Final Thoughts

 I decided to go out and take a walk because it looked like such a pretty evening. The sky was clear and there was a nice breeze blowing. I thought I'd just walk a bit along the malecon - the walkway that runs along the sea, but I ended up going further than I thought I would.

I didn't bring my phone with me because I didn't want to draw attention to myself and make myself a target. Not that I think it's an issue here, but I just wasn't sure, and plus, I thought it would be nice to just look without stopping to take photos. In retrospect, I wish I'd had a video camera installed in my eyeballs so I could have recorded it all.

The Caribbean was kind of rough and waves were crashing up against the sea wall. There were a lot of people out, I'm not sure why, but I think today might be the official holiday of the Epiphany, which is on January 6. I know in Mexico, Three-Kings Day is a bigger holiday than Christmas - you see the three kings in shopping malls and the central plaza with kids getting their photos taken with them. I noticed on Uber today when I was trying to decide where to go that it kept saying hours could be affected by the official celebration of the Epiphany. So, maybe it was a holiday. It seemed strange to see so many people out on a Monday evening.

Further down the malecon in the opposite direction that I have been going, there's a little amusement park. It kind of reminded me of the boardwalk at the Jersey shore. Lots of families and kids were having fun. From there, I walked into the city a bit and just walked through some of the streets.

Music was coming from everywhere. People's homes are kind of open to the streets. they have gates on their windows, but the windows were open and you could see inside. A lot of them had music blaring. And then were these little corner stores/bars with music, flashing lights and people hanging around.

I felt like I was invisible. No one looked at me. No one acknowledged me other than a few guys who asked if I wanted a taxi. But as soon as I said no, they went back to whatever heated discussion they were engaged in.

I was starting to sweat. I don't think it was that hot, so I think I am still sweating because of the monster respiratory virus I had. I was not coughing and didn't feel feverish. It feels like the tail end. But because I was getting hot and didn't want to over-exert myself, I headed back towards the malecon.

I passed what was left of a big old wall that might go all the way back to the days of Colombus. It wassn't clear what it was - maybe the remains of some fort or prison or something. Groups of men had tables set up next to it. One group were playing checkers - well, two men were playing checkers and others were sitting around the table watching, and at another table they were playing dominoes. They all had cups of something they were drinking.

As I got closer to the malecon, there was a major traffic jam. I don't know where everyone was going, but they were heading towards my hotel.

I walked through a little park and it looked like it was a huge party. The park was full of people sitting on benches, families with kids, vendors selling all sorts of stuff, and of course, music everywhere.

I saw a little shop selling empanadas and decided to try one. An older woman was behind the counter of what looked like a shop attached to her house. I asked her what kind she had - I understood corn (but it might have been with something), jam and cheese, and thought she said chicken. She may have also said pizza. In the end I was confused, so I asked her what her favorite was, and she chose one for me. It was chicken.

I got a little confused with the prices because I really haven't taken the time to figure out the exchange rate, but at first I didn't give her enough money. She said setenta y cinco. For some reason I thought this was 75 cents. I gave her 50 pesos, thinking I was giving her way too much. She just looked at me as I pulled other bills out of my pocket and then pointed to another 50 peso note, so I gave it to her. Then I said I had 5 pesos and pulled that out. She was going to give me change but took the 5 peso coin. But was it really a 5 peso coin or was it less? Anyway, now I was really confused. She put the coins on the counter and counted them for me but I still didn't understand, so I just said, "that's a tip for you" and she was very happy. She was lovely and her empanada was really good. I may have given her the equivalent of twenty-five cents, and since they were coins, I would have left them behind anyway.

I finally made it to the malecon and it was a mob scene. Cars were backed up, the sidewalk was full, the parks were packed, there was activity everywhere. People were engaging with one another and not just sitting around looking at their phones. It was a beautiful scene and I just drunk it all in.

It was a nice ending to a perfectly relaxing vacation. I didn't do anything stressful since my focus was on healing and getting ready to fly. I'm glad I went out and got this dose of Dominican life though. It's leaving me with a very fond memory and I hope I can return again soon.

Final Day

Today the rain started early. It was raining when I woke up, and kind of nice to open the curtains and see a gray sky beginning to clear. My weather app said that was it. Sunny for the rest of the day, and so far, it has been gorgeous.

I am feeling a lot better though I'm not 100% out of the woods. I like having a big mug and the fixings for tea in my room. My room comes with a mini coffee maker that I've been using to make tea. They provide two styrofoam cups, tea bags or coffee in a filter, sugar, etc. I didn't like using the styrofoam cups, so one day after my morning room service, I kept a coffee mug and a teaspoon, but the coffee mug was not as big as my Starbucks cup. I'd usually have a cup of tea in my room, and then go down to the coffee shop and get another along with a pannini.

Today, I wanted something different, so I went to the restaurant on the first floor.

It doesn't look like much from the lobby, but from inside, it was quite nice.

