Acaya Las Terrenas

... guys, who actually lives in New Jersey, offered to go up with him. It was funny, because clearly no one thought he would jump - after he walked away, there was a chorus of, "Look! The gringo is going up to the cliff! Snicker snicker snicker.." Shen is definitely not one to show off, but the poor expectations made it totally necessary, so he did a back flip off a 35-foot cliff. The group made several comments about how the gringos never jump, they had ...

... seen. They almost have a strip-mall feel to them - shop after shop, power cables criss-crossing the street all over the place, and no real center. There's nothing pretty about them. The towns we've seen do have a Plaza Central, but life doesn't seem to revolve around it as it does in many places. I can't seem to find the town's anchor. One thing that does give a sense of character is that everyone is out on ...

Despues, fui en el autobus a el Parque Nacional los Haitses. Fui a mirar los aves y las flores y la vida de marina. Fui a acampar en el parque. Fui a comer la comida de tradicionales en el restaurante en el parque. Fui a comer champola, cual fue leche con guanábana. Me recomiendo que saca muchos fotos porque el bosque es muy bonito.<br><br>

Hello Friends! April has arrived and the world is heating up a lot! Cinderella, my 9 month old puppy, and I are doing alright although she did eat something terribly toxic this week. We gave her a round of antibiotics and I believe she is on the up and up now. Semana Santa begins tomorrow and the beaches in Samana will be very crowded. I hope to stay away from all the people. This week ...

... tons of Italian &amp; French restaurants and boutiques. And every menu is in: Spanish, French, Italian and English. Thankfully, the skies started to clear some on Saturday morning for our drive to Samaná to go whale-watching. I totally felt the favor of God over us that whole day. The taxi was way more than we expected to pay, but it was so worth it because our driver, Eddy, was really cool and ...

... change or push their way in front of ME in a line, screaming at little kids because that is the only way they will respond, singing at the top of my lungs to every song on the raido, throwing my trash in the street, adding salt to EVERYTHING, not flushing the toilet, being late to everything without giving an excuse....who is going to want to be around me? I am sending this out now in the hopes that my friends and family will not be at all angry or too ...

... was quite good and of the most cheerful colors and scenes. Most of the boutiques in Las Terrenas are owned by French expats who recognize the quality of artwork produced by these immigrants and sell their works to the more affluent visitors who don't like to tread into the markets or outlying areas where many painters exhibit their work along the roads outside the center of town, though a few had established themselves enough to afford small ...

... to hostage taker and that now he really wants to see the gringas before he hands the phone over. SO, we follow the Skim-Ice guy (our fate is now entirely in his hands) across the street and down a couple of blocks where there is a 15 year old kid sitting behind a fence with my cell phone. I give him the money and he gives me my phone back and I say "gracias amigo" as snottily as I possibly can. I was absolutely amazed to get my phone back at all, but ...

... refreshments like it was the fountain of youth. It was about this time, that the music also arrived. And by music I most certainly mean a huge flatbed truck with about four 5-foot speakers in the back. So now, not only do we have a figurative flock of seagulls on the court, but a crowd of rowdy adolescents salsa-ing and gyrating to Marc Anthony and Thalia. Again, it was wonderful! This melee of music, arguments over head-bands, and rag-tag ...

... not have enough money to buy food or the necessities. Well, things kind of mellowed out after Christmas, but families were still in town. I have started fixing things in my house. It is interesting because I have never had a house even though this one is so much smaller than most things in the states. There is already a fence up, but I am putting mesh wire (if that is what it is called) around the house to keep in my little dog. I have bought some paint and will start ...