Report on Trip to US

Ken

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I am now in the US for the first time in 10 years. Barbara and I arrived last night. We flew American Eagle to San Juan, then AA to Chicago.

Among the new experiences we will have was our first with the airport screening process. I set off the alarm in the Puerto Plata airport due to a belt buckle and a plate in the jaw to connect a fractured jaw. Barbara waltzed through the screen in POP, but got nailed in San Juan. It was her new hip that set off the alarm. I took off my belt and shoes in SJ before going through the screen so had no trouble. Barbara can't easily remove her hip, so I suppose she will have trouble wherever we go.

Regarding the POP airport, I discovered the terminal has been changed significantly since I flew out of there in 1995. Huge area down below for last minute shopping, drinks and food, just like major airports in many places. But be aware if you eat lunch in the restaurant that they charge US$2.50 for a small bottle of water or Coke. Sandwich prices aren't too unreasonable, but $2.50 for water? I think our Dominican waiter was embarrased to tell me so when I questioned him about the bill.

My brother lives in an upscale neighborhood on the Chicago Gold Coast. Very quiet area, little crime to worry about. He said that as long as I stayed in the house and yard that I would be safe.

When I asked whether we could drink the water, he told me bottled water was available. I asked him what he drinks and he told me both. I suppose he has built up a resistence to the water here. So far I'm risking it by brushing my teeth with the local water, but drinking bottled water for the most part.

32 more days and I can return to Sosua.

PS: One thing I learned on the plane was that anybody can enjoy the inflight movie if they have their own earphones. I thought you had to pay, but they announced the movie was free, it is just the earphones they sell to those who don't have their own. On the way out of the plane, I picked up the ear phones left behind by a first-class passenger, so now I will be able to plug in during the rest of our trip.
 
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Ken

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I'd gotten accustomed to good, trouble-free cell phone service from Orange, but it seems I'm not destined to have the same while in the US.

I ordered a phone from Tracfone to be delivered prior to my arrival so that I could activate it immediately. Phone arrived on schedule, but when I tried to activate it today I was told the SIM card included with the phone was not compatible with the area where the phone would be used.

I immediately called Tracfone to report the problem, as the error notice advised that I should, and to request a new SIM card. I don't know where their customer service office is these days, but from the English spoken by the customer service people I talked with, I'd guess it is in Haiti, Ethiopia, India, or some place like that. Even though my Spanish isn't perfect, I would have much preferred to be talking with an Orange rep.

Why anyone would send a phone to an area and include with it an incompatible SIM card is impossible for me to understand. I hope this isn't an advance look at the sort of cell phone experience I'm going to have until I get back to Sosua in August.
 
Ken

Welcome back to reality, the Real World as they call it, 10 years without a return, you certainly would see a lot of changes.
Great Lakes basin is the largest fresh water aquafer in the world, water is potable, drink up and enjoy. No Presidente nor any good beer in Chicago, so the water will have to suffice.
Enjoy yourself................and the heat and humidity
 

Ken

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"Reality"? The "real world"? Yes, although I have just arrived, I have already seen changes.

One change that I'm surprised the US posters worried about access to Dominican beaches aren't doing something about is the closing of US beaches to segments of the population.

Yesterday my brother took us on a tour of the lake-shore residencial areas outside of Chicago. Wilmete and Evanston, for example. Each of these communities has a piece of the beach that stretches along the west shore of Lake Michigan. These beaches used to be open to the public, but no more. Now you must pay to use these pieces of fenced in sand: $7 for adults and $5 for children for a day. For a family with two young children, for example, that is almost $25 for what used to be free.

That is more than many families can afford, I'm sure, but that seems to be at least one of the reasons for the fees. Keeping the "undesirables" off the beaches in these white residencial communities.

I wonder how common this is? What a fuss there would be on this board if the Sosua or Cabarete officials put a collection booth at the entrance to their beaches.
 
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Hillbilly

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Ken, I hope you and Barbara have a great vacation

Ten years is a long time and your reports are really eye opening, especially as you are an astute observer of daily life.

And you are seeing stuff most Americans are taking for granted, and that is good, too.

Enjoy it and try to catch a game at Wrigley. Sat Hi to the first base coach, Gene Clines, used to play for the Aguilas Cibae?as. He is a great guy and give him my best!

Keep posting, dude, we need the insights.

Cordially,

HB & Clan :D:D:D
 

Ken

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Spent 2.5 days at a cottage on the small Hutchinson Lake near Fennville, Michigan getting reacquainted with a brother, sister-in-law and two nieces living in Holland, Michigan.

5 days into my trip, I'm pleased to know that all my nieces and nephews are bright, capable, and successful people who are fun to be with.

Spent an hour or more with a cousin who is 102+, in good health and sharp as a tack. Also has a good sense of humor. When I chided her for not having a computer so that I could contact her by email, she told me she wasn't interested in learning about computers because she had "reached the point where she knew all she wanted to know."

When somebody commented that she was getting smaller, she agreed that she was "shrinking. Good thing you came to see me today because tomorrow I may not be here."

When the sun went down at the cottage, it turned very cold, at least as far as Barbara and I were concerned. If we hadn't had comforters for our beds, we would have been very uncomfortable. No matter that the temperature was probably in the low to mid-70s, to our bodies it was very cold. Yet people wonder why we have no interest in returning to northern US to live.
 

