Stepping Out of the Boat

We've been taking Salsa and Merengue dance lessons for quite some time now. Every Monday and Thursday, we walk about a half mile to Kiko's dance studio to learn how to dance like Dominicans... well, almost like Dominicans. We finally got to put our knowledge to the test on Saturday night when we went out to dinner and out dancing with some Dominican friends. It was a blast! John had more moves that most of the Dominican guys on the dance floor, and we were one of the few couples bold enough to go out on the floor when Salsa was playing. (It's a much more difficult dance than Merengue.) The picture on the left is all of us at a place called La Mora. It is a seafood place in a part of town that we usually steer clear of... it's not the most prosperous part of town. Our French friend, Pauline, and her husband and brother took us there. The atmosphere was nothing worth mentioning, but we got an incredible amount of good food for a very small amount of money. For 100 pesos (US $3.00), you get a plate mounded with fresh shrimp with a side of boiled yucca. It was great! (And the extra bonus is that none of us ended up sick.)


After we finished dinner around 9:00 pm or so, we headed to the dancing place. This is a very local and authentic bar/dance club that is frequented only by Dominicans (except for Saturday night when a bunch of foriegners showed up). We danced our hearts out, but neither John nor I have any idea what the name of the place is....

In the pictures, I'm in the blue shirt dancing with the tall handsome dude in jeans (John), and our friend Kari is wearing the pink and black floral dress. She and the other girls danced with the other men in our group as well as some random Dominicans who had enough guts to ask them. Only one was acting inappropriate.

It was a great place, but the music was so loud I could feel my clothing vibrating against my skin with the beat of the music. Needless to say, we didn't enjoy any conversation, stimulating or otherwise, because it was impossible to hear anyone talk even if they were shouting in your ear. It was also hotter than a sauna, which makes an unpleasant (that's an understatement) environment for dancing. John and I were both soaked with sweat. John's favorite phrase sums it up: "My back is a waterfall right now." It was so hot that my hair was soaked with sweat and my shirt was wet.... and when you dance you have to touch other people... gross! It was fun nonetheless.