They had a breakfast buffet that was something like 900 pesos (I didn't have my hearing aids in so I wasn't sure), but I wasn't feeling super hungry, so instead I ordered pumpkin pancakes and tea. They were really good. My sense of taste is back and I really enjoyed them - probably one of the best things I've eaten here. Tomorrow, I may do the buffet since I'll be traveling and will need some sustenance.

When I came back to my room, it was already clean.

I've been feeling guilty about not tipping the maid. I don't really understand the custom. Sometimes, there will be an envelope and you can leave money, but is tipping the maid a universal thing? I was sure she is not getting paid a whole lot and I changed more money than I needed since I wasn't going out of the hotel much. She was in the next room so I went over there and said, "Excuse me, I don't know the customs about tipping in hotels..." and she immediately cut me off and said, "Oh, you can tip me if you want." So I gave her 4,000 pesos (about $70). I hope it was enough. I don't know if it was "too much" but she has been great, down to finding me toothpaste, and it's the holidays, and I'm sure she needs the money, and what am I going to do with that extra money anyway?

Then I got changed and went to the pool. It was kind of humid because it had rained and I was bored, so I didn't stay long. I came back, got changed and walked to Adrian Tropical, a restaurant on the water that is a short walk from here. They have mofongo and other traditional Dominican things.

I was contemplating going back to El Conuco, but there were mosquitoes and the music was loud. I looked at some malls that had Starbucks, because I wanted to get another Starbucks cup for my sister from the Dominican Republic, but mall restaurants seemed like mostly chains, so I settled on Adrian Tropical. It was such a good choice. I wish I'd gone there sooner.

Most people sit outside, and you are literally on the water. In addition to mofongo, which I had last time, they had a lot of other things on the menu. I got the parrillada, which had beef, a rib, chicken and chorizo, with corn and tostones, and a passionfruit juice. It was hot, but there was a nice breeze from the sea. And the place was filled with Dominicans. They really are a good-looking people. The women were beautiful, and the men were very handsome, and most people were dressed very nicely. I was wearing camo cargo shorts and a green t-shirt (the t-shirt looked nice, I thought).

Service was good, though kind of hard to get at times, but I was very happy with the lunch.

From there, I got an Uber to Starbucks at Downtown Center again.

First, I went to a pharmacy to buy more nighttime cold medicine and then I went to Starbucks. There were only three cups left! I wonder what happened to all of the ones that were there yesterday.

The line was slow and I am not sure if it was the customer in front of me or the cashier. When it was my turn, he again charged me separately for the cup and for my refresher, but he didn't really explain like the cashier yesterday.

I sat and enjoyed my dragonfruit/strawberry/lemonade refresher, watching the customers and again thinking of how good-looking Dominicans are.

I got an Uber back to my room, had some tea, took a nap, and now I'm up again, still feeling full, drinking another cup of tea, feeling the healthiest I have since I arrived, and ready for my flight home tomorrow.

I was sick and it rained every day I've been here, but this was a really good vacation. It was not what I thought it would be, but I needed a break, I wanted to get away from the cold and rain, and this was the perfect place to be sick.

I will definitely come back in the hopes that the next time I won't be sick and I can do more than just hang out in my room, but if I can only hang out in a hotel room, this hotel room is definitely a room to be hung out in.

A Project!

I like when I have a project when I travel - a search for an elusive spice, like when I went looking for dried galangal in Bangkok (that was seized by customs upon entry to the US), or an alarm clock in Spain. Where I would normally just go to a supermarket or a drugstore (which often sells much more than medicine) in the US, in other countries, it's never really obvious where you might find what you're looking for. In Colombia, I searched high and low for a Starbucks "Been There" cup that said "Medellin". The Starbucks in my neighborhood was sold out, so I went to several other Starbucks that took me to different parts of Medellin I might not have visited.

Today I woke up feeling slightly better. My phlegm is clear again and I was able to cough up a nasty wad of mucous. I'm not coughing. I was sweaty in the morning, but it felt like a healing kind of sweaty and not like I was getting sicker. I think I'm on the other side of this MRV (monster respiratory virus). So I decided to make a trip to Starbucks to see if they had a "Been There" Santo Domingo mug.

If anyone is paying attention (I don't think anyone is reading this blog because I haven't told anyone I'm doing it), I do need a disclaimer because there are two types of cups - "Been There" and "You Are Here" and to be honest, I don't know the difference between them. My sister does, and she gave me a dissertation on them several times and told me all of the cups she has. She started collecting them after I brought her one from SF.

They are very nice cups. They have cute designs with pictures of things that represent the city or country, and a colored interior. They're also a nice size and great for a cup of tea or coffee with foamy milk.

First I Googled to see if there was a Santo Domingo "Been There" cup, and there was. Then I checked Uber to see how much it would cost to go to Starbucks - it was about $4.00. I confirmed the nearest Starbucks and ordered my Uber.

The pickup point was confusing, and I think now that when I order things while I'm in my room, it gives the closest location on the street, which in this case was a barber shop. I was confused, so I started over, and this time was able to set my pick up point as the front entrance to the hotel.

