I had the good fortune to spend the first three months of this year in the Dominican Republic, working on my sabbatical project. Being able to be there for an extended period of time allowed me some time to travel- and I did- to Samana and Las Terrenas, north of Santo Domingo. I promise, I was working, but also, drinking in the atmosphere and pleasure of living at the beach for a spell. Being at this exquisite province is almost like living on a deserted island. Though it is a tourist destination, the beaches are rarely very crowded.
But that is the least of it.
The palm trees simply tower
over the beaches and land,
blown and contorted by the constant winds.
They are
mystical, tall and elegant, often densely packed together, their body language
defying the elements. The turquoise waters below roar at times, soothe at
others.
Town is very active and never without the constant looping of “moto
conchos,”
as they are called.
They circle round and round, often laden with
two, three, four people at a time.
But it is the early morning that I loved most,
seeing it all come alive, beginning with the pescadores, the fishermen, setting
out to fish, coming back, cleaning, cutting, bartering, selling. And of course,
there are the women, strolling from morning to night, with their beautiful
beaming faces, selling that sweet fruit.
I'll have more about my sabbatical year next post. Stay tuned!
