The Dominican and Me Updates

People have been making comments in some of my prior posts asking for updates. So, I've decided to give you a few updates in one post. I may have answered your individual questions as well, but, if not, hopefully this post will do the trick. If you still need more information, please keep commenting!

House guests--Both of my house guests left that Saturday morning. Really it was no big deal. It was just different than I am used to. It was only 3 nights with Michael and one night with Maximo. And, they are the ones that had to try to sleep double in a twin bed. So my minor annoyances with not being able to be 'nearly naked' and concerns about the key to the apartment were definitely overshadowed by Wil's family's concerns for me.

The flooding and the potential ark--I went to Miches for the weekend(that will have its own post). When I came back on Monday evening, the owner of the building was on the sidewalk. She tried to tell me something and asked me if there was water on the floor. I told her that I hadn't been there but that I was going up to look then. I don't think it had rained much in Santo Domingo while I was gone. The towels that I had left on the floor were only a little wet, as were the sponges. The walls also seemed a bit less stained, especially in the main room.

As of today, Wednesday, the walls are drying up, I have fans running in both rooms 24 hours a day, I have bleached my sweet stick furniture(it had mold on it upon my return), I have bleached many other surfaces, and Wil's aunt was able to wash and dry(in a dryer)several moldy clothes items from the closet. I did find more clothes with mold tonight, so that will be another day.

Overall it is definitely getting better. It rained hard this evening for the first time since I have been back and the water did not come in. I hope this is a sign that they did make some exterior repairs. I saw the landlady again yesterday and she made some hand motions that I think meant that the neighbors had created some sort of a roof over the crack between the two building walls.

It looks like I will not be building an ark after all! And, that my friends, is a very good thing!



My TV addiction--Though I have been spending more time outside of the apartment or cleaning up water while in the apartment, I have still found time for some enjoyable TV marathons. I finished the entire Dexter series, I watched all of Modern Family from last season, and just finished watching season one of The Vampire Diaries (Fabulous! Thanks for the recommendation, AM). I can't decide if I want more vampires (True Blood) or if I want something a little more funny (The Gilmore Girls). Whichever I choose, I am going to begin at the beginning of the show and watch them all in order. I love TV marathons, don't you?



Abundance of Mangoes, Lack of Avocados--Those days are ending! We still have mangoes galore, but avocado season is beginning! Yay! I had two little round ones last week that were amazing. The flesh was really yellow and they were super flavorful. The mangoes are still delicious and everywhere. I even had a fresh blended mango juice the other day. Wow! They add sugar and ice to the mango and blend it up, yum! Most people have them with canned milk as well, but I liked mine without the milk. And for you mango haters (Cookie), remember, mangoes are the most popular fruit in the WORLD!



Receiving Mail--This is another shameless plea for mail. Remember, it costs you 44 cents and gives me total joy and 3 miles of exercise! A big thanks to those who have sent mail!

So, the address once again:

For letters and cards:

One of our names
SDQ 1632
PO BOX 025725
MIAMI, FL 33102-5725

For parcels:

One of our names
SDQ 1632
2250 NW 114th AVE UNIT 1A
MIAMI, FL 33172-3652

I'm Considering An Ark

Seriously, people, it's getting ridiculous around here. Rain is one thing. I don't even mind the rain, when it's outside. I do mind it more when it is in my apartment.

Usually when it rains here, it is a big storm that may last for 20 minutes, or even an hour. But then, when it's over, it is immediately hot and sunny again. Last autumn, it probably rained at least every other day, but it was the rain storm then sunny/hot scenario. Once or twice after an intense and long storm, the walls in our bedroom looked like they had sweat stains on them. But, there was never water on the floor or anything like that.

This time has been different. In May, when it would rain a lot, the walls had the water marks and there was water on the bedroom floor. This has continued to progress. May is one of the rainy months, so it rained most days. The walls have never completely dried out. Nor the ceiling. Now there is mold, of course. The watermarks almost circle the room. There is construction going on next door that I believe has affected how the water gets into our apartment. I think somehow the workers accidentally created some sort of route for the water to go directly into our walls.


It's a bit like a world map on my wall! Cool! Oh yeah, those little pictures of Bella have been removed since this was taken on Monday night.

Another view of the bedroom. This one is looking toward the dividing wall between the bedroom and the living room.

This is the corner of our bed in the corner of the bedroom. Initially, it seemed that most of the water was in this corner.