Rocky

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Ken said:
No matter that the temperature was probably in the low to mid-70s, to our bodies it was very cold. Yet people wonder why we have no interest in returning to northern US to live.
That's because their brains are frozen and are incapable of understanding anything that simple.
Frozen blood just doesn't circulate well through a brain, and we all know that we need a good blood flow through there to be able to function well.
Come back to us, safe & sound.
Regards, Marco.
 

mkohn

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Glad you're posting, Ken.
Your perspective is priceless.
I thought there was a post from Chris - formerly known as Chicago Chris who said there are 2 places in northern Illinois where Presidente is sold ...
Enjoy your visit.
Grahame, our blood isn't frozen, but you can get a good brain freeze from a nice refreshing bowl of custard.
:)
mkohn
 

Ken

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Well, even though it was pooh poohed at the time, one of the concerns I expressed in my pre-trip thread has been justified by an article in a local paper today. No cases reported yet, but mosquitos trapped by area testers have been identified as infected by West Nile Virus, something that I don't have to worry about when I am home in Sosua, and the present hot dry temperatures here are said to be ideal for breeding.

When at the cottage, I was careful to avoid poison ivy, also not known in Sosua.

There is a lot to be wary of when traveling in the US.

PS: For the record, I'm told the night tempertures at Hutchinson Lake were around 70 degrees. Whatever, too cold for my thin blood.
 

Ken

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Mavica said:
An interesting read, even though most of the comments about Chicago are inaccurate.

Mavica, I think you are the one that is inaccurate. The beaches in the city of Chicago are open to the public, but the beaches of Evanston, Winettka, Wilmete, etc., are not. I have visited all of them during my short stay here, and you pay to go on the beach and you are ticketed if you park in the street by the beach in at least Evanston.

Local residents have the option of buying a season pass.

I try to be accurate in my posts and would not have said what I did if not sure the information was correct. Reread the post and you will see that I was specific in saying that I was reporting on the residential north-shore communities outside of Chicago.
 
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Ken

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Readytogo said:
What law governs lake front property as being open and free to public?

I am aware of a law prohibiting Ocean front ownership by private owner, but never Lake front

The property I'm talking about is owned by the towns, not private owners. It is the municipalities that are charging for the use of the beaches.
 

canajungirl

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I used to live in Wilmette years ago and just loved going to the beach with all my friends,we would spend hours down there just hanging out.It is a shame that they charge now for something that should be free! Reminds me of Doctor's Cave beach in Montego Bay Jamaica they charge for the beach there too!!!!!!
 

rellosk

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Ken said:
These beaches used to be open to the public, but no more. Now you must pay to use these pieces of fenced in sand: $7 for adults and $5 for children for a day. For a family with two young children, for example, that is almost $25 for what used to be free.
It sounds like the beach is still open to the public. They are just charging a fee to keep the beach clean. I'm guessing it's been a while since you've seen a clean, well maintained beach.
 

Ken

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rellosk said:
It sounds like the beach is still open to the public. They are just charging a fee to keep the beach clean. I'm guessing it's been a while since you've seen a clean, well maintained beach.

$7 per adult and $5 per child to use the beach for a few hours is only for the purpose of keeping the beach clean??

You think the reaction on this board would be favorable if Sosua and Cabarete started charging the same price for beach cleanup?
 
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Ken

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Now in Sharon, MA, outside Boston, visiting our son and meeting our first grandchild.

Traveling with Barbara is an Homeland Security adventure. If it keeps up, I may be returning to Sosua alone.

Yesterday when leaving Chicago, she was detained as expected when she failed the physical security screen due to the metal in her new hip. Not expected, however, was the seccurity agent who rushed over and started going through her suitcase. When I told him the suitcase belonged to my wife, who was in the holding pen, he told me there were scissors in it. Because during the week Barbara had mentioned several times she was putting her scissors in her checked baggage, I told the agent I didn't think so. I called over to Barbara and asked her, and she confirmed there were no scissors.

The security agent hesitated and looked puzzled, because he'd been told they showed up in the x-ray, but then Barbara's e xpression changed and she pulled out a small bag and removed a pair of pointed scissors. It seems at the last minute she used the scissors to cut tags off some new clothes she was packing and put the scissors into the suitcase without thinking.

According to the inflight magazine that I read on the plane, the penalty for bringing dangerous objects aboard is a fine of $250,000 and 5 years in prison.

If it happens again, I think I'll pretend that I don't know Barbara and may even tell the security agent that I know "that woman" has had trouble in other airports. ;)
 

MaineGirl

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Is that how far north you will be? (MA)

The snow just melted here, Ken, and you and Barb are welcome to come up and join me for a few days in Paradise. Come quick before it freezes again ;)
 

linamia

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Ken said:
If it happens again, I think I'll pretend that I don't know Barbara and may even tell the security agent that I know "that woman" has had trouble in other airports. ;)

You do realize that she is entitled to hit you over the head with her purse if you say that. LOL

If you make it to NYC PM me it would be nice to meet you guys.

Lina
 

Ken

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MaineGirl said:
Is that how far north you will be? (MA)

The snow just melted here, Ken, and you and Barb are welcome to come up and join me for a few days in Paradise. Come quick before it freezes again ;)

Gee, Amity, had I seen your post this morning, we might have been able to work it out. But I'm sure summer is over by now. ;)

Should have reported in previous post that my shopping horizons have been broadened. When we shopped the stores in the Chicago suburbs on Monday looking for bargains in summer clothes, I was having trouble finding anything in my size. Until we checked out the sale at Eddie Bauer's branch store. I checked the sale items and found two pairs of pants that looked good to me, and they fit, too. Only thing is, both are size 10. But as long as I'm careful when I change my clothes at the gym, I don't think that anybody will know I am wearing women's clothes. The blue polkadot trim inside the pants would prompt questions, I'm sure, but I plan to change when nobody else in the locker room.

So as to compare notes with the other "gals", I can squeeze into an 8 but, at least in the case of these pants, 10 was better in case there is any shrinkage when they are washed.

I plan to apply my new knowledge of shopping for clothes next time I'm in Santo Domingo. ;)