2006 Vuelta Ciclista Independencia, Dominican Republic
My adventure begins February 23rd with a less-than-smooth flight to Santo Domingo via San Juan, Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico my plane is delayed for over an hour. Once everyone has climbed aboard the plane, the electrical system brakes down and we sit anxiously in the dark plane while the temperature rises exponentially. With that problem resolved (you promise we're safe to fly?), we find ourselves delayed on the runway because there's a gigantic lizard blocking airline traffic. Welcome to the Caribbean!
A little travel trouble doesn't dampen my spirits, and I am totally stoked about this trip. Katie (Dave's awesome girlfriend) meets me at the airport with a taxi. She's a Peace Corps volunteer in the DR, so she knows the ins and outs of Dominican culture and she'll serve as our guide for the week. We roll directly to the safe haven of the Peace Corps headquarters where we spend a few hours trying to get in touch with the race promoters.
We eventually find our way to the Dominican Centro Olympico, home of the Dominican Cycling Federation office. We are greeted warmly, but details about the race are sparse. I assemble my bike and take a few laps around the velodrome to open up the legs. Then we are directed on to a bus, and an exciting ride ensues, including an impressive maneuver of backing a 40-foot bus in the wrong direction up a heavily-trafficked one-way street. The bus drops us at the Hotel Caribena, a peculiar establishment set up in a former hospital. This will be our base camp for the week. Day one complete.