DR Day 3 - Sabbath April 14th at the College with friends

We were invited by A and A to come and go to church with them on Sabbath.  Bryn had been in touch with them before we left home and it was so nice to have friends there.

I got up early in the morning and took a few more flower pictures before we left our house.
We left shortly after 7 a.m.

The sunrise was so beautiful.

I enjoyed our drive to Banao very much and wished there was time for Don to pull over and stop at each and every interesting sight along the mountain road we took before we got to the highway.  It was beautiful and the colours were amazing.  All along the mountain road people were setting up their little shop for the day with fresh fruits and roasting meat.
Children were all over and so cute to watch.

As we came down the mountain a mist filled the sky and it made for a really picturesque scene... my mind will try to hold on to it.

Once we got on the highway we were surprised at how quickly the K's went by until Bryn shouted out... there is the college.  We did a U turn at the next place available and went into the guarded gates to the campus.

It was so wonderful to have Anita and Aneury there to translate or help us know what was happening next.
They introduced us to the college president and his wife and daughter and some other important people too.
Everyone was so genuinely friendly.   It was a pleasant church service with a lot of singing upbeat songs and a nice flute solo.
The president of the college spoke and I tried to catch all the Spanish words I could.  Anita helped me out when I asked. Rebecca did really well with her Spanish and we appreciated that too.

The children were camping out for Adventure Club but we went to see them before lunch.   When Anita said things were ready we went to the cafeteria for a delicious meal.   Wish I could have held more food but there was too much variety to have too much of any one item.

We visited a bit more and then had to leave to head back on our three plus hour drive to the resort in Puerto Plata.

On the way back we got lost in Santiago.   Went right through a presidential parade route twice. It reminded me of when we made a turn on a Walla Walla street and found ourselves at the end of the Santa Claus parade! Everyone waving at us and making us feel like celebrities.

Here, when I asked Don to pull to the side so I could take a nice picture of all the bright flags on the bridge, a lady on a motorcycle told us we HAD to move as the president was coming.
No celebrating waving here.

Don stopped in town to ask for directions to the highway and got a man willing to lead us out of town on his motorcycle for only $25 dollars, not terrible like those people who charge so much in Puerto Plata.

We found our own way out of town and back through the parade route and back to the resort.

That is another story in itself.

What an interesting Sabbath.

Sunrise from in front of our vacation home

The vacation home beside our yellow one.  They all looked so different and so pretty.  Ours was sure very clean and comfortable

Guards at our gate

They were very friendly to us

On the road with a load of plantains or bananas

In a town - we had directions Bryn had on her lap top but they were interesting ones like turn right at the veterinaries clinic

Yay! Don stopped to ask directions and even though one talked in English and the other in Spanish we found the right way

Sure was pretty driving along the highway to Banao

Part of the road to get to the highway

The university church

The gated entry way

A beautiful flute solo

Aneury and the University president and his wife.  All very, very nice people

The ad building from the front

A little pup next door to the Vargas home

The Vargas home on campus with our rental car in front

Two of the youngest Adventurer Campers

Cindy cute as always but sad about something

Our Sabbath lunch meal at the college cafeteria. What a beautiful set table and delicious food. Thanks A and A!

Everything was done so prettily with a tomato rose on top of the yummy rice

The other part of the cafe

After our meal things were not as pretty any more but we were so nicely full and content

The banana flower in the Vargas front yard or next door

I could not help but take pictures of all the greenery and colourful flowers nearby

Not sure what kind of berries these are but they were pretty

One of the chickens in the yard

Helping Don get his travel brain in gear

Bryn and Cindy - time to leave the fun camp

They sure know how to use any space for their ads for the presidential campaign

On the mountain side

As we drove by in Santiago

First sign in town of the president coming to Santiago.  Ribbons on all the light posts

Flags and signs and posters and people

It made driving a bit tricky.  We all kept our eyes pealed for signs for Puerto Plata

The bridge we wanted to take to get out of town. Under it but not driving on it

The ever helpful street vendors - for just a small fee

Shopping done it is time for the moto taxi home

Colourful for sure

Back closer to Puerto Plata - donkeys and horses were just staked along the highway enjoying the grass

Seemed like a castle to us as we motored along the small road. We even did a U turn and came back to explore a bit and let me get some pictures