[Dominican Republic]: Part 2

I'm now sitting in United Airlines flight. I was upgraded after two India trips. And thanks to that I made it on today's flight even after reaching the airport so late. Nana kept saying but I didn't heed. Took my own time to shop, had tamarind juice and when I reached the UA counter they had closed it. Then I went inside those rooms behind the ticket counters and requested the lady and had to rush rush. Even if I hadn't rushed after security I would've been OK but still... When I cut line requesting, one man said why did you come late. Traffic I half lied. I should've said yes, it was stupid of me to arrive late.

I didn't sleep very well last night. Stayed at that island life hostel. It's nice but something too clean and well laid out, very american/european. For backpackers. It's OK sometimes. I was the only one to pin their map from Hyderabad. It was nice to speak to Mummy and Nana from there and also do my marketing weekly call (I was sitting at the bar like counter trying to get a good wifi signal that morning). Meaning it's easier to do everything remotely. AT&T even calls via wifi. 

Back to DR. I went to the Museum of Revolution. It gives a good perspective. In 1930s onwards there was thus dictator called Rafael Trujillo. Ruthless. Transferred all contracts to his businesses. Killed 1,000-30,000 non white people in the name of gentrification. Craziness of our world. If it's only for this reason I hope everyone gets a DNA test done to know where actually they are from. Then there was a revolution (Lelu even posed with two fingers viva revolucion he said). There was one odd exhibit of the revolution leader. It moves and his speech in background. People singing after.

My head is aching with that sunstroke type thing. (It went away with 1 glass orange juice and 4 glasses of water).

I stayed in Zona Colonial a historic district that's also very touristy in a somewhat good way. They are doing a good job with security and how they maintain the ruins. Christopher Colombus first arrived here. His statues are there. America's first church, first hospital it is all here. A lot has happened in the last 400 years. I mean a rapid, rapid change in our world.

When you actually be with the people, eat their food, breath the air, you somehow remember. I mean our body, our mind knows. We are all so interrelated. We fight because we've forgotten. We think they are different. We think we are different. We hardly are.

Even as we advance with our modernity culturally every place has gotten similar. Uber. Fast food. Mobile phones. Music. Work. Families. Like 80% similar and then some. Then we all have our local stuff like bachata or merengue music in dominican. And then we think my culture, my culture is so great etc. Then we find other people and cultures exotic. Like Miguel the driver of the shared taxi he got so excited to know I'm from India. He did the flowers in hair action and said muy buen for Indian women. Like they do with the fingers. I repeated it in the Uber to the airport with shoot I forget his name Vladimir yes...Vladamir showed me the blue water - it's after the toll area. So blue he kept saying. It was. Muy buen. Very good. He used his finger closing kissing action :)

The hospital I walked in the ruins. There were birds sitting in the ceiling. Something about it. Who would've thought then that hospitals in America would be a thing. 

I walked a lot. Let's see. 2km today. 11.8km yday. 8.1km day before. 11.5km first day. It was nice and sunny. My sun ka headache is gone now. People say it's not safe etc. I didn't exactly find it so. Well it's like any other city. Like NY or Joburg. There are safe areas. There are unsafe areas. 

We need the cities. They are the lifeblood of countries. Connecting one country to the other. They help us pool our resources and build airports for others to come and visit. They make it easy for us by having things we are used to like credit cards and Uber. And they breed problems too from crime to drugs. Late night one drunk called out to me senor senor I ignored. But I walked even in the not lit areas. I liked.

People play dominoes all the time. Like big people mostly. Blaring music. Dominoes. In the rural side, they are simply sitting and watching life go by. I guess that's how it is in India too and elsewhere. Just sitting peacefully. Not rushed. Not feeling that they are missing out on things. Coconut trees (that boy who resembled Jeetu in the shared taxi - he kept trying to make me understand about some coconut and farm). Hot sun. Pollo shops everywhere. I saw one guy cut up Pollo (chicken) with big cutting pliers with a yellow handle. It was odd to see an freshly dead being, inverted, roasted cut up that way with big pliers. 

I ate Haitian food last night at a place called Maison Kreole. Everyone wants you to have a good time with their culture. Had Prestige beer which was stronger than Presidente which I liked. Had how many 6 half bottles this week. It's so hot it just disappears. Anyway my workout has gone for a toss.

I liked going back to that Columbus square. The statue it's weird. Like Columbus is standing tall. And a barely clad young women is trying to climb up to him. Really tells women men attitudes back then.

I got by with Google Translate. But the thing is if they don't know how to write its pointless. I didn't have internet. They spoke too fast. I just said whatever I'd want say. Not understand most of what they said. They didn't understand most of what I said. But yet we connected. Some of us. It was easy to know. Talking, talking and language is a bit overrated. It may be causes more disturbance than helping. We don't have to do anything. We just sometimes simply connect.

Before going to Samana, I took a motorcycle taxi. Surprisingly he was from Serbia. His name was Dalibor. Looked in his late 30s. Very thin. Red t-shirt. I think he said his family or 6 yr old son is in Serbia. His friend from Bosnia came to work as a chef and asked him to come over. But he didn't want to work in the restaurant but he liked the motorcycle taxi life. Everyone has a story. He has a Haitian wife here. I asked him if he'd show me the city. So he did. Took me all around. Rich areas first. Where he said some apartments cost $2m (or did he mean 2m pesos). And government areas. President's house muchas grande (it's a huge palace like structure). He showed me the hotel where Godfather movie was shot. There he used his fingers curling kissing action too. We ate at a Dominican smart casual place. In the end he asked for two thousand (double what I expected). I gave him anyways. Both he and I knew it was more. But he needed the money more. We hugged and he kept indicating his fist to his heart when we left.

I was just there for 3 nights. But it means a whole lot.

