¿Dónde Está el Translator?

Have you ever noticed that Americans tend to yell at people who don't speak English as if increased volume will help them understand? Apparently yelling makes other languages comprehensible too.

Yesterday Erik and I asked a man for some directions. We began the conversation inquiring as to whether he spoke any English since we couldn't remember the Spanish words for left and right. He didn't speak English, but like most of the people we have encountered here, he really wanted to help us. He proceeded to yell directions at us in Spanish all the while flailing his arms as if we could navigate our car directly up.

A gecko in the room

The island is beautiful, tropical, and hot, humid, and sunny... except for the occasional afternoon down pour. I went for a swim and a walk on the beach Saturday morning. The beach near our resort is clear of people for quite a few miles, since we are just on the edge of town. There is drift wood on the shore and sand as far as I could see.

Liz has been teasing me every time we have seen a gecko because she knows that I like to chase and capture the little devils. I ran after a couple, but they are pretty quick and their four little legs move a lot faster than my two, so I figure I am at a disadvantage. Luckily, when we got back to the room, I noticed that there was one next to the couch waiting for me to catch him. So, he is certainly already trapped and I can just take my time and plan out my abduction.

It's just like driving in Boston

So, the exciting part of driving in Santiago is that it reminds me of the time that I had to drive in Boston. There are 2 lane on the main highways, but actually, if you look really hard, you can see about 4 lanes on each side, and if there are motorcycles, then probably 5 lanes. Plus, there are people hanging out playing cards on the side of the road and just chilling in the nice warm climate.

My suggestion is to drive defensively, NOT. If you do, you'll end up in the dust while everybody passes you. But it was fun if you are into avoiding obstacles and high tension driving like I am.

So, the drive through the mountains was quite nice. There are green green green mountains and lots of little villages along the road to Puerta Plata. We had fun.

Un-Strung Hero

Tonight Erik and I were lured by the sound of an Eagles cover into an Irish Pub on the beach called Jose O'Shays (no joke, that is really the name of the place). Turns out the cover band was actually a guy with a guitar and a computer that did drums and back-up vocals. Part-way through a Beatles tribute, we noticed something funny about the guy's guitar. It didn't actually have strings. There were buttons on all the frets and little metal bars across the body which he strummed as if they were strings. The best part, when he pushed a couple buttons on the back his "guitar" started sounding an awful lot like a piano. It was like watching someone who took guitar hero to a higher level. What next? Electric flutes?

Miami

We are on the airplane leaving Miami. The flight was delayed for a couple of hours but that gave us a chance to find some seating without hand rails for me to sprawl out on and take a snooze.

The airport population is quite different in Miami than in Los Angeles, or for that matter, San Jose. It's still good people watching though.

Hopefully I'll pick up some Spanish rather quickly once we get to DR. One the place, I tried to help this woman to her seat, and all I could muster saying "la" which I am pretty sure is some other language.

The Best Part About Getting Ready for this Trip

I finished all my packing around 10 am this morning. That is a fully 11 hours before leaving. I don't think I have ever been so on top of the packing. The best part is, I managed to pack 5 pairs of shoes and way more outfits than days I will be gone, and somehow, I still have space in my suitcase for souvenirs, lots of them (if they are small). I sure hope I didn't forget something...

The Start of the Trip

So, I am off the the Dominican Republic for a week. I am really looking forward to my first vacation of the year, and I always enjoy going to a tropical island for a relaxing and adventurous stay. We are staying at this resort in Cabarete, a town along the northern coast of DR. It's going to be a week of seeing the northern coast and then driving all the way down to Santo Domingo for a two day stay in the south.