parque Central and the mountains beyond Costambar and Cofresi.  Tonight I could see the sunset out my living room window. Out my kitchen window, I can see the cable car going up Mount Isobella. My apartment has 2 bedrooms, living room, modern bathroom and kitchen and a dining area all with cathedral ceilings, air conditioning, electricity 24/7, free internet, hot water and satelite tv.  This also includes day and night security, water delivery, and garbage collection. High walls surround a swimming pool and sports bar/restaurant. I can cook or dine downstairs,or go out to any of the great restaurants in the city.  Walking downtown is easy to do or I can take a guagua.  5 min. to downtown from here by bus for 15 pesos.

Tuesday, I took the bus to Santiago to shop and meet with friends.  Tomorrow I am going to Congrejo with the Dominican Outreach feeding program that I am involved with.  There are other ladies here from Canada that are helping out also.

We went dancing last Friday and Sunday and tomorrow right we are going to a concert.  I have started English classes for 2 students also. 

Life in Puerto Plata is going to be great.  Estoy aqui!!!!!

In just 7 sleeps I will be back in the DR.  I am coming down to relax for 2 weeks and choose my condo.  I will be returning in January to live in Puerto Plata for 1 1/2 years.  The month of November has been quite stressful but that is 80 % behind me right now.  I shall finish moving my mother's belongings out of her apt. by Monday and there is nothing to do until the end of December on the estate. I'm bringing a load to Puerto Plata that I can store there until Jan.9th.  Then I'll return with the rest of my belongings and set up residence at the Harbour View Condos.  I am ready to start the next journey in my life.  It pleases me that it begins with the Christmas season.  I love Christmas.  I will take many pictures to share with you of how the Dominicans celebrate for a month.  It is a fun time to be here, as the children are out of school and I can treat them to movies, etc.  There is usually a fair in town in early Dec. too by the baseball diamond.

Stay tuned for more writing live from Puerto Plata.

My mother passed away last night.  It is rather bitter sweet for me. I am thankful that she is finally pain free and can join her husband once again.  I have been living with mom for 2 1/2 years, looking after her.  This meant putting on hold my plans to move to Puerto Plata.  I am now free to do so, but I do so with a sad heart.

In June 2008 I spent a week at the Grand Oasis Marien next door to the Iberostar Costa Dorada in Puerto Plata.  It is a beautiful resort with many speacial features.  They have several a la carte restaurants, a serene spa, a new casino, and a disco , all on site.  There is even a banking machine at the corner of the parking lot so you don't need to travel to the city or Playa Dorada to withdraw money.  It is close to regular transportation ,which is cheaper than tourist taxis, and right on the white sandy beach of Costa Dorada adjacent to Playa Dorada.  The rooms are tastefully decorated and clean.  The food is good and so is the service.  The entertainment is well done also and a little better than other hotels in the area.  All in all, this is one of the best resorts on the north coast.  I recommend it to everyone.

Soft white sand, tourquoise water, sun and relaxation.

This is a beautiful resort located on the beach next to the Iberostar Costa Dorada just to the west of Puerto Plata. Large pool beautiful rooms, good food, evening entertainment that is better than most, and located within easy access to local transportation.

Beautiful large swimming pool in the centre of the Marien Resort in POP.

Baileyboy and her mom are now at the Marien for a holiday.  She is married to a Dominican from Puerto Plata.  You can read her blog also.  it is a great read for any girl that is married to a Dominican and bringing him to Canada.  It is called "Heart and Soul belong to the Dominican Republic".

Friendly faces and english conversation greet you as you enter Sam's Bar and Grill.  Joanne can usually be found here along with many expats and tourists who have read about the restaurant on the DR1.  The decor is not fancy but the food is fantastic.  I especially love the meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetable dinner.  I have walked the length of the Malecon , at night, for this meatloaf meal.  Yum!

Sam's Bar and Grill was named after Samantha who, sadly, is no longer with us.  She would lie lazily in the doorway making patrons step over her body as they entered the premises.  There are many pictures, cartoons, and carvings of her likeness throughout Sam's.

