Page 10: Dominican Republic Adventure 2024!
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Of course skip all the dribble if you like and just check out the photos
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Gas stops in the DR are the best and all the chitchat associated. People are so friendly. Maybe they just get a kick out of my crude Spanish. Not sure but I do enjoy it.
I am running out of daylight and this is the largest city in the vicinity, Cotui. I am sure I can find a room here.
There is a hotel right there but there is no good parking for a moto. I have been paranoid of my bike being stolen after I had one stolen here back in the nineties, and again another bike stolen in Mexico several years ago. But for Heidi and I are paranoia is a good thing. We have often stayed in crappy hotels but with secure parking and have rested sound because of that.
The sky is getting darker like rain is on the way. More hotels more bad parking.
Almost out of town I spot what looks like a love hotel. Heidi and I and just myself have used these hotels because they are often near larger cities in Latin America and they always have secure parking. Depending on the night I usually must do a little sweet talking to get them to allow me to stay the entire night, opposed to just an hour or so. My Spanish has always been good enough to get my message across; I need to stay the entire night. It is just me and I want nothing else except maybe a beer. When I first walk in there is one woman in the office, then she calls in another for help. I am not sure what the issue is. I can hear the first woman on the phone saying something about I speak English and I do not understand much, which is all true. At least it is all upbeat and they seem to really enjoy my presence.
It starts raining, one of the women point to the adjacent room with the garage door open. I wheel the motorcycle inside the secure private garage out of the rain. They ask me to come back into the office and sit on the couch and wait. Another phone call. Another nicely dressed woman walks in. She speaks a little English. We say hello to each other in English then I proceed to explain my situation in Spanish. She gets it and precedes to explain to me in English that I cannot be coming and going in and out of the hotel, no going into town and back, they can get me anything I want I just need to call them using the room phone. That's what I couldn't understand in Spanish from the other woman, I'm sure. I pay the 1,400 pesos (~ $23 US) for the room and another 250 for a large beer, all is good...
I start unpacking the bike when one of the women walks over to me a with plastic bag that has two towels, two condoms and a bar of soap inside. Everyone is so pleasant they talk with me like they are my sisters and again assure me they can get anything I need or want, just great.
The rain continues the beer tastes good.
After dark I find I need to walk out to the garage to get internet service on my phone. It is the US presidential election night so I entertain myself with periodic updates on the results. I hide in the dark inside the garage so not to make anyone nervous. Two other night shift office girls are walking by and notice me. They give me a little whistle and approach me with big smiles and start politely repeating that if I need anything, agua, comida, cerveza (water, food, beer), or anything that I just need to call them on the phone. Again, super super sweet.
Exiting the next morning I snap this photo of the hotel entrance. !!!Funny!!! a sign of the election results yesterday...
I double back into town for food and coffee. I spot this tiny store with a table setup outside. Oh Yeah!
I ask if I can get two eggs and coffee (?Es posible dos huevos y cafe?)
Perfect! I hand them a 100 pesos bill (~$1.60 US) I get a 50 peso bill back plus a few coins. Unreal!
Now I am ready to ride...
Still rolling! Hang on...