07.40 Good morning! It is time to leave Santo Domingo. We will travel further on the island Hispaniola and we´ll see more of the Dominican Republic today.

08.35 There is a rhythmic dripping in my bathroom. It's not the shower that is leaking. It drips from the tube to the air conditioner. Soon we will leave our two rooms. What awaits us beyond the horizon?

09.01 The checkout from Hotel Monumental went well. After that we were shown to a taxi by one of the gentlemen at the front desk. Good service to come with us down the street and to arrange with a taxi. Thank you! The man pointed at a taxi driver. I first thought that he pointed toward two youths on motorcycles. The taxi guy, who turned out to be from New York, drove us to the Caribe Tours (http://www.caribetours.com.do) bus terminal. The taxi driver was temporarily visiting the Dominican Republic, his country of origin.

09.06 Here at the Caribe Tours main station, we have bought two tickets from a lady behind a counter. It went smoothly.

09.35 We are several people who are waiting for a bus which will take them, us to where we want to go. Where is everyone going? Where is everyone going to and from? Are they travelling towards happiness, sadness, or plain, gray life? Who knows? Fortunately, we have WiFi here at the bus terminal. It is great when you want to kill some time.

We are waiting inside Caribe Tours bus terminal.

A comfortable journey to the north.

09.58 After some waiting we have boarded a bus of the smaller kind.

10.44 We left Santo Domingo and travelled east for a while before we left the highway to continue to the north.

11.15 Half of the journey is made. The landscape has trees and the traffic is calm. The speakers’ offer trumpet music. They currently play "Let It Be".

12.08 We have passed the town Sánchez and started our trip out on the Samaná Peninsula.

12.32 Christer was prepared and had found out exactly where in Samaná the bus would stop and what route we would take to get to our hotel. Of course, the bus stopped at a completely different place and we could not locate ourselves and had to jump into a taxi for the short journey to our accommodation. It was in any case a very cheap trip.

12.46 We have now walked up the stairs and checked in at Docia Backpackers (http://hoteldocia.blogspot.se) and in room 206.

13.33 Our nice host Guillermo, who is from Valencia in Spain and have decorated the office with football pennants from the Levante team, has given us information about things that are good to know. Now we know which transport alternatives to catch later on.

Hotel Docia Backpackers, Samaná.

The unique protestant "La Churcha" was transported here from England in 1824.

From the terrace we can look out over the town.

13.50 We were adviced to go to a simple restaurant close to our hotel but there was not much activity. Instead, we continued in the heat down to the main street by the sea, Avenida La Marina. We are now at Café de Paris for our lunch. The restaurant’s symbol is a broken Eiffel Tower.

14.32 The lunch was excellent and the price even better. Now we will see more of our new hometown.

14.41 We have met a jolly man who, a bit disjointed, talked about his brother and his boat. In addition, he told us what you can do here during other parts of the year.

14.55 Our bench is red and warm. Boats are bobbing around in the water in front of us. Further out is a small island and a bridge extends out to the island. We are about to make plans regarding the rest of the day and maybe even tomorrow.

15.26 After we´ve been buying drinks in a small shop that almost entirely lacked groceries, we have now returned to the room. It's hot today, hotter than yesterday. Christer just cried out, my goodness, Jesus. The reason for this religious exclamation is the heat and the subsequent sweating and the desire for something to drink. We hope for a frigid air conditioning. Soon we will go to the shade on the patio to read in our books.

16.26 We relax and read. Below the hotel are barking dogs and motorcycles hums past. The heat continues.

The lunch restaurant Café de Paris with its broken Eiffel Tower.

Christer is taking a break in the tropical heat.

Peter is writing down something you will read in this travel journal.

The beach walk in Samaná.

The catholic Santa Bárbara church.

17.11 The remote control for the air conditioning says +16°. The air-conditioner says +28°. Why 28°? Is it the outdoor temperature and why does it show it?

17.46 Now we're out walking in the town again. We have been at some newly built low, colourful wooden houses, Pueblo Principe. It is a newly opened shopping mall. So new that some houses still stand empty. No one has moved in yet. Now we are down at the seaside. A short distance away is another of the outdoor gyms we've seen before on our trips.