Now, the water is not limited to our bedroom. This is the front door in our main room. I believe this water is definitely the result of the neighbor's construction project. I can see where they removed some concrete above us that would allow the water run-off.

In May, when we paid the rent, we told the lawyer (yes, a lawyer personally picks up the rent each month. In May, it was on a Saturday morning) that we needed the wall or ceiling repaired. We showed him the damage at that time. It is much worse now. We have told the landlord's brother and mother. They are kind of taking care of the place while the landlord is in the U.S.

All of this brings us to this week. This week has been different. The rains have been different. All week, it has been overcast, cooler, and rainy. Sometimes the strong rains would last for an hour or more. In the bedroom, I've tried to maintain by mopping with a mop, mopping up with towels, and the most efficient way I've found has actually been sponging it up. Of course when it is an inch of standing water in some places, either process takes some time. On Tuesday night, I was getting about a gallon every 15 minutes off of the floor for about 3 hours. That was a long evening. Wednesday was a bit of a reprieve, it didn't rain quite as much.

Thursday was pretty crazy. I was trying to get home from an errand for Wil when it started the downpour. By the time I got to our neighborhood, the streets and sidewalks were completely submerged. I finally followed two cars down the middle of the street as they created a bit of a run off. I'm sure that was a funny site for the locals. Then, I was soaked, in jeans...those are the times that I long for a washer and drier. When I got into the apartment, the floods had come again.



My world map is growing. This one was taken on Thursday to compare to the one above from Monday.


And, the corner of the bedroom. It's getting pretty wet up in here!


And, a few spots on the wall in the main room.


That picture and the painting have now been removed as well. The walls are getting more barren as the water maps grow!


Back in the bedroom corner--and the moldy ceiling...


Into the bathroom...at least here it is near a window with no glass.


Finally, the front door again as of Friday morning.

Friday when I wrote this, it had not been rainy yet. I rinsed out the stinky towels and they hung on the door grate. Though, they won't get completely dry there, maybe they won't stink quite as badly for another day or two.

So, yes, I'm hoping for sun and heat, if you can believe it! But, if not, I think my bed would make a pretty good ark.

Thank God for Gay Friends in a Foreign Country

In the U.S., I don't really have a lot of gay friends. My experience of coming of age as a gay man was probably different than many. I was never a part of a gay 'scene' in any of the cities where I lived. But, I was lucky to have a gay older brother who could show me around Missoula. And, really, through him and some of his many friends, I've had great fun at gay clubs in Seattle, New Orleans, and San Francisco. In Portland, my gay friends and allies have always been willing to explore a gay club or bar with me. Wil has not had the same opportunities.

I love to dance; Wil loves to dance as well. We have never had the chance to dance much together in public. In the States, we didn't make the time to go out so he could experience the gay dance clubs/bars there. The one time we went out, on New Year's Eve, the bar we went to wasn't very exciting and Wil was not really comfortable dancing much, even with ECL and me. Here, most dancing is partnered dancing. The people here know how to actually perform different style of dances. And, when we went dancing a few weeks ago, it was to a straight bar. Hence, Wil and I danced with the ladies...

I knew that in a city this large, even with homosexuality being soooooo hidden, that there had to be some gay clubs or bars. I had read about a couple in my guide book, but again, with Wil not being comfortable exploring that here, we have not been to any of them. That all changed on Sunday night.

Wil's friend, Osvaldo (he helped me get to the hospital when Wil was recovering; he went out dancing with the interns from Columbia U. and us a few weeks ago), knows places in Santo Domingo. He arrived with his boyfriend of five years (Don't get too excited thinking that they are openly gay. The boyfriend is married and Osvaldo keeps a girlfriend for show.) to take us out to a gay disco.

We drove by a couple of discos that were closed. Then, we stopped by one of Osvaldo's friend's apartments so Osvaldo could try to get him to come out dancing too. He didn't join us; we moved on to Zona Colonial. We made our way to a park that we had passed with the interns a few weeks back. Wil and I were informed by Osvaldo that it is a "gay park." It was funny to me, because when we walked by it last time, I thought it was a gay park. Wil was not sure about it all. At first he said he was uncomfortable with a place like that in the D.R. We got some beers and kept chatting. We told them the story of how we met; they told us how they met. Our story is much sweeter, by the way. Wil forced me to practice my Spanish, which was good for me.

