Dave and Linda Sail Away: Boqueron to Samana and Visit with the Kids

We are now in South Side Marina in the town of Provo in the Turks and Caicos. We have had many things going on and have been remiss about writing, so I’ll have to back track a bit. All is well.

Boquerón to Samaná

Beautiful Manatee in full sail with shiny gray UFO* in foreground
* Unidentified Floating Object

We left Boquerón, Puerto Rico on the morning of May 12 in a very light wind and chop so motor-sailed the entire way. It would have been wonderful to have had more wind for sailing, but we suppose we should count our blessings to have had an easy and uneventful crossing of the Mona Passage and, 28 hours later, a gentle entry into the Dominican Republic. Along with our buddy boat, Manatee, we took a slip at Puerto Bahia Marina in Samaná. Puerto Bahiá Marina is French-run and trés cool. Fortunately it was not too expensive and was a convenient place to leave Wayward Wind for a few days while we traveled to Santo Domingo. Rod graciously kept an eye on WW and periodically turned on the fridge.

Wayward Wind in her berth

Dapper Dave at the dock

Lobby at marina

Lots of natural materials

Lovely lighting

Visit with Kids in Santo Domingo

On May 15, we rented a car and drove almost three hours to get to Santo Domingo passing through the edge of Los Haitises National Park, rice fields, coconut fields and finally along the south coast. Most of the trip was on the new highway - a modern toll road - and very nice. We stayed in a little hotel, Paseo Colonial, that was simple, clean and cheap right in the colonial district. We parked our car on the street right in front at no cost, which worked out nicely, as we walked everywhere in the old town section.

Rice fields

The next day we drove to the east side of Santo Domingo to visit "our kids" whom we sponsor through Children International. We first went to the central office where we were greeted by Daniel, who spoke English very well. After having a tour of the office and meeting many of the staff, we were highly impressed with what they accomplish in their modern but compact space -- setting up sponsorships for over 31,000 children in the Dominican Republic! They also have built five outreach centers. We drove to one where we met our families and were also given a tour. These centers have a small health and dental clinic where free care is given, sports facilities and classrooms. In one class, a group of young teenagers led by an energetic young teacher were brainstorming ideas about how to inspire positive values in other teens. They decided to create and present skits. So inspiring! These centers also have counselors, job skills training and parenting skills training. The place was abuzz with positive energy. Again, we were so impressed.

Victor and his mom

Crystal and her mom

We shared the gifts that we'd brought for the kids. Victor, age ten, loves to play baseball and wants to be a professional when he grows up, so Dave brought him a bat, glove and balls. He also likes to dance and do art, so Dave got him some art materials. Crystal, age seven, mostly loves art, so I brought many art materials for her. Both kids seemed a bit overwhelmed by these two weird-looking old gringos but were as polite as could be. We went to a lunch at a the big mall at a local fried chicken place. Daniel was pretty proud and said it was better than KFC. I was amazed at how much fried chicken little Crystal eagerly put away. She is missing both of her front teeth which makes her all the more adorable. We tried to converse with them in our broken Spanish and also with their two moms who were quite amazed that we lived on a sailboat and had many questions. Both moms are so kind and are going to school to finish their high school educations. Victor's mom will study nursing and Crystal's mom will study accounting. And little Crystal wants to be a lawyer! We had such a nice time with them and look forward to sharing letters and future visits.