We have chosen Shaggy’s Bar www.barstoolsailor.com as our favorite Luperon hangout. The Cervezas Grandes are always cold and at the ready and the food is excellent and reasonably priced. It is referred to by its many loyal patrons as Luperons Livingroom. After you have been there a few times you may be able to serve yourself which is just what you would expect if you were at home. Shaggy, whose real name is Sean, is the owner, bartender, cook, etc. He caters to the Cruising & Tourist community and he and David have become good friends in the short time David and Trudy have been here. (I encourage you all to read David’s Blog of Shaggy’s for an even more elaborate and colorful description of our experiences there) Shaggy’s is named after the Scooby Doo Character and Sean looks a lot like Shaggy, don’t you think? The bar is even painted yellow, blue, and green just like the Mystery Mobile. His food is great and his beer prices reasonable. Mike has been able to barter with him for food and drink in exchange for a quart of bottom paint that we had onboard. His beautiful girlfriend Camilla is an accomplished Musician. One evening in particular after returning from our day in Puerto Plata, we stopped to have a nightcap…..we ended up closing the bar and got to hear not only Camilla play her guitar and sing also were treated to a performance by Trudie, who is a trained Opera Singer. She stood and sang Ave Maria accapella. She has an incredible voice that was not only appreciated by all of us but also appealed to Shaggy’s dog Willow who at was asleep under the table. When Trudie began singing Willow got up, walked across the bar and sat in front of her and joined her with a long howling bark. Trudie finished her song and we all cheered. She told us she thought that might happen. She said that many times when she sings both birds and animals of all kinds join in.
Month: April 2010
A Day in Puerto Plata
April 13th, 2010
David, Trudy, Michael & I took a day and traveled by gua gua (public taxi) to Puerto Plata about an hours drive away. Costs for transportation for the 4 of us came to about $24.00 round trip. The countryside outside of the towns is just beautiful. At one point during our drive we passed a large group of people walking along both sides of the road, all wearing black pants or skirts and white shirts. I was able to ask and understand from the driver that there was a funeral and the immediate family, were the ones in black and white. We also got to listen to some great Dominican Music along the way, so we were introduced to the music of Rubby Perez. We were dropped off at the city center and were immediately met by a tourist host. These kind gentlemen are provided by the office of tourism and are available to assist tourists in seeing the sights in and around Puerto Plata. Rafael was our guide for the 1st hour or so of our visit. He took us into the beautiful San Felipe Cathedral and then walked with us out to the San Felipe Fort that overlooks the Town and Harbor. We walked around the fort and took some pictures, we then stopped for a cold drink. We tipped Rafael and thanked him for his assistance but told him we wanted to explore on our own. He looked very disappointed but left us in peace.
We wandered around a bit more and found the post office where David was able to get his taxes postmarked and mailed(we of course had to take a photo of that monumental occasion as well). Since we paid Uncle Sam we figured we would continue with giving money to another Sam here in Puerto Plata. We walked over to Sam’s Bar & Grill in the Hotel Castilla, just off of the main square where we enjoyed an early dinner.
We wandered back to the main square and took a taxi out to the Teleferco, a cable car that takes visitors up to the top of the mountain at 7500ft. We purchased our tickets and boarded the Cable car that carried us up into the clouds at the top of the mountain. During our ascent we enjoyed the spectacular views over the town and port. At the very top we were delighted to discover a scaled down statue of Jesus, similar to the one that stands above Rio de Jainero that we could not see previously because of the clouds covering the mountain top. It was surrounded by a beautiful botanical garden. We walked around for a bit enjoying the gardens and the cool air at that altitude along with the clouds that drifted atop the mountain. We took numerous photos and I, being the graceful person that I am, went to pose for a picture atop a wall and promptly lost my balance and fell off the opposite side. The steep slope on that side was fortunately covered in dense foliage that I grabbed onto and so I only fell about 4 feet down the 75 ft slope. I was able to climb back over the wall with only my ego bruised. Michael had rushed to my rescue but seeing that I was uninjured could only repeat over and over how he wished he had taken a photo of me on my back with my eyes wide and a death grip on the shrubbery. We rode the cable car through the clouds back down the mountain and headed back to Luperon after a terrific and almost exciting day exploring Puerto Plata!
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Navigating the System
We completed our check in the next day and paid a $10.00 customs fee, and a $10.00 fee for a Tourist Card. We also had to check in with the Commandante. We made our way across a narrow plank bridge and up to his office where we were met by soldiers in fatigues carrying M-16 without clips or bullets or maybe they are like Barney Fife and are only allowed one bullet. We waited about 20 minutes for the Commandante to arrive. He was very kind but was difficult to understand as he spoke very quickly and my Spanish is still very rough. I apologized profusely and he joked that he and I were born the same year and how did Mike come to have such a young wife? He welcomed us to Luperon and told us we will not have to pay him a $20.00 fee until we check out of Luperon. So all in all around $100 in fees to Visit the DR barring any additional fees as we travel along the coast. We have spent a few days walking around the town and learning where things are. It is important to pay close attention when making purchases. If the prices are not marked there you may be quoted gringo prices which although are not as high as in the Turks and Caicos….are at least double local prices. Prices for most items and food stuffs are very inexpensive. I have been studying my Spanish and have attempted to converse briefly with some of the local people. They have all been very friendly and welcoming and appreciate any attempts to communicate in Spanish with them. We have picked up a strong Wifi signal in the harbor and also have access to free WiFi at either Shaggy’s Bar or Captain Steve’s Place in town. We will try to get back online soon.
