Cabarete

I spent a long Memorial Day weekend with some girlfriends in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Now Lauren's been to the Caribbean a few times but this was the first trip there for me. If you read our blog at all you'll know I'm more of a stay in the shade kinda girl. I really enjoyed myself despite the extremely inauspicious beginning!

We had a flight out of the National Airport at 7 AM on Thursday. No problem, I was going to get up at 4:30 AM, the cab would come for me at 5:20 then make stops to get the other girls. No problem. Except we were flying United so...problem. I got a phone call from one of my friends at about 2:45 ish (AM that is) saying that our flight to Newark was delayed by an hour*. Normally that shouldn't be such a problem but we only had an hour layover for our flight to Puerto Plata and that is the only flight out of Newark to the DR. Another girl on the trip, our hero, managed to get United to change all our flights to a different 7 AM flight out of the Dulles airport. Which if you know DC you know is farther away. So instead of getting a cab at 5:20 it arrived at 4:30.

After that drama though we were good to go! We arrived in Puerto Plata and got a cab to Cabarete to the Velero Beach Resort hotel. Fantastic hotel! If you're headed to Cabarete stay here! It's super close to everything, has a nice pool, grounds, and the rooms are great. Since there were five us we booked one of the penthouses and had three bedrooms (one with two double beds), three full bathrooms, large living area, fully stocked (with equipment not food) kitchen, and a large balcony overlooking the pool.

 The bathroom I shared. The other two were ensuite.

 My shared room. The picture's really dark but you can just see the towel swans on the bed :)

 The dining area.

 Living room-entertainment center complete with DVD player.

 There was a full kitchen but I seem to have only take a picture of the stove. We really liked the stove.

 Living area again.

View from our balcony.

A great deal of the rest of the trip featured more like an entry from my other blog...unfortunately because I didn't think until too late to order a waterproof case for my camera so I don't have pictures of those parts. I do have a couple of all of us as we embarked on our first adventure the next morning...horseback riding!

I haven't been on a horse for at least 20 years so we told the guys that we needed horses for two experienced riders and two inexperienced riders (I being inexperienced). However I don't think anyone told my horse that he was supposed to be the inexperienced one.

I'm on the far right.

First, in order to get to the beach where we could ride we had to go through the water. I have never been on a horse in the water. And I'm not just talking a little ankle deep water, this was serious, came up to the horses' chest water. Which probably would have been fine but for the roughly made sea wall the very wavey water kept smacking into. And the horses did not seem anymore enthusiastic about the water as we were and kept trying to walk as close to the wall as possible...while we tried to pull them away so our legs wouldn't get scraped up along the concrete.

That survived, we got to a pretty smooth stretch of beach and one of my friends who is a really experienced rider, galloped away while the rest of us posted along in the awful western saddles. But then my horse (who apparently did not get the 'inexperienced' memo) took off after her. To my credit I managed to stay on the entire time, even when the surf came up on the beach which seemed to be my horse's signal for FULL STOP. And frankly I preferred the galloping. I forgot how a) hard it is to post in a western saddle and b) how hard it is to post! We only rode about an hour and wow were my quads screaming. That is also how I acquired large bruise number one.

On the way back we had to pass through the water again. One of the girls and I were riding pretty close together when a giant wave hit us really hard, drenching her completely, crashed into the sea wall and came back with almost as much force almost sucking me right off the saddle.

A little later that day we decided to check out the beach area. I really really wanted to learn how to kite surf and Cabarete is famous for it. However we gathered from the people we spoke to that it is quite a time and money investment (about 8 hours of lessons were suggested costing in the neighborhood of $250). So instead we took an hour lesson for $25 in windsurfing! Again, no waterproof camera case but I did take a few pictures of other windsurfers. Which is probably just as well because I guarantee that we did not look this good.

Despite all the falling off, the bruises and lacerations (my left leg still hurts and I seem to have messed up my left ankle and another girl got a pretty deep laceration and there were various other bruises) we had a riot. By the end of the hour most of us were at least able to stand up on the board, pull up the sail (although a few of us, myself included, had to use the kiddie board because we lacked the strength to pull up the adult sail!) and sail a few feet before falling in the water, on the sail, on the board...we pretty much fell everywhere.

