Around town

 

   Our days here in Luperon are spent pretty much the same as the day before, a routine we have relaxed into quite well. Early mornings are spent having coffee in the cockpit, catching up on the current book before breakfast, then after eating it's off to town to go shopping before the day gets too hot. Fruits and vegetables don't seem to last very long in this climate so must be bought and used the same day. There are small vendors ( mercaditos ) on the narrow streets in town. Fresh produce comes by truck every Monday then sits in stores until sold, so the first of the week is better for things such as lettuce and other greens. Eggs are sold out of the back of a pick-up who drives around announcing it over a speaker. If you need 2 eggs for a recipe the it's only a matter of going to the store who will put 2 in a plastic bag, 5 pesos each(12 cents).
Some of the sites around town used to shock us but now they seem quite common, we don't even notice it anymore.
The town has lots of free running dogs who seem to be fed by somebody, as they all quite healthy. There are a couple that have taken up residence in the local watering hole, and have became the pet of the gringos, some even have been given names. Dogs here have the ability to chew up chicken bones with no ill affects, something we would never do back home. With BBQ chicken the #1 gringo staple, they get their share.
  Goats, pigs, cows, and chickens also wander freely. It's nothing to see a cow in the hospital parking lot, or being coaxed off the ball field so the kids can use it.

Cotton, a favourite greets us almost every morning.

 

 

Here, the cows walk through town, passing Parque Central (Central Park) where everybody goes to lounge.

 

Headed for the fenced in hospital parking lot. Nobody even chased her out

Luperon Yacht Club, has seen better days, but still a nice place. Needs some new members, a bit of fixing and they'd be back in business.  

Overlooking the harbour......our community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Isabela

 

 We rented motorcycles for the day to follow in the footsteps of the most important cruiser who has visited the Dominican Republic, known around here as Cristobal Colon, we know him as Christopher Columbus. On his first 2 visits to the new world he landed not too far from our anchorage. El Castillo, near the town of La Isabela , holds the ruins of the first settlement of Europeans in the New World. Founded by Columbus in 1493 and named for Queen Isabela, the town held nearly 500 people before Spain moved it to the new capital of Santo Domingo in 1502.  The modern Temple of the Americas, consecrated in 1994, commemorates the first mass in the new world celebrated by priest who accompanied Columbus.

 

                                   An original artifact brought on the ship

   After a few trial runs on the narrow streets of Luperon , really getting the bike to move without stalling the motor we set out to find these historical sites. We travelled along the back roads through the mountains then followed the coast back to where we started from.

 

With a stop for lunch on the beach at Punta Rocia, we spent a full day but never did find the harbour where the ships landed, but did find a house in the shape of one.

 

 

 

Like all true bikers, one of us had to get a tattoo.......

They call this a Luperon tattoo...(touching the exhaust with bare legs)

  

    Every night as we make our way back to the boat an unusual phenomenon occurs. As the dinghy moves along, our bow wake and astern of us is lit up with a blue glow. It almost seems as if we are resting on a cloud of light.

So what is this bioluminescence?

Millions of one cell creatures called Dinoflagellates light up when they are disturbed to warn away predators. They are very fragile and thrive in tropical protected bays.

I have not been able to get a photo of this so far but will try to post one at a later date.