There is also a map of the world on the wall where patron's and visitors have placed push pins to mark where they live in the world.  It is covered.  Couldn't even fit my pin in due to all the others from my area of Canada getting there first.

Sam's is a definite destination for anyone travelling to Puerto Plata.   Have a cold (icy cold) drink after shopping downtown, eat a great slice of homemade pie, stay for lunch or dinner, drink and chat with local expats (especially around 4 p.m.)  It is close to the Malecon and Parque Central.  One block north from the north west corner of the  park, walking towards the ocean.

The beach at the Oasis Marien Resort was white and clean.  The best time of the day to head to the beach is the morning.  About noon a wind picks ups and everyone heads back to the pool area.

The decor - beautiful, the staff - well trained, the quality of service - beyond perfection on the beach as well as pool side, the peace and quiet during the day - very restful.  A holiday made for relaxing.  A couples paradise for sure.  Too bad I was there with 3 other single women.  Oh, well!

Several days ago, the bronze statue of Neptune, that stood on a rock in the sea opposite the Malecón in Puerto Plata, suddenly disappeared. Residents think that clever metal thieves have struck again. However, the spokesperson for the local authority thinks that the strong winds of the past few days have caused the statue to become detached from its base. If that is the case, say residents, then the statue should now be in the sea, but will not have disappeared. 'So, Mr Mayor, send divers down quickly before the metal thieves get there first.'

These photos are of the pathway and beach at Blue Bay.  I spent 2 weeks at this resort in April 2008 with 3 friends.  It is a beautiful adult only resort.  A great place if you are a teacher on school break.  It is a very restful resort with a spa like atmosphere most of the day.

In April, I was able to assist with the Puerto Plata feeding of the Street Kids that Marta and Dale sponsor. I am the one in the middle.  My task was to dish out the beans and rice. It is a great program.

Marta has developed a very organized and respectful way of dealing with these children.  She is teaching them very good manners and creating a data base to identify the children working on the streets.  I was very impressed by everyone involved.  This is an activity that I will continue to sponsor and participate in when in Puerto Plata.  I'll be back the end of September.

I can't believe that it is still standing.  That's right folks!  This building is hanging on for dear life and just won't give up.  It has been standing on this corner for many a year and refused to give up the ghost.  I wonder what they will build in its place if it finally falls down.  I have posted pictures of this building before on my blog and each time there is less and less of it.  We should start a lottery on which date it will finally come to its demise. This picture was taken the second week of April '08.

I always make sure that I have money in my pocket for these guys as I leave the DR.  They make me feel good and put a smile in my sad heart as I am about to leave my home away from home.  What a wonderful way to say goodbye.

It has been a while since I have given you all on update on my health .  As far as I know, I am extremely healthy and cancer free.   However, for precautionary reasons or simply curiosity on the part of my general surgeon, who I saw in Kingston on Tuesday, I am being sent to have an MRI.  I've never had one before.  Should be interesting.  He is also going to perform my 3rd colonoscopy.  They have changed the prep for this proceedure.  You no longer have to suffer through the salty lemon torture of years past.  Now it is orange flavoured and they say that it is not too bad.  I shall report on the proceedure in June as I prepare for my 3rd colonoscopy. Yeah! 

Also my curls are gone.  They have simply disappeared now that  my hair is getting long again.  A good thing! 

Some things stay the same and some things take forever to change in the DR.  One solid establishment is Mariposa across from Parque Central.  It is the same as it has always been while across the road, the park is still under construction.  It was like that in November and is still surrounded by a metal construction fence.  The Mariposa is still making their delicious desserts each day and serving Gelato that is made on the premises.  This is a great place for tourists and residents to rest and refresh.

I was down to the city this week and Parque Central is still under construction.  It hasn't changed since I was here in December.  It was very disappointing to take my friends there for the first time and view an ugly metal fence instead of a pretty park.

Went dancing with Planner last night at Rancho Tipico on the highway.  There was a live merengue band.  The dance floor was very crowded.

The first 3 days we had a lot of rain, but since then it has been hot and sunny during the day and cool in the evening. Today they are calling for isolated thunder showers again.

