Year 3 Day 223- “Living the Dream”. Monday, 12/11/2023. Day 4 of 8 night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Adventure of the Seas. (Day 10 of 17-day Caribbean vacation). In Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic today. It was a lovely warm breezy beautiful December day.
We hurried off the ship early for an excursion and did a six-hour excursion in an open-air bus with 10 other people. We were driven about 20 miles from the port over pot filled dirt roads and over lots of bridges. We passed many fields of dragon fruit, mango trees, mahogany trees, squash plants, plantain, and bananas The squash had a lot of white on them. We are thinking they may have a problem with fungus. The countryside farm homes all had nice front doors. Their kitchens are separate and outside of the homes. The farm field fencing is wire with very thick cactus plants.
to the home of an 85-year-old woman. On the way we stopped at a cheese factory. The Cheese factory had a milk truck unloading when we got there. It was the tiniest milk truck I have ever seen. We had to wear hospital gowns and hair nets for the cheese factory tour. After experiencing the tour, we could not eat the cheese. Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation.
We then went to a local’s home where we were served coffee made over an open fire. My favorite part of the excursion was going to Katalina’s home. What a sweet lady who wanted me to sit next to her. Although I have mixed feelings about a family that in order to survive have to have people into their home. Then I think this woman at 85 is never lonely there is always someone visiting her, and she is making a living doing it. Hey, do you think I can have tour buses come spend some time out in Kentucky farmland. Our tour guide paid her while we were there, and I would imagine that some people in the group also gave the family a little money. This family has found a way of making money in an area of high unemployment.
After our visit to the local home, we had a buffet lunch. The food was good at the tiny restaurant, the restaurant was clean, and the waitresses very nice. We were a little concerned about eating the local food though. We ate chicken (I think there were a few less running around the yard).
Then we were onto a Cigar making factory/gift shop. Well mostly a gift shop.
and a cookie factory. In the cookie factory they took fresh sugar cane and squeezed it for a tasting. They make about 5,000 cookies a week using freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. These cookies will stay fresh at least two month they told us. Hmm!!
My impression of the Dominican Republic is there is lots of garbage on the roadways.
Motorcycles everywhere. No one wears helmets. Whole families on one bike.
There are bars on the windows of everything, Mahogany trees, shelves of large bottles of fresh water outside everywhere,
cisterns to capture rainwater, electrical meters on the telephone poles, and garbage on the sides of the roads. Nobody bothered you to buy things, and most people waved. Our cabin is a mansion compared to the home we visited. Haiti and Dominican Republic are the same island. They are different people though and speak different languages. Dominican Republic’s population is 12 million and consists of mostly Catholics. Puerto Plata is a province. The typical salary is 10,000 to 50,000 pesos per pay period. If you work for private establishments, you are paid every two weeks and government once a month. There is 55% unemployment.
Overall, we did not see very many Christmas decorations at all. Considering that most people here are catholic. One last thing I have to say is Dominican Republic men have beautiful eye lashes.
When we got back to port, we found a beautiful oasis pool. If I am on a cruise ship that stops in the Dominican Republic again, I will stay by this lovely lazy river.
Pulling out at 5pm there are about twenty windmills lined up along the shore in the distance.
While we are cruising the high seas, the deer are roaming our home.
Here’s today’s Cruise Compass.
Here’s a link to today’s Amazon recommendation: https://amzn.to/3t4So73 This is a portable scale. I use it every day at home and take it in my suitcase whenever I travel. I try to keep track of my weight even on vacation. It is great. I guess the best thing to say is if it broke today, I would be ordering one immediately.
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Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
To view the complete daily diary, click here – This starts at Year 1 Day 1: Living the Dream – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count