17.57 The plans to have a coffee or a beer was discontinued because most small kiosks or cafés on the promenade had closed or were about to close. We decided to walk towards Docia again.

18.49 After a little internet browsing on the patio near the front desk, we collect stamina in the room. We also filled up with fluids. It is needed! Now we will think about tonight's dinner. Where should we eat?

Pueblo Principe, Samaná.

Outdoor gym for people with energy in this heat.

A frigate bird in the sky.

Lazy dogs in the afternoon sun.

20.20 We have made a decision and went to the Chinese restaurant/hotel Chino located on a hill above our hotel. We made it here via a steep staircase and here we have had to fetch the menus on our own and are now ready to order. The staff here seems moderately enthusiastic and has barely noticed our arrival, but the woman who finally showed up and now taken up our order did what she should.

21.42 This was great, plenty of food at a great price, large portions with everything except a big cost. Full and satisfied we are now ready to step down from the hill and unlike previous nights also share a bedroom.

22.51 Tomorrow is planned. We will treat ourselves a late wake up followed by breakfast at Café de Paris, where we found good breakfast options in the menu. Then we must arrange with more money, anywhere from a cash machine that can deliver more than 2000 pesos per withdrawal.

The restaurant Chino was generous and gave us lots of food.

Waiting for a good internet connection.

Tuesday 8th of July

08.50 It is nice with a sleep in. Soon, we will go out on the town to find a restaurant with a breakfast offer.

09.21 The planned breakfast place, Café de Paris, yesterday's lunch restaurant was closed. This was also the deal with our second option. Opposite it, we found Tierra y Mar which was open. It seems to be owned, run by Evelyn and David. The floor here is made up of gravel.

10.06 After a hearty breakfast, which consisted of delicate sandwiches, juice and coffee and later some successful ATM withdrawals, we are not as successful with the internet connection here at Docia Backpackers. We sit on the hotel porch and are trying to find a signal.

10.16 What had gone so well did not continue in the same way. We weren’t able to get out on the web. This may sound simple but we want to know exactly where the next hotel is located. Now it all becomes more random.

10.41 We said goodbye to our host Guillermo and our nice accommodation. However, we have not said goodbye to Samaná because we will pass the town again on Friday. Now we walked down to the road to the Malecón, the boardwalk. We are waiting for a transport that will take us from here. We just have to stand here and wait for various vehicles which offer a ride.

Breakfast at Tierra y Mar.

Heading towards the next destination.

10.58 The transport vehicle appeared and stopped. It has become, as in Malawi two years ago, time to go with a pick up truck. We are going to Las Galeras, a village at the tip of the Samaná peninsula. We are not alone on the vehicle, it is rather the contrary!

11.12 We are going with a guagua. It is the name of this kind of cheap simple transportation here in the Dominican Republic. Sometimes the guagua is this primitive but in most cases it is some kind of minibus.

11.54 We have, after a windy truck ride, finally arrived. We got a ride all the way to our new home. It heated up considerably in the face when we were standing still. Along the way we saw beautiful scenery and a variety of villages and also a furious man who shouted, waved and finally slammed his fist into a pole. Now we are in our room in our new accommodation, El Pequeño Refugio. The room has no AC or TV but it has ceiling fans and mosquito nets.

13.15 We are sitting at the bar downstairs from the room and are sipping on a Presidente beer each and read some in our books. We checked the internet and are amazed over all the nonsense that electronic versions of newspapers put out. On the bar's walls are paintings with faces. It features paintings, collages and more. El Pequeño Refugio is run by the Bulgarian couple Lea and Ivan.

13.55 The beer and chapters in our books are finished. We also built up some hunger. It is time to take care of it.

14.25 We have made a small tour of our little village. Now we are sitting in the restaurant/hotel Gri Gri along Jimi Hendrix Avenue. We have ordered lunch.

15.22 After lunch (very good but slightly overpriced spaghetti and meat sauce) where one of the owners, a lady complained about the heat, we went to the village Supermercado, grocery store. In there a man was sleeping in the back of the store. Now we are home for a short while but will soon visit our neighbours.

