http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Aquiferman/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Aquiferman en-us Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:02:17 UTC Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:02:17 UTC Itrsquos early in the AM as we head down to the Hotel Meli to meet Kate Wallace for a birding trip to the Jardn Botanico. Kate a former volunteer runs Tody Tours httpwww.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 minivan. Than http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Dominican-Republic/Santo-Domingo/blog-130199.html After a quick breakfast at the Villar Hermanos pastry shop we loaded up in the hotelrsquos minivan and our driver Rigoberto took us out to Los Tres Ojos Park a bit east of Santo Domingo and across the Ro 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 t http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Dominican-Republic/Santo-Domingo/blog-130065.html 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 caf con leche was superb.Then we loaded ourselves into a minivan at the hotel and headed to the northwestern part of Santo Domingo Altos de Gal area to the Jardn Botanica Nacional. This garden 7.7 sq miles has a 4kilometer 2.4 miles http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Dominican-Republic/Santo-Domingo/blog-129825.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Dominican-Republic/Santo-Domingo/blog-129156.html 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 tota http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Dominican-Republic/Santo-Domingo/blog-129143.html 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 45 out of the remaining 23 20 located is not too bad. http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Dominican-Republic/Santo-Domingo/blog-125623.html 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 196264 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 http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Dominican-Republic/blog-88152.html