First impressions - and second and third...

First time back in the Dominican Republic for awhile. I remember noticing things throughout the day...

First impression:

Welcome to the sauna.
Again.

Let the sweating begin!

Second...

Dominican culture seems so… familiar. 

Roosters. 

Loud music. 

Dad with three kids on a motorcycle.

Ridiculously crazy driving 

Third...

Spanish returns.

This morning I was pretty sure I had forgotten all the Spanish I ever knew. By late afternoon I was speaking Spanish - while trying to grasp the vocabulary again.

Fourth...

Huge John Deere combine

A rice harvester perhaps

Segador

Fifth...

Not some bachelor’s pad

With no difficulty finding the place we arrived at our little flat atop somebody’s garage. And not just somebody, but a lovely French couple who know way less Spanish than we do and barely any English. With hand gestures and some attempted three-way-translations and hugs and kisses on both cheeks, we think we understood their welcome and most of the instructions for our place.  He gave us a ring of keys and we think that he was saying that this one works for the garage down below where we will do laundry and one for this door and for that door. We didn't think to ask, but we presume there is also one for the front gate.  The fridge was nicely stocked with a huge salad plate and bottles of water, CocaCola, and a few unfamiliar ones. And a huge round loaf of bread. I'm guessing it might be French bread - hard and crusty on the outside, soft and moist in the middle. Oh, and a huge fruit basket of huge fruit on our balcony. This avocado is larger than a grapefruit.

This sure beats the last time when we were dealing with less-than-new-or-nice linens and no empty drawers or shelves to keep our stuff. Yep, this is definitely an upgrade.

AND there is internet. Wahoo!!!

Sixth...

Everything seems so… French.

I kept thinking Wendi should be here - to appreciate all the cute little touches of food and furniture arrangement. Random trays with tiny cups and saucers on the bed and here and there.

I sure wish she (or someone!) were here to help with translation to French!!!

Gotta' head to the French bakery for breakfast in the morning

Seventh...

Night sounds.

We can hear the waves from our balcony. Looking forward to walking to the beach in the morning. Much, much too tired tonight.

I think we might be hearing the music from the disco in the other direction.

Eighth...

Starry, starry night!