If a Dominican can't be safe............

then you know you need to watch your ass.
When I first started traveling to Puerto Plata I used to go to Sam's Bar as my first stop as it was mostly an expat hangout. The former owner Joann, now deceased, introduced me to a local "character" named Manolo. Some of you might know him.

He was always good to drink a few beers with but, in spite of having been born and having lived his whole life in Puerto Plata, he didn't know shit about Puerto Plata. In fact, it was often said that he not only struggled with English, but with Spanish as well. He was not the kid of guy you relied on and, in all honesty, although he could be a real pain in the ass sometimes, he was harmless.

Well, I got a call about 5:30am this morning from a guy here in my home state informing me that Manolo was recently hit by a motoconcho on the Malecon in Puerto Plata. Apparently the driver was moving at a very high rate of speed and broke Manolo's ribs, jaw, and who knows what else. At this point no one seems to know if he's going to make it or not.

I always expected to hear that his liver had finally burst from far too many beers and rums, or something. Never did I expect to hear that he was hanging on to life as a result of being hit by a motoconcho.

I was planning to go down this weekend to pay the taxes on my house and relax for a few days. Hope I don't have to attend a funeral instead.

Be safe.