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I never told you about Isla de Ometepe. How we rented bicycles to go really off-road, went horse-backriding on the beach (yes you read right! I actually did it again! Noone could ever have seen that coming - especially not me nor Ida) and went swimming in a swimming pool without bottom. We had a great time.

 

But, it is time for me to write about something else than Nicaragua. No matter how much I care for the country I must accept the fact that I'm not there anymore.

 

After a busride to San Jose, Costa Rica, where I got offered a job to dig in Jordaan, I and Mariella jumped on an airplane to Dominican Republic! She needed a break from her studies and work and asked if I maybe wanted to join on a vacation. Me, doing a seven months long vacation, says "of course! I could need a little weekend away!" And off we went.

The first impression was not at all inviting. This country is definetly not a backpackers cup of tea. I went from the Gringo trail straight into Charter hell. We were supposed to spend our first night in Samana, but in a country with big love to their taxi's, that would cost us 200 US$. After much consideration we decided to skip the whales for this time and just head to Cabarete where we anyway were supposed to spend the rest of our stay. If we were lucky maybe we could just stay one night more at the hostel we already had booked.

 

We weren't. Or I guess - it's all just a question of how you look at it. After the taxiride with a former chef of a Playboy House somewhere along road (highway?) 23 in the States, we got to Cabarete Beach Hostel. Here we had booked 5 nights in a dorm. The only teeny tiny problem was that they no longer had dorms. Only privates, and not for the same price we had been promised. On top of this the lady who was incharge really rude. Oh who am I kidding? She was a bitch. It all ended with our driver/playboy-chef lashed out on the hostel lady. You go explayboy-chef!

 

It ended with us staying at a hotel for the first night, since Cabarete is a charter city there simply aren't that many hostels. We spent the night googleing and searching hostels to find a solution. According to CBB they were working together with an other place called Ali's Camp or Cabarete Surf Camp or something like that and they should have our reservation. The following day we went over there, armed to our teeth with arguments to get a discount, only to meet a (at first) friendly lady telling us they didn't have dorms either, only private rooms. When we didn't take the offer of a private room twice the price we were promised she soon turned very aggressive and kicked us out. But at least we got our deposit back.

 

 

Not completely desperate but starting to fear we would have to spend a full week at a hotel, we walked on a road for about one kilometre when we saw it. Like a castle at the end of the road there was a hostel. First there was noone but, after a little bit of waiting, a small girl greeted us saying of course they had beds for us! And they also had a pool, wi-fi, lockers and a big kitchen. It was a lot more than we could ask for. And there we could stay for the rest of our time in Dominican Republic, Laguna Park Hostel.

 

Even with accomodation organized nothing really went as planned for the week. We went to Cabarete for sun, swim and kitesurfing. We had clouds most of the days and only got as far as a theory lesson - then the wind disappeared. And it never came back. So I must apologize for all my "OH I am gonna see whales! OH I will try kitesurfing!" It was all dreams that never came true.

 

 

With all that said, we did have an awesome time in Cabarete! We enjoyed both sea and pool, the food was delicious, the white snickers the best, our roomies in the hostel were sweet, found great white wine, not to mention the rum&coke, friendly mototaxi drivers that even drove us for free and superfriendly family when we rented a car. Even though I cant really recommend anyone to rent a car in Dominican Rep. It was simply too much excitement for ones everyday life.