I'm back in Santo Domingo. Left Las Terrenas this morning, after my morning walk and exercise on the beach and a breakfast on my terrace. Santo Domingo feels like a dump in comparison, at least my apartment does. But it's good to be back and on my way home.
I got to the bus station by 9:15 even though I didn't want to be there until 10, my bus left at 10:30. The taxi driver was at my hotel early this morning when I checked out, so we left as soon as I was finished paying.
When we got to the bus station, there was a bus there. It was going to Santo Domingo. I bought my ticket and went to board, but the driver wouldn´t let me on. The guy who sold me the ticket told me there was another bus that was taking the new highway that left at 10:30. It only took 2 hours. The other bus sat there spewing fumes for an entire hour until my bus arrived. In the meantime, I sat and watched two guys play checkers until the one sitting next to me started singing this song he made up about beating the other guy's butt (that's what it sounded like to me), so I moved outside to sit in the shade, where it was actually cooler and the bus fumes were not getting trapped like in the little open-air waiting room at the bus station.
I watched life in Sanchez, which was pretty much like life as I've seen it everywhere else. Lots of people hanging out, guys grabbing their crotches, people on motorcycles, horses, jeeps, trucks, and of course lots of people beeping.
Finally at 10:30, my bus arrived. We started off and finally we were on a brand new on ramp to the new highway. But I guess the highway is REALLY new because in many parts it was still a dirt road. A nice dirt road, but a dirt road nonetheless. It even went through some small villages, intersecting them in half.
I got to Santo Domingo and to my apartment earlier than I expected. Anthony was as unhappy to see me as he was at the airport. I had to sit and wait in the little office while he got my room ready. He has a guy who sits in the office and plays on the computer all day. So I sat and watched this guy play on the computer while I waited.
Finally, I went up to my room, unpacked, sprayed some lavendar to get rid of the funky smell and went out to eat lunch.
There is a nice little open air cafe on the main plaza across from the first Cathedral in the New World. For some reason, while the rest of the streets are stifling in the afternoon heat, this place had a nice breeze. I ate my lunch while thousands of boys asked me if I wanted them to shine my sandals. Guys walk buy selling CDs, one boy was selling puppies, and lots of people were just hanging out. This plaza is at the end of a pedestrian walkway, my hotel is at the other end. It is a nice walk, and I enjoy watching people on the way and while I am there. Things seem very quiet today. Many of the shops are closed and with the heat there are not a lot of people out. I'm on my way back to my hotel after I pick up a few things at the store where the clerk will not smile at me or say thank you.
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