February 5, 2001 - Puerto Plata, Cabarete

So much to tell and so little time to write it seems.  As Kris mentioned we went to Canada for Christmas (which already seems like a lifetime ago).  We had a fantastic time, but as always, too short.  

We spent Christmas with my parents and then New Years with Kris' family in Saskatoon.  We did all the Canadian winter activities like ice-fishing, tobogganing  and snowmobiling.  It was so nice to see everyone again.  We have some photos of the holidays on our Saskatoon page.  

Since returning to Santo Domingo I have quit my job and we've had Mark and Linda (Kris' aunt and uncle for a visit).  My job was as the production manager at an internet company.  I quickly found out that the Dominican way of doing business is a lot different from what I am used to.  It was a very good learning experience and I made many new friends, but it simply was not worth the money or the hours spent.  I have returned to making websites and also translating at home.  It seems to be going well and I'm much happier.   As well, it was nice to be home and spend some time with Mark and Linda during their visit.  We spent many nights on our balcony and a few afternoons by the pool sipping cervezas. It was a great visit.

A few weeks ago Kris and I went to the north coast to Puerto Plata for the  weekend.  It was fun, especially because we got to spend some time with my friend Julie from Toronto.  She has been living there for the past 2 years.  She gave us a great tour of the Puerto Plata area and we also had a great seafood dinner at a local restaurant owned by a Canadian couple.

On our way back to Santo Domingo we stopped at Caberete, which is a small town about 40 km east of Puerto Plata.  We think we have discovered our favorite place on the island.  After much searching for a place with some character and no all-inclusive resorts we finally found it.  There is not a resort in sight and it is said to be one of the best windsurfing locations in the world.  This little town is full of small hotels and restaurants and has one of the nicest beaches we've seen on the island.  We only spend the afternoon there, but our next trip will definitely be to Caberete!!

We are going to be quite busy with guests in the coming months...on February 17 both my friend Christina from Brantford and our friends Tom and Linda arrive.  Tom and Linda are staying at a resort a couple hours from here but we still hope to spend some time with them.  A week later our friends Mike and Nola arrive from Chicago.   Three weeks after that our Danish friends Martin and Marianne arrive for 2 weeks.  That's a full schedule!

The timing for all of our visitors has been perfect as Kris will begin doing some traveling with his job soon.  We aren't sure of where but we are both getting a bit of the traveling itch, so it will be nice to see some new spots.  Don't get us wrong, the past few months of living a somewhat normal lifestyle has been great!   Unpacking our suitcases for more than 3 weeks has been a real pleasure!!

Thanks for your patience in waiting for an update to our site.  Now that I'm working from home, I hope to dedicate some more time to it.  Hope to hear from you all soon.

Ana

Dec 4, 2000 - Santo Domingo

Just a little more than two weeks until we leave for Canada!

Things have been quiet of late.  We have both been working and getting home after 7:00 most nights so after we have had supper and gone to the gym there isn't much time left.  We have been spending most weekends at home relaxing, catching up on the internet, and basically just enjoying the comforts of having a permanent apartment!

We are having a Christmas pool party here next weekend which should be a good laugh.  Most of Ana's staff is coming as well as some of the people from Shell.  The landlord is "sharing" the party with us by inviting the rest of the tenants here so it should be a good crowd.

The weather has been beautiful up until a few days ago when it got rainy and overcast.  Don't mind the rain for a few days but hopefully the sun will shine the next couple weekends so we can work on our tans before returning to Canada for Christmas!

That's it for now, take care!

Kris

October 29, 2000 - Santo Domingo

After six weeks in Santo Domingo I would now say that we have completely settled in.  Our apartment is looking great and feels very much like home.  And the best part is that ANA FOUND A JOB!!!  Yep, that's right, her carefree days of sleeping in and killing time are over.  She is the production manager for a local web design company.  She has a department of ten web designers and has been enjoying the job very much.  The first week was a little tough as she has been away from the office environment for a while.  As well, her co-workers speak only Spanish so she has been learning plenty of new words!

The most recent news to report is that we have already had our first visitor.  My friend Earl made a surprise appearance on Friday afternoon then left Saturday.  He had to make an emergency "US visa" run out of the country so he came to Santo Domingo.  But we will be seeing him again very soon as he plans to return next weekend with his girlfriend for a two week stay which we are really looking forward to.

The area where we are living is superb.  Within three blocks we have a bakery, gym, movie cinema, park, grocery store, pharmacy, movie rentals, shopping mall, Jaguar dealership (just in case...), and at least a dozen restaurants.

So things are going well, but hectic.  We have finally booked our flights for Christmas.  We arrive in Toronto on Dec. 20 and depart for the New Years bash in Saskatoon on Dec. 29.  We then return to Santo Domingo on Jan. 6.  It will be nice to be with family and friends this Christmas.  They can fill the streets with lights and trees here, but without cold, snow and family, it just doesn't seem like Christmas!!

More soon....