I was assigned a driver - Susana - and she messaged me. She asked where we were going. First I told her I was at the Renaissance Jaragua. She said she understood and asked again where we were going. I told her Starbucks. She disappeared and I got a new driver. Well, how rude! I wonder why she didn't want to take me to Starbucks.

My new driver arrived in a beat up car that was slightly dirty inside, but still quite comfortable. It smelled good and the air-con was on. He was playing nice music and seemed to enjoy the drive.

I got to Starbucks and looked at the selection of cups and mugs and didn't see the Been There cups. Darn! So I went to the counter to order. First I looked a the food. I asked for a sausage, egg and cheese English muffin. Then I asked if they had mint tea. She showed me a package of green tea and said she could put peppermint syrup in it. The only other option was chai. I thought if I was going to get a chai, I might as well do a chai latte, which Starbucks does really well. And the spices in the chai are good for you. After some negotiation - did I want the tea bag or the regular chai latte, did I want whole milk, etc., my order was placed. Let's just say it wasn't that easy - a lot of new words, and fast Dominican Spanish, but the cashier was very kind and patient with me and I got smiles from both her and the woman who served me the English muffin - I had been convinced that Dominicans are always serious and slightly grumpy when serving customers, but maybe it's just in the touristy areas. As she was finishing up taking my order, I asked if they had the Been There cups (I showed her a photo) and she pointed to the shelves I'd  looked at and said, "Yes, below." and sure enough they had some Santo Domingo cups and some Dominican Republic cups. The Santo Domingo cup was really pretty - the interior is a lovely kind of aqua blue and the outside is blue and green. I took it back to the counter and paid. She said she was going to charge the two things separately because one was taxed. I'm not sure what the difference was, but I really appreciated her going the extra mile for me. She was super.

I sat there and ate my muffin and drank my chai. It was quite pleasant as Starbucks usually is. Well, I take that back. Starbucks at home is a mess. Always super crowded, busy, noisy, and often crazy. This place was quiet, cozy and there were only two other customers.

It was located in a little shopping mall called Downtown Center and it looked like it was in a nice neighborhood.

When I finished, I walked through the mall a little. There was nothing special there - an Old Navy, a jewelry store, a hair salon, a gym, a movie theater, and a few other things. On the ground floor was a supermarket, so I stopped there and got a little packet of peppermint tea and a small jar of honey. I have today and tomorrow to get myself ready to fly on Tuesday, so I might as well really flush things out.

Speaking of flushing things out - when I went to the pharmacist the other day for new medicine, she said it would come out the other end - I wasn't sure what she meant. Well, today I learned. Let's just say I was grateful that there was a nice restroom in this mall.

I walked outside to see what the neighborhood looked like, and other than a few restaurants across the street, there was really nothing there. So I ordered an Uber and came back to the hotel.

My room was clean, so there is no reason for me to go out so the maid can clean. I don't think I'm going to go to the pool today, but I might go out to eat later. There's a typical Domincan restaurant nearby that I've been to before, and it might be nice to go for a walk. But for now, I'm going to have more tea and just rest. I'm feeling a lot better than I have felt all week. I'm hoping I'm truly on the mend.

I Have No Taste

 I'm seriously tired of being sick. Whatever this monster is that has invaded my body, it keeps morphing and changing and every day presents me with a new surprise.

So I dealt with the dry cough, got some phlegm moving and coughed some up, and then I started with a seriously runny nose, so I got a multi-symptem cold remedy and one for nighttime too so I could sleep. I kind of slept.

This morning I ordered a pot of tea, which was not as easy as it sounds. I got a pot of hot water with several tea bags (two cups) and a fruit plate. I started eating the fruit and it was horrible, but that was not unusual because the fruit I had on my first morning here, was also not good. I mean, this country has wonderful tropical fruits growing everywhere, but the fruit in the hotel is the typical picked too early, tastes like cardboard variety.

But it was when I was drinking my English Breakfast tea that I noticed the tea had no flavor. I smelled it, and nothing. I spelled a banana, and nothing. I had no taste or smell!

Of course everyone tells me it's COVID, so I took one of the COVID tests I brought with me. Why is every COVID test different? This one was a little booklet that you open. I may have messed it up, but it was negative. I don't think I have COVID. I think I have a respiratory virus and I lost my taste and smell as a result because this thing is a monster that has invaded my body and has decided to torture me with something new every day. Plus, Mike, the person I think got me sick, said he also had no taste early on, and he tested negative for COVID, but he's one of the people who said it sounds like I have COVID. I guess he forgot that he also had no taste.

It's weird not having taste. I have some sensations on my tongue to things like sweet or sour, but if you put something my my mouth and asked me what it was, I probably could not tell you. It hasn't stopped me from eating though.

I had my detox massage this morning which was ok. I really don't like massages from women. It was too soft. I guess it was supposed to be detox, but I miss some of the massages I used to be able to get in Thailand, where they really worked deeply (my favorite were the oil massages at the Ambassador Hotel). But anyway, the massage was ok, and maybe not what I needed, but it didn't hurt.