I also, despite four applications of 70 proof sun block, one just before the lesson, managed to get a pretty bad sun burn. I would spend that evening and the next morning wetting and freezing a hand towel and draping it across my chest.

Also now I have plans to open a surf shop somewhere. I don't think any of the places we went were owned by Dominicans. A lady from Quebec owned our hotel and our windsurfing lessons were from a German.

We ended day one with dinner on the beach were saw a restaurant that was both incongruous to the surroundings...but also obviously this is exactly where such a place would be.

Jose O'Shay's Irish Beach Pub. Yes. No where is complete without and Irish pub.

Day two we got up early for our Iguana Mama pickup. Iguana Mama runs a variety of eco tours in the Dominican Republic and I have to say, the company deserves the high ratings it gets. We chose to do the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua hiking tour. They picked us up a little before 8 AM, fed us breakfast and then off we went (along with the others who were picked up along the way) to the interior of the country. When we arrived we all stripped down to our suits, were fitted with life vests and helmets, and proceeded on a one hour hike to I think the top of the highest mountain in the world. I knew there was hiking involved but I was unprepared for this. Between the general heat and humidity in the country, the added heat and humidity of being in the enclosed forest, and a scrabbling hike up twisty, turny, barely there paths, I thought I was going to die. The website says this tour is for beginners who have at least some fitness routine. I take up to six dance classes every week, try to run three times a week, and every once in a while remember to do some yoga and weight training so I figured I'd be fine.

This tour was NOT for beginners.

Eventually we reached the first waterfall and things were down hill from there. Literally. We jumped off or slide down a series a 27 waterfalls (although we don't actually remember there being 27 so I think someone's counting is off) with jump heights of between 2 and 25 feet. I was convinced that there was no way I'd do the 25 feet but, after standing on the edge for about three minutes, I did! I hesitated to jump at pretty much every single fall. The slides I thought were easier because you couldn't see the bottom and didn't have to worry as much when the water you were jumping into was shallow. The hardest part was actually hiking between each fall because we were in and out of water and walking on river rocks which were very slippery and tended to slide and roll out from under you. Which did my ankle no good. It took us a few hours to get down the falls and we very much enjoyed being in the water. It was especially nice for me with my sunburn! And since we were under canopy cover we were rarely in full or direct sun. So despite the fact that Iguanna Mama's definition of 'beginner' differs vastly from mine, I still had a great time and was glad we all did it.

We ended that day at another beach side restaurant where four of us split two of the mixed sea food platters.

I could have eaten another. Between the lobster, crab legs, shrimp, and the most amazing grouper I've ever had...this was definitely a trip highlight! Although you still cannot convince me that lobster is better than crab.

Since the previous two days had been so physical and I didn't want to be anywhere where there wasn't shade, I turned down the boat trip on Sunday and decided to spend the day relaxing and taking pictures on the beach.

 This is why you need so many hours of lessons. See this guy's starting in the water.

 But now he's not so much in the water.

Now even less so.

 Dude.

Look at how high the kite pulls him!

Pricey little shopping area.

And this next series of pictures is pretty much all of Cabarete.

And now we're back on the beach.

When I got tired of taking pictures I stopped at a bar to relax and read for a while and had the best smoothie ever. Pineapple and lime juice, strawberries, honey, and, of all things, cinnamon. Then I went back to the hotel and sipped a couple pina coladas while I watched the sun set.

Overall this was an A+ trip and I would definitely return to the Dominican Republic. I would just remember that they have a funny way of defining words and put on sun block every five minutes.

Inauspicious beginnings

DC has gotten a pretty ridiculous amount of snow since December. Apparently, Dulles International Airport recorded 72 inches of snow this year. While I usually declare DC to be full of wusses unable to handle a little snow...the city-wide shut down made perfect sense last week. I think that would even have stalled Michigan a little. My biggest concern was that I was supposed to fly out of DC on Friday for my beloved city of Belgrade. What if I couldn't get out? What if I were stuck in DC trying to deal with changing my ticket and losing days I was supposed to be in Belgrade?! Joy of joys though, that did not happen. After the massive snow storms last week, Dulles was fully functioning by Friday. Little did I suspect however, that getting out of DC would not be my biggest problem.

