As much as I'd like to tell you that I took a quick trip to Morocco or I'm starring in a Broadway version of the classic 1942 film, Casa Blanca is simply a cabana club in eastern Santo Domingo. I went there with Indhira, her little sister, and our driver on Friday after class, and I had a great time.
Like baseball, swimming is one of the things in my life that is more work than recreation for me. Swimming is more work to me that baseball is, by the sheer amount of time I spend teaching in the water. Over the summer I worked nearly every day in the pool teaching lessons, from Memorial Day to the day before I left for the DR. I taught one of my regular private lessons on the Wednesday afternoon of the week I left, and Friday morning at 4am I arrived at San Francisco International Airport to catch my plane. Once I return to the States I'll be working a minimum of three days at the pool, and perhaps as many as five days if I can fit it into my schedule.
It's a good thing I enjoy aquatics and teaching so much, seeing as it's such a big part of my life. To be honest, I don't swim for recreation all that much anymore. I swam at a friend's pool party for the Fourth of July this summer. I think that's the only time I got into the pool for a recreational swim this year, before I got here. I don't swim in the ocean in California because the water is too cold and often really dirty, with seaweed and broken pieces of shells and just general ocean gunk washing up with every wave. I pass by the aquatics center at San Jose State every day when going to and from my apartment and I'm never compelled to go for a swim there, even as the facility is quite nice. I don't go to open or rec swim at the swim club where I work, either.
I also have my own ideas of what a cabana club is like. I taught lessons this summer at a cabana club that's built for kids. It's seriously tiny town there, with showerheads in the bathrooms placed 4 feet off the ground, and a 1.5 foot wading pool with water kept at 90 degrees. Still, it was nice teaching there because they sold ice cream, cold drinks, and would play the local classic rock station over the cabana soundsystem.
When we got to Casa Blanca, we drove on a side street off one of the main roads up to a white walled building. There wasn't even a sign of any indicator of what was inside. A huge pool of deep blue water in the middle of gorgeous architecture met us as we walked in. Two story balconies with white railings were all around the pool. There was a dance floor with a soundsystem that pumped out bachata, merengue, and salsa all day. Everywhere you go when you hang out in the DR has a bar. Even if it's just beer and rum, there's a bar. Casa Blanca follows that rule. The pool itself had a real rock formation with a tumbling waterfall.
The water was perfect--clear, cool, and not harsh at all. I've been to the beach twice here (details coming in my next post) and loved the warm water but hated the salt from the sea, burning my nose and eyes and wrecking my hair. In my pool in Santa Clara, the chlorine is cranked up so high the water tastes awful. One time I accidentally got some in my mouth and I nearly choked.
The water at the big pool at Casa Blanca was the best water I've encountered while swimming.
As we've come into November, the weather here has become almost pleasant. I still sweat on my walks to school and to the grocery store, but it's no longer oppressively hot outside. Friday afternoon and evening was cool and refreshing, the kind of summer evening I've come to relish in San Jose. The water got colder as the sun went down and the wind picked up a bit, and I found myself on the chilly side. After two months of humidity at 90 degrees, I welcomed the chance to be cold.
I also welcome the chance to hang out in my bikini in November. Back in San Jose, it's been 40-60 degrees with rain. I could hang out in my bikini there, but I don't think I'd enjoy it much there.
Casa Blanca is truly lovely and if I had loads of money, I'd get married here and fly all my friends and family out here. The reception would be at Casa Blanca. Bring your own swimsuit.
We ended up at this gorgeous place only because our first destination was closed. We drove out to Agua Splash, a water park with water slides and other fun things, and found a sign that said the park was closed until March 2012 for renovations.
That really sucks because I was invited to go to Agua Splash last week but we couldn't go because of a scheduling problem and now I can't go at all. It looks like a really fun place, already made better by the standards of DR entertainment (aka the bar and loud music).
Because of this unexpected change of plans, we had to drive around quite a bit. Sometimes we sat in traffic for more than a few minutes. The main roads in Santo Domingo have people on foot weaving around the cars when traffic is stopped, selling…well, anything you can think of. Cell phone chargers, sunglasses, belts, snacks, cold drinks (those guys are geniuses if you ask me), flowers, phone cards. I saw more than a few of these vendors, including some women--a rare sight for me so far. I've seen men as the predominant ones selling fruit from their carts, pedaling their ice cream carts down the street, and selling drinks and snacks on the street corners on Avenida Maximo Gomez (the main street by my apartment).
Just as I got to enjoy myself at a baseball game, I got to enjoy a day at the swimming pool. Soon enough I'll go back to my job as a swim coach and I'll get back into it, loving what I do but not having time or desire to get in the pool for myself. That's okay.
I'll always have Casa Blanca.
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