Hillbilly heads east, again

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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This weekend the Dominican Judo Federation held the Eastern Regionals in the Sports Pavilions of La Romana. HB was assigned the task of controlling the fights, and so, I traveled to the East, once again.

Left Santiago de los Caballeros at 5:24 a.m. on Saturday and arrived in La Romana Sports Complex at 8:10. Empty highways all the way. The highway from Santiago to Santo Domingo (Duarte) has its share of potholes, still.
The highway from the toll Booths on Las Americas past Boca Chica is still the scariest piece of roadway in this country.
The expressway to San Pedro de Macoris is wonderful. When it is finished and connected to the Eastern Expressway it will make that trip just fabulous.

A lot of work being done on the new expressway. Certainly there is evidence of completion sometime next year. New bridges and much wider than the two-lane Butcher's Boulevard now in use....

La Romana is a town I really like. Of course, the fact that I have some really cool friends there makes it feel like home.

After the first day's fights were over, I hopped into the little GOLF (VW, diesel TDI) and went to my friend's house over in Buena Vista. I took a nice bottle of wine as a house gift. After a lunch of shrimp and rice and some pasta with garlic sauce washed down by the wine, we took off with the kids and the wine to take the kids to a friend's house up on R?o Dulce.

What a beautiful spot!!!. There is nothing to spoil the view! The river below,maybe 1000 feet below!!, and the totally forested river banks on the other side with some cane fields in the distance and the tops of a few buildings just before the Caribbean can be seen in the distance. This is not a part of La Romana many people ever get to see, I am sad to say. We had some wine and lit our cigars and just enjoyed the views and the wonderful breeze.

Then we took off for a trip out to the cane fields, across the river by an unknown little crossing way up river, and took the kids home by the back way.
Then off to La Estancia, a new project (actually a remake of an older project). Boy oh boy, these folks know what they are doing ...a most beautiful 18 holes by PB Dye (Pete's son) that are truly fantastic!!! My friend (CJP) has purchased about 1600 sq mts on a 3 par, with the fairway immediately in back of the house (to be built) and then an unobstructed view across the Chavon River towards the completely untouched far bank. According to my friend, the cost per meter is much less than C de Campo, and the purchasers are young Dominican professionals or business people. We met the owner of the house we had visited. He is a major supplier of fish and shellfish to the hotels of the region. And, once again, the vistas through out the project are wonderfully refreshing, and like nothing to be seen in Casa de Campo. You can see the entrance to the project on your left as you go towards Bayahibe, just after you go down to cross the Chavon River. The project just bought the 900,000 sq mts, that begins on your left as you cross the river...what a property!!

Next stop was back to town for a visit with another friend at a place called El Sitio. El Sitio is a bar-restaurant located on Santa Rosa. They have just opened up a BBQ section in back of the bar that promises to be as good as the beer is cold!

Next, back to the house, but wait, we're hungry!! So we go to Manolo's Pollo. This is a charcoal cooked chicken place in the Chicago section of LR. It features lemon chicken over charcoal and fried chicken with chile sauce. Both are really good and dirt cheap.

then back to the house for a quick clean up and then off to the Ball Park for a Licey - Toros game that was interesting, even if I was almost asleep on my feet, helped, no doubt, by several dollops of JW Black, . Toros were not lucky, two miscues cost them the game after several chances to bust it wide open were missed. 5-4 Licey.

Of course Mrs. CLP and Her friend ( a bank manager) and the kids--a whole collection of kids (the boy that belonged to the guy that we had a beer with at El Sitio, the bank manager's little girl, CJP's youngest and his VBF Jorge) were hungry (these people eat!!) So we went to this Mexican place (no idea where it was but i think it was on Santa Rosa also...) We did the taco etc bit with more beers....Yes, I was just a wee bit...

Finally off to bed!!! Thank the Lord!!

Habits are hard to break so I woke up at 6:00 bathed, shaved and then went back to bed to await the rest of the house awaking.. About 8:30 things began to stir so I got ready,it was a beautiful slightly rainy morning, so I went out and had some coffee with my host and bid fairwell with effusive thanks...

Back to the Judo site for today's action, a selection tournament for next year's World Junior Championships in Brazil. We had nearly 60 fights, some interesting, most showing a lack of real techniques...muscle yes, technique, no...

Anyway, at 12:53 I left the TExaco station on the way out of La Romana and was home by 3:32 p.m. Again, the highways were empty on a Sunday afternoon. I think perhaps the lack of money in the general population and the oh-so-high prices for fuels are starting to have a effect. Still, I know I drove too fast, but it was so much fun!!

And, for those of you that need to know these things I have the following new sources for stuff:
A very good constructor and architect based in La Romana (his portfolio is impressive to say the least).
A great parts place for diesel engines--any kind of diesel engine from gensets to ship's engines, buses, trucks, cars, etc etc. Totally good guy with good prices.
A guy based in Santo Domingo but who works all over--especially Punta Cana-doing plaster work: cornices and fancy details...

Plus three very good places to eat/drink/

Hey not a bad weekend!!

HB
 
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