Lew, Bev, Denny and I hired a local to drive us to Puerto Plata. It is a big city about an hour away. We asked him to take us to the hardware store where we picked up a few items. Next was lunch where we had some delicious local food. Then we went to the rum factory. We weren't allowed to take photos of the inside of the factory. It was pretty sophisticated with high-tech equipment. There weren't many people doing much but watching the machines do all the work. After a few taste tests, we bought some rum and were happy tourists!






The city has a lot of motorcycles. I think a lot is an understatement, as they really are everywhere. There are guys on motorcycles with bright yellow vests and these guys are motorcycle taxis. For a US dollar, they will take you any where you want for up to two people. I was glad we had our own private driver. Then we went to The Amber Museum. This Victorian museum is housed on two floors, and is said to have the most transparent Amber collection in the world. Well-preserved plants, insects and animals that were trapped in the resin of prehistoric trees are exhibited here. An interesting piece of trivia: this museum possesses the very famous Amber that was seen in the box office hit "Jurassic Park". Here we bought an amber stone for my charm bracelet and some "Mamajuana". We had a sample of this sweet, amber-colored liquid. It is said to be a cure-all, mainly used for the gripe, the Dominican name for the flu. It is also said to be a good remedy for arthritis, toothaches, headaches and stomachaches. In the history of Mamajuana it has been used as a cure for many different ailments. Below is Denny making a batch of Mamajuana.



After our museum visit, we went to the grocery store. In all we had a fun filled day and our taxi ride cost us $24. Later that night we had a delicious fish, lobster and rice dinner on s/v Suzanne.

Life is good on Kokomo!

Becky