Stepping Out of the Boat

We needed to take a trip back to the Dominican market before May 3rd (when we're coming home for John's best friend's wedding) to get some wedding presents and some things for ourselves. This past Saturday was the last chance we had before May 3rd because of trips to the beach and other things that have filled up our schedule. We ended up buying several painting for ourselves, the wedding presents, of course, as well as some amber jewelery. We hope to go back one more time before we come home for good. It's always a fun experience, although a little stressful because the vendors are so aggressive.

After we were done at the market, which closes at 5:00, we decided to stick around the Colonial Zone for dinner. Rebecca and John wanted to catch part of the Red Sox/Yankees game, so we hung out in a Dominican bar where the game was playing. They cheered with the Dominicans who were watching the game, and the Red Sox came out victorious. At that point, dusk was settling on the city, and we decided to head to the ancient square by the first governor's house (it was Christopher Columbus' nephew's house) where we hoped to have dinner. The old colonial streets were all lit up with the old fashioned lamps, and the heat had abated with the retreat of the sun. The atmosphere smacked of history and relaxation at the same time. We enjoyed our stroll down El Conde (a street built only for pedetrians) on the way to the square.

When we arrived at the square, the governor's house was all lit up, and there were people setting up on a stage for some kind of live music. We knew there were several cafe type places on the square, and we hoped to get a table outside since the night breeze was cool. We ended up going to this place called Harry's where we sat at a table right on the edge of the square. It was beautiful! We had a tasty dinner with lively conversation and some live Dominican music, and we left full, relaxed, and content to live in the Caribbean for another day. As I am typing this post(on Sunday), the rain clouds have rolled in, and there is a strong cool breeze billowing through our apartment. What a great day to stay home and read a book! School has been VERY stressful lately, and this weekend was the perfect combination of entertainment and relaxation. Perhaps we'll be able to make it through this coming week with less pain so that we can take off for the beach on Friday. Hoorah! (Actually, it's really sad that it's Sunday, and I'm looking past the week to next weekend. I want to love both my work week and my weekends - hopefully we'll be able to go back to that kind of life on June 24th, our first day after moving home.)