After that, I went to the pool. My room had already been cleaned, so I didn't have to go down, but I thought it might be better than staying in my air-conditioned room. There weren't a lot of people there, which was nice. I waited until after 12:00 to order lunch and thought I'd try the chicken tacos. They were not good. I had no taste, so I wasn't sure, but I don't think I liked them.

I didn't stay long and came back to my nice, clean room, stopping to get a cup of mint tea on the way. 

I was lying in my bed looking at my phone or watching TV or something, and I kept hearing this strange noise. I finally realized it was me - wheezing. It was super annoying. It looked like it was a nice day out, so I decided to go to the pharmacy to try to get something else. I needed to open up my lungs - maybe she had an inhaler or something.

When I got to the pharmacy, I could see why I was confused about the doors. At the end with the entrance, the posters in the window were caulking guns - it certainly didn't look like a pharmacy.

I went in, and the pharmacist was not at the counter - she was at a desk a few feet away. A young woman asked if she could help me.

I explained that I'd had a dry cough and got some medicine - I showed her a picture - and before I could finish, she went to get me another bottle. I stopped her. I said I wasn't sure if I need more of the same or something else. She asked the pharmacist, and then the two of them began speaking to me in English, which was a relief.

She gave me something else and said I need to loosen up the mucous. This would help and I would poop it out. I know she didn't say poop, but her gesture made it clear. She said don't worry if things look funny down there (not her exact words).

And so I walked back to my room, contemplating going around the block to see if I could find El Conuco, a typical Dominican restaurant I'd been to before, but I was feeling tired, so I just came back, took the medicine and eventually ordered dinner.

I ordered a chicken breast and baked potatoe with sour cream. I got a very dry chicken breast (the food really isn't very good here) and three small roasted potatoes. I was expecting a big fat baked potato American style. It seemed like my taste was returning.

One thing that helped me was sitting in the steam in the bathroom and blowing my nose, one nostril at a time over the sink. I'm trying not to use tissues because my nose is so raw. I got a bit of phlegm to come up. It's yellow now. Not a good sign.

I watched James May in Japan and then started James May in Italy. I really loved the Japan series. Italy so far is interesting, but not terribly funny.

I slept well and just did another steam and nostril clearing. Today I am going to try to do that several times and also to keep my lungs moist and hydrated with tea. I feel like I'm improving, but I want to feel better by Tuesday when I fly. So far, I'm not there yet.

I Thought I Understood...

 Being sick changes everything. Things that are normally not so hard, become more difficult. Being sick in a foreign country, where they speak another language, really raises the stakes. It's not the first time for me, and things aren't really that bad, but ...

I thought I was out of the woods yesterday. The cough had died down, and I didn't feel feverish in the late afternoon when fever usually hits me. I ordered chicken soup without the chicken (because I don't like chicken that's been boiled too much) and asked for just vegetables, but not too much. I got a side of rice, figuring it would fill me up.

My chicken soup ended up looking more like carrot soup. They must have put a pound of carrots in it. And it had noodles, which I didn't want, which I didn't have the day before. I can see I have to be REALLY specific, but I'm wondering if that will even make a difference.

After I ate my soup and drank my rum, I started feeling my chest filling up. The later it got, the more I started wheezing. I wasn't coughing yet, but there was definitely fluid building up. By the time I went to bed, I sounded like someone who smokes three packs a day. I couldn't fall asleep.

It was a very restless night. I wasn't feverish, but I was hot. I was wheezing and coughing and trying to produce some phelgm to cough up, but nothing. The cough syrup I got didn't really help. I eventually took a Tylenol and eventually did fall asleep for a bit and had some crazy dreams.

When I woke up, I felt ok, but now I was very mucousy. I blew my nose many times. My mucous was clear, which is good, but I knew all of this could get into my lungs and cause problems.

First I took a shower and in the shower coughed up a big wad of phlegm. That was a good thing. I need to get this out of my respiratory system. I went downstairs to get a tea and sandwhich, which has become my morning routine.

There's a little coffee shop on the first floor. The guys that work there are for the most part typical Dominicans (based on my experience with Dominicans) - meaning, they act like you are bothering them. There is one guy who smiles, but the other two seem very bothered by the presence of pesky customers.

Today, there was a woman. She was extremely pleasant. I even felt comfortable asking her for a larger cup when she put my tea in a small cup. And she gave me an extra cup because the tea was hot, and the large cup is not well insulated (I don't know why).

I came back to my room and got on to UBER Eats, and ordered some daytime and nighttime multi-symptom cold medicine like the stuff I have at home and could have packed. I had a cough before I left, but rather than packing anything, I threw a small bottle of Tylenol in my bag at the last minute in case I woke up feeling stiff like I had been. I just wasn't thinking. So thank God for Uber Eats. I really don't want to go out looking for medicine.

My driver arrived without incident and I saw that I'd only gotten 6 doses of each. 6 doses of the nighttime medicine is enough, but for daytime, I may have to order more. I expect to need at least two doses per day. I may have to order more.

