Day 17: R&R & Kite repair

Today was more R&R along with some kite repair. Also we headed back to the airport to pickup Cindi, a friend of Yoli's that will be staying with us this week for her own bit of R&R. We had a sunny day the first half, but the clouds came back for an overcast afternoon and evening. We hung by the pool until dinner, then we headed to our favorite spot at Ojo's Beach Club. We decided to try something new tonight, so we walked the beach checking menus and decided on "Papi's". We all order Shrimp "A La Papi" and they were delicious. We ended the night strolling down the ally by "Le Bistro" a french restaurant with few tables. We made a reservation for Saturday and had some Gelato across the way before heading back to the villa.

La Papi's Italian

Full head on Shrimp

Meetup with Ann and Julie from Canada

Le Bistro

Day 16: Another Rain Day, BOOOO!

 

Stroll on Beach

Woke up to rain on the window this morning to our surprise. Our 35% chance of rain just went to 100% and it did so until 2 or 3pm. We stayed in bed, then made coffee, then had some oatmeal on the patio as the gentle rain fell. We read, napped, and caught up on all things internet and practiced a little Spanish on Rosetta Stone app. As the rain faded we headed to the mercado pola in Sosua for our weekly provisioning. We load up on food, wine, and produce. After we return and get it all put away, we have a sandwhich then go for a 2 mile walk to the beach from the Villa. The sun was not quite out but it was no longer raining. It was a nice walk up the road and over to the beach that was about a half mile away. Dinner and a movie and we call it a day. Tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny and nice, so we plan to head back to our favorite spot at Ojo's Beach club for some sun and beach fun. But, tomorrow is always TBD, today is in the books, a nice day for R&R in the DR.

Super Mercado Pola

Pescado!

Deli time

Beach Discovery time

My Yoli on the Beach :)

Day 15: Pool Day

We did not leave the villa today. We had big plans to go for a walk, go shopping, get groceries, etc. But nope, we lounged by the villa pool all day, took naps, read books, and surfed the internet. We had oatmeal for lunch, and made an egg scramble for dinner. An absolutely beautiful day at the villa pool, did a lot of nothing. Might rain tomorrow, so we will go grocery shopping tomorrow, need some provisions soon.

Day 14: Alone Again

Our Beach Bed Cabana

Our first day alone in a week, we sleep in, again. Sunshine and wind today Yea!, that means it s a kite day. Not much wind in the forecast this week so today we do the rinse and repeat at Kite Club on Kite Beach. We get there just after 12 noon before the crowd shows up around 2 or so and snag one of the two Beach bed cabana's, oh so sweet. Makes Yoli's life much more comfortable while I am out swallowing sea water and getting a 3 hour sinus salt water rinse. I got the kite up around 1pm and kite for 2 hours before my kite loses air. I just paid $180 have all the valves replaced, luckily it was not the valvle patch job that failed. Twice today the plug popped out of the inflate valve. Major bummer as all I could do was drop the kite swim for shore and drag the kite up the beach to re-pump, NOT fun. I did get a lot of cardio in doing it. So I take a break for an hour, we order chicken strips with mustard dip, oh yea! it was great as all the food we have shoved in our pie hole has been. The food here has been 10 out of 10 so far, with maybe one order of nacho's being a 9. The food and drinks on the beach are affordable at $5 drink, and 5-6$ for a burger, pizza, or chicken strips. The sushi has been excellent as well. Fish tacos have been a winner too here as the other fish dinners we have tasted. After an hour break, I hit the water and get another hour in before the sun sets, and head for shore. We packed in, a great day on the beach, especially the kite boarding. Yoli got some sun time and reading in, and just some good old fashion R&R on the beach. Home for dinner, no dinner out tonight, just a salad, movie, and some popcorn. ABD-Another Beautiful Day in the DR at Cabarete Beach.

Favorite spot on Kite Beach

Day 13: Goodbye Nan

 

Today Nan goes home, it was a fun week with Tom and Nan. After our morning coffee, Yoli and Nan went for a last walk on the beach, it was already getting warm at 10am. We load Nan and my kite gear up in the car and head to the airport at 11:30. We drop Nan off around noon and the traffic on Saturday was a little more than usual. We make the 30 minute drive back to Kite Beach. We spent the whole day at Kite Club Beach. I spent about 3 hours on the water, lots of kites in the air as usual, but no crashes today. I really enjoyed being out on the water, it was fun. We had a beach side padded bed at the club with full view of the kite scene, that was cool. We had nachos and mojitos delivered to our bedside cabana with a beach view, it was the best. We headed back to the villa around 5:30pm, made spaghetti and another movie night before bedtime. Tomorrow, we plan to rinse and repeat as the wind will be good on Sunday, and is forecasted to be diminishing all next week, Booooo!