Blue Bay is a nice resort.  More later.  Having a great time as usual.

When I was visiting in Nov./Dec.  Joanne was having the exterior of her hotel and bar  repainted for a clean fresh look.  Great place for a chat and a drink in the afternoon.  The food is safely prepared and tastes great. Check out her home-made pies too.

Downtown Puerto Plata has a few department type stores.  I can think of 4 major ones.  This photo is facing east on Beller.  There are large stores on both sides of the road and a Bon ice cream outlet also.  The store opposite the one in the picture is a great place for buying shoes.  The one in the picture is where I have purchased Christmas lights, toys, kitchen items.  It has 2 floors of items as do the other dept. stores in town.

Has this building fallen down yet?  This is what it looked like in December .  I posted pictures about 7 months ago of this building falling down.  It is a complete eyesore located across from Parque Central.  It seems that you can not tear down historical buildings so you just have to wait for them to fall down.  The man who owns Sam's Bar and Grill (Joanne rents) refuses to do repairs to the building in hopes that it too will fall down some day.

Ok, this is getting old now.  Every weekend we have had a snow storm this winter.  Last year we had very little snow.  There is no where left to pile the stuff.  Back hoes have to be used to fill trucks and take the snow away.  Every Saturday flights have been delayed or cancelled . (That is why I am flying on a Tuesday)  Great for snow mobiling and snowshoeing though.  Not great for walking in the city.  The sidewalks are snow and ice covered.  They sometimes don't even get plowed until 24 hrs after the storm.  Very difficult for seniors to get around this year.  There were 700 car accidents in Ontario on Saturday.  This was the year of the snow tire for sure in South Eastern Ontario.  I'm glad that I bought the new car.  It has great traction.  I'm off to the DR in 3 weeks. YES !!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Billy's new place in Puerto Plata that he took over after leaving Field of Dreams.  He manages the condos and runs a small restaurant and bar on the premises.  We go there for brunch on Sundays.  This is also where I want to live when I move to the DR.  The condos are beautiful and the location is perfect for me.  It is located very close to the city centre of Puerto Plata.  Two of my Canadian friends are living here right now.  The view of the city is amazing.  You can see the port and the ocean from the balconies.

It will be great to get out of this frozen country called Canada.  We are in the middle of the largest snow storm of the season tonight.  They are calling for 36 hours of snow and 40 cm of white stuff for our city.  Flights south from Toronto for March Break are a no go for the morning out of Toronto.  My step-brother's wife is Matron of Honour in a wedding in Cuba this week.  There are 42 in the wedding party planning on flying out of Toronto in the morning.  "I don't think so!"  Good luck guys!

The following blogs are pictures that I took on vacation in December.  I stayed at the Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada and visited the Iberostar Costa Dorada on 4 different nights to see the shows and go for dinner.  The food at the Viva was very boring except for the baked pizza oven station at the beach restaurant.  I travelled off the resort to eat and visit friends.  The VIVA is a great hotel except for the food selection.  I would stay here again as it was comfortable, clean, and affordable for 1 person traveling on her own.  They did not charge a single supplement.  Enjoy!

More pictures of Playa Dorada in front of the Viva Wyndham.

The beach area is great at all of the hotels on Playa Dorada.  The beach restaurant bar at Viva Wyndham serves the best fire baked pizza in the area.  I ate here at least twice a day as I didn't like the food at the main buffet on most days.  This is the area where all the day time activities took place.  There are many sun beds and you can sit in the shade or the sun.

Above is the climbing wall near the beach and next to the kids club. Behind the wall and kids club are the tennis courts. Below are photos of the kiddy pool and kids club area.  Every time I went by on the way to the beach there was a movie playing and children doing interesting activities.  They even had floaties for the pool.  A nice area for the little ones to play in.

The superior rooms have either a king size bed or 2 double beds.  My room had the king size and my friend's room had the 2 beds.  We were only 1 person to a room, so we had lots of space.  Mini bar was filled daily with pop and water.  Lots of closet space, modern safe, new iron and ironing board, balcony, tv on a rolling table to turn any direction.  I was very comfortable for 2 weeks.