After a couple of beers, we were off to the disco. When we parked, it looked like so many gay bars in so many towns. Guys leaning against the buildings or standing on the sidewalks chatting. We went inside. And, BAM, tons of gay Dominicans dancing and grinding to the beat. Wil's eyes got wider. We all made our way through the club. Wil and Osvaldo's boyfriend used the restroom. I took the chance to explain to Osvaldo that Wil had never really been any place like this and that he was nervous and might not even dance.

Wil came out of the bathroom and looked around the club. He said, "I never thought I would see something like this in the D.R." Osvaldo and his boyfriend started dancing. Wil was by me. He started dancing a little. Soon, we were dancing together. It was so fun. We danced and danced and danced! He led me in the merengue, raggaeton, and some hip hop. Wil kept saying how much fun it was to be dancing!



All in all a fantastic night! Good to have gay friends, good to have gay friends with their own car, great to get to dance the night away with the gay one that you love!!

Sunday with the family--dominoes, cards, and wet laundry!

Last Sunday, we spent the entire day with Wil's family. We went there to visit and so that Wil could do his laundry.

It was not a great day to do laundry. It was cooler and overcast--and then it rained. Wil's mom worked really hard getting the clothes washed and then hung up. We moved them inside when it really rained.


When it started raining hard, some kids began playing in the water. It was pouring. Soon, several adults started playing with the kids. I thought that was so cool. And, it looked like they were having so much fun. If I had had dry clothes to change in to, I would have joined in.


This is one of the neighbor boys. He is super sweet. He is one of those kids whom you feel like is always looking out for you. He is also an excellent mango tree climber and picker (I know that from a previous trip).

Wil visited a lot with his mom while she did his laundry and made lunch. I spent most of my time playing games. First with Jorffi and then with Yunedy and several neighbor kids. Yunedy had found or bought some mini dominoes since my last visit. There were two dominoes missing from the set, but we made it work.

Pepito, a neighbor boy. He loved to play games. At first, he won several domino games, so he was pretty cocky. But, after I smoked him like 8 games in a row, he quieted down his teasing and mocking of all of the other players and settled in to have fun.

Jorffi and Pepito shuffle and choose their 7 tiles carefully.


Those double threes were more than likely my downfall that game!


Several hours later, after a costume change from the rain storm, Pepito is still playing games with us.

Throughout the day, we were there from about 9 a.m. until about 7 p.m., it was dominoes, cards, dominoes, dominoes, dominoes. I was a fairly consistent player, even during lunch. Some of the neighbor kids would come and go. It was really fun for me to play games with the kids. I think Jorffi might finally be warming up to me. As a fellow baby of the family, I understand what it is like when an interloper comes in and gets a lot of attention from the family. But, I think we are becoming better friends; ahhh, the magic of games!

Cookie, This One's For You!

Before I write a paper, letter, or blog post, I usually think about it a lot in my head. I am often in bed, in that place between asleep and awake, when I write my best material. The other day I was thinking about pica pollo and so I planned out my blog entry. When I was thinking about it, I thought about all of the fried chicken that I have loved. I thought of mom and grandma and some restaurants. I also thought about my best friend Cookie, and frying chicken on her back deck last summer in the middle of the night. Her deep fat fryer is one of the best gifts she has ever received from the in-laws. You see, Cookie's love of fried chicken is much like mine, powerful. Somehow, when I typed the blog post, I neglected to mention those fabulous times on the back deck in Portland, frying up chicken legs.

Cookie left a comment saying as much. I commented back with an apology, but when I was skyping with her, she said she wanted a whole post dedicated to it/her. So, Cookie (Lisa), this one's for you!!!!

Pica Pollo and my houseguest...err I mean guests!

I love fried chicken. I don't know if you all knew that already, but you do now. I love my mom's fried chicken, I loved my grandma's fried chicken, I have loved fried chicken in San Francisco (ahh Powell's) and in Portland (Popeye's, yes Popeye's) and currently my favorite in Santo Domingo is Pica Pollo de la 27. So, yes, I'm a bit of a fried chicken whore.

Pictured above is pica pollo with the traditional side dish of tostones (double fried plantains) and catsup.

I have tried to limit my pica pollo to once a week. I get 3 pieces that last for two meals (so it's really twice a week) and I order chow fun with it. Usually the fried chicken places here also serve 'Chinese' food. For me, that is generally a win-win. Anyway, I decided that Wednesday was the day this week. Then I would have it on Thursday, too.

I was chatting with Char at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday when I heard a knock on the door (a jingle of the padlock, really). It was Michael. I was surprised, since he has never dropped by that late before. I continued chatting with Char. She asked,"is he staying there tonight?" I chatted back, "oh, I don't think so. He has never stayed here with me before."

