my adventures: t.i.r.d.

If any of you have seen the movie Blood Diamond, you may recall the idea of saying T.I.A. (This is Africa). When things happen or regardless of the insane things that go on, it is still your country. We all feel that this idea fits perfectly in this country. I often find myself mouthing the phrase "soooo dominican!" because that is really the only way to describe the things that go on in this country. This is Republica Dominicana.

Please enjoy the following pictures and videos, along with their captions. Feel free to enlarge the pictures to see every humorous detail. All of these pictures and one of the videos were taken within the 15 minutes of each other, I kid you not. The other video is bonus.

We were the first car stopped at the stop light. As we waited, slowly but surely motos wove in and out of the cars up to the front until we were completely surrounded by them when the light finally turned green. T.I.R.D.

It wouldn't be a day in the Dominican Republic if you didn't see someone drive by carrying something on a moto. This time it is a Haitian man carrying paintings over his head. Why transport your goods any other way? T.I.R.D.

On the main street that runs through Puerto Plata, which also becomes the highway when you leave town pass all the speedy cars and motos on a mission to get somewhere and to get there fast. On the same road passes a man with his horse and cart. Notice that his cart is actually a car axel. T.I.R.D.

The back windshield of the car reads "C VEND." What the owner was clearly trying to write was "C VEN D" there just wasn't enough room. What does this mean? Well, nothing to tell you the truth. However, it would be pronounced the same way as the phrase "SE VENDE" which means "For Sale." Clearly though, one would use letters with the same pronounciation (instead of the actual words which take longer to write). T.I.R.D.