A recap of my trip...long-winded version

Jane J.

ditz
Jan 3, 2002
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WARNING: The following is like pages from my diary. Reader beware.

Finally, I?m ready to discuss my trip. 2 weeks spent in Sosua ? we arrived back on Sunday morning at 6 am (our flight left POP at midnight Sat. night?kids slept fine?we, however, did not. Heads rested on laps, kid?s elbows and knees accommodated as best possible?it?s taken me till now to get it together to write this?unpacking still to do, school, work ? agh, need I say more?)

Our trip was spent in my husband?s father?s house in Charamicos; very little privacy, no door on bedroom, just a curtain, suitcases everywhere. You must understand that 12 people live in this house, and with us 4 ? 16 people in one house. A ?vacation? this was not. So. We have a one-and-a-half year old, Justin, (sometimes known as Justino, El Hootie Hootie, or more recently, Busy La Pega ? hee hee), who we had to put to sleep during election caravanas, who was up every morning at 6 am, who was extremely high-maintenance. My husband (Toty) and I would rotate mornings to get up with him and walk up and down the callej?n, while he would gather rocks, and anything else he could find off the ground, much to our horror and annoyance, and this would go on till about 9 am. Up and down the callej?n, up and down, with one of us stooped over behind him. It seemed interminable.

So. Then Toty and I would both be up and we would have a little breakfast (usually a tostada from the family barrita ? you know, the standard hottened, flattened bread with jam?n, queso and the quintessential catch?. With maybe a borruga or a jugo de cereza, lim?n, avena on the side ? you name it, Vidal had it. But I digress?)

We 4 would go off early in the little car we had at our disposal to many different places. We went to Cabarete Beach several times. Ever the tiguera, I even tried to do an old Time Share acquaintance a favour and be his ?Up? at Sansouci. Hee hee. It didn?t work though because I can?t tell a lie for crap. I was supposed to be a single girl, staying at Sol de Plata. Smooth-talking Johnny Gonzalez (I think the head guy there) took one look at my wrist ? no bracelet. And I?m all, um, well, I?m really staying at a small place in Sosua?um, what?s it called again?um?And then another look at my lovely wedding ring, and I had to fess up about the two kids and I couldn?t keep any story straight. And there was Toty, my rasta-haired husband throwing a frisbee with the two kids (who I had supposedly left in Sosua) directly on the spot of beach beneath where Johnny Gonzalez and I am sitting. And I?m thinking, go away! You?re blowing my cover. It was silly. But Time Share is so full of crap.

We also did the Teleferico in Puerto Plata ? my first time. It was really great. At the top, we were totally in the clouds, (um, literally) and it was freeeezing. The gardens up there are immaculately kept. There were quite a few people going up and down ? we had to wait about 45 mins. to get on. Several times I heard people say, ?esto es obra de Balaguer!?. I?m really glad we went.

Another outing was our day at Columbus Aguaparque. Another great day. We brought a teenage boy from the callej?n to monitor our 6 year old ($500 pesos for the 5 of us ? baby was free), enabling me to paddle with the baby in the shallow area, semi-without worry. Justin in the pool? Nadie le sacaba de all? - 4 hours straight in that pool. Prune fingers and toes, but always with his t-shirt, and big floppy hat. And sunscreen of course. Sometimes Teenage Boy would relieve me, and I got to go down all the slides with Liam. That was fun. El tubo negro is really cool ? it?s pitch black in there! I also jumped off the trampol?n 3 times. I?m a nutcase. There were several busloads of kids also there that day from qu? s? yo qu? diablo campo, which made things more interesting. All the lovebird couples. The girls all with their $40 RD to have their photos taken in various seductive poses. Ay, the tangas and Jennifer Lopez-like swimwear! Oh, and the Shakira dance-alike contest. Classic.

Another day, I met Hillbilly at Eddy?s bar. So neat. Of course, I got all nervous and freaked out ? HB is soooo cool. Amazing speaking voice. And the flattery! A lot of cigar talk, but nonetheless. Also nice to meet Eddy (although he doesn?t remember we had met before) and Joe and wife. Encounters with strangers off the Internet ? I highly recommend it.

Toty & I also made it to the Rubby Perez concert, sponsered by the pueblo-loving PRD. Seguimos? S?! Nos vamos? No! Seguimos? S?! Nos vamos? No! Arriba las manos! Arriba las manos! Arriba las ma-aahnos! Again, fun. Free rum too (although we were privones and bought beer instead). The whole town seemed to be there.

Guys, this is going to have to go to Part II. It?s one AM already?Or you could collectively gong me and I?ll stop. But you?ll have to drag me away with that big hook thing?
 

trina

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Jan 3, 2002
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Jane, you really make me miss Sosua. I refuse to stay in Angel's parent's house, though...Eddy's condos is the only way I go....BTW...how is Eddy?

And your time-share friend wasn't Fernando, was it? I don't think he needs help getting "ups".