After a little chitchat (we don't speak the same language, people), Michael was talking on the phone a lot. He is pretty popular with the ladies. I continued doing some online class work and chatting. After a couple of hours, I realized that he probably was staying the night. So, I asked him. He said yes. I was getting hungry (remember I had fried chicken on the brain), so I took a shower to get ready to go out. Michael continued to talk on the phone. Finally, after a few attempts to get him to go, at about 9:20, we left the apartment. I knew that the fried chicken places and most places near us, close around then.

We started walking. At my favorite place, they had 2 pieces of chicken left and nothing else. Literally, nothing else! We continued walking to the next place; it was completely closed with the metal doors down. But, just past it was a Parrillita (a little BBQ place). It was almost 10 and I knew we didn't have many, if any, other choices. We sat down. The griller was just getting things going. We waited. He brought us some lemonade or limeade. Eventually, we had some delicious pork chops and chicken from the barbeque. As has happened to me in the past with other members of the Placido family, we find ourselves in situations where we don't know how much things (taxis, food, merchandise) are going to cost until after we have agreed to...(ride, eat, buy). I didn't have enough money when the bill arrived. Thankfully, Michael had enough to supplement and we made it.

On Thursday, I knew I wanted to walk to the Mailboxes Etc. to pick up my mail. I asked Michael, "so what is your plan for the day?" He told me that he had to go to some office. I told him I had to go to the post office. At about 10 a.m., he left, telling me he would be back in a little while. I was concerned because he left his backpack. Was he going to stay with me again? Now, let me say here, Michael is a great guy, a nice guy, but I kind of have my own routines. And, when it's hot, one of the routines is to be nearly naked a lot of the time, especially if the power is out and there are no fans on. Obviously, this is not the case when I have company.

Back to Thursday. At 2:30, I called Wil to ask him for Michael's cell phone number. I just wanted to let Michael know that I was going to the post office and I would be back in about an hour or so. Wil didn't have his number. Wil was like, "he's still there? What is he doing there?" I said I didn't know. Then Wil said what I had been thinking the night before. "Oh, I think my family is really worried about you being alone." Then he said, "don't worry about him. Do the things you need to do." It's very sweet and kind that they are worried enough to send someone to be with me, but it's just different. And, we have very different schedules; I like the nighttime, he seems to like the morning.

I returned to the apartment at about 4 p.m., after a trip to the grocery store (I may need to cook something for us to eat) and after a conversation with a nice Haitian man. He would really like to get to the U.S. and he has a passport. He would like me to search for a bride for him there. I'm putting the word out now. This is me putting the word out. He's pretty cute. Think about it...

At the apartment, the power was off. I was supposed to skype with ecl and cookie, so I was bummed. At 5:30, still no power and still no Michael. I put a note on the door and went to the internet place that has a generator. I did get to half-skype with ecl and cookie. We could see each other but not hear each other, so we typed and looked at each other. It was pretty fun, actually. I recommend the half-skype in a pinch (I always recommend making up new words/phrases).

After the internet place kicked me out since I was their only customer (it was crazy hot in there anyway), I went back to the apartment and started cooking dinner. Eventually the power came back on, but cookie had just left ecl's apartment. Ecl and I skyped for awhile. I ate dinner. Michael arrived. I don't know if he ever went to the office that he spoke about, but he had gone home and showered and changed clothes again (he had already changed at my apartment). He ate a little of what I cooked. I know from past experience that he is used to Dominican food and not really into other foods. But, I wasn't going to attempt Dominican.

Thursday night I talked with my mom for a long time. When I told her I had a houseguest, her first response was, "oh, mice?" I was like, "no, I got rid of two of those last week and now the store is out of the traps that I like but I know there is at least one more mouse!" I digress.

I have talked to our friend, E, about Michael being here. He was like, "can't Wil tell him that you are ok?" I don't want to offend anyone. This afternoon I took Ecl's advise and just told Michael that I'm totally okay alone, if he wants to go out with his friends or something. He said something that sounded like he was staying until mid-July. I'm really hoping my Spanish comprehension is way off. Cuz, that just won't work out for me.

