169. Santo Domingo

Christopher Columbus in Santo Domingo

It was a long sail from Salinas to Boca Chica. I sailed right by Santo Domingo, the capital, which looked vast. It’s only 12 miles away from here.

Cathedral

At the moment there’s 30-knot winds and thunderstorms so I’m stuck here for a few days. Fortunately my friends on s/v Calbodine, an awesome family from Quebec - a couple and three children, are here too, also waiting for the wind to calm down a bit. I met them in Ile a Vache, and have been sailing east with them since then. Soon they will turn south and head to the ABCs for hurricane season.

We went to Santo Domingo for a day trip to the absolutely beautiful old colonial part of the city. It was all very pirate.

Betsy and Nelson

The bollards are old canons

We had pizza for lunch in a very Mediterranean feel square. We found two chocolate museums and bought big half pound bars of organic dark chocolate.

168. Barahona

After a good meal and a night’s sleep, I felt much better. I went to town and hit the supermarket. Then I put fifteen gallons of fresh water in my tank (free), swapped my empty five gallon jug of drinking water for a full one (cost less than a dollar), and bought ten gallons of diesel (about $15). Things are cheap here.

Barahona

There are fresh fruit smoothie shops everywhere, and the most amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. The people are lovely, and parts of town are quite pretty – the houses are painted bright colours, there are parks and beautiful ocean views.

After two days I felt fully stocked again and ready to move on, so I set off to Salinas, thirty miles east. After a beautiful sail in calm seas I arrived at a nice anchorage with a hotel, marina, beach and clear water. I will stay here for a couple of days, before heading to Boca Chica.

Salinas