Was Rubby in Sosua? I just missed him the last time he was there.

Can't wait for part II (shows what kind of a life I lead, I guess!)
 

Meredith

LiVe ThE LiFe YoU iMaGiNeD
Jan 24, 2002
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So interesting..... where's Part II? I can't wait to hear! I love stories:cool:
 

Jane J.

ditz
Jan 3, 2002
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Trina, yes Rubby was in Sosua at the rotonda in El Batey. It was a great night, marred only by the fact that it was really a PRD celebration.

As for staying with my husband's family, it was really the best choice. Otherwise we wouldn't have seen them at all, and they were the whole reason for the visit. At first my husband (him, not me) was really stressed about it, because it WAS hard. "La pr?xima vez alquilamos un apartamento!", he would say. But if we had done that, once the kids were in bed one of us would have been stuck at home...probably me!

PART II coming soon, complete with photos, I hope.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Folks, this is one cool lady

She was so nice to come over to Eddys and hook up with a group of unknowns...
As I said before she is a looker and at 5'11" , blond, with all the trimmings....and smart.....

Has a memory like a trap and excellent Spanish, English and French....Any of the clutzes on this board would be tongue tied, and most would try to impress her....Would not work either.

Hell, yes, I was very impressed!

She and her tribe have a date at Hillbilly hovel next time....at least for a night...

HB
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P.S. And it turns out I was her husband's aunt's daughter's teacher a long time ago... Small world....
 
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Jane J.

ditz
Jan 3, 2002
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And it turns out I was her husband's aunt's daughter teacher a long time ago... Small world....

Close, but no cigar, HB (get it?) It was my husband's niece, Wendy. And you were right, it was estomologia, not dentistry. She's in my photos. Her clinic is in the Enrique Hauser Plaza, above the Post Office, for any of you with dental problems in Sosua. She's great.

That's something else I did on my vacation! I had my teeth cleaned. What kind of wacko has her teeth cleaned on vacation? Gad.
 

Bugsey34

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Feb 15, 2002
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Great pics, Jane J! The 'mi primito' one was the best! So cute. And your husband is handsome... lucky girl.

Waiting for part 2...
 

Meredith

LiVe ThE LiFe YoU iMaGiNeD
Jan 24, 2002
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Jane J...

Those pics were so beautiful. It looked like you had a truly wonderful experience, that was fun and special for the family.
 

amy

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Apr 15, 2002
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Jane J.

The pictures are beautiful, it looks like your family had so much fun. I especially like the two pictures, one of your husband and the kids by calle salida and the one of you and your family by the water, the background of both look so tranquil.
 

richard

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Jan 1, 2002
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Jane J. said:
Trina, yes Rubby was in Sosua at the rotonda in El Batey. It was a great night, marred only by the fact that it was really a PRD celebration.

As for staying with my husband's family, it was really the best choice. Otherwise we wouldn't have seen them at all, and they were the whole reason for the visit. At first my husband (him, not me) was really stressed about it, because it WAS hard. "La pr?xima vez alquilamos un apartamento!", he would say. But if we had done that, once the kids were in bed one of us would have been stuck at home...probably me!

PART II coming soon, complete with photos, I hope.

i think you might enjoy the Yahoo Sosua group. You can share your photos and experiences with our members.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sosuadominicanrepublic/
 

Jane J.

ditz
Jan 3, 2002
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PART DEUX

I guess what I've already recounted were the highlights. There were a few lowlights too.

The baby did get sick...It started one day with a little diarreita. I can handle a little diarreita, I thought. I mean, the change in climate, the new foods, the sand and rocks that were eaten...But then, one morning we were at Cabarete beach and he started vomiting. We packed everything up (after some strategic negotiating/bribery with our elder son, who was completely oblivious to the emergency at hand) and jumped into the car, back to Sosua.

If there's one person I did NOT want to see on this trip, it was my old nemesis Dr. Quiroz, the pediatrician in Charamicos. We have butted heads many times over many things. Oral antibiotics vs. injected ones, the need for antibiotics at all, the vaccination schedule...Sigh. But it's the nearest clinic to us, and we all know how fast a baby can dehydrate, so directly to Quiroz we went. They gave him the injection to stop the vomiting and then Quiroz said that he recommended Justin spend the night
yelgreedy.gif
. I was ready for this - I knew he would at least try. I said I didn't think it was necessary, I pointed out that Justin's diaper clearly showed that he was urinating, I pointed out that he was crying WITH tears and that any treatment prescribed could be adequately followed at home. "Bueno", he said. "Usted es la que sabe. Mi temor es que el ni?o sufra un colapso de las venas..." Again, I was ready for some intimidation and guilt trip. Nice try, Victor. With Pedialyte and the medication prescribed Justin was back to normal the following day.

This was probably what I found most difficult while living there - not being able to trust doctors. Even at la Clinica Bournigal they once tried to have Liam stay overnight because they saw I had insurance. I declined, and as we were leaving the doctor said to me, "Si hubiese querido un suite...hubiese tenido un suite..." Like it was a freaking hotel.