Last evening, I went to meet E for a movie. I told Michael that I was leaving and explained that there is only one key for the apartment and that I was taking the key if he wanted to go out. He said he was staying here. I felt a little bad. If something happened, truly how would he get out? There are metal grates on all of the windows. But I went to the movie. Nice friend and future in-law, huh? We saw "Losers," by the way. It was enjoyable in that action good guy, good girl, bad guy sort of way. And, the up and coming Dominican actress, Zoe Saldana, was in it, so that was kind of cool.

I walked home from the theatre. As I approached the circular staircase, I saw someone sitting on our stoop. I walked up the stairs. One of Wil and Michael's friends was sitting there. He is a friend from their hometown that people used to mistake for Wil. I don't see it myself. He is now a police officer here in the capital. It was funny, he was talking on his cell phone on the stoop, and on the other side of the grate, Michael was sitting there talking on his cell phone. The friend, I can't remember his name, had a duffel bag with him. In my head I was like, "oh, wow, he's going to stay here too." I went in to the bathroom and took a shower and changed. They were both still on their phones.

I came out of the bathroom and called Wil. I explained that I was surprised and asked him if he thought the friend was staying here tonight. It was about 10 at this time. Wil was like, "let me talk to Michael." He did, then Michael said goodbye and hung up. I called Wil back. He told me that the friend is staying and that he is staying in the living room with Michael. I asked if I should let them have the bed in our room. Wil was adamant, "no, they can share the single bed. Don't give our bed to anyone!" I was like, "okay." It does seem a little weird for me to have a double bed and them to share a twin, but whatever.

So back to my pica pollo. I'm not going to have any this week. And I'm okay with that. No, really I am...really...seriously...hahahaha!

The Gays Aren't Going to Get to Live Together in Miches

If I were telling a joke, the title of this post would be the punchline. This is not a joke, however, so it is just the end of the dream of living together in Miches. But, let's go back to the beginning of the story...Once upon a time...

Several weeks ago when we talked about Miches, something inside me intuitively knew that I was never going to live there. Even though I saw pictures of it and heard stories about it, I could never picture it with me there in my mind/heart. I don't know what you believe about those sorts of things, but there you have it. I continued to verbalize the idea of living there in hopes that my intuition was wrong, but alas, it was not.

Wil has been a ball of nerves since he got his new job. Nerves are good, they can keep us on our toes, but they can also really stress us out and make us angry. Sometimes we take out our anger on those that we love when we can't take it out on the appropriate person or people. Wil had been taking out some of his anger with the world on me for the last couple of weeks. He has been more distant and has been pushing me away with words. His stress is not just from his job, of course. As I mentioned before, he is coming to terms with being gay, and being gay here in The Dominican Republic. Every gay person that I know has had moments of anger at the world when they were 'coming out'. He is carrying a lot of tensions right now, and I feel for him.

Last Saturday, I was so excited to get to see him at the resort. I made my way there. I talked my way into a beachfront bungalow after all. Sweet!





We saw each other in the afternoon and it was a good reunion. Then, he had a conference meeting. So I headed to the beach.


This is the incredible sunset that I saw!




That evening was a bit up and down. Wil was in front of a group from the conference, so he was performing the "Wil Show." In the show, I play the part of the visiting professor from the college where he studied in the U.S. He plays the part of the straight, super cool show-offy guy. Unfortunately or fortunately, I didn't have my camera. We saw an incredible Michael Jackson tribute using the movie "This Is It" as the backdrop. The dancer who played MJ was truly brilliant. And the back-up dancers were also very talented. They had amazing costumes and staging. It was a really cool show! We were out very late that night dancing (not together, of course).

Sunday we slept in late. Then Wil napped some more(avoiding a conversation, perhaps?). We did finally make it to the beach for a little while.



After dinner, we went to his room to talk. After much hemming and hawing, I broke through some of his barriers. It was a really difficult conversation for both of us. Finally Miches came up. He said, "I didn't want to tell you because I don't want you to leave me." It was a profound moment for us. We talked a lot about what was going on there. Miches is a small community. Apparently someone has been, as my cousin put it, "talking out of school." Gossiping...but it is pretty serious stuff here. Wil was directly confronted by his boss about being gay. Wil didn't confirm or deny, he just laughed. But, clearly, it would not be safe for us to live together there. It's funny, I had already accepted that a long time ago, but it was a relief to hear him say it, even though it made me sad.

