We are back safe and sound from Haiti and that is another story later on in this article. They might say we are now wetbacks - Read On!
Our social calendar is really getting filled up. Every day it seems there is something to do and someone is always stopping by and saying come-on let’s go to such and such a place. This is a great life this cruising, when the boat decides to behave and doesn’t break down.
One of the gringos who came here by boat bought and built a restaurant/bar, (Shaggy’s) in town. Right now his menu only consists of mini hamburgers (white Castle size) and chicken kebobs. Of course he has a full liquor bar and high speed internet (if there is such a thing here). Towards the end of September he had an open house, roasted a pig with all the trimmings. He flew over his friend Micah from the Florida Keys the original Bar Stool Sailor, almost like Jimmy Buffet. Approximately 75-100 people mostly boaters attended and fun was had by all.
A few days later we were off to the mangroves in our dinghy to untie our lines from the mangroves that John placed there before the hurricanes. Inside the mangroves there were spiders, sharp branches and barnacles everywhere and we had high hopes that we wouldn’t damage the dinghy again by punching a hole in it.
On the Sweet Caroline life without repairs was short lived and the wash down pump and the refrigeration pump weren’t working to the captain’s satisfaction. John got his scuba gear on and had to dive under the boat and clean out the thru-hole (raw water intake). This anchorage is like the Indian River in Florida and you can’t see two feet in front of you. At least he didn’t run into a crocodile while under there. We haven’t seen any yet but we are told they have them here in the Dominican Republic.
After a few meetings with a final total of three couples and a guide and all of us a little apprehensive on what to expect and what was going to happen in Haiti the day finally arrived and we left the marina here in Luperon on Wednesday October 8th at 0520. Our guide Tim was a US archeologist, who spent eight years in Haiti. We used his truck for our Guagua (mini bus) with five people inside and two outside in the back on cushions from Tim’s boat. We arrived at the border, Dominican side, in the town of Dajobon at 0820. So far we had not encountered any problems. We ate breakfast at a hotel in Dajobon because we knew it would be a full day and weren’t sure about getting food along the way. Just in case we all had packed lunches to be on the safe side. When we got to the gate it was a good thing we had a guide because it was mass confusion. While waiting to clear customs we saw women washing clothes in the border (dirty) river. After Tim negotiated our passage he found us a Guagua after only two tries for the price he felt was fair. We had a Guagua with a driver for all day for $160 US. There were two seats in the front with two benches on either side in the enclosed back. We had six people in the back and this normally would have seated thirty people in this space packed like sardines.
We arrived at the ruins of Sans Souci, located in the village of Milot at the foot of the Citadelle (which is a mighty fortress crowning the summit of Pic Laferriere mountain). This palace was built by the slaves of Henri Christophe, who was a Granada born mulatto
slave and who arrived on the island via a shipwreck. After a few months he claimed himself king of the northern half of Haiti. He built this castle to resemble Versailles. When the work didn’t proceed as he wanted he butchered every 10th man in a long line. Under the staircase of the grand ballroom he constructed an airtight room into which he suffocated troubling guests. After visiting Sans Souci we all boarded the Guagua and went up the mountain to the Citadelle as far as we could go on a narrow winding cobblestone switchback with no guardrails and one false move to the side and we would fall 1,000 feet. The Citadelle itself is a massive structure and the largest fort in the Caribbean and could house 10,000 people for a year. It was fifteen stories high and quite a sight. After arriving as far as the Guagua would take us we continued up the mountain on foot with a horse and three Haitian following each one of us because they knew we couldn’t make it to the top. We thought we were in pretty good shape from all the walking we do but walking straight up a mountain is another thing. Carol hopped on a horse after about ¼ mile and John didn’t want to be outdone so he hopped on his. As far as we are concerned that is the only way to go up this mountain. The cost for the round trip on horse was only $10 US. One couple and our guide made it to the top walking but they were twenty years younger than we are. The Citadelle is massive and took seventeen years to build. Henri used 10,000 slaves to build this structure and many thousands died in the construction. We found the heads (toilets) in the fort and they looked like normal heads and then we looked