DAY 9 IN THE DOMINICAN

OKAY, THIS MAY NOT MAKE SENSE BUT IT IS DAY 9 OF MY DOMINICAN VACATION. WE ARE HERE UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH. SOME OF MY DS FRIENDS HAVE ALREADY READ THIS VIA PERSONAL EMAILS. BUT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOT I WILL TRY TO KEEP YOU POSTED DAILY.
WELL, I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE MARKET YESTERDAY. OH, MY, THE DESSERTS ARE VERY YUMMY. WE SHARED A PIECE OF THE GERMAN LADY'S LEMON TYPE SQUARE...TO DIE FOR!!! NOT THAT WE NEED THE TREATS BUT WHAT THE HECK WE ARE ON VACATION.WHILE WE WERE AT THE MARKET I MET AN OLDER GERMAN COUPLE THAT RENT A CONDO FOR 6 MONTHS. THEY ARE DOWN THE ROAD AND ON THE BEACH. IT IS CALLED ORILLA DEL MAR CONDOS. THE UNITS ALL HAVE DIFFERENT OWNERS. SOME OF THE OWNERS CHOOSE TO RENT OUT WHEN THEY ARE NOT THERE TO HELP WITH THE COST. THEY RENT FROM A GENTLEMAN NAMED FRANK LEONE. HE IS AN INVESTOR AND OWNS QUITE A FEW CONDOS AND HOUSES IN THE AREA. THEY INVITED US OVER TO SEE THE COMPLEX AND TO LOOK AT THEIR UNIT. SO WE DROVE OVER IN THE AFTERNOON. AS SOON AS WE WALKED IN WE ENCOUNTERED ANOTHER ELDERLY LADY THAT WE SAW AT THE MARKET . HER NAME IS FRANCOISE AND SHE LIVES JUST OUTSIDE OF MONTREAL. SHE TOOK US IN AND SHOWED US HER STUDIO APARTMENT. VERY, VERY NICE AND MUCH CHEAPER THAN OURS. SO SHE GAVE US THE CONTACT NAME OF THE PERSON WHO OVERSEES THE RENTALS FOR A FEW OF THE CONDO UNITS. WE SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR WITH HER JUST CHATTING ON HER BALCONY.WE THEN PROCEEDED TO EXPLORE THE GROUNDS. THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL. EXTREMELY CLEAN AND PEOPLE WORKING TO KEEP TREES AND SHRUBS TRIMMED AND THE WALKWAYS SWEPT. IT HAD A LOVELY POOL AND BESIDE IT A VERY LARGE IN GROUND JAGUZZI TYPE. THERE WERE OODLES OF CHAIRS AND PALAPAS AROUND THE POOL. THEN A LITTLE WALKWAY LEAD DIRECTLY ONTO THE BEACH WHICH HAD MORE CHAIRS AND PALAPAS. THEY ALSO HAD A HUGE COVERED AREA WITH TABLES AND CHAIRS, A DART BOARD, GAMES AND A HUGE PROPANE B'QUE.AS WE WERE COMING OUT OF THE PALAPA AND READY TO HEAD FOR HOME THE GERMAN COUPLE, HANNA AND HERBERT, SAW US FROM THEIR SECOND FLOOR BALCONY AND INVITED US UP FOR HOMEMADE WATERMELON JUICE...YUM!! THEY HAVE A ONE BEDROOM UNIT AND IT WAS GORGEOUS. THE SHOWER HEAD WAS AS BIG AS A DINNER PLATE, THE MASSAGE TYPE. THE KING SIZE BED WAS DONE UP BEAUTIFULLY WITH A CANOPY OF SHEER NETTING.  ANYWAY, WE TALKED PRICES. MY MOUTH DROPPED WHEN THEY SAID THEY ONLY PAY $800/MONTH. PLUS THIS INCLUDES A ONCE A WEEK MAID SERVICE!!! THEY KNOW ANOTHER GENTTLEMAN THAT IS RENTING FROM SOMEONE ELSE IN THE SAME COMPLEX AND HE BOOKS FOR A YEAR. HE IS PAYING $500/MONTH!!!! SO WE HAVE SOME CONTACTS FOR THESE PLACES SO THAT WE CAN BE LOOKING INTO OUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR. THIS WAY BECAUSE WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THE PLACES WE WILL NOT BE BUYING A "PIG IN A POKE"!!! WE ARE PAYING FAR........TOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR WHAT WE HAVE IN COMPARISON. OH, WELL, LIVE AND LEARN.OH, THIS GERMAN COUPLE ARE FROM TATAMAGOUCHE. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!SO WE HEADED FOR HOME AND  AS WE CAME TO THE GATE OUR NEXT DOOR CALGARY NEIGHBOURS; JEANETTE AND HARRY, BRUCE AND FRAN WERE COMING OUT. THEY WERE HEADED FOR A PLACE ACROSS THE ROAD CALLED MARTINIS. IT IS A CONDO COMPLEX BUT IT HAS A RESTARAUNT AND BAR. IT HAS HAPPY HOUR FROM 4 TIL 6 AND 9 TIL 11. THEY ASKED US TO JOIN THEM. THE DRINKS ARE ALL HALF PRICE AND THEY HAVE A LIST OF ABOUT 10 ITEMS FOR FINGER FOODS. WE HAD CHICKEN WINGS AND DEEP FRIED VEGGIES. IN THE END WE ALSO HAD 5 BEER. THE TOTAL BILL WAS $15.00 AND THIS WAS WITH THE TIP!!! HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG??!! WE WERE SO FULL WE DID NOT EVEN HAVE SUPPER. WE ARRIVED BACK AT THE CONDO ABOUT 7:30. IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT OUT.WELL, THIS IS GETTING TO BE MORE OF A SAGA THAN A DIARY ENTRY SO I'LL COME TO A CLOSE.HOPE EVERYONE KEEPS WELL.DEBBIE