My flight got into Munich slightly later than scheduled but as I was facing a four hour layover I was not terribly heartbroken to arrive late. The heartbreak came later when my 11:00 flight was cancelled. Lufthansa rescheduled everyone for the 3:00 flight...which was cancelled. It seems that Belgrade was in the midst of its own Snowmageddon. I was rescheduled for Sunday's 3:00 flight (seats for the 11:00 were completely booked) and Lufthansa put us all up in a hotel for the night. But did the problems stop there? Oh no.

I asked that my suitcase be offloaded so I could have it for the night. What I really wanted was my laptop cord which I had not thought to bring with me because why would I need it (lesson learned). I waited for two hours for my suitcase while the baggage handlers told me to be patient as it usually took a little while. Finally I went to the counter to ask where in blazes my case was. You know where it was? Lost, that's where. Because so many European countries have been hit with bad weather over the last week, Munich has experienced a lot of delays and cancellations so the luggage storage room was a bit of a mess. How very unGerman of them. With a promise that the bag would probably be located within the hour and that they would deliver it to my hotel I finally left the airprot for my first glimpse of Munich in nearly 11 years. I saw snow. Sadly it was too late and I was too tired to even think about trekking into the city. Needless to say my suitcase was not delivered that night nor even the next morning.

When I checked in again at the airport I asked after my suitcase only to be told that it was still lost. Panic was beginning to set in. I could use one of the computers in my Belgrade office so that wasn't so bad. Lufthansa would reimburse 100% of toiletries and 50% of clothes which is great since I only ever seem to find designer lables here...but hair product! I have yet to find a salon in Belgrade that carries Tigi's Curls Rock (if anyone knows where to get it here let me know!). The horror of having to go without my hair product was almost too much. I checked at the Lufthansa service center shortly before my flight and found out two things: 1. my 3:00 was delayed due to weather in Nice, and 2. my suitcase was discovered! Hurrah! I ate a Rittersport for joy.

I really love Lufthansa. I hate that I have to fly American airlines where available. I have a feeling that United would have been much less helpful than the lovely people at Lufthansa. I hope that this will be the only snag during this trip. I have almost two full weeks in Serbia before I head to Kosovo for a week and from there Macedonia for a few days. Fingers crossed.

Muli bwanji from Zambia: The Airport Cha-Cha

On Friday night, I boarded an overnight flight to London. The flight to London was really easy for me. Almost immediately after take-off, I put on my eyemask and ear plugs, took a valerian root cap and was dead to the world. I even missed dinner on the flight, and didn't wake up until I felt the plane start its decent into Heathrow. I felt pretty rested, and was definitely ready to move.

My plan for the day was to meet K at Paddington station, where we would shove off for a whirlwind tour of the key things to see in the city. With her advice, I boarded the Heathrow express, and it was sound. At Paddington station, I quickly found the statue of Paddington Bear as he is remembered for being "found" there by his family. Once K and I found each other, we rushed to the Tube and headed for the Theames where we saw Big Ben and the Tower, and the London Eye, which is just a giant Ferris Wheel. Considering my great fear of Ferris Wheels, I was more than happy to keep my distance.

Next Stop: Westminster Abbey

The line here was so long, that there was no way we'd be able to take a tour. I snapped a few shots of the architecture and details, thankful for my college gen eds-- ART 101 which helped me to identify the stylings, etc. From there, it was on to Buckinghap Palace as we chattered away about how unimpressive and stoic it felt. Actually, the building looked remarkably like every other government building in DC: Stone, neo-classical columns, and security out front. K mentioned that it's a great spot to people watch, and once again her tip didn't disappoint as we watched the tourists' lack of respect for the memorials, climbing all over them!!!