After I popped two pills, I went down to the pool. The maid was in the hallway and she asked if she could clean my room. Yay! It meant that I could come back early if I wanted to. I really like this maid. She's very helpful and friendly. She's the one who found toothpaste for me even though I didn't need it. I don't know if I'm supposed to be tipping her, but I want to give her something extra. I'll figure something out tomorrow because I think she might be off on Tuesday when I leave.

I had to change where I was sitting because there was a guy smoking a cigar at the pool. Seriously, what is up with these smokers?

A little before noon, I decided to order my lunch. I ordered some fish tacos, figuring they are borderline healthy, light, and better than yesteday's disaster of a burger.

There was a new pool guy today who was very friendly and spoke to me in English. Feeling emboldened by this new ability to communicate freely, I asked what was in a large pitcher they were filling up. It looked like coconut. He offered me a taste and filled a glass, and as he went to hand it to me, held up a finger "wait" and threw in some ice, and then another finger "wait" and he put a celery leaf on it as a garnish. I tasted it. It was coconuty and refreshing. It had a little sourness to it. I asked what it was and he said homemade coconut milk. I wonder if that's all that was in it.

After I ordered my food, he asked if I wanted something else.

"No, just that."

"Maybe a drink?"

So I said, "How about some of this?" holding up the glass he'd given me.

"Oh, that is for someone." but then he said they could make some for me and asked if I wanted rum or vodka. It was 11:45 a.m., but I am on vacation and the alcohol might help kill this bug. I told him rum. He said it would be like a coconut mojito.

I was excited.

I went back to my little "cabana" and waited.

My tacos arrived, but no sign of a drink. I waited, and it never came.

It's ok, because I had buyer's remorse. My dinner last night of soup and rum was really expensive, not because of the soup, but because of the rum (it was expensive Cuban rum). I am trying to be conscious of how much I'm spending, and throwing money away on alcohol always feels wasteful to me.

Finally, at about 1:00, I was feeling hot, there was no breeze and I was restless and wanting to lie down in the coolness of my clean room. There was no sign of my drink, so I got up and went to sign my check. He never mentioned the drink. I guess I misunderstood, or he forgot.

As I entered the hotel, I stopped at the coffee shop. One of the unsmiling men was there. I asked for a mint tea. "Te de menta". He said, "Te de menta?" not understanding what I was saying.

Ok, so this is a coffee shop. They sell coffee (cafe) and tea (te). What did he think I was saying? I repeated. "Te" stopped and then said "de menta". He forced himself to understand, but it looked like it really took him a lot of effort.

I came up to my clean room and it feels so good. There is one mystery though...

There was a Dorito on the floor on the way to the door. The bag of Doritos is next to the TV.  I had some last night, but if I'd dropped one and the maid cleaned my room, she surely would have vacuumed it up. So did she grab some Doritos on her way out?

I kind of hope she did. The bag is enormous, and I'm happy to share.

Junk Food Recovery

 I had another rough night last night, but not as bad as the first. The Tylenol helped manage the fever and the cough syrup helped with the cough. I got up a few times to pee and changed sides on my bed a few times when the side I was on got too hot. Woke up feeling slightly recovered, but not out of the woods.

I decided I was going to walk to the pharmacy to pick up some Vick's Vapor Rub. I really felt I needed it last night to loosen up things in my chest. I was going to have it delivered with Uber Eats, but figured the pharmacy was close enough. As I got near, I decided to keep walking and see what else I could find, because I also really wanted some chips and something to drink. All a very important part of recovering from any illness.

I enjoyed the walk, even though there was a lot of traffic and Dominicans use their horns rather than their brakes. I was transported to many different countries I've visited, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, all tropical places with remants of colonial architecture (well maybe not Thailand), people on the streets selling things, hanging out, walking, and the smell of diesal scenting the air. It was a pleasant morning, not too hot, and there was a nice breeze.

I arrived at Parque Independencia and El Conde, the pedestrian shopping street that leads to Plaza Colon, site of the first cathedral in the Americas (I believe that claim is disputed by some, as is much of Dominican history/folklore).

I found a nice looking pharmacy and went inside. It was nicely air-conditioned, and I was nicely ignored, which was fine, because I didn't see any Vicks on display, so I left. Walking towards Plaza Colon, I was accosted twice and offered "massage"/chicas. Once by a woman, and once by a guy (offereing me chicas) who was very upset when I ignored him. A few taxi drivers called out "taxi", which I always found odd on a pedestrian street, but mostly the walk was uneventful. I found neither Vicks nor chips.

Plaza Colon was quiet, and pleasant, until a group of French tourists came out of the cathedral and stood under the statue of Christopher Colombus. This one really needs to be torn down. I mean, this is where the crime started. And this statue is particularly offensive because a naked Indian woman is at his feet as he points off into the distance presumably saying, "It IS India, I tell you!" I mean, okay that he got lost and everything, but what was up with the cruelty? The rape, torture, slavery and genocide? Not sure why Dominicans haven't rejected him yet. 

I decided to go to Chinatown, which I vaguely remembered being not too far. I had gone before and I ate there, but I didn't remember much about it - like how the food was, or what they had, but I thought I'd find some Tiger balm or something similar.