Day 12: Kite Club

 

Alan Kiteboarding

Today was the first day for me to get my kite gear out and try my hand at the world class kite boarding location at Kite beach Cabarete. This beach is one of the top 10 places in the world to kite year round due to the steady flow of tradewinds and protected reef. I give it a go and swallow a lot of salt water. My 14m kite was not holding air so I had to use my 10m kite which did not quite have enough power in the 15kt wind. I made it work and had a good time dodging all the other kite boarders. One did cross my lines and take me out at one point. But besides that, it was a fun day, with many more to come over the next few weeks we are here. We pack it in and head back to the villa, shower up and decide to go to "Le Bistro" but when we got there, all tables were full at 7:30 with at least an hour wait. We walk the boulevard and decide to eat on the beach just up from Ojo's at a place called Latin Wok, an asian food place. It was on the beach, the moon was full, the music was plentiful, and the food wonderful. Another great dinner out in Cabarete.

Yoli & Nan

Alan & Yoli

Full moon Dinner on the beach

Kite Beach

Alan Kiteboarding

Alan Kiteboarding

Day 11: Ojo's Beach Repeat

Full moon at Coconuts

Today, I Dropped Nan and Yoli off at Ojo's for a day at the beach. I dropped them at 10:30am so they could get loungers and an umbrella on the beach, our usual spot. I then head back to Villa where Tom was packing up for the trip home. I take Tom to the Airport at Noon, then I head back to the beach to catch up with the girls for a day on the beach. Weather was much better and the sun was out, surf was up, and the margarita's were cold. The 300 peso burger special was also our favorite, that's less than $6 us and it is a bacon cheeseburger with fries. Yum Yum. We head back to the Villa around 5pm hang by the pool for a couple hours, then we make a run to Coconuts Restaurant a mile up the road. Another great meal on the Cabarete scene. We close the joint down at 9pm and head home for another movie night.

Girl foiling

Tommy's girls

Bitcoin Shop

Day 10: All Day Rain - BOOOO!

New Canadian Friends

Today we did not do much of anything, we got a bit of sun, but not much, it rained most all day. We caught up on all things internet, did some reading and hung out under the awning by the pool. We finally had enough and ventured out to find a happy hour and dinner out even if it was raining. We hit Ojo's first and met some canadian's and talked it up for an hour swapping stories and favorite spots on the island. We then try a new resturant Blissy that we saw online. It was italian, and it was fantastic. I had lamb chops, Nan and Yoli had Grilled Shrimp still in the shell with the head on cut in half. Tom had the beef tenderloin. All excellent and very tasty. We call it a night and head back to the villa for movie night as it has still been raining on and off.

Blissy Restaurant

Grilled halfed shrimp

Poolside table dining at Blissy

Day 9: Kite Club Cabarete

 

Cabarete Posers

Today we drove to Sosua and went to a Alien Space museum of art. It was alien art to pay tribute to aliens that visit earth. It was pretty wild looking. Afterwards we headed to the beach but decided to hit the beach in Cabarete instead. We drive back to Cabarete and stop at Kite Club at Kite Beach where I plan to start Kite boarding next week after the storm passes through. I am not getting out there in that crazy surf and wind, I will leave that to the Pros and youngsters. We have an appetizer of Chicken & Bacon nachos that were awesome and of course some pina colada's at the Kite Club Cafe on the beach. We watched the Kite surfers for at least an hour and when the storm winds picked up the Pros really showed their stuff with some trick jumps and big air. It was certainly fun to watch. It will be a while before my board leaved the water on purpose. Dinner tonight was at Swai a local Seafood place and another good recommendation.

Aliens have landed

Galactic Central Site Poster

Project Eternal Life

space ships

World King Castle

Kite Club Cafe & Bar

Kite Club Cafe Nachos

Kite Beach

Kites at Kite Beach