Sun, Surf and Sand

The skies are starting to clear so we (Dave, Shirley, Paul, Barb, Rick and Brenda) to head out to the highway and hopped on the Guagua and headed east to Cabarete.

Cabarete is a town in the Puerto Plata province of the Dominican Republic, noted for its tourism and beaches. It is located on Camino Cinco approximately 11 miles (18 km) from the airport of Puerto Plata (POP).

Cabarete was founded in 1835 by Zephaniah Kingsley (as part of his Mayorasgo de Koka estate) along with his mixed-race family, and 53 slaves he freed from his Florida plantations and brought here while the island was under Haitian administration. Several descendants of the Kingsleys and of the former slaves live in the area today.

The Main Beaches of Cabarete:
Cabarete Bay is considered a "town" and has hosted many professional kitesurfing competitions like WorldCup/Copa Mundial, Master of the Ocean, PKRA, and WKL.

Kite Beach is 1.5 miles to the west of Cabarete Bay and true to its namesake is as a world renowned kiting beach. It also has a world class reef break that is visited by Stand Up Paddle Surfers.

Playa Encuentro is 3 miles to the west of Cabarete Bay and is among the most consistent surfing beaches in the Caribbean.

Once we arrived we headed down the beach for our beach walk. Cabarete bay stretches for 2 km and you can continue on to Perla Marina for another 6 km if you are so inclined. At the end of our walk we landed at Rocky's Aqua for "Paddywacker's" or know with our group as "Paulywackers". The gang met up with a fellow last year and was introduced to this delicious milkshake tasting drink last year (not on the menu). Be careful as one drink contains many ounces of alcohol and can quickly put you under the table.

After one drink I waved the white flag.. and Shirley and I headed out to explore the shops. I visited the Bead shop and found a lovely conch shell ring. It is an eclectic shop with beads, jewelry, t-shirts and many more items.

The beach at Cabarete has also suffered from the storms and hurricanes from earlier this year. It is going to take some time for the north coast to recover from all of this rain and unusual weather patterns. A wonderful afternoon sitting back and watching the kite surfers come out for day one of an international competition. What a wonderful day with friends!

Recipe of the week: Week 6

The Paddywhacker - aka "Paulywhaker"

1 oz 151 proof rum (optional)
1 oz light rum
1 oz dark rum
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz baileys liqueur
1/2 oz frangelico
1/2 oz amaretto liqueur
1/2 oz creme de cacao liqueur
1/2 - 1 can of coconut cream
ice

Fill blender 3/4 full with ice.
Add all liquid. Blend until smooth.
Top with Nutmeg
Variation: Add more rum, rum, rum and more rum!