From there, we headed to Trafalgar Square and saw Nelson's Column, a memorial of a battle from a long time ago that remains in the in the English modern memory...ewkay. From there, we rushed around to find food, with almost no luck, missing the English "lunch hour" at all the pubs, so my hopes for a real eeeeenglish Fish and Chips lunch were dashed temporarily. We ended up at the Texas Embassy (yes it's a real place!) for some pretty respectable tex-mex offerings. K told me that normally in the UK you'd get Doritos and tomato sauce, and they'd call it chips and salsa. These were nothing like doritos and the salsa was quite respectable with a kick that I figured was probalby really hot to the English palette.

Unfortunately, after lunch, I was about 30 minutes behind schedule. We rushed back to the Tube, and luckily I managed to get the train I needed back to Paddington quickly. But I was nearly dashed when the Heathrow express train I was on was delayed outside the airport by about 20 minutes. If you're doing the math, that means I was nearly 1 hour later than I scheduled myself to be....I was making contingency plans in my head, and praying fiercely...Once at the airport train station I ran (yes RAN!) with my backpack on and laptop in hand all the way to security without stopping. Hey, a girl's gotta get her exercise, eh?! Thankfully, security was no problem for a vetran like me as I slipped out of my shoes, took off my jackets, and breezed through with no problems. It also helps that I didn't have to take my laptop out of the bag. Thank goodness the English security xrays don't have a problem with laptop bags like TSA in the States does. I got to my gate (nearly the very last on in Terminal 1) just as they started boarding....whew!

The flight to Johannesburg (Joburg) was 11 hours and I probably got 5 hours of sleep give or take. I decided I was going to like South African Airways when I found socks, an eyemask, and a toothbrush in a pack on my seat with a heavy blanket and pillow. After my toes nearly froze off on the flight to London, I was thankful. Little did I know that would be the last cold I would feel for a while. The flight was quite hot, but I wasn't complaining, despite having spent the second day in a row in the same clothes...I watched a movie and continued reading my book (Eclipse)

The Airport in Joburg was interesting...it was my third airport in as many days. I traveled for 36 hours in all before getting to Lusaka, and I was amused by the fact that the music at the airports was not your usual muzak like you'd find in an elevator. Nooooo, this was american hip hop music...and as I treked through the airport with my hand luggage I was practially dancing to the cha-cha slide, and laughing at myself for doing it, but I was amused!

By the time i got to Lusaka I was pretty well cooked. It was hot...really hot and I was in long sleeves and pants standing out like a sore thumb compared to all the tourists in their linen and sandals. It's hot here...but I'm thankful for a breeze that flows almost constantly. The people are friendly, and when I went to Mass last night, I don't think I've ever heard singing that was so beautiful in my life. The voices...the VOICES! That's all I can really say, since i have no other words for it...what a blessing it was to have been able to hear them, I can't wait until next Sunday!

It's late here and I"m going to sign off for now since I have to be at our office early tomorrow morning. I hope to be able to share some more pictures than the two I've posted here very soon...wish me luck with a faster Internet connection.

Goodnight, and love to you all.

United's New Baggage Regulations: It's gonna cost you!

On Monday, United Airlines announced that as of May 5, all passengers will have to cough up 25 bucks to check a second bag. This charge affects all tickets purchased on February 4 and later.

United is expecting this new charge to generate up to $100 million a year in increased revenue. Now that the airlines already make us pay more for "Economy Plus" seating, when previously it was just a regular seat, and the former economy section has more, smaller seats cramped in the tiny space. With this new regulation, I think that most people will either start trying to stuff even more in overhead and under-seat compartments, further cramping people in an already limited space in an effort to not have to pay the $25 dollars. Unless I'm traveling for several weeks or months, I will do everything I can to pack into one back. Money doesn't part from my sweaty clutches very easily, especially when it could buy an outfit or new pair of shoes instead.

So what does all of this mean, and what do you think of it?

Personally, I usually only travel with one bag even if I'm going for a long time. I once packed for three months in Russia with just one bag. However, if I had to work for several months while abroad, I would want some extra luggage for my clothes. Do you think that this new charge is ripping off the little guy that only travels a couple of times a year? This charge only impacts domestic flights, so if your destination is international, the charge doesn't apply to you. What if, however, you're going on a cruise? I wonder how people will be impacted that way. Even though I usually only travel with one checked bag no matter what, I am even less likely to travel on United in the future because of this.

What about you?