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Tropical flower |
We had a fabulous two weeks in the Dominican Republic. Enjoying the fruit and vegetables. Eating out for under $10 for both of us. Enjoying the $1.50 22 oz. beers - Presidente and Bohemia. And touring around the island by land, taking several day trips to Puerta Plata, Sosua and Santiago. We also made several great friends in Luperon, other cruisers, who we were sad to say good-bye to when the time came to leave.
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At the dock in Luperon |
Our return voyage back to the Bahamas from the Dominican
Republic differed in two ways from the arrival:
seasickness and speed. We left
Luperon harbor just before sunset and had little time to adjust to the high, jolting
seas before the horizon disappeared into the darkness. Having the horizon to focus your eyes on is
key in preventing seasickness when vigorously rolling back and forth in a
boat. Also, being on land and a very
calm, still anchorage for 2 weeks, you begin to lose some of that sea tolerance
to motion sickness.
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Tanqueray anchored in Luperon |
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On land for a night in our $25 hotel room in Luperon |
We both had spent the past week recovering from a cold that
we picked up while taking public transportation through the island. Public transportation in the Dominican
Republic consists of jumping in a Toyota Corolla (taxi) with 6 other people
already in the car. When you are use to
being alone at sea, void of all germs, and then are suddenly thrown into a packed
car where people are lapping up, germs are your worst enemy. That being said, we had a rough voyage
leaving the Dominican Republic.
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Country side in the Dominican Repulic (view from taxi) |
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Beach in Sosua |
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Catholic church in Puerta Plata |
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Visiting the Big City - Santiago |
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Museum in Santiago |
About an hour into the trip, Mike said he wasn’t feeling too
well. I thought I was fine, but little
did I know that I was getting seasick too.
In the end, I beat him to it, and threw up. I thought I’d feel much better after puking,
but quite the opposite happened. I
couldn’t stop throwing up and I was not much help to Mike at the helm. At this point, Mike didn’t have many options,
so he continued to steer the boat along with trusty Otto (our electric auto-helm;
we treat as a crew member) through the night.
Meanwhile, I lay in misery on the floor with no strength to grab a
pillow, still in my foulies, a puke bucket by my side and my head resting
questionably close to Nelly’s rancid litter box that was way over due for a
cleaning.
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Our mechanic, Marino, who fixed out
outboard for $9, in the DR |
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Thank you Mike for taking this
lovely picture of me seasick. |
Yes, I did consider death.
It was a horrible feeling and I thought I’d be much better off dead than
seasick! I finally feel asleep and awoke
in the Turks and Caicos a little after sunrise.
Mike was exhausted at this point, so I took over at the helm, feeling
much better. I’m glad seasickness is a
rare occasion for me, it would be tough to travel feeling that sickly.
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Market in the DR |
Hate the thought of seasickness for anyone I love!
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