Transportation

One of our challenges here in Cabarete is getting around, so I thought I'd write about a few of our available modes of transportation.

Walking
Cabarete is a small city that is spread along the main road, route 5, that travels all along the north coast of the DR.  Our wonderful spot at the Nanny Estates is located about a mile and a half west of the touristy restaurant/gift shop hub of the city, which is also where the some good swimming beaches are for children.  The boys' school, Las Tres Mariposas, is about another mile and a half to the west.  Lucky for us, we don't have to walk on the road, because we can easily access the beach, and our destinations are rarely far from the it.

It takes us about 35 minutes for us to walk along the beach to get to school every morning, and it is a beautiful walk, usually with morning rainbows.

Happy Beach doggies

We were at first uncertain how Graham might react to having to walk so long in the mornings but he has been able to keep up.  Win inspires us by kicking a soccer ball on the way, or conducting ski-training exercises, or by telling tales of Kip Keino, Kenyan runner who ran 5 miles to school every morning.

We also walk east to town some afternoons.


Road Travel
As far as I can tell, there aren't a lot of rules about driving here in Cabarete.  The cars share the road with motorbikes, intrepid cyclists, and pedestrians of all types - carrying things on their heads, or trying to sell to tourists, or simply sitting in the road (didn't your mother teach you not to do that!?).  Drivers, if they want to pass a slower vehicle, simply pass them... to the left, or right, and regardless of oncoming traffic. Turning onto the main road from a side road?  No need to stop at the intersection.  A left-turning vehicle rides the left shoulder until it's "safe" to cross to the proper lane.   To add to the confusion, the main highway, Route 5, which runs through town, has a fair number of potholes, which we are all trying to avoid and therefore weaving around.  In this environment, I introduce to you the Motoconcho and the Guagua.


Motoconcho
It is a motorbike taxi.  They are everywhere.  This is how it goes:  I show up on the street.  Several young men on motorbikes call out to me; I select one, tell him where I want to go, agree on a price (usually 25 pesos, or about .75 USD), and then I climb on the back of the motorbike.  He takes me to my destination, and I pay him.  Fun!  You would be surprised how many motoconcho drivers will offer a ride to a woman and her three small children, because, as you can probably guess, Yes, you can fit five people on a scooter.  Remind you of anything?

Guagua
A guagua is an informal public minibus.  They run every 5-10 minutes going in either direction on the main road.  These would be called 12-seater vans where we come from, but here we have seen 21 people in one van.  You might also be riding with a large pane of glass, or a trash barrel (we've done it).  Two people work the guagua: the driver, and the money taker, who stands in the sliding passenger side door and slaps the top of the van to signal stops to the driver.  It's pretty cozy inside the guagua, even sardine-ish, I might say, but a cheap way to get around... unless you're not wise to the real cost.  It should cost 20 pesos (about $.50 USD) but the money taker is notably unable to make change and is usually willing to overcharge foreigners.

Boat
Glas bottom boat!  Fumy and rocky on a choppy day but man, what a pretty ride!

Taxi
Too too expensive for this little island!  We only made the mistake once.

Rental Car
We have rented a car on two occasions.  Driving is an adventure!  We have enjoyed living mostly car-free, especially because the fumes from diesel cars and trucks are an overwhelming reminder of our own carbon footprints on this earth.  Still, if you wanna get to the beautiful places, you gotta get yourself there.  We visited Playa Grande (see previous posting) and the city of Puerto Plata, which is where we were able to take the ...

Cable Car
... to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres.

 A little boogie at the top

Some beautiful plants from the botanical gardens at the top

Win, relaxing

Boogie Board

We found a little surf beach called Encuentro, with lots of surf shops and schools and this little tidal stream that provided a few minutes of fun before the rain came down.

And finally....

Kite

No, this is not like Curious George riding up into the sky... It's kite boarding, a kickin' sport that Cabarete is famous for.  On a windy day you can see dozens of kites up and down the beach.

And... could it be?  Laura and Win harnessed in and flying?  Stay tuned...