I would like to say that we feel bad about swimming in an infinity pool overlooking the ocean in 82 degree weather on Christmas day while most of you are freezing in the States…..but……
The week started with another trip to Santo Domingo and the US Embassy in order to have some things notarized again. We are becoming quite the pros at getting through the Embassy and were in and out in under thirty minutes this time. While everyone there is helpful, we are hoping that is our last trip to the Embassy for a while! Once we returned to Samana, we hopped back in the car, picked up our friends that are here in Samana as well and headed over to the beach town of Las Terrenas. Las Terrenas is known for its’ eclectic population and wide variety of cultures. You can shop in the French or Spanish (as in Spain) grocery store and eat in an Italian pizzeria or a Brazilian steakhouse. The guy who owned our AirBnB was from Venezuela. So it seemed there was a new story around every corner. The town itself was much like the other towns that we have visited in the Dominican but there were a lot more specialty shops and a lot more gringos. There was an entire section where fishermen brought the catch of the day. The lobsters and crab were the largest I had ever seen! In addition to the usual chaos of cars, vans and motorcycles, Las Terrenas was flooded with people driving ATVs all around town. And yes, they drove the ATVs in exactly the same maniacal way that they drive every other vehicle on the island. The people watching was great and we spent a while just watching the world go by. We finally discovered the secret behind the Colmados. Colmados are small markets here in the Dominican and there are often half a dozen within a couple of blocks of each other. They are all named after the owner such as “Juan’s Colmado”, “Colmado Maria”, etc. We have been trying to figure out how they all survive because they range in size from a large closet to a two car garage. They have items such as a few staples (rice, beans, canned goods), a few fresh fruits and vegetables, candy, beer and a few paper products. We could not imagine how each one could possibly have enough sales volume to compete. It was explained to us that each Colmado supports a certain number of families and the families only go to one specific Colmado. For example, Bill and I might be part of Juan’s Colmado “family” and you might be part of Colmado Maria’s “family”. The Colmados will even offer credit lines to families so that they can get the staples they need that week prior to payday. In the mornings, they set up a few breakfast items or things that one might need early in the day. In the afternoons, they display the candy for the children that would stop by on their way home from school. In the evenings, they offer music and beer like a neighborhood bar. Once we understood the secret, the Colmados began to make a lot more sense to us. As we sat outside one of the Colmados watching the world, a man stopped by to sing Feliz Navidad for us which reminded us all that Christmas was just around the corner. We returned to Samana and spent Christmas Eve watching It’s a Wonderful Life (as I always do!) and woke to a beautiful Christmas day. We are planning on leaving by boat tomorrow to sail over to the national park, Los Haitises, and we will spend a few nights there with our friends who are also on their boat. We are looking forward to getting in some kayaking and cave exploring and we have heard that the area is one of the prettiest anchorages in the Caribbean. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! Bundle up and stay warm and I’ll be sure and send some pictures from paradise!
3 Comments
Erin
12/27/2020 02:25:24 pm
Love your posts! I might start using "the Stupid" lol!!
Reply
Rhonda Foxworthy
1/1/2021 05:03:12 pm
Loved reading all your blogs! Sounds like you have had such adventures! Let’s get together when you come to GA! I’d love to hear all the stories!
Reply
Meredith
1/1/2021 11:17:04 pm
Happy New Year!! I finally had time to catch up on your travels! Sounds like you are now in another awesome spot!! Think of you often. Enjoy your next adventure!!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorSally Miller Archives
May 2024
|