Now, Where Were We?

Since the last time we chatted it seems that most of the tourists have left town, and things are turning back to normal. I guess the next big surge will occur around July 4th holiday.

Been getting quite a bit of rain lately. Didn't really affect the capital to much, but some of the rural areas got battered pretty badly. Some towns are still struggling to get back on their feet.

Today (June 7), is a holiday here. Corpus Christi Day. Most things will be closed today, and quite a few people will be using it for the start of a nice long weekend. I never know when the holidays are coming. I always find out about them the day before. I need a Dominican calendar. All the buzz was that there would not be a curfew last night. NOT!

Last Saturday night, CHA's was robbed. Don't know all the details, but it seems that 4 guys slipped in with the regular crowd, and later robbed the cashier, while roughing someone up. Many stories are going around, but it was a little item in one of the newspapers. One of the guys was/is in the military. He was caught. Will try and find out more information.

One of the models Paul Culver shot (and who I have on the Monaga site) is featured in an upcoming movie from Enrique Cruz. I know none of the people who read this blog partake of any pornography, but I thought I would include a picture anyway. (The other picture below I threw in because he is also gorgeous)

A good friend of the blog, Stanley Bennett Clay, has a new novel out. It's called Looker. It's gotten rave reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, along with Clikque Magazine. Look for it in a bookstore near you.

There is a new service for those who want to save money on airline tickets. It's called Yapta. You sign-up for this service and when you go to travel sites, like Expedia and such, it will alert you when the fare goes down. Another cool service they have is that if you have already purchased a ticket, you can put in the confirmation number to the site. If the airfare drops it alerts you and tells you how to get a refund or voucher. Very interesting site and could be revolutionary.

I don't know if many of you read the message boards on DR1? But, they can be very informative. One of the topics that is really hot now is the crime problem. More specifically, as it relates to foreigners living here. There have been some brazen robberies on the Northcoast at hotels. Truth be told, there have been some brazen robberies in Santo Domingo, too. I know several apts. and businesses that have been robbed. So much for the curfew curbing the crime problem. Personally, I still feel safe. Crime can (and DOES!) happen anywhere, so I just stay careful. And if you're visiting here, you should too.

Byron has finally posted his last entry, but more importantly, he cleared up some misconceptions about his new baby. We'll miss the blogging, Byron.

Until soon,
The Monaga Blogger