Dominican = happy.

[Dominican Republic]: Part 1

I'm sitting in an ac bus. Caribe tours. the driver crosses speed limit every now and then and it goes keee keee sound. I'm typing on the phone.

Can't believe that I came to DR only day before. Let me back up. I had no idea I'd be here. At all.

Before the bus, I was with Lelu and Hans from Germany and Andreas on a boat to two playas - Fronton and Madama. Lelu is born and brought up in Las Galeras where I was. Lelu has got lots of curly hair and athletic and has two ninos. Lelu taught me swimming. We went snorkeling. What beautiful white sand. It's always a wonder to go under water. White transparent fish. Colorful fish. They seem to have a smile like a drawing on their face. It was funny. Like someone actually drew a smiling fish with a color pencil. I just saw they are on the northeastern tip of the country  Crazy is that where I was? Grigeri who rented me a room was surprised. She was sitting in a bra (it's very hot and humid) and sipping something with another friend. Grigeri is very dark and must be in her 70s. She made nice coffee in the morning.

It was Daniel (beard no mustache) who called out to me... I had done kriya on the beach and was playing the fool before. Taking pics. Climbing coconut tree. I slept very very well after so many days. More than 8-9hrs. Sound restful sleep after a long time. Thanks g. 

Yday night I walked around Las Galeras Pueblo. Nice. I walked into a church gathering. It was nice to see the locals do their thing. Religion unifies. When you you feel nothing is in your control it's a relief to believe that there is a God who is in control. And you can pray and someone will take care of your things for you. Contrary it'll feel very heavy to think that you yourself are responsible for everything. There was a small little girl walking all over. Her mother kept running after her. The mother seemed in her teens. A dark man with mustache and tie was speaking or preaching. There was music. A speaker that was croaking. One lady said hi to me acknowledging my visit. I swayed with them while they were dancing.

I'm in the town.. Lots of young people. They work as taxi on motorcycle. They race. Do wheelies. Even carry Presidente beer while driving. It's generally a nice quiet town. I ate the most amazing vegetarian paella last night. The chef was European (unkempt beard). Morning I ate at a French place. Very nice smiling lady. Salt was little more in the omelette. They all are amused with my face or rather find it different...many have never seen an Indian...they circle their finger around their face, smile, say Indio and indicate something that means nice. I could pass off as Mexican (that's what the man on the beach thought - another guy circled his finger near his head saying the man was mad). Until I open my mouth. My softer hair is also an amusement. Theirs is very textured and course which is also very nice. That gives the natural curls. Unlike the Spanish, here I am their color but different hair.

I met one Italian lady - again friendly - in the shared taxi. She works as a nanny to Europeans who moved here. I met two kids who tried hard to make me understand about some coconuts and farm and if I drank it etc. I like the shared taxis. People get in. Get off. The Italian said she loves it here because people smile. They sip Presidente. They are happy.

Hans told me of a mechanic who made 4,000 euros in Switzerland but returned home because life is better here. 

At Grigeri's place I met a French lady and her Dominican boyfriend (who wore cool glasses) while having coffee. She said TB was high and HIV was very high. She conducts health education programs. 

Haan..how did I go to Las Galeras? One taxi guy in Samana offered to take me here for 45 dollars but I declined. But I thought of going to the place. Then I asked a motorcycle taxi guy to take me. I couldn't understand a word of what he said. But he showed me a shared taxi that was going in that direction. "Las Galeras" "Las Galeras" Nodding. Nodding. I went. What a wonderful ride. Breeze. I was sitting on top at the back of the vehicle. It was beautiful to first see the Caribe sea from that side. I actually didn't know where exactly we were going. Then I thought how does it matter? Whether it's Las Galeras (I didn't even know the town existed a half hour ago) or whatever village or town. I'll get off where it stops finally. 

How did I go to Samana? The yellow t-shirt ticket lady (who looks a bit like chaitnya) at the caribe tours suggested. So I went. The Uber driver had said Constanta mountains. But that bus was leaving only at 5p and four hour ride. So I chose this. 2.30p and 2.5hour ride. "Beautiful place Samana," she said. I met a retired military General while waiting for the bus (behind his hat it said gral. cuevas). He was also visiting and seeing Samana. He said Samana beautiful like how the locals do by bringing all their fingers together and pursing their lips and almost offering a kiss with the fingers. Beautiful. It was. It reminded me of the day with pd in Thailand koi Yao noi. So many years ago now. Time keeps on cruising. 

And why did I go to Dominican Republic? I've always found them friendly and attractive. Like a vibe and energy. Happy. The other day last week... two days before I traveled I went to kayak and put Newark to Anywhere and put duration and price restrictions. Dominican seemed doable. I deliberated for a bit. I called the embassy and they said I didn't need visa if I had US visa (I liked the interaction). And the Uber driver who dropped me from that fellows meeting Lilunette was from Dominican. So I thot it was like a sign. I booked before I could change my mind. It's right next to Haiti and there are several island countries. 

Why did I go anywhere at all? I wasn't even supposed to be here in the US. Sm couldn't travel to ny. I decided on a saturday morning that I'll travel that night. And I was there the next monday for the mtg. had a busy week. and one particular meeting on thursday I think had a wtf moment. It snowed that day. My cell ph went out of charge. My hands froze. I finally reached a dunkin donuts and the lady helped me charge. then I called uber and went home. At some point that day I knew I had to get out.

So...so many things are inter-linked, interlinked. whom do I thank for DR?

I would've liked to swim properly (Lelu kept saying tranquilo, relax, tranquilo, relax). Saw one guy who was deep in the water. Lelu said don't go so far. He said America, America. Don't know what he meant. We meet so many people we never meet again. And yet we are all so connected. 

I'll write later now about Santa Domingo.