Fishermen repairing Nets
Arrival in Luperon, DR
April 11th, 2010
We followed Van Sant’s recommendation and left Big Sand Cay for Luperon at 7:00pm in order to arrive at Sunrise the next day. We had winds on the beam out of the east at 18-22 kts steady which DD performs well in. The seas were between 1.5 – 2 meters out of the E-NE which made for a little bit of a rough passage. There was a bit of excitement on this moonless night when we ran into some small squalls that backwinded the sails at about 30kts and spun the boat around. We started the engine and got back on course and made it to the entrance to the harbor just after sunrise. Persephone called us on the VHF just as we were entering and so was able to return the favor of having someone call us by name as we entered a new country just as we had done for them upon entering the T & C. The harbor was calm and beautiful in the morning light. A protected and quiet bay surrounded by verdant lush vegetation and snowy egrets flying from their roosts across the still water. Bird sounds filled the air and mingled with the occasional morning rooster crowing. We picked up a mooring at $2.00 per day, we figured it would be less hassle than trying to clean the anchor chain after it spent a week in this harbor where barnacles have been known to begin growing on anything that is in these waters for more than a few days. We then raised the yellow Q flag and after listening to the Sunday Cruisers Net and being treated to a spectacular Rainbow over the anchorage, we settled down for a cat nap. Around midmorning we lowered Mighty Mouse into the water and motored over to the government dock and checked in with immigration (Fee $63.00 US)which allowed us to walk around town. The other offices that we needed to check in with were closed and so we will clear with them on Monday. David and Trudy showed us around town and gave us the skinny on where to find goods and services. They told us that because it was a Sunday the streets were especially quiet. Even so they were filled with people sitting outside their homes visiting with their neighbors. Dogs, goats, chickens and children were running around. Scooters and Motorcycles were zipping up and down the street and Dominican Music filled the air. When I commented that it did not seem very quiet David and Trudy said, “Just wait till you see it when it is busy. As we were to find out very soon they were right.
Entering Puerto Blanco, Luperon
Snowy Egrets
Rainbow over Puerto Blanco, Luperon
Leaving the T&C, At Last
April 10, 2010
With Repairs completed and after a farewell dinner at Byron & Polly’s, we made arrangements to meet up with the Gringos down Island and then said our final goodbyes and exchanged contact information with Domingo and Arlin, who have been our shipyard neighbors for this last month. The Caicos Shipyard placed Dancing Dolphin back in the water on Friday Afternoon, precisely one month to the day that they hauled her. It felt really great to be floating again even tied to the fuel dock that evening while we waited for the next morning to make our escape. The mosquitoes and the no-see-ums had one last evening feasting on us before we left Provo in the Turks and Caicos Islands for the Dominican Republic. The boat handled well and seems to be sailing much better with both keels intact. The winds were blowing a steady 16-18 kts out of the east on a close reach. The swells as we left the banks were not as large as we expected and so we made good time over to Big Sand Cay where we spent about an 1 1/2 hours relaxing. We went swimming in the clear water and I walked the beach where I found a pretty piece of Pink Sea Glass. We will leave tonight at 7:00pm to make the night crossing to Luperon in the DR.
Domingo Trujillo & Arlin Baez
Shipyard Sunset
Easter Sunday on Pine Cay
April 4, 2010
On Easter Sunday we were blessed with another invitation from Byron, Polly, & Dooley the Devout to take a boat ride over for lunch at the Club on Pine Cay. They picked us up at the dock in their 28ft Contender “Off Cay”. Polly’s family has a home on Pine Island and we were treated to a tour of the Island via golf cart with the dust covered Dooley the determined drafting behind. We met another couple Frank and Bobbie who joined us for lunch. The day was beautiful, the food excellent, and the company even better.
Catching Up with Friends
We met up with Trudie and David of SV Persephone and also Carl and Carrie of SV Sanctuary at the weekly Thursday evening BBQ at South Side Marina. It was great catching up with everyone as we had not seen them since we left Georgetown. David and Trudy brought enough Mahi Mahi for the 4 of us as well as a really nice gift of a Portable Depth Sounder for Mike’s B-Day. Thanks Guys.
We also met up with Nica, Jeremy, Julian, and Madeline of SV Calypso whom we had met when we arrived here in the T&C and who just returned from a trip down to the Dominican Republic. They got us really pumped about getting the heck outta here with their stories of those things not to miss when traveling to the DR. They especially enjoyed the 27 Charcos (waterfalls) We can’t wait to be back out there traveling to new places and adventures. We enjoyed another terrific evening filled with wonderful people and great food. We gave David and Trudie a ride back to Sapodilla Bay said our farewells and we look forward to seeing them again in the DR. They will probably beat us by a week or so as the winds are favorable for them to leave this weekend and then not again till late next week. We hope we will be in the water for the next weather window. Hold onto good thoughts for the completion of our repairs and launch this week.
