John Miller
After a long career as a professional hydrogeologist (groundwater geologist) my wife Mary (former recycling coordinator) and I are retired. Much work and personal life has involved travel: Panama, Mexico, Central America, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Argentina, much of Europe and Alaska and Canada (these last two being our favorites).Aquiferman
I spent 1962-64 in the Dominican Republic as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Since then much of my life has been devoted to groundwater supplies and groundwater contamination and protection studies in North America, South America and Central America. Eight years of my life were spent in the Spanish-speaking world as a geologist. Fluent in Spanish, with a smattering of French and German. Presently residing in Florida. Graduate of St. Louis University and University of Missouri.
To acknowledge my buddy sitting with me on the bench: that's my favorite cat (belonged to my daughter Jana) ... he has gone off to catnip heaven. Crowley loved guys!
Travel Blog Posts
Birding and President Fernández and Restaurante Vesuvio
Published: February 18th 2007Central America Caribbean » Dominican Republic » Santo Domingo
February 11th 2007
It’s early in the AM as we head down to the Hotel Meliá to meet Kate Wallace for a birding trip to the Jardín Botanico. Kate, a former volunteer, runs Tody Tours (http://www.todytours.com), specializing in trips within the Dominican Republic. While she ordinarily charges $20 per person, she did this for free. All we had to do was chip in for the cost of transportation in a mini-van. Thanks a bunch, Kate!!! We had a three-hour hike in the park, observing quite a few new birds and some old friends (birds) that we commonly see in Florida. Among the birds seen were lots of Palmchats, Hispaniolan woodpeckers, Antillean Mango hummingbirds, Vervain hummingbirds, Snowy egrets, Common Moorhen, Purple Gallinules, Red-legged thrushes, Least grebes, Hispaniolan parakeet, Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo, Broad-billed tody (much like a hummingbird, and endemic to the ... read more
Tres Ojos Workshops and Nightclub
Published: February 17th 2007Central America Caribbean » Dominican Republic » Santo Domingo
February 10th 2007
After a quick breakfast at the Villar Hermanos pastry shop, we loaded up in the hotel’s mini-van and our driver, Rigoberto, took us out to Los Tres Ojos Park a bit east of Santo Domingo and across the Río Ozama. For those who do not recognize the name of this river, it has served twice as an invasion point to the island of Hispaniola. The first time was when the Spaniards came up the river to settle the “New World” and found Santo Domingo where the present Old Town is located. The second time came when in 1965, under the reign of Lyndon Johnson, 44,000 US troops invaded the country, with the major path of the invasion coming up the river. This invasion, unnoticed and not remembered by the American people, came during the early stages ... read more
Pastries Birding Eating Dancing
Published: February 16th 2007Central America Caribbean » Dominican Republic » Santo Domingo
February 9th 2007
We discovered a nice pastry shop just a block west of the Hotel Duque, and that is where the Duffs, Braxtons and Millers headed early the next morning. The café con leche was superb. Then we loaded ourselves into a mini-van at the hotel and headed to the northwestern part of Santo Domingo (Altos de Galá area) to the Jardín Botanica Nacional. This garden (7.7 sq miles) has a 4-kilometer (2.4 miles) asphalt-paved walking trail. It is well maintained and patrolled by helpful park rangers who are there to assist visitors and to prevent plant theft. Throughout the park are extremely tall, thin (you can put your hands together around the trunk) guanito (Coccothrinax argentea) palms. Some 300 species of orchids are present. A small river runs through the park, along which much bird life and ... read more
The Reunion Starts
Published: February 15th 2007Central America Caribbean » Dominican Republic » Santo Domingo
February 8th 2007
It's early in the morning in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR). Mary is already peeking out our balcony window to see what the birds are that she hears ... so many different calls from the many almond trees and pines near the hotel. What a night of bad sleeping on the mattress that sucks you to the center of the Earth, compounded by my cough (that's the last I'll mention of it, as it usually lasts a couple of weeks). Lowell Braxton, his wife Jean, Mary and I gave each other big "abrazos" as we met in the morning for a nice breakfast in the little hotel restaurant. Then we four walked the three blocks (gloriously struggling through the crowd of shoeshine kids -- we had on tennis shoes, sandals and rough-out boots -- but they ... read more
Almost Didn't Make It
Published: February 14th 2007Central America Caribbean » Dominican Republic » Santo DomingoFebruary 7th 2007
It's really laughable after the fact, but Mary and I almost didn't make it to the Dominican Republic Peace Corps 45th Anniversary Reunion. I misread the airline schedule and we showed up at the Tampa Airport just as the plane was in final loading stages. HOWEVER, lo' and behold ... there was a later flight and a later connection. But, we arrived five hours later than planned (it was 12 hours total), completely exhausted. Fortunately I was able to send an email to the Hotel Duque de Wellington (approx $62/night compared to the official reunion Hotel Meliá at $120 or so) and Rigoberto, the hotel driver, picked us up. All we could do was to call Lowell Braxton in his room and say, "See you downstairs for breakfast." We found that our AC sounded like an ... read more
Getting Ready to Go
Published: February 4th 2007Central America Caribbean » Dominican Republic » Santo Domingo
February 4th 2007
What excitement and a bit of trepidation. After all, I who remain so young looking will probably not even recognize the old coots that show up for the 45th Anniversary Reunion of the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. However, it looks like Duff, Braxton, McMullen and I will be there. Perhaps LaGra will show up. Had hoped for more, but 4-5 out of the remaining 23 (20 located) is not too bad. The accompanying photo is of a portion of our Well Drillers Group (Dominican Republic IV) that served there from '62-'64. We should have a good time and will lift a Presidente beer for those who could not show up.... read more
45th Anniversary Peace Corps Reunion Dominican Republic
Published: September 11th 2006Central America Caribbean » Dominican Republic
September 11th 2006
In February 2007 the 45th anniversary reunion of the US Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic (DR) will take place in Santo Domingo, DR. I was a volunteer from 1962-64 (Well Drillers). Previously I have sent emails and photos attached to tell folks about our travels. The TravelBlog seems to be much more effective. Earlier this year I worked with Google and other search tools to locate 20 of the surviving 23 guys originally in our group of 27 PCVs. Hopefully 5-8 of them will be at the reunion, some with wives or partners. Using TravelBlog I can tell the rest of the guys and my friends and family what happens. Additionally, I may go back to my old rural community in very small Punal, just south of the northern city of Santiago de los Siete ... read more
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