Well today I broke down and bought a little motorcycle. $200 US isn't bad, and I'm told I'll have no problem selling it upon my departure for a comparable price - if not more. It's a 50 horsepower Honda half-moped half-dirtbike thing. Not very fast, but It'll get me around and (for the most part) will eliminate the chances of me overspending on my local travels and errands.
However, obtaining the money to pay the Norweigen girl for the bike was a different story. In my infinite wisdom, I apparently lost my cashcard on Saturday night (no fradulent charges, though!). I had to sway my landlord into fronting me some cash in exchange for money "wired" via PayPal. It worked out fine, but I know he won't want to coninue such shenanigans, and will have to figure out an alternate means of obtaining my much sought pesos.
Anywho, I've no idea who of you reading this even know what kiteboarding is. If you do, stop reading now. Otherwise you're stuck with me for at least another paragraph, and maybe some pictures.
Kiteboarding is like ... windsurfing + wakeboarding + parasailing - boats. Simple! You tie yourself to a really big kite, strap a board that floats to your feet and find some water on a windy day. The results are addicting. You can see me doing such activity here.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
I'm now tan.
Today I bought eggs, potatoes.... and 3 gallons of orange juice.
(oh, and kiteboarded and sat in the sun)
(oh, and kiteboarded and sat in the sun)
Friday, May 25, 2007
The first of many
Well, the flight was easy (and long). I'm now a habitant of the Dominican Republic for the entire summer. Cabarete is gorgeous, and my apartment is sweet. Lots of room, nice cold showers, and a propane stove thingy.
Yesterday was an interesting. I started out with a 2 mile run down the amazing beach. I got to see all the kiteboarding schools and coastally fronted hotels. The city is tiny. Once you duck away from the beach onto the main road, it no longer looks quite as touristy. I wandered around for while, stopped in a few shops and practiced my fragmented Spanish in attempts to locate fresh oranges, (which I couldn't the first day.. an orange is really hard to describe to someone in Spanish if you don't know the word. But I got bananas.) Then to make it home, like everyone else, I had to catch a 'motoconcho'. Pretty much everyone in this country owns a little motorcycle, and if you wave at almost anyone they'll pick you up and drop you off whereever for a few pesos. I paid the gringo rates the first time I got one (like 300 or something). But, now I pay the real rates (like 20-40! that's $1.25 to get all the way across town!)
Then I had a ~45minute trip in a 'guagua' to the city of Puerto Plata. The whole trip only costs 40 pesos (like US like $1.25) in this run-down van packed with people. I bought myself some random housey things and made way back home. I shot back into town a little later that night by motoconcho and got a plate of dinner at this little 'resturant' (their definition of resturant is much different than ours...). It was amazing chicken though.
Today was the first day on the beach. Met lots of people, got lots of riding in. Already made a few connections so I have all my gear kept right at the beach inside of one of the kiteboard school's staff-gear areas. Oh, I also got offered a job as a kiting instructor from the same place that teaches paragliding. $15/hourish to be on the beach, and cuts a full paragliding lesson package cost from $1000 to $500. Yeah, sounds good, probably will happen.
kthxbye
Yesterday was an interesting. I started out with a 2 mile run down the amazing beach. I got to see all the kiteboarding schools and coastally fronted hotels. The city is tiny. Once you duck away from the beach onto the main road, it no longer looks quite as touristy. I wandered around for while, stopped in a few shops and practiced my fragmented Spanish in attempts to locate fresh oranges, (which I couldn't the first day.. an orange is really hard to describe to someone in Spanish if you don't know the word. But I got bananas.) Then to make it home, like everyone else, I had to catch a 'motoconcho'. Pretty much everyone in this country owns a little motorcycle, and if you wave at almost anyone they'll pick you up and drop you off whereever for a few pesos. I paid the gringo rates the first time I got one (like 300 or something). But, now I pay the real rates (like 20-40! that's $1.25 to get all the way across town!)
Then I had a ~45minute trip in a 'guagua' to the city of Puerto Plata. The whole trip only costs 40 pesos (like US like $1.25) in this run-down van packed with people. I bought myself some random housey things and made way back home. I shot back into town a little later that night by motoconcho and got a plate of dinner at this little 'resturant' (their definition of resturant is much different than ours...). It was amazing chicken though.
Today was the first day on the beach. Met lots of people, got lots of riding in. Already made a few connections so I have all my gear kept right at the beach inside of one of the kiteboard school's staff-gear areas. Oh, I also got offered a job as a kiting instructor from the same place that teaches paragliding. $15/hourish to be on the beach, and cuts a full paragliding lesson package cost from $1000 to $500. Yeah, sounds good, probably will happen.
kthxbye
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
