Hope and Bill's Dominican Adventure January 2009: Day 3

Day Three we woke up at 4:30 am to catch the 5:00 am shuttle out to Samana for a whale watching tour.  (A word to the wise - if you're doing the whales in Samana from the north coast, buck up the $45USD for the charter helicopter ride - the bus trip is BRUTAL.)  The weather had turned - it had rained all night and ominous clouds hung in the sky, alternating between torrential downpours and a perpetual sprinkle.  My spirit wasn't dampened - I was on my way to see WHALES!  Now, we had been warned that it was really early in the season for whales.  We had been told yes, whales had been spotted.  The people we met at the dock said yes, they had seen whales, and someone on a deep-sea fishing adventure has said yes, we've seen the whales... alas, after 4 hours on a bus, and 3 hours in driving rains, we landed for our late lunch on Bacardi Island without having spotted a single whale.  

Miss Maddie and her Mom had come with Bill and I - and we were all crestfallen - but our time on Bacardi Island was pretty sweet (the sun even put in a brief appearance!) and made the trip memorable instead of a complete bust.  Fabulous live music, THEE best rice and beans and fish (head on of course) of the entire week, coconut and pineapple drinks, swimming in the ocean on one of the most beautiful beaches, and beachcombing... 'twas heavenly.

It was on the whale watching tour that Maddie, Bill and I bonded.  In hindsight, it's a good thing - she was a touchstone for us both.  Being so far away from our own children for so long, we needed her.