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Serendipity
General News
Yesterday the exhaust fan for the Onan Generator decided to die so this morning Sam took apart the starboard aft lazerette and replaced it. It took him about an hour and a half. But interestingly enough someone posted on the local cruisers messages an exhaust fan for sale about a month ago. I didn't really need one at the time but I decided to pick it up and so I had a spare to replace it!!! I love syncronicity!
Last night we had friends over for dinner and talked till about 2 am! so this morning we were all a little groggy (but work needs to be done anyway) We love sitting around in the evenings talking and enjoying friends. We talked about everything. Politics, Religion, News, Boats, future plans, told sailing stories and eating Hannah's shortbread.
I'm really worried about the state of the world. We are closer to nuclear war than I think ever in my life time. It's very disturbing. Please folks be safe, get prepared, and don't take this life for granted. No one knows what tomorrow will bring.
Mom is doing fine and is doing excercises every day but her balance is starting to deteriorate so we are trying to make sure she can continue to cruise with us.
It's time for dinner soon so I'm going up to the deck for watermellon and Pineapple before beans and rice. Love and Peace to everyone! Be well.
Date:Sat, 21 Sep 2024 12:12:00 GMT
New Club
Night Life
Thursday night we went to a new night club in Luperon. It's across from the main town square and it's called Ashley Bar. It's kind of an 80's night club feel with a DJ, a Bar, lots of lights and lot's of lounge furniture. The floor is all black marble tile and it's got a second floor the overlooks the dance floor. They had an opening just a week ago or so and tonight was a Gringo night. The first drink was free and there was no cover charge. Normally drinks are 150pesos and cover is 1000pesos. There were all the usual suspects from the harbor there but it was not very well represented because it was on the same evening as "captians table" at Las Velas where most cruisors go for dinner and drinks every week.
Last night we went over to So Much More and ate dinner and spent the evening together on their trampoline in the cool breeze and listend to music and talked. We have been doing this regularly and we are becoming really good friends.
I don't normally put anything on here but boating however it is good to mark the time and the world, so I'll just quickly mention this: The EU gave Ukraine permission to use long range military weapons to attack deep inside Russia, and Israel just started launching an attack into Lebanon. They started by blowing up like 4000 beepers and radios and followed up with a bombing in Beruit. The Stock market is at all time highs and and many think it's about to crash. I'm afraid that the world is about to go into WWIII and it's like the elephant in the room that none of use in the harbor talk much about. There have been 2 and perhaps three attempts on a presidential candidate and it feels like we're having drinks while the world burns. Be safe folks and don't be lulled into sleep as if nothing is going to happen. This is, I believe, by far, the most dangerous time globally anyone has ever known. I pray for the world...
Date:Tues, 18 Sep 2024 21:24:00:00 GMT
Ruins
exploring an old resort
Hi everyone! Sam has been exploring the beach area and there is an old resort here that is abondoned. So he and a friend went exploring and filming it. It used to be quite the place years ago with fancy rooms and pools and even a swim up bar right on the beach but now it's an overgrown pile of rotting concrete. Its almost like walking into another world. Like a post apocolyptic seen in a movie.
Lilah has been a little different of late. She is turning into a lap cat. We're not sure why. She has always been so independent. She needs us for food but would largely keep to herself. Now as she is getting older she seems to want to lay on our feet or sit next to us more than ever before.
We've been talking to some of our friends back in the states and it looks like they might sail here. We have been telling them how much we enjoy it here in Luperon.
Hannah made shortbread cookies that last few days and tonight with our beans and rice we had fresh sourdough bread. We have finally started digging into our stores from the states and are eating well. Typically, however we eat lots of beans and rice, soup, cabbage and carrots and cookies for desert.
It's starting to get a little cooler and it is much more comfortable at night. This summer there has not been much rain and at night the wind tends to die down so the lower temprature is really nice. We often stay up late at night and sit in the cockpit in the cool evening. It's too hot to go to bed early.
Date:Sat, 07 Sep 2024 13:22:00 GMT
COWS?
Only in the DR
Well something pretty funny happened this week. We were sitting in Astrid's resturant playing cards and though typically people bring their dogs today was different. A Cow just walked right in the door, wandered around for a bit and finally left. Then down the road she wandered. I've seen lots of cows on the roads from time to time but this is the first time I've seen one walk in a resturant!
As to other news we've been sitting around chatting with friends, eating beans and rice, trying new fruits, and enjoying the harbor, so nothing much is going on.
If anyone is interested in coming here, We love it. So drinking water is $2 per 5 gallons delivered, a mooring is $100/month, Diesel is $6.00 per gallon, Bottom cleaning is about $2.00/foot, Eggs are fresh and about 15cents each Raw milk is available for about $3/gal. Fruit and vegitables are fresh local and cheap. Meat is not terrible cost wise and is local from local butchers. There is not much fish. Resturants are plentiful and the food is good. A typical dinner is about $10-15 and lunch about $7. Drinks are also very resonable. If you look around you can find lunch for $3 for a plate of meat and rice with vegis. Internet is difficult but possible with local wifi and cell towers. You can buy a plan for reasonable but it's not fast. However most people have starlink. If starlink knows you are in the DR it's about 2/3 the price of the US so that's a deal. Cell service is good but super expensive so keep your phone on airplane mode and use wifi calling. Most people use What's app to communicate.
Date:Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:02:00 GMT
Apology
All is well, sorry
I have been very remiss in not writing in the blog. I apologize.
As to updates: To all those who have donated! Thank you so much! The end of last month was Wanda's 87th birthday and we went to a resturant/club called Astrid's here in Luperon and spent the day with other cruiser friends of ours. Astrid is from Austria so Mom had Gulash and Spaetzle We also had Schnitzle and Cordon Blu! I know that's an odd thing to get in a resturant in the Dominican Republic but if you ever come to visit it's excellent and extreemly authentic. It's the best german food I've had outside Europe.
As to Rum Ration. The boat after purchase has been worked on. The engine was been repaired and it is now back at anchor. The engine required a complete rebuild. Raymond and Sonja are staying here in Luperon and have a little apartment. They are trying to start a business here with the money from the sale of the boat. I'm not sure if they will ever go back to boating. I think the entire experience was just too much for them. But they are putting the pieces of their life back together. It's going to be a long road I'm afraid. Thanks again to all those who helped them.
We have been relaxing and enjoying the harbor, friends, the weather and the town. The weather is starting to cool just a little bit. The highest temprature we saw this summer was 93 and there's most always a breeze, but the wind dies at night so it can be pretty warm in the v-berth and Sam and Wanda sleep in the cockpit. Still, it was not nearly as hot as Marathon in August. We are making a lot of new friends here and we play D&D on thursdays, we play Yucher with So Much More, we go to variety shows at a club called New Amsterdam where Sam and Hannah go swimming in the afternoon as we have pizza. We spend Thursday evening at Las Velas at captians's table for drinks and dinner with the entire cruising community, and we do quite a bit of reading.
We have settled into living aboard and it's going to be a chore to prepare the boat for sailing but current plans are to start heading back in November. Once again I'm sorry for not keeping the blog up better and I will get back on a regular schedule again. Have a wonderful labor day! It's also VJ day, programmers day, and International Chocolate day!