On Monday, Wil had his conference. I enjoyed the beach and even got a massage. The next few sentences describe the unusual massage in some detail. If you don't want to read about it, skip to the next paragraph. It was unlike any massage I have ever received. In the U.S., one must pay unlicensed massage workers to get this sort of treatment. And, no, there was no 'happy ending'. But, she really massaged deep into the groin area, and she kept doing it and kept doing it. It was a bit awkward. Then she did a full stomach and chest massage, not just like the upper collar bone area. Full frontal chest massage peeps! I had to keep thinking of an unattractive old lady for many parts of the massage.


These are the statues, I mean flamingos that I encountered on my way to the spa.


This is the statue, I mean iguana, that was in some bushes near the pool.


The first time I walked by, I really did think it was a statue. It was totally still. By the time I returned with my camera, 15 tourists were bothering it, so it was moving a bit.

I also did a free practice "dive" in the pool with scuba gear on. I had never tried it before, so it was pretty cool. I definitely had to think about relaxing and breathing, but it worked. I loved snorkeling in the past, so I think scuba diving is in my future! I also walked along the beach through a small public beach and into another resort area. And, this is what I saw!


It really was like a postcard right in front of me!


Looking back toward our resort.


Out in the ocean waves.


A row of shops in the 'public' beach. The sellers were quick to try to make me a bargain.

Back to Wil and me. We continued our talk on Monday night. And, we will continue. Wil will come home on weekends and I can go visit Miches for a few days once in awhile. Of course, this is not ideal, and not what we would want, but it's what has to be for now. And, it is leading to our goal, yes, we still have the same goal, of Wil coming to the U.S. next summer.

If you believe in sending intentions out to the universe, send some for us to be together in the U.S. next year. Thank you!

The Ketchup Blog Dos

Let me continue with many more pictures of life here!


This was painted on a building in La Duarte. It is talking about not using drugs while breastfeeding. I especially liked the "okey?"


La Duarte is one of my favorite parts of the city. I love the hustle and bustle, and I love the beautiful fruits and vegetables.


Another wonderful vendor of produce!


Much of the La Duarte market is under the raised streets.


On the way to Las Matas De Farfan (Wil's hometown). We passed through a town that had this park/monument. It has spaces for water features, I believe.


The elections were a big deal here, though one party pretty much won everything! Boo Hiss!! They were not the party of the people...


Now, tell me I don't know what Wil is going to look like in about 50 years? Seriously, their noses are identical. I was really happy to get this photo.


This is a picture from the campo(like homestead in the U.S.)Wil's aunt has the campo where his father's parents lived and where Wil's father grew up.


Wil standing outside the outdoor kitchen. I think they might still use if for big parties.


The awesome dead tree near where Wil's grandparent's house stood.


Wil's aunt's home. We stayed there with Kathy.


Yucca plants.


Some other plants that I thought were edible. I'll have to ask Wil for their name and description.


A really cool lizard--chameleon???? I'm not sure.


Me being a bit arty...


And again...where does the road lead?


A scattering of tamarindo pods.


Lemongrass...I had never seen it growing before.


And, the mangoes!!!! I was a bit obsessed with trying to get some photos, so I took many. But I have spared you seeing them all. Just imagine them hanging like this all over a 20 foot tree.


Leaving the campo, on the way to the beach. There were many corn fields planted this time. Last time, some of these same fields were rice.


I wanted to get a picture of the mountains in that area. In the north, there is a mountain that is tall enough to get snow! The geography of this island is pretty amazing--desert, beach, rain forest, and snowy mountain top!


And the beach! I just liked the way the beach and the water looked in the picture, and little Kathy way out there in the surf!


Wil posing under another coconut tree.


An awesome beach flower. They are almost petuniaish...


Our own mermaid, Kathy D!


Kathy and Wil get down with their bad selves!


Wil and I enjoying the moment together.


I really love the beach!


It is so incredibly beautiful!


As we left the beach and travelled back through the hillside. I liked all the trees lined up on the ridge.


I chose this picture because of all of the texture and color it expresses.


Looking toward Santo Domingo from near the airport.


The Japanese Garden in the Jardin Botanico.


Another look at the red bridge in the Japanese Garden.


The top of a really wonky tree in the Japanese Garden.


The bottom of the same really wonky tree!


Our friend, E. He is a CASS student who studied in Kentucky. Lately, he has been my movie and concert companion. Here he is in the Columbus Mansion.


Love the architecture in the Columbus Mansion.


I know I posted a photo of the beautiful apothecary cabinet in this room last Fall, but I don't remember if I posted these lovely bottles/jars before. The other tourist's purse is also a nice addition...ugh!


Finally, a statue of Columbus (I think) in the Royal Houses Museum garden.