Anyhow, Justin is all better and we carry on with our beach activities and then the night before we were to leave....the highest fever I have ever felt on anyone! It was midnight, Friday night, the Tempra was doing nothing....back to Quiroz. The nurse that I most hate was on duty. She made us wait while she beeped him, and beeped him, and beeped him. Finally, she decides to give him an anti-pyretic injection, but she screws up the dose (she based it on his age, rather than the weight) so he has to have two needles. This makes me mad because it's so traumatizing for kids. Luckily, Quiroz never arrived and we went home. I say luckily because if he had had to have come at 1am on a Friday night, I'm sure he would have done his darndest to make it worth his while. The fever went down and never came back. Phew.

On to the foods! It's no secret that I love to eat. And there were many, many things I was looking forward to having...Our first comida was pescado guisado con coco, with a moro de guandules and tostones. Damn, was that ever good! I made a point of having my lambi - once a la vinegreta, and once guisado, and several times from the lambicero ambulante. I bought a queso de hoja from the quesero, but I didn't get a good one - not enough squeak for my taste. My sister-in-law makes the most amazing albondigas, which she served with arroz blanco and guandules. My fave. We had chivo, thanks to our Palo Verde connection. Pan judeos in the morning with butter - mmmm. What else, what else...I had pastelitos, chulitos, empanadas, riki taki, bofe (blech), street hot dog, carne frita...I had a lot of jugo de cereza, agua de coco, I had a yun yun. I think I did quite well, huh.

Well, (sniff sniff), that's it. That was my vacation. If I think of anything else, you KNOW I'll be back.

Adios!
Peace!.gif
 
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Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Estomatology, not dentistry

Your niece is a piece of work...As a Dr. in Estomatology she can do wonders with your mouth. Her training was long and intense and very hands on. You are lucky to have one like that in the family...

Estomatology treats not only the teeth but the whole bucal cavity, and can include surgery maxio-facial....

I am sure that Wendy is good and I would go to her in a heartbeat....if needed....

But I know that she can be recommended to anyone, since I know her training, and her disposition.

Oh yes, Ditz, I was trying to be funny with the " hysbands, aunt's daughter's twin sister's teacher" thingy...hehe

HB
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Jane J.

ditz
Jan 3, 2002
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Now I'm getting all sentimental about Wendy...She's just the best. For her to go to university was a huge family sacrifice - her father is Toty's a lot older brother. And she and Patricio - who is Toty's best friend and compadre - are getting married next year. Love them both.

Wanted also to add that I saw a pleito on my vacation - what vacation is complete without a pleito? It was my turn to be up early with Justin that morning, and el marido of one woman in the callejon turned up at her mother's house. I don't know what the argument was about, but he broke a bottle, and then they all attacked him, the family of his "wife". They had him encircled while the mother hit him "a platazos" with a machete. Hee hee. And the guy was saying, "Sueltanme! Sueltanme!". All the men were in their underwear. It was funny.

I also wanted to say that I played Bingo on several occasions. I won some and I lost some, there in the callejon. Viciosa? Yo? We even brought the Bingo to our family outing at Playa Encuentro, which wasn't so much fun because the cards would blow in the wind and change was scarce. The most I won at one sitting was $50 RD - 6 cards for $4 RD. Good, wholesome fun, I say.

One last comment about the electricity and water. Wow. What an improvement. During our 2 weeks, the lights must have gone off about 3 times and never for very long. There always seemed to be water in the tap too. (Which is so nice when your baby has diarreah.) Those two factors were a nice surprise.
 
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trina

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Jan 3, 2002
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Jane, good to hear about the electricity. Where on earth did you find Bingo...in all the time living there, I'd never heard of it. Also, I showed Angel your new website. He says "Tooty" who has the yellow truck! YES< that's what I told you before. "Oh, I know Tooty (I was pronouncing it Toty, long "O")." So there you go...our husbands know each other...all the more reason for you to visit us in Calgary...hmmm...Stampede is coming up, you know!
 

Jane J.

ditz
Jan 3, 2002
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Wouldn't that be great? I just used all my vacation time though - that sucks. If you're ever in Montreal, we would definitely hook up! I imagine we would have a lot of things in common.

BTW, it is Toty (long "O").

:)
 

Musicqueen

Miami Nice!
Jan 31, 2002
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Jane J...

I loved reading about your trip!!!...

It's amazing what we women can do with little...and then back to our regular lives, we tend to complain so much sometimes about completely stupid stuff!

I specially love the way you go back and forth between English and "Dominican" Spanish... It makes your relatos even more interesantes!

The pictures are incredible, too!...Cute kids:bunny: ...handsome husband;), and beautiful Ditz!:cheeky:

Can't wait to go back...It might be in a couple of weeks...Still waiting for the company to pay for the trip, though! They owe me!