through them and it was a 1,000 foot drop to nowhere - (you sure as heck don’t want to fall though). We saw so many cannons and haven’t figured out yet what they were defending and never a shot was fired. He built a smaller fort on an adjacent mountain for his wife. When his kingdom went down he killed himself and his forts were never used. On the Guagua trip back down the mountain and then to the border we had Haitians jumping on the back and sides of our Guagua. At one time we had eight Haitians getting a free ride. When we got back to the border this is where the trip really became interesting. We got back to the border and the gate was padlocked and we couldn’t get through. Now what do we do! Our guide bribed the Haitian official so we could leave Haiti. We didn’t know that he arranged for Haitians to pick us up and carry us across the river to the Dominican Republic side. The Haitians were all swarming us and the next thing I saw was a little Haitians pick up Tim our guide on his back (Tim weighs 225 lbs) and started across the river. I looked for John and he was being picked up by a little Haitian and carried across. I had three Haitians wanting to carry me across and I picked out the biggest one I saw and he picked me up and away we went. I guess you can call us wetbacks. I guess we can all say this is the first time we have ever rode a Haitian. As we arrived on the Dominican Republic side the Dominican border police met us with guns drawn. Our guide with a handful of money showed him our passports and after a discussion with our guide the Commandante told us crazy Gringos to move on to where we came from. We arrived back to the marina in Luperon around midnight totally exhausted but with memories of a “trip of a lifetime”. The next day we slept in for we were totally mentally exhausted. Stay tuned to our next adventure. John & Carol aboard the S/V Sweet Caroline

Its back to “Brain Surgeon” and “Digger” again. It all started when we got up one morning to head over to the Yacht Club for Spanish class and neither of the dinghy outboard engines would start. It’s all starting again, repairs, repairs, repairs. “Brain Surgeon” had his work cut out. The engines coughed and sputtered and would not start. After some tweaks here and there “Brain Surgeon” finally got them back running. You have to be your own mechanic, engine repair man, electrician, etc., etc., etc. to run a boat.
Now the refrigeration is down and “Digger” had to tear apart the v-berth for the !!! time. As usual the parts that were needed were under it. This process usually takes half a day. Pulling out this and that and then repacking it. I think we need a bigger boat with more cubby holes to put parts in. “Brain Surgeon” was stumped on this one and he had to start pondering again. After taking this part off and putting a new part on to see if that would correct the problem and re-reading the manual over and over after about four hours he finally found the problem and was able to fix it. It was almost back to buying ice for the refrigerator to keep it cold. Since this took most of the morning we missed the flee market up at the Yacht Club and Marina. Oh well, maybe next week.
We got brave and went by ourselves into Puerto Plato (the “silver harbour”) one Thursday. We went into town and got on a Guagua (mini bus). One should experience at least once while in the Dominican Republic the Dominican lifestyle up close and ride one of these Guaguas. It is an adventure in the most restricted space, wedged between people and animals, with breathing difficulties and feet that have fallen asleep this, of course, when sitting inside; when outside the vehicle, or if one only found space while hanging halfway out the door, one experiences fits of panic and eyes squeezed shut from sheer terror, piously promising oneself to never again set foot into such a van until the next time: a ride in a Guagua is almost inevitable in the Dominican Republic. We got off in Imbert and got on an air conditioned bus. We were doing great so far headed for Puerto Plato communicating with the Dominican’s with our limited Spanish. Of course we had our trusty little Spanish translating book with us which never leaves our bag. We got off at the Parque Central (the village square) which each city always has one. We walked to a restaurant on the ocean for lunch and after filling our bellies we walked along the Malecon (a promenade along the ocean) to Fort San Felipe which is the oldest European fort in the New World with its moats and battlements and served as a prison during the Trujillo era (1930-1961. In the fort there is a small military museum and the former prison cell in which the city’s found Juan Pablo Duarte was held captive. After walking around inside the fort we took a motoconcho (motor cycle) – no, we didn’t drive one only rode behind the driver with both of us on one bike holding our cooler and bags off to the side and got off again at the Parque Central. What a sight we made and I