Eventually I found myself at the gate to the one block of Chinatown, and almost everything was closed. I saw a restaurant that looked familiar, but they were closed. A few restaurants that were open didn't look appealing. I went into a few shops looking for Vicks or some Tiger balm and finally found one that had something called "Wild Tiger" and I also bought one of those inhalers that Thai people have shoved up their noses for most of the day.

I went back to a main street near the gate, and ordered an Uber. I was sweating, maybe from the fever, maybe from walking, maybe from both.

Uber told me Ricki would be arriving in a pink car and showed me his route. Then suddenly, it told me he was at the pick up point, but the pick up point was not where I was standing. I texted him and said I didn't see him. He said he was on "Duarte". I knew I was on Avenida Mella, but didn't know where Duarte was. I told him I was not from here and said I was at the entrance to Chinatown.

He said he'd some around.

Eventually, I figured out that he was on the street that passed under the gate, so I changed position and soon someone in a gray car was beeping at me and motioning out the window.

Ok, pink, gray, very similar.

I sat in the front out of habit from Colombia and we chatted a bit. I told him I thought his car was going to be pink and he said, "it's a pinkish gray" - it was not. It was gray gray. There is no such thing as a pinkish gray.

He also told me I was at the exit to Chinatown, not the entrance.

Doesn't UBER show drivers our location?

Anyway, he got me back to my hotel, I put on my bathing suit and headed out to the pool. I ordered lunch before I sat down and just as I got into my little cubicle, it started pouring. A major, tropical rain.

Most people ran off, leaving the pool all to me, which was nice because the rain stopped in about 10 minutes.

I've been eating healthy - tuna and salmon, but decided today I was going to try a chimi burger, which was some sort of pork sandwich. But they told me they were out of it, so I got a regular burger instead.

That was a mistake.

First of all, it was too big for my mouth (I have a small mouth - my dentist confirmed this), but it also was not good. The bun was burnt, the meat was tasteless, and the fries were not very good either. Tomorrow, back to fish and vegetables.

More people came back to the pool, including two female smokers.

It's been so long since I've seen people smoking. Well, I saw a woman last night in the restaurant, and here were two more, smoking at the pool. They were older women who should know better. I assumed they were French, because who else smokes these days? After drifting off and waking up to the smell of cigarette smoke, I decided to come back to my room and see if the maid had finished. This is one of the things I hate about staying in hotels - I have to plan my day around the maid.

I saw her cart outside of the room next to mine, so either she had just finished my room or I was next. When I opened the door, I could see it was clean. Phew. I could relax.

I had to charge my phone because it was almost dead. I didn't take my usual afternoon nap, but still wanted the chips I didn't get, so I went on to UBER Eats to see what I could find.

I ordered a bag of Doritos, Nacho Cheese, cheese puffs, plaintain chips and some juice and Gatorade (for rehydrating). This time, rather than wait until my driver arrived and then try to figure out what door he was at, I went down early, and watched the app as he headed my way, and then went another way, and then headed my way, and then another direction and then my way again until finally he pulled up to the front of the hotel, where I was waiting.

He had one plastic bag with two enormous bags of chips and another bag with the gatorade.

I had no idea the bags of chips were going to be so big! They are industrial size! I tried to slip past the porters and the front desk without them seeing these two large bags of chips I had, because, I mean, it's kind of embarassing. When I got up to my floor, a maid was knocking on doors. They seem to do this every afternoon when they are done cleaning.

Yesterday I was in my room when she knocked. I was in bed. She knocked, and I said "yes?" thinking she might tell me what she wanted. Instead, she opened the door and peeked inside. She may have asked if everything was ok, but I don't remember.

Today I had the "do not disturb" sign on my door, but I saw her watching me as I walked up to my door. She looked at the enormous bag of Doritos and said something. I thought she might be commenting on the Doritos. When it was clear I didn't understand, she asked, "Todo bien?" and I said yes. So I guess they check to see if we need anything before they leave for the day.

And so now I have enough snacks to last me until the end of the year.

I'm also feeling a little better. This is about the time that fever hits me, but I don't feel feverish and I'm not coughing.I'm sure the chemicals in the Doritos will kill whatever germs have invaded my body and I'll be fresh as a daisy tomorrow.

I think I'm going to order some soup for dinner and just relax the rest of the day.

I Got the Fever...

 I can't remember the last time I had a fever. It definitely was pre-COVID. Well, thanks (I think) to my neighbor, Mike, who was galavanting around before he came to my house on Christmas Eve, I had a cough all last week (he got sick during my dinner and left early) and last night it finally became a full-blown thing.

I went to the gym in the late afternoon with the intention of stretching. Well, it was an intention anyway. I didn't really stretch, but I did a light workout. I started feeling a little more off than I've been and was starving, so I came up to my room and ordered room service. Well, I over-ordered. I got an order of chicken wings, which was an appetizer (but actually a full meal), a chicken soup (that had too much chicken) and a Caeser salad, which was horrible. And now as I write this I realize I already wrote this because I had to remember how to spell Caeser.

