Chivirico goes to Jarabacoa

Last weekend there was great excitement as we went on holiday for the first time in years. Me, Danilo and Chivirico. We went to Jarabacoa to stay in a villa at Rancho Las Guasaras, which had been rented by a friend of mine from the US who was staying there with her family and friends.

The villa was lovely, not sure about the deer though – Chivirico decided it was one of Santa Claus’ who fell into the fireplace and died.

He had a brilliant time, cooking

Dressing in his new frog towel and swim shorts

In the pool where he learned to swim

Helping people to climb over rocks in the river

On his new scooter

Teaching the others to play dominoes - he won

On the Sunday night we went to the Hamaca de Dios (God’s Hammock) development, to their restaurant way up above Jarabacoa called the Aroma de la Montaña.

The views were simply spectacular.

I would thoroughly recommend this restaurant, not just for the food, service and the views, but because it was much more than simply going out for a meal. It was the whole ambiance and experience. We were there for 4 hours – eating upstairs in the revolving restaurant, out chatting on the upstairs patio and then downstairs to the outside deck to watch the sunset and the lights twinkling down below as it got dark. No one tries to push you out as someone else wants your table, no hovering waiters when you don’t want them, just an overall lovely laid back and very enjoyable experience.

It was sad to leave Jarabacoa and get back to normal life, but there have been some changes in the countryside. Firstly the gym has a new machine – again. I thought you were probably fed up of muscular men so here is Belinda the Great Dane checking it out. The only things lacking now are a running machine and a step machine - and I am sure they will turn up sooner or later.

Secondly, I couldn’t believe it, at last my cauliflower has the white bit in the middle. It has taken 7 months and  is only as big as my thumb at the moment, but I can feel cauliflower cheese coming on before Christmas.

So, many thanks to Tracy for inviting us to Jarabacoa and making a little barrio boy very happy

He will certainly remember his first holiday in his dreams and for the rest of his life.