Our days here in Luperon are speeding by faster and faster. It doesn’t seem that we have been here for four months. After we got back from Haiti our next activity that we attended was at the Puerto Blanco Marina where the Santiago University Dancers put on a show featuring meringue dancers. They were very good and colorful. About one hundred and fifty boater and some of the local Dominicans attended.
On Sunday 10/12/08, Columbus Day, we left the Puerto Blanco Marina for a big celebration honoring Christopher Columbus in La Isabella. Dinah & Jim from SV Evergreen and us were picked up by Ken who is a local boater who came to Luperon with his wife Edie in April and have since bought a house and remodeled it in La Isabella. We went right away to the Catholic Church in La Isabella where it is said Father Boyl held the first holy mass in the new world. The mass was said all in Spanish and the only thing I recognized was the “Our Father”. At communion only the women and children went to communion. John got up and was ready to walk behind me when someone pulled him down and told him no men were going and no one I talked to knew why that was.
Our Spanish teacher Albert was there and so were some of his Haitian students who were speaking English. It seems they could speak better English than we could speak Spanish. Oh well – they were younger and it must come easier to them. Albert also teaches Dominicans but they don’t do as well speaking English as the Haitians.
After mass the parade was starting and the boaters all got in line at the back waving our national flags. Most parades you see people along the side cheering but not here for almost every one was in the parade. About forty motorcycles came behind us to bring up the rear of the parade. After the parade we went through the Christopher Columbus ruins where it is believed after he left all his people that he left there were murdered. We went through two museums; one of Columbus artifacts; one of the “Taino” –friendly people who occupied the island when Christopher arrived. These people cultivated root crops such as cassava and sweet potatoes using heaped mounds of earth called conucos which slowed erosion and facilitated weeding and harvesting. They also were shell fishermen. They created extensive pictograms and petroglyphs in caves around the island. The Taino also introduced Europe to the bean, squash, peanuts and fruits such as guava, mamey and pineapple. Their most famous contribution was a plant called tobacco, which they prepared and burned.
There were a bunch of boaters from Luperon and we all got together and had lunch at a local restaurant on the beach. After lunch we all went over to Ken & Eddies house who are right on the ocean in La Isabella and have a fabulous view of the ocean. Some of us went swimming right off their yard. It was another great day here in the Dominican Republic. Stay tuned for more adventures from John & Carol aboard the S/V Sweet Caroline.
Hi Carol and John, what a trip you two are having. This is an experience beyond words can describe. I am so sorry to hear about John Allen’s little girl. She will be in my prayers and I will call church to get her on a prayer line. Our thoughts are with you both.
Love Joanne