Caracol Hotel Cabarete

... somewhat explains the blank stares when I asked for frijoles), and within minutes of asking the Comedor lady about Emma (a.k.a. la gringa que cuida a los perros), we were on a motoconcho heading to her house. Surprise!!<br><br>I felt bad dropping in on her unannounced, but it was great to see her. We knew we were at the right house when five dogs bounded out to greet us. Emma arrived in Cabrera more than two years ago with virtually no Spanish, but ...

... were shocked - shocked! - that the terrace-level rooms were $15 for the two of us. The rooms are basic and the terrace isn't well-maintained, but we walked out of our room to a wide expanse of ocean and a little beach off to the side. Really, the hotel made my week.<br><br>As soon as we checked in we headed back out for Playa Grande, supposedly one of the prettiest beaches in the area. It's hard to know how ...

... the next six months.  The<br>comforts of home with the people I love, will surely see me through. That I<br>know for sure-<br>I hope you have all enjoyed the blog.  I have loved sharing some thoughts,<br>albeit probably a bit superficial at times, as feelings are often difficult to<br>retrieve-<br><br>Thank you for following my journey.  <br>Please look for more pictures in the days to come.<br><br>Love,<br><br>Lani<br><br>< !--EndFragment--><br><br><br>

... he said, "I don't have the money or the time."  It was maddening.  I truly believe in my heart that this child will not survive this illness, just because of his living situation.  It was difficult to walk away-<br>Please offer your positive thoughts, good karma, prayers, or wishful thinking to this little one tonight.  Maybe they will help.<br>Missing all of you,<br>Love,<br>Lani

... aren't spoiled by anybody,<br>Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,<br>Who live and move, but have no being.<br>We pray for children who want to be carried,<br>And for those who must,<br>For those we never give up on<br>And for those who don't get a second chance.<br>For those we smother,<br>And for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.<br> -----by Marian Wright Edelman 

... for long though, because you'll be soon hitting the rocks a constant reminder of the geological conditions you got yourself into. But those few seconds are really worth it! The last day, I really managed to get it. Even learned how to turn the board. To the right only. Fantastic! We also tried one excursion, the only one during our 1 week stay there. The itinerary was really trivial and Antonio had signed us up for it already so we couldn't really say no... No self ...

... Kite Club Cabarete (IKO certified &amp; good credentials etc). Silke showed me the options I had to learn kitesurfing and I decided to go for the 7 day package with 12 trainer hours and unlimited training time. They call the training time 'supervision' as you get an assistant assigned who will help you, keep an eye on you and helps you carry the kite back upwind. So, all sorted out, I will start tomorrow 12:00 with Norbert, a German kite instructor ...

... t a total loss...I developed a crush on a handsome DOminican surfer named Christian who gave me a ride on his motoconcho back to Cabarete (while I wore my helmet, of course!). It painted a very romantic picture, I think. After our getaway to Cabarete, I took Karla back to the Airport in Santiago and wished her a fairwell. It was a great time, and I am handing over my blog to Karla for one entry to get an outsiders view of a visit here! Enjoy.