Peter has moved into our room at El Pequeño Refugio.

Our neighbours have a nice place to stay.

El Pequeño Refugio.

Las Galeras, small but nice.

Spaghetti lunch at Hotel Restaurant Gri Gri.

16.05 We've just arrived to the neighbour, to the restaurant/hotel Plaza Lusitania (http://www.plazalusitania.com). We've got us a glass of beer each. This is relaxing. The reason for this visit is that we will watch the semi-finals of the World Cup, Germany versus Brazil on their TV.

16.10 It is great joy here at the restaurant/pub. Germany has just scored, 1-0 by Thomas Müller.

16.23 The Germans increase the scoring to 2-0 through Miroslav Klose and now it is 3-0. What is going on? Now Klose is the best scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals. Well now it is 4-0. Has any team ever in the World Cup's history made three goals so quickly, 69 seconds? It was the same guy who did the third and fourth goal, Toni Kroos.

16.29 Not even half an hour played and Germany makes 5-0 through Sami Khedira.

16.48 I do not want to be the Brazilian coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari. I wonder if Scolari want to be Scolari?

17.25 It´s Germany - Brazil 6-0. André Schürrle has scored.

17.32 A little boy in front of us just found a fun toy. His father did not agree with his son and took the toy from him. The little one was not happy when the father placed the toy in question in his pocket. What was it that he was not allowed to play with? Well, his father's car keys. Now the match might be over, 7-0. André Schürrle scored again.

17.46 Is this the turnaround? It is a goal for Brazil. Oscar just scored.

17.49 Germany is in the final and I think this is the most number of goals against a host nation ever, a mental collapse.

Football fans gather at Hotel Plaza Lusitania.

Brazil - Germany 0-7. This was not to be expected.

The beautiful beach in Las Galeras.

Beautiful photos were taken this afternoon.

Peter with a dog friend on the beach.

17.56 We have gone to seek serenity by the waves so blue. We are also trying to digest the football result we have just experienced. German victory, we had not hoped for that. I'm currently sitting on a log and got a visit from a happy dog and a woman who wants to sell something. The woman went on but I´m glad the dog is still there.

18.09 We left the beach and have just come back to our accommodation. We sit in chairs opposite each other and under an umbrella. A cat just jumped up in my lap.

18.54 Internet reports of unrest in Brazil after the match. In addition, there are continuing hostilities in Gaza and in Israel. The fighting is caused by the killing of a Palestinian who in turn was due to the murder of three Israelis which wa because of... Well I can keep doing this in times immemorial.

20.09 "Ring My Bell" is heard on the radio. We are at the small pizzeria D'Luana. When ordering drinks, I heard wrong. She said "tengo mango," Tengo means "I have". I asked about tango juice but she was not keen on dancing. The dogs we have around us seem keen on something.

21.01 It was good pizzas and nice dogs. We simply had a nice evening. Our arms are warm from the day's sun exposure. At the restaurant a man had problems with his car. It, most likely a rental car, alarmed and would not start. Ahead for us is the washing of clothes.

22.25 There is a definite difference between the room with AC and rooms with ceiling fans. Rooms with AC get cold easily and you risk catching a cold. In rooms with ceiling fan the air is just being whipped around and you are sweating. We hear the crickets outside and in the distance you hear the music and engine sounds.

PS: The German victory was the largest when it comes to semi-finals in the World Cup.

Christer´s excellent Hawaii pizza. High quality ingredients here.

Wednesday 9th of July

07.45 It has been a warm night. We accidently managed to make a gap in the mosquito net. This gave the little rascals an entrance. We must come up with a solution to this problem during this day.

08.59 During the night, we both had serious thoughts about a cold shower, nightly walk or even swim in the sea, everything to cool down and calm down the sweating. We might make a turn before the next night. The pillows will be placed where our feet were last night. When heads our heads will be closer to the open window and our feet will not get tangled in the net.

10.03 A lazy day has begun with a very good breakfast consisting of coffee, bread, marmalade and a heavenly good and big fruit salad. Fresh fruit is important. The taste is genuine and wonderful.