Ana and Kris

September 26, 2000 - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

After a long summer break we are finally back online and back to updating Kris and Ana's Great Adventures.  This summer was a great opportunity to catch up with good friends and family.  We spent some time in Europe visiting our friends Marianne and Martin and attended their wedding.  We also made a pit stop in Portugal to sort my EU citizenship (which I now have.....YEAHHH).  And of course we couldn't leave Europe without a trip to Kris' old stomping grounds in London.  We had a short but sweet visit with Toddy and John, and of course the Bahamas boys, James and Steve.

Our next stop was a visit with Kris' family in Saskatoon.  It was great to be able to see the folks again and start making some plans for the Wedding Bash in the WEST!  It was also great to finally meet a few new additions to the crew... Kris' new cousin Janessa, Darren's little boy Aidan and also Curtis and Marty's girlfriends, Carrie and Jenn.  It was also my first visit to the "Lake".  Kris' grandparents have left a wonderful legacy for many generations to come.  I look forward to someday bringing my kids to this wonderful place.

We returned to Ontario mid-August and spent lots of quality time with mom and pop Borges.  Kris was fed hoards of good old Portuguese cuisine.  We also spent some time in Kingston with Mark and Linda and in Font Hill with Michael and Anna. A big congratulations are in order to Michael and Anna on their new cookbook!!!   Our last visit was to our friends Tom and Linda from Detroit. We hope to see them again for a visit in Dominican Republic. 

It was also a busy time getting ready for the big event next September.  The Olson/Borges wedding will be held on September 22, 2001 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.  Book your calendars and prepare your livers, it's going to be a WILD one!!! 

We are now in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  After a week of adjusting we are back on track.  Kris' project is going well and my job search is underway.  The interviews have been steady but nothing yet.

We have managed to find a place to live.  It is a two bedroom apartment in the heart of the city.  It is close to a park and is fully equipped with a swimming pool and generator (for the daily electricity outages).  So the extra bedroom is available for vacation bookings anytime!!

The weather has been a little weird for this time of the year.  Some tropical storms in the area have caused much rain.  But it is a nice break from the hot, humid sun.

This weekend we plan to take our first trip out of the city to a beach about an hour away.  We will report back next week on how it went.

Well, we are glad to be back and we look forward to hearing from you all!

Ana

June 28, 2000 - Barbados, Denmark, England, Canada

As this project nears an end we prepare for new adventures in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  Kris' new project has finally been set and we are moving there for at least 6 months in the beginning of September.  This summer will be a very busy one.   I leave for Brantford this coming Saturday and Kris follows a few weeks later.   Wedding planning and visiting friends and family will definitely be the focal point of this trip. 

We also have a wedding in Denmark on July 29 where Kris will be best man for his Danish friend Martin.   I've never been to Denmark so I am excited to go and also to meet Martin and his soon to be bride Marianne.  After a week in Denmark we are also going to England to visit a few of Kris' friends and have a reunion with a few of the boys from Bahamas.   Then back to Canada to visit Kris' family in Saskatoon.  As they say no rest for the wicked!!! 

We hope that we will still be able provide some updates on the website at some point this summer, but with this crazy schedule we can't make any promises.  We do  promise to continue documenting the summer adventures in September when we have settled in Santo Domingo. 

We are hoping to have many of you visit us in Santo Domingo, so plan your holiday's and let us know.   For now, have a great summer and take care....til September.

Ana

June 14, 2000 - St. Vincent and We Got Engaged!

Yes it is true, we are getting married!!  The last few days have been a dream come true!  This past weekend was a long weekend so we decided to go away to one of the islands close to Barbados.  Our friends Karen and Sara who are also on Kris’ project came as well.  We got tickets to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  We knew nothing about the place, other than it had beaches.  It was truly a paradise.  Green and lush and because of its volcanic origin there were many mountains, a nice change from Barbados’ flat environment.  So we arrived late Friday and had a nice dinner at our hotel.

The next day Kris and I got up early and went for a walk on the beach and that is when he popped the question.  Of course the answer was an overwhelming…YES!!!

The rest of the weekend was like being in heaven, talking about the wedding, staring at my beautiful engagement ring and making calls to the moms and pops.

The island was the perfect setting, beautiful beaches, cliffs and waterfalls.  An unforgettable weekend!!

The have decided to have the wedding in fall of next year, likely the beginning of September.  But we will keep you posted on details.   More news to follow…AHHH... isn’t life grand!!!

 Ana

May 30, 2000 - Barbados

We have arrived in Barbados safe and sound.  It is beautiful here but very hot. We have finally managed to settle in at our apartment. 

So far we have found it very expensive, meals are on average $15 - $20 US per person for dinner.  The only place where it is cheaper is at KFC!!  But the beaches are beautiful, the beer is good and the seaside bars are plentiful.  Kris and I have actually been amazed at the quantity of restaurants here.  There is a new place to go every night.  Our weekends have mostly been going for drives, and going to the beach.   Quite a notch down from hiking and climbing throughout the rainforests of Suriname.   Hopefully in the coming weekends we will be able to also do some scuba diving.  

Our friend Karen (who is also working on this project) is arriving from Guadeloupe this weekend for a while, so we are looking forward to catching up with her.

Unfortunately I won't be able to work here (strict immigration), so I foresee boredom setting in soon. This is my plea to all of our amigos....come visit me!!!  We have a nice couch that can sleep one very comfortably.

That's all for now....more soon.

Ana