Adiós Dominican Republic

Andy, the pro kite-surfer

Yesterday we said goodbye to the Dominican Republic (DR).  It was an interesting visit – very different to the places we have visited so far.  The DR shares the eastern half of an island in Caribbean region. The other half  is occupied by the nation of Haiti.  (Cuba is their neighbouring island just to the West.)  The Haiti earthquake last year was actually felt in the DR, but no real damage was done.

The town of Cabarete (where we stayed) has a large expat community.  Americans, Canadians and Europeans have swapped their stressful first-world lives for a more laid back existence.   We hung out with some of the expats – it was interesting to hear their stories.  Many had originally came out for a holiday, and after falling in love with the place, quit their jobs back home to come live out here.  Some people have also semi retired here – the low cost of living allows your buck to go further.  Others, who are fortunate enough to live a migratory life, spend a part of each year here.

Angelina Jolie? The affect of sunburn!

Since my last post, my budding kite-surfing career took a knock – I woke up the next day with swollen lips as a result of some mild sun burn!  My face was also slightly burnt.  I had to therefore spend the day out of the sun.  So while Andy was out kite-boarding, I found a cosy spot under the trees, my Kindle keeping me company.  (I just about finished Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”.  The movie has just been released in the States.)  Oh well, there will be other opportunities to kite-board again.

A night under the stars: Us on Miami Beach

Last night was spent in Miami!  We hadn’t planned to visit Miami, butthe flights we booked took us via Miami.   We hit the trendy South Beach, with its many restaurants, bars and clubs along the infamous Ocean Drive.  With music pumping from the Art Deco buildings, it was just like Miami is portrayed in the movies.  Very festive indeed!  After sharing a seafood platter, we took a walk on the beach.  At 10pm, the air was still warm, making for a fabulous setting.

Our evening in Miami was a nice prelude to my birthday weekend in Vegas, baby, Vegas!