Persephone Catches Us
April 1st, 2010
David and Trudie arrived here in Provo on Wed Late Afternoon. We called them just as they were coming through the reef entering the Sanbore Channel on the southwest end of Provodenciales in the T&C. We kept the welcome short as the best way to transit this area requires a constant eye out for submerged coral heads. Once anchored safely in Sapodilla Bay they called us back on the radio and told us how wonderful it was to be welcomed to a new country by someone calling their boat by name. David was anxious to regale us with his fishing story during their crossing from Rum to Provo where he hooked a marlin on 25 lb test and watched it do 3 leaps and a tail walk before biting through the steel leader and disappearing. With his confidence boosted he re-rigged the line and then proceeded to catch a nice size Mahi-Mahi. For more details see SV Persephone’s Blog. We made plans to meet up with them the next evening at the local Cruisers BBQ at South Side Marina. On Thursday we rented the car for a 2nd day. We had to extend our Visas as they ran out at the end of March…..at $50.00 per person for an additional 30 days, it was a big unwelcome but required ding in the wallet. We made a grocery run for fruits and veggies again and picked up some Staples (i.e. Presidente Beer) for Persephone and some supplies.
We also stopped by Long Bay to say farewell to Polly’s Sons Ben and Trevor and their friend Will and to watch them Kiteboard. Ben and Will leave to return to Colorado, on Friday & Trevor heads back to Florida on Sunday. Kiteboarding is definitely something we want to try when we have a longer block of time to dedicate to learning its details and nuances of which there are many.
We made our way back to our boat as we wanted to check on the progress of the work on the boat only to discover that no work had been done, AGAIN, as the main person who had been doing the work had left early for the holiday weekend. I went and talked to the foreman who assured me our new starboard keel would be attached to the boat on Saturday. It turns out because Friday and Monday are holidays the crew is working Saturday. Thank goodness. We had purchased some screening which we hung in our Salon Entry and some Fly strips. When the wind is not blowing it can get pretty buggy here in the yard. Wish we would have done this a couple of weeks ago….but who knew the job would take so long. We have been told the repairs should be completed and we should be back in the water by next Wed April 7th but this is coming from the Foreman of the Project who is the same person who told us the work would only take a week so we are not holding our breath but hoping for the best.
Our Posse
I cannot stress enough how much our new friends Byron and Polly have meant to us during our confinement here. They have become our posse….riding to our rescue, emerging from a cloud of dust with a Mighty “Hi Ho Dooley”, in their Land Rover or in a veil of sea spray aboard their Contender, Off Cay. They pulled up to the dock the other day and wisked us away for an afternoon ride over to Pine Cay.
Polly’s son Ben and his friend Will were visiting from, of all places, Colorado. We felt an immediate affinity with these two terrific young men. It felt great to be back on the water. We zipped across the bay watching for shallow coral heads and enjoying the salt spray once again on our skin. Byron pulled along side a grounded steel freighter that has sat rusting in the bay for the last 5 years or so. Ben and Will with their skills in rock climbing and, using an old cargo net as an aider, ascended from the boat and scaled the side of the freighter to explore. We turned them loose with our cameras so we too could enjoy the adventure, later, over cocktails & from the comfort of a, not so rusty, deck chair.
Our escape/adventure was topped off with a wonderful dinner. Once again, It was a real treat to get to spend time with Polly, Byron ,Ben and Will and of Course Dooley the Deliquesced, who languished in La Gringa’s arms dreaming, no doubt, of domiciles deep in disembodied but declamatory ducks. (Delve Deeper into Dooley’s Domain) Thanks again for another terrific Day!
Still here in the Boatyard
We’re here cause we’re not all there. We are well into week 4 of what we were told would be a week long repair project. We feel like we should head down to the Can’t Do-It Center and pick up a mailbox but that in itself is a futile effort as there is no reliable mail service to speak of on the Island. The majority of the delays have been due to lack of materials. This week however, except for the shortened work week and upcoming 4 day weekend, the work seems to be on track and the crew appears to have obtained the needed supplies to complete the project. We are keeping our fingers and toes crossed. In the meantime we have been trying to keep busy doing little projects here on DD, taking walks on the beach and generally just trying to stay as busy as possible to pass the time.
The plus side of spending so much time here has been getting to know some of the crew a little better. I have gotten to spend time with Adeline and Domingo (who works here in the yard) watching them fish after work and have even spent some time attempting to communicate with my broken Spanish (they are from the Dominican Republic). She even made and shared with us a Dominican Dish and we shared a curried pork dish with them. I have also spent time sitting and chatting with Tammy, a local gal who comes down to the dock with her daughter Tanyssia, her sister Kenya and other family and friends to fish. She always has a wonderful smile and a big hello for me. There is an ongoing rivalry going on regarding who will catch the most or biggest fish and the friendly banter continues throughout the evening.
Living the Dream 