Trip to the Dominican Republic 4: Monday

Monday, Nov. 20

Awake at 6:26! 
I am so sore! We are swimming All .The. Time!

Having a grand time, all told. 

Yesterday, I gave Josee my hankie to use as a hat. Suddenly there was sun. They ended up with mild sunburn in their parts between their braids. 

When they awoke, I did a reprise. This photo I took back in 2011, on vacation with the kids at Bondi Village. Here they are, again! Isn't that fun?!


After another hardy breakfast, back to the room for swimsuits. Izzy thought about it, and after originally being against it, Izzy had her hair braided, whilst Josee and I went to the pool behind our room. Sleepy girls! Humid and foggy. On the pathway, you can see Izzy running, and the bamboo tree arcing over the path. Only Izzy and I noticed it. It was cleaned up very quickly.


Breakfast is serious business. Isabelle had a whole wheat bun every meal. Good fibre!


 It was a small pool behind our room, in a grouping of three buildings, with a bar. Josee had limonada, and I had cerveza, once I figured out how to pronounce it!
 We were there for hours. Finally, Momma and Izzy turned up, hair nicely braided. More swimming while gramma sketched.


This is the pool bar. Staff rotate, but it must be pretty boring some days. Most of the tourists are jolly, respectful, and having fun. Staff always address us in Spanish first, then lapse into what ever language we speak. Bar staff are more fluent in  more languages.

They clean out the ashtrays, then stamp them with a pattern. It's a well-groomed facility.


Weary Josee!


This dude, Andrew (from the UK), fancied himself an expert. He did tell me these are palmchats. My Facebook team recognized bananaquits for me. Andrew, from Britain told me about the birds, I saw more swallowtails, kingbirds, palmchats, flickers. A muscovy duck.  Below is a palmchatm indigenous to the island.


Off to the beach, for a change of pace. These robes were perfect for the girls.


Back to Las Olas for lunch. There it is on the left, Izzy walking. 

On my Facebook ads I keep seeing these. Look familiar?!


There was a dog chasing a cat, as well as three house sparrows! In the dining areas there were strict dress codes: no shirt, no shoes, clothing, no service!


The air conditioner goes off if either our room door, or balcony patio doors, are open in our room!
After lunch, showers or a bath, then a siesta in our room. Mommy read to Josee, Izzy and I read to ourselves. Isabelle, Mommy and I took turns reading Wonder, the movie that just came out. It is an amazing book.


This is the pool for the kiddies. There is a lifeguard up top, he was marvellous with the kids, some of whom were running like demons, throwing plastic cups around towards one another.

This is my Tilley hat. It was raining the whole time here, and still warm. The hat kept my glasses dry.
Josee wouldn't let me wear this hat after Monday. She thought my blue one cuter. She is a fashionista.


We played bocci ball under the palm tree tents as the rain really began to fall.  I said I'd meet them at our restaurant for our reservation at 7 p.m. Then, I said, "I don't have a watch."
 'Look on your computer, Gramma," Josee told me wisely.  Sigh. She's nearly 10.

Off to dinner at the beach restaurant, Las Olas. This was part of our 4 sit-down dinner dates.


Dinner began with a treat, a Brazilian cocktail: caipirhina. Josee ordered her meal in Spanish: espaguetis et papas fritas (french fries). They brought the rice, and veggies, corn on the corner of the plates! Then the meat came on big swords, which they took table-to-table. Pork, chicken, beef. We had a card, held by Izzy (above) and if you were still looking for food you turned it to the green side. If you were full, turn the card over to red.

You could hear the surf on the beach.
You can see my tan, after days on the beach with clouds.


Back to our room through the compound; we heard tree frogs and critters in the dark! No images, I never did see a frog, but the sound was amazing.

As requested by Jean, while we were on the beach my son-in-law was on a cruise to Antarctica with  buddy, Mark. (It took 2 1/2 weeks!) This is why I had the joy of travelling on the girls' trip. (Actually, I invited myself!) As I process my trip photos and memories, JL is uploading his when he can. He is home, as of Tuesday, but was off-line and not able to post too much. He posts to a family album on iPhoto, where we can see where he has been. I will make him a book of these photos for posterity, for Christmas!