I've Arrived

Luperon, Dominican Republic, Thursday, 2-9-12

After a sleepless night, I traveled by air to the Dominican Republic.  Customs waved me through without checking my bags, and an unwashed and flybitten Marty was there to cordially greet me at the entrance of the airport, a most welcome sight, because I would've been screwed trying to make it to Luperon by myself.  The air was balmy, the sun was shining, and I felt fantastic.

The country was waiting, and I had about 110 lbs. of gear to haul across it.  I'm learning that nothing is ever simple in the DR, especially travel.  We hoofed the gear from the airport to the main road, where we hailed a Gua-Gua.  Gua-Guas operate like buses, only they're cars stuffed with as many people and gear that they can hold, which isn't much when there's a propane tank in the trunk.  My backpack was too big for the trunk to close, so after a few attempts of shutting it, the little brown man shrugged his shoulders and got in the driver's seat.  I was nervous, but apparently he knew what he was doing.  This is the way things work here. Marty got in the front seat, and I opened the back door to find three people filling the back seat.  Marty slid over, and I was able to barely shut the door as we squeezed in.
Imagine driving with no traffic laws, or traffic cops.  Pass whenever you feel, even in oncoming traffic, liberally use your horn, go fast as you can, and hold on to your nuts because the roads are bumpy.
The next leg of the trip in Porto Plata was by motoconcho, essentially a dirt-bike taxi that you climb onto the back of.  Here is more trust that the dude knew what he was doing, with me and my 50 lb. backpack over the back tire and him cradling my bookbag between his arms gripping the bars.  The engine couldn't have been over 150 cc, so just getting forward motion was incredible enough, but the aforementioned driving is even more arousing when you're on the back of a bike, top-heavy and laden with gear, darting between cars and other bikes; there were a couple points where if I reached out my arm I could've touched the cars and people riding next to us.
We made it to a bus station and they knew what they were doing.  Stop worrying, with your cracker-ass American concern for safety, helmets, and seatbelts, because they don't exist here.  Relax man, it's the DR.
The next leg was uneventfully completed by shuttle bus, like the ones hotels use.  Air conditioned, which I haven't felt since.
After that, we haggled for seats on a van to Luperon; they wanted to charge us for our bags too, but we kept them on our laps so we only had to pay for our seats.  Because they pile in as many people as possible, any space you take up aside from your ass, you have to pay for.
Through the countryside, passing a scene on the way where apparently someone drove straight through a fence down an embankment, and we arrived to Luperon, triumphant, greeted by Loren and Stacy, and here I've been ever since, at the Marina Tropical (like trah-pee-KHAL).  The marina is in a calm bay, with palm lined hills in behind it, and the open ocean around the bend.  Luperon is considered among the most sheltered and safe ports in the Caribbean, and it appears to live up to its reputation.
We work on the boat by day (hull painted and batteries charged so far), and drink by night, though last night was particularly difficult to recover from.  We trekked to a beach across the harbor and over the hills, and after jumping off cliffs into the ocean and taking out the better part of a handle of rum, we returned to yet again close down the marina bar.  I forced myself to exercise today to cleanse my system, and almost puked doing it on a couple of occasions.  Takin' er easy tonight, that's for certain.
That beach was stereotypical paradise, rolling surf and perfect sand.  I sat with Marty and the surf lapped our feet, and marveled that it was February.  I felt like I've been playing the game the wrong way for so long, that when it's this easy and wonderful it feels like I'm cheating, and it can't be real.

 But I'm not, and it is.  Until next post, take care.  Thanks for reading.