Yesterday night in Montreal freezing rain came down and coated the branches with clear icicles giving them a gloomy look.. Looking outside makes me yearn much more to my forthcoming departure for Sosúa. This morning a lot of household are without power having to endure a zero Celsius outside. Winter came in with wind gusting at 90km.

I need to see the sun and feel it's warm, but I have to wait another 50 days!


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Gate 54 to Sosúa

Over the airport's loudspeakers they are calling for the passengers of flight 752 Air Transat to gate 54. Grinning like a child who's about to open a gift, I cross the gate to board the plane bound to Puerto Plata airport while day dreaming about Sosúa my final destination. The smiling stewardess points towards my window seat “H13”.

Looking out I see a lot of people working on the tarmac around the plane getting the last of the baggages aboard, others fueling the plane's reservoirs while others get ready to deice the wings before take of. My mind is somewhere else...


I'm already on Sosúa beach admiring the waves coming in and curling around my feet caressing them gently, this is so great. The sun is shinning and the breeze is cool. I go up on the beach path to get a cold Presidente and shake hands with my friends then I also I see myself walking Duarte street to the “C'est la Vie” bar, enjoying the latest Dominican merengue music ...

Once more the loudspeakers inside the plane awakes me and brings me back to Montreal Airport... “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts we are ready to take off". Getting to the runway, I ear the plane's increasing pulse of the motors getting louder as the vibration flows along it's structure. The brakes are released and the plane speeds forward rapidly. The speed is increasing and my heart follows the beat reaching the end of the runway lifting itself with the plane like a bird towards it's warm vacation destination....

Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong!!! My door bell is ringing awakening me from my afternoon nap in my Montreal apartment!!!

Desperately waiting for Sosua

The Montreal autumn is creeping upon me making my head spin in the cold continuous rain shivering my bones. The leaves have fallen down and trees look like skeletons with brown bones creaking in the wind.

I can barely stand the waiting until the day that I will step down the plane and walk out of the Puerto Plata airport, feeling the warm breeze in my hair, looking at the evergreen vegetation embracing my "novia" waiting for me with the most beautiful Dominican smile you've ever seen.

The clock is slowly tic-tac-tic away the seconds bringing me closer to my winter paradise.

Another 2 months!

Vamos a la Playa

The morning is slowly fading away, giving space to the incoming Sosúa afternoon and I'm ready to go to the beach. Grabbing my t-shirt, walking pass the hotel pool, surrounded by sun bathing tourist, stepping out of the hotel environment to the sun lighted Pedro Clisante street, I'm strolling peacefully forward my objective: the Sosúa beach. Moving along, crossing the first corner of Ayuntamiento street I 'm looking on my right at the Atlantic Blue Restaurant where I should be dinning in the evening. They have fresh sea food, delicious meat and all the pasta and pizza you can eat.

Continuing along Pedro Clisante on my left I can see the big popular bar disco Sea Cret's (photo). Dr,Rosen street corner comes along with all kinds of bars and restaurants. This part of Pedro Clisante is well known for it's nightlife bars and music and good restaurants to eat and relax like the Britania one of the most friendliest meeting place for English speaking travelers. Reaching Duarte street corner, I'm looking at PJ, La Roca restaurant and the Voodoo lounge (photo).

From there, turning left down a small street going down to the beach there are small shops where you can find all kinds of souvenir to bring back home. The street ends on a parking lot where on the other side welcoming stairs to the beach open the way for a fantastic journey wihtin the beach society full of fantastic people working in different business of all kind.

I can smell the salty sea air and fill my eyes with all the beauty surrounding me. On my right the Sosúa Bay with it's green waters and white waves drawings small sand dunes on the beach and the beautiful sight of the Isabela mountain of Puerto Plata on the horizon. On my left a string of small shops, restaurants and bars welcoming travelers from all over the planet.

“Siempre Sol” is my goal. A friendly bar restaurant where I like to stop.

The manager, Herman (photo) from Holland, now 8 years managing this place is always welcoming customers with open arms and always ready to chat about any subject. No problem he speaks 5 languages and he can be very helpful in recommending places to go or things to do.

He always have beautiful Dominican waitress working for him. The beer is always very cold and the food can be done as you wish, don't be shy and tell him exactly how you like your steak done. This is one of the friendliest place where anyone can sit down, enjoying the afternoon away, talking with the employees or with the never ending parade of tourist or Dominicans walking along the beach path, vendors of all kinds of things offering you shoes, sandals, food like; oysters, sandwiches, shrimps, ice cream or others will play music for you.

So the afternoon goes away smoothly enjoying cold beers and a fresh breeze.

This is paradise!

Breakfast at Rocky's restaurant

Every morning at dawn I open my eyes to a beautiful scenery displaying itself outside my window. The sun shines upon the palm trees and the small banana plantation below my balcony. Sosua in the morning greets you with cool relaxing weather. I go down the stairs to the reception hall were I can sit in front of the computer to access my Internet emails, satellite weather pictures and news. While I'm typing away my messages, my friend "Santa" comes down the stairs with it's always grinning smiling face.




Everybody calls him "Santa" because of his looks, white beard and all. You can see him waiting for me and ready to take the morning walk to Rocky's.




From Plaza Sosua it's only 3 blocks ahead. Walking slowly, saluting friends we meet along Pedro Clisante, passing in front of Norteno Super mercado, the bank, the liquor store, crossing Ayuntamiento street taking care not being hit by an absentminded motoconcho, we continue toward are goal.



Finally we arrive at the restaurant.
Ham and eggs, bacon, salad, tomatoes, toast and name it there is all you need to fill yourself Canadian breakfast style.

Always surrounded with many friends.
There is also a WyFy Internet free connection. On the photo, one of the waitress arrives at the restaurant.




So this is how the day starts for me in Sosua. Now I'm full. I'm getting the newspaper and slowly I will be reading it sitting beside the pool.