10.27 We must get going. It is time to start walking toward the area where silicon dioxide and silicates meets liquid dihydrogen oxide with sodium chloride.

10.57 Despite the fact that we had studied a map carefully before we left the hotel, we managed to go wrong and went too far. The advantage of the whole thing was that we have now seen the whole village when we missed road toward the sea and the beach we want to visit.

A warm night has become morning.

High quality breakfast at El Pequeño Refugio.

11.14 We have followed a winding asphalt road a while and wondered if we were on the right road. Appropriate a local farmer came driving with his horse. Christer asked about the direction and we were told that the beach we are on the way to is further ahead and then to the right. It is good with friendly locals.

11.28 After a quiet walk we have arrived at this day's final destination, the beach of La Playita (small beach). Here it is shallow waters and the waves break several hundred meters out. Now we will soon be reconciled with the wet. When we arrived to the beach a woman came crying out after us. First we thought we had missed to pay some beach fee or something similar, but she wanted to inform us about boat excursions. We promised to consider the matter.

11.44 We now have both been down in the nice warm water. It is not particularly deep here so there was not much swimming if you wanted to be reasonably close to shore. We have also had visits of a boring guy who could not understand why we could visit a beach without rent a chair.

12.07 Today I am satisfied with being in the sun. The frying has to wait for another time.

12.15 We are just enough wet, just enough tanned and ready to go back the same way that we came.

12.37 We are back at home after a pleasant walk. It is time to flush the beach remains from our bodies. After that there will be lunch. The shower handle seems to cause Christer problems. Oh well, it is no crashed sink after all. We got enough of that last year.

We made a mistake and ended up where the village starts.

Peter on his way to the beach.

Is this the right road?

La Playita.

Child friendly shallow beach.

Christer is enjoying the warm water.

On the way back we said hello to some locals.

13.01 What has happened in the shower is that the nozzle is detached from the handle. We are morally responsible to reveal the truth to our hostess Lea later.

13.40 Christer has told Lea about the broken the nozzle. She promised to take care of it. We have now walked out to see more of the village. We have after some hesitation decided to eat at a simple local restaurant where some girls are eager to cook for take-away and serving. We are waiting for our lunch here at El Abuelo (The grandfather).

14.15 A short refreshing rainfall fell during the meal. We are now at the "End of the road" for a single cup of coffee. End of the road is a combined tourist information, cafe, bakery and internet place. They´ve got a dog and are playing music from the 60´s. Coffee, dog and great music, what more can a man ask for?

14.48 We are at home in the lobby, living room, bar. We read in our crime novels, browse the internet and are preparing for the second semi-final of the World Cup.

15.53 The orange coloured and the blue and white striped (Netherlands and Argentina) are on the way out on the green field. We are located with a beer each at the same table as yesterday at the Hotel Plaza Lusitania. It is time for the next semi-final. Many of those who were here yesterday are back here today. Will there be many goals today as well?

16.48 There are, so far, few goals today. It is still as it was when it all began, 0-0.

17.53 Forty-five minutes have been played and it is still 0-0.

18.33 Ok, there will be penalties for the Dutch, and of course also for Argentina.

18.44 Netherlands journey toward a possible gold is over. Argentina travel further.

We support the local economy and eat our lunch at "El Abuelo".

Coffee stop at "End of the road".

World Cup football this afternoon as well.

19.27 We have both, separately, had a shower. The new nozzle is great. We will now take it easy before today's final walk.

20.06 There will be dinner at the French restaurant C L'Aventura de John. At the entrance is a dog. I wonder if it is the same as we saw yesterday. Close to the accommodation, we can see it from one of our windows, is a dog with large head, rough bark, and a tail with the length and thickness of a broomstick.

21.05 This dinner was the best I have eaten on this trip. They served squid rings in garlic with good strips. Now we are back at home and from the bar downstairs, we hear Americans talk and as usual they are very loud.

22.01 After having read a little bit in the books so we listen to the radio. We heard something about this country and Puerto Rico. A day from now, we are packing again.

A green-eyed dog wanted to join us for dinner.