wish I could have gotten a picture of that. We thought we were so smart we spoke Spanish to find directions to get us to the ice cream parlor and an internet café and would you believe that they understood us for once. After having accomplished those feats we took another motoconcho to the grocery store for a few items. This is where our troubles began with our Spanish, or lack of. We hired a taxi to take us back to the bus station to head back to the boat. We finally had five Dominican’s trying to figure out where we wanted to go. We had a map of Puerto Plato with us but they couldn’t read it, in fact my guess is that they couldn’t read or write which is typical here in the Dominican Republic. We said bus station in Spanish and they looked at us as if we were from Mars. Finally after a half an hour of speaking, gesturing, etc, etc, one finally said –“no problem”, at which time maybe a light bulb finally clicked on. With John directing them we made it to the bus station, (which they don’t call it that). We now know to say “go to La Javilla Tours) and we will get where we need to be. On the way back I sat next to a Dominican whose brother with the last name of Simon pitches for the Baltimore Orioles. Baseball is big here in the Dominican Republic and a lot of major league players come from here. It’s not unusual to see a game going on somewhere. They start out real young and become great players and this is a way to escape from poverty. Every Dominican aspires to become one of these major league players some day. We made it back to Luperon without any more mishaps.
“Digger” was up to her old tricks again and had to tear apart the boat looking for paint brushes. After emptying every cubby hole and repacking them she finally found them behind the drawers in the v-berth. Of course this was her own undoing because she forgot to put them on her list where they were located on the boat.
We left on Thursday September 18th for a few days in Santo Domingo with Al & Paula from Miss Teak a 48’ DeFever trawler. We took a taxi to Santiago and boarded an air conditioned bus with a direct route to Santo Domingo which is the capital of the Dominion Republic. This is not a place for people with weak nerves. This is a metropolis of 2 million and counting. Until one arrives in the center of the city, one must pass through vast, mostly very poor suburbs. However, together with its chaotic traffic this makes up for the Santo Domingo’s flair. Upon arriving we found a taxi man that spoke English and he took us to the Colonial District. He found a hotel for us after three tries for only $40 US complete with air conditioning, TV with over 100 channels) and even hot water for fifty gallon showers. What a treat after being on the boat for 3 ½ months. We deposited our luggage and walked out on the Calle El Conde, a brick road which is the oldest and most important main street in the Colonial District and where no cars are allowed. This street has a wide selection of every type of shops, restaurants, which here too the trend is toward fast foods and offers a strong dose of big city atmosphere. They even have a well stocked record store-for those looking for the newest meringue hits. We found a Dominican restaurant and had pork chops and all the trimmings. We found an Amber factory where they were making jewelry. We purchased a piece of Amber 30-50 million years old with two mosquitos inside it, (Jurassic Park). We purchased a blue Larimar turtle and this stone is supposedly is only found in the Dominican Republic. We found a casino right across from our hotel and naturally Carol had to play the one arm bandits. She was only using penny pacos and won quite a few times. Imagine if that was quarter or dollars. She would have been ahead $50-$75 US dollars. She quit which she was ahead and we all went back to our rooms for the night. We forgot how nice it is to sit in the air conditioning and watch TV. The next day we found a place for breakfast that had a great smorgasbord for only 200 pesos ($6 US) each. That day we toured the “Casas Reales” (Museum of the Royal House). This building housed the colonial government offices for over three centuries. The next place we visited was the “Catedral Primada de America” (Primate Cathedral of America), whose construction began between 1514-1523 and was completed in 1540. This cathedral is the first cathedral in the new world and one of the famous buildings in Santo Domingo. Worth seeing is the late Gothic hall with its beautiful vaulting and fourteen auxiliary chapels with some artistically interesting altars and of course was the original tomb of Christopher Columbus which was constructed in 1898. Next it was off to “Parque Colon” a park which is in the middle of Santo Domingo and dedicated to the islands discoverer Cristobel Colon, (Christopher Columbus), with a bronze statue of him in the middle. Under the old big trees, one can sit here with a beer or drink in peace to recover from the stress of the big city, if the