Aunt Phyllis was to depart around 9:30ish in the morning. Just as some of us were heading to the Buffet for breakfast. So we all sit around and wait for her to leave. It was fun having her here and I'm sure the Casino will miss her presence as well.
Typical Ken style - he checks out of his room and is sitting on the beach until he has to leave. We turn around later and he is gone. No fancy farewell for him - sneaks out like a ninja.
And to catch up with everyone to see how their day went and what was in store for the evening.
Ah, the life.
We were picked up in an open top truck and were the last to be picked up. Our tour guide - Alex - went over the rules of the tour. We wre read a list of instructions, but the most important was that we had to ensure we kept our hands, limbs and heads inside the vehicle. The other important point was that when kids came running up to the truck, we didn't throw anything out for them as the tour did not want the kids to become beggars whenever they saw their trucks.
We drove through the countryside and came upon a large lot that looked like it had just been paved. It was black and glistening in the sun. This was actually coffee drying in a field.
The tour is very environmental friendly and helps out the local people. They sponsor various families and take turns touring their homes to show their way of life (the families get some money for doing this). Our first stop was at a home and we were able to see their way of life. Everyone paints their houses and the colours have to do with religion. I forget what colours are meant for which saint. The country side is covered with greens, pinks, yellows and blues. Very simple and beautiful but very comfortable as well.
Their houses are mainly bedrooms, living areas and dining areas. They cook, clean and have outside washrooms.
Like every family, they have banana trees around their houses for food. It takes the trees 9 months to grow and have edible bananas again. Once they flower and all the bananas are off the tree, they cut the tree down. They grow from the root and 9 months later - VOILA - a mature tree with bananas growing again. 
So back into the truck we go and off to our next stop. We came to a local store where they sold Rum, knickknacks and cigars. Not many people know this but a lot of Cuban cigars are made in the Dominican. We were able to see cigars being made and rolled. 
It was a nice break but we were off to a local ranch where we would have lunch. We arrived, got off the trucks and were taken on a short walk to see some birds and a small pond. When we got to the cookout, we were greeted by a small local band playing music. There were a lot of tables made out - all covered with table cloths, cutlery and napkins. Lunch was buffet style so we got in line. The food was great and they were cooking everything on a barbeque. It was delicious. 
Our first trip to the beach was fun. Mom was excited about going into the ocean, but she needed some help. She got a little scared when her feet didn't touch the bottom, drank a little bit of ocean water when the waves came over but otherwise had a blast. 