So fast forward to after dinner. I read a little and went to bed early. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling really hot and sweating. I had to keep changing sides of the bed because the bed felt like it was on fire. Finally, I got up, took more cough syrup and took a Tylenol for arthritis. I don't know if it's regular Tylenol or not, but I threw it in my bag last minute thinking I might need some pain reliever because I often wake up feeling stiff (because I get numb when I'm sleeping). I knew it would bring down the fever, and sure enough it did, and eventually I cooled off and got some sleep.

After a restless, sweaty, feverish night, I went downstairs and got a hot tea and a panini for breakfast (no room service) and then went out to the pool early. There were already people in my little space, so I sat in another one. Sat in the sun for a bit, and then ordered lunch. I had the salmon again. This time with rice, rather than an undressed salad.

Then I had my pedicure. My toenails were gnarly and they look good now. Pedicures are often strange, and I really want to open my male salon one day. Men need male spaces for nail maintenance.

From there, I walked to the pharmacy.

I had a little trouble figuring out the door system (there was one door to enter and one to leave) but the pharmacist spoke English and gave me a cough syrup and some Tylenol.

It was nice walking there. A few people said hello and smiled. One guy wished me a happy new year. The last time I was here, I mostly walked along the malecon, along the sea, but here I was walking a very busy street in Gazcue, a nice middle-class neighborhood. It made me want to explore more, but maybe not on this trip. I know El Conuco, a traditional Dominican restaurant I've been to before is nearby, but I've only been through this neighborhood in cars, not walking.

I came back to my room, did a shot of cough syrup and took some Tylenol, and after chatting a bit with my friend Lisa, had a nice nap. I woke up at 5 feeling fresh. No cough, no sign of a fever, and I was beginning to get hungry.

When I went to the pharmacy, I passed a restaurant behind the hotel called Manolo. I Googled it and it got good reviews. People said it was the best restaurant in Santo Domingo and the service was exceptional. I looked at the menu and they had several seafood options. I figured I'd try it instead of room service.

Ok, well, the service was the usual. Kind of serious, not terribly friendly, and pretty basic. I wasn't asked if I wanted a drink. After I ordered, I had to flag down the waiter because I decided I wanted a beer. He didn't offer me a glass. I got a seafood soup which was very salty and a LOT of food, plus an order of garlic shrimp and rice. The seafood soup, which was a starter, was bigger than the main course. It was a lot of food and it was ok, but really nothing to write home about.

The restaurant itself was an interesting scene. Everyone looked Dominican. One screaming child made a scene. Some weird kickboxing program was on a huge TV at one end with two half-naked men rolling around on a mat. The restaurant was open to the street, whih was busy and noisy. One woman was smoking (I can't remember the last time I saw someone smoking in a restaurant). I probably won't go back, but I will look for other options.

When I came back, I stopped at the little cafe on the first floor and got a mint tea. The guy who served me before remembered that I'd asked for honey and put some in my tea. It was the first instance of someone kind of going an extra step since I've been here. Oh, I take that back... this morning when I went down to get my first cup of tea, I passed the maid. She had a toothbrush and toothpaste for me. I didn't need it though, but it was very nice of her. We're becoming friends (I see her a lot).

And so here it is, around 7 p.m. and I'm feeling pretty good. I still feel a little wheezy, but if I were feverish, I'd be feeling it by now (fevers usually hit me around 5). I hope I have a feverless night and wake up tomorrow with clear lungs.

If not, well, I guess I'll have to pamper myself some more until I get better.

Too Much Food, No Toothpaste

I didn't put my usual care into packing. Normally, I check to make sure I have everything I need. This comes from the days of traveling to places like Nicaragua in the 80s, where I even packed toilet paper, but for this trip, I thought I had everything in my toiletries bag, and what I didn't have, I'd be able to buy.

Well, as soon as I unpacked, I saw I was low on toothpaste. I knew I could squeeze one or two more brushings out of the tube, but I definitely would need more.

I went downstairs to look in the little store on the first floor. It was closed, but through the window, among the chotchkies on the shelves, I saw baby oil, baby wipes, ear buds and a few other random things, but I couldn't tell if they had toothpaste.

So I went to the front desk, thinking they might have toothpaste for guests who request it. After all, this is  fancy hotel

The guy said they didn't have any. I asked if they had any in the little store and he said no. He said I could get it from the pharmacy, but today was a holiday, so I'd have to wait until tomorrow.

Seriously?

This morning, I passed the maid making her rounds and asked her if she had any. She asked for my room number. I thought, "ha, I'm smarter than they are!" and I expected a tube of toothpaste to appear in my bathroom after the maid cleaned my room.

I went to the pool and enjoyed the sun until it started to rain. I had a nice piece of grilled salmon and a salad without dressing, and when there was a break in the rain, I came back up to my room. I passed the maid again. She apologized that she didn't have any toothpaste.

What kind of fancy hotel is this?

I asked her if the pharmacy was closed today and she said no. I seemed to be getting all sorts of conflicting answers, depending on who I asked.