constant nuisance of the black market peddlers is disregarded. The next day found us hiring a guide and taxi, (one who spoke English) for $40 US each. We toured the “Jardin Botanico Nacional” (Botanical Gardens) with 1.8 million square meters and one of the largest in the world, and includes vast areas devoted to aquatic plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, endemic plants, palm trees, a Japanese garden and much more. Next it was on to the“Parque Zoological” (Zoo) with about 10 square kilometers in size and located in the northern portion of Santo Domingo. Next we went to the “Museo del Hombre Dominicano” (Museum of Man). The highlights are impressive Taino artifacts, and the small section on Carnival with the masks and costumes used in various cities around the country. Also we saw other sections focusing on slavery in the colonial period, African influences in the Dominican Republic and a small section on voodoo and contemporary rural Dominican life complete with a reconstructed thatched roof house. Next we visited the “Faro a Colon” (Columbus Lighthouse) which is where after it was built Christopher Columbus was moved to from the Cathedral and supposedly is his final resting place; of course Cuba also claims the tomb of Christopher Columbus. We also saw the pope mobile which was built for Pope John Paul II when he visited there in 1992. Next we visited “Los Tres Ojos” (Three Eyes Caves) which were three caves with access down under ground. They had three different pools and the Indians used them to bathe in. That afternoon after arriving back in the Colonial District John and I went to Kentucky Fried Chicken (his favorite) which he had spied the first night we were out walking up and down the El Conde (main street). It sure wasn’t like the United States for these chickens have no fat on them as they are not grain fed. Sunday saw us eating breakfast at our same place. After breakfast we walked to the “Puerta del Conde”, which is the gate from the 18th century and situated at the western end of Calle El Conde. It is a part of the city’s old fortress walls and carries the inscription: “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” (It is sweet and beautiful to die for one’s country). Beyond the gate is the beginning of Parque Independencia. Near Parque Independencia is the depiction of a compass made of bronze which not only shows the 32 directions but also is the zero point for measuring distances to other points on the island. After leaving there we strolled down the Malecon (beach promenade along the ocean) looking for where 20 kilometers of street are blocked off for the gigantic outdoor discotheque only to find out that this is only during certain months. On the walk back we went through “Fortaleza Ozama” a fortress system including several buildings with the fort the most important component. This is located directly at the mouth of the Rio Ozama on the Caribbean coast. This for served as a bastion protecting Santo Domingo from the frequent pirate attacks. It was also used as a prison during the dictator Rafael Trujillo rule from 1924-1961 when he was assassinated. Monday after breakfast (usual place) we packed our luggage and headed for the bus terminal for the return trip back to Luperon. I don’t know what it is about bus terminals but we seem to always have language problems. No one spoke English and only two of us with more Spanish than John and I knew we had again a communication problem. They are going to start calling us those crazy Americans. We purchased tickets to Puerto Plato via Santiago where we thought we could get off in Imbert when we came through and catch a taxi to Luperon. Wrong!!! After leaving Santiago we blew right by Imbert because the bus would not stop and let us off and needless to say we had to continue on to Puerto Plata where we caught a bus back to Imbert. No problem we said as we weren’t in any hurry and the extra cost was only $2 US for the four of us.
Problems again back on the boat when we returned, the Starboard lights and fans would not work. “Brain Surgeon” had to rethink this new problem and after days of trying to trace the line came up with an idea to rewire and by pass where ever the problem was which solved that problem.
One of the local American boaters here bought and opened a new restaurant called “Shaggys”. He had a Grand Opening where a pig was roasted and a bar room singer “Micah” from the Florida Keys performed. About seventy five boaters from the harbor attended.
After getting all rested up, and a few rum and cokes we are now ready for our next adventure which is to Haiti to visit the Citadelle. There are three couples plus a guide going and it should be a trip of a lifetime. We have been warned thievery abounds and not to carry money in our back pockets. I guess they now slit your back pockets with a razor blade looking for your wallet. We will write of this adventure if and when we return. Stay tuned. John & Carol aboard the S/V Sweet Caroline