Despacho Papers
26 March 2010 | Luperon, The Dominican Republic
Above is a photo of the improved "new" bridge that we cross to get our despacho papers. It extends over a stinky conduit for raw sewage. Apparently, the old system involved pulling yourself across the stream hand over hand along a slimy rope while standing in a leaky rowboat. This month, it cost us $20 US dollars to receive our despacho and we all know that it is to line the pockets of this comandante.
We have our despacho papers for Punta Cana (another $20 US). It cost us $113 US to stay in Luperon for a week and we are supposed to check in and out of each port while in the D.R.
We are heading to Samana, Dominican Republic tomorrow, where we've heard there is a great national park. It is there, that we will wait for a weather window from Chris and stage in Punta Cana or jump straight to Puerto Rico and cross the dreaded Mona Passage. The plan is to wait until it is flat and calm and motor the 80miles across.
We are going to travel with another two boats "Vanilla" and "Osprey". They were thrilled that we were going tomorrow and that we had contacted Chris for the okay.
I will not be getting internet unless a miracle comes our way. We've heard that Samana is very remote and it's the closest that you can get to Bora Bora in the Caribbean???
For Chris Cornford; of the 50 T-shirt hanging up over Shaggy's bar, one is the Toronto Police marine unit (black)... were you here?