After resting a bit from my strenuous day at the pool, I went to the gym where I rode the cycle and tried to play solitaire on it. I don't think solitaire on a stationary bike is a good idea. I'd rather watch the housewives. I worked out a little but started feeling really hungry.

I also finally admitted that I have a low-level cough that has been bothering me for a few days. I think the exhaustion from traveling has made it worse.

I decided to see if I could get something Ubered here and sure enough I was able to order toothpaste and some natural cough syrup.

I then ordered room service because I was starving. I ordered grandma's chicken soup, buffalo chicken wings and a Caesar salad with chicken. Note to self: don't over order from room service when you are hungry.

The chicken soup was good, but next time I'll ask for it without chicken. I had tough chicken and that's usually what you get in chicken soup. There was a lot of it. I ate around it and ate the broth and the potatoes and carrots.

The chicken wings were good, but there were so many of them.

The Caesar salad was horrible. I thought I'd just eat the lettuce, but it was really wilted and tasted like it was made with mayonnaise.

As soon as I finished eating, my Uber driver contacted me and said he was here. I told him I was on my way down.

He said he was in the garden. I am not sure why he didn't just wait at reception, but maybe there's something about deliveries in the DR that I don't understand. Then he said he was at the door. I went to the door, and he was not there. I walked outside and he was not there. He messaged me again and said he as at the other door "that's what they tell me" So I walked to the back entrance, and he was not there. I said, "I don't see you" and he said, "I'm coming around". Of course, all of this was in Spanish, so I was not understanding the subtleties. I got a call from Uber saying my driver was looking for me. Well, I was looking for my driver. He messaged me again and said he was inside. I asked, "are you at the main entrance?" and he said yes. I got another message from Uber saying my driver was looking for me and they would cancel my order if I didn't show up. Seriously, why couldn't he just leave it with the front desk?

I walked back to the front entrance and he was standing there looking at his phone. I asked if he was at the other entrance and he said yes. I didn't bother to ask him why he didn't just wait for me there. I was very full and just wanted my cough syrup.

And so my plan for this evening is to read and relax. I have a detox massage and a pedicure scheduled for tomorrow. I'm learning what I should and shouldn't order from room service (no breakfast or salad). I'm hoping it won't rain tomorrow, but even if it does, it's better to be here in the rain than in chilly Richmond.

Back in the DR

 I'm back in the DR. Or the RD, if you speak Spanish. It's been a long time since my very first trip and my unsmiling host picked me up at the airport. Since then, my travel preferences have gotten more refined. I prefer to travel first class (or business when it's an option) and stay in nice hotels. Traveling is not as easy as it used to be for me, so I need comfort all the way.

I like the DR because it's close enough that I'm not killing myself getting here. About 5 hours to Miami, and then another two hours from there. My hotel was a quick 20-minute ride from the airport. Even with all of that, I was exhausted when I arrived, and starving, because the only thing we got on our flight was a snack selection (and that's because I was in first class.) Once I got connected to WiFi and figured things out, I ordered room service.

There were many delicious options, but I decided to go for something healthy - a grilled tuna steak, grilled vegetables, and tostones (fried plantains) - well, not so healthy there, but they are a vegetable (or a fruit?). The tuna was really good, and I think I will try for more fish while I'm here.

This morning, I woke up feeling rested, tired and old at about 9 a.m. The sun was peeking in through the space in the blackout curtains. I felt hungover. I didn't get the best sleep - new bed, full stomach, and I don't sleep well in general, but it felt good to wake up to sun, away from the rain and cold, and with a view of the Caribbean glistening across the street.

Too tired to deal with going downstairs where I knew I could get coffee, I ordered room service again. I just wanted coffee and some fruit, but the closest they had was a continental breakfast.

While I was waiting for my breakfast to be delivered, they called me and said I had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door and the girl coudn't knock. I went and opened the door and she was standing outside. I had the sign there for the maid, but didn't know it worked for everyone!

My breakfast was a plate of fruit that was not quite ripe, a plate of some weird white bread that looked liked it was slightly toasted, but also steamed and pressed by someone's fingers (it was a very weird thing), a pot of coffee, a container of hot milk, a glass of orange juice, and a basket with two "croissants" and some cake. It was a lot of food. I ate what I could of the fruit, had some coffee, drank the juice and ate a "croissant" and a piece of banana bread. I'm feeling like I'm human again.

And now, the only thing I have to do here is read, rest and pamper myself.

I checked out the spa options and they are cheap. 1-hour massages start at $59. I'm looking at some anti-inflammatory treatments, and a pedicure (that's always an adventure). There is a gym here, and of course the pool, where I'll be spending most of my days.

I had planned on going out and exploring, but at the moment, I'm not feeling it.

One of the things I learned in Colombia was how to install an e-sim on my phone, so that I can use it away from WiFi. I thought I had it figured out, and have an e-sim installed for the DR, but so far, I can't get it to work. I'd planned on going to different places and then just getting an UBER to come back, but that might not work.

But really, I have all I need here - there's food, a pool, and a spa. What more could a person want?

And that's how you ring in a new year!