Five Star Campo Accomodations coming at ya!


I didn't have a chance to mention previously that I relocated sleeping quarters about 400 meters down the way from my Doña's residence. I'm now shacking up in what was once a little colmado, town grocery, a two room flat set back from the road. The absentee owner, Ana Rosa, is a charming grandmother who recently left the island for Nueba Yol' (Dominican for New York). She left the house and the shack in the hands of her daughter who resides an hour away from Las Batatas in the city of Santiago. The place has become the family's campo get-away. They rarely visit except for holidays, and then of course on the off chance, to pick up a bunch of bananas or a sack of dried cacoa from the conuco (garden/orchard).

So I was actually living exclusively in the shack until my friend, Christi Holmes, decided to visit a week back. I explained to Ana Rosa's daughter my desire to accommodate my American guest who would be plenty overwhelmed after a few candlelit bucket baths, never mind sleeping on the floor without access to "flush facilities". With this in mind, they handed me the key to the house and its kitchen, bedroom and indoor bathroom (a real luxury). So in one fell swoop I went from camping in the sticks to relaxing in a resort. 'at a girl Christi!


Out in front of the house I've got the town sombrero, a giant Mata de 'Mendra, where my sheriff, his family, and all the town caballeros take pause under the branches to watch the world go by. The sheriff's son is the caretaker, watchiman, for Ana Rosa's house, so he and his campo wife (they are not wedded in the books, but who in the campo ever is?), sleep in a room abutting my kitchen. I serve them up sugary cafecitas every morning in exchange for their services as watchiman (security) when I'm away.


I had initially thought that moving into my own place, I'd find more privacy and Me-time to do work and also relax. While I am finding it is nice to call a place my own, I can't say that I am ever short on visitas. The kitchen is almost always bustling with muchachos and muchachas who like to swing by throughout the day, setting themselves up at the table to color with my crayons, hoping they'll receive some sort of brindis (treats). I've already made dozens of chocolate chip cookies and a batch of blueberry pancakes, I'm thinking about branching out to share the wonders of buttery french toast and banana bread.

So, if you've got a recipe or two, send 'em my way...