Luperon, DR
19.54.031N
70.56.897W

This morning about 7:00 am Calaloo and another boat pulled out prior to the trade winds picking up. We checked the buoy reports that reflected worse conditions than we had anticipated for today but as they didn't return, we wished them the very best in their travels.

MTNest (whom we had met in Georgetown) and Moon Goddess (who had anchored next to us in Ft. Pierce) came straight to Luperon from Provo to keep from getting caught in the closing window. They said that they had endured a miserable night; conditions had improved during the day but were once again deteriorating as they got closer to Hispanola. Again, we thought of Calaloo.

Except for going out to the entrance to guide MTNest and Moon Goddess in, we stayed on the boat reading most of the day. At happy hour though, we made our way up the hill to hear the local talent for open mike night and were once again harassed. The singer teased us by calling us the "come and go" group when we entered which in turn garnered the attention of the Commandante.

Elaine and I were seated at the table when he approached and asked us in broken English why we had not left. Elaine tried to explain in her less than fluent Spanish that we had tried to leave but that the seas and wind were against us so we had to stay. We asked him to join us and by the time the guys sat down and bought him a beer, we had started a Spanglish conversation that would last the better part of the night. Before he had departed our table, his second in command had joined us and by the end of the evening, we had met the mayor of Luperon who had been the second in command's geography/history teacher in high school.

Although I don't speak Spanish, I have picked up enough to understand more than I speak, if the conversation is slow. Since the Commandante was trying to use more of his English and everyone else was trying to use their Spanish, it was a very slow conversation. I thought I did pretty good when I understood what the Commandante was trying to say about the rainy season and they didn't. All in all, it was quite the evening and we didn't get fined or asked to leave. We'll make sure our harbor fees are paid on time and probably speak with the Commandante again before we leave just to be on the safe side.

It looks like we're going to be here for a while.