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Last Friday the 6th of July 2012, the monthly Café de la Leche gathering took place aboard the “River Prince II”, floating those in attendance down the Chavón river on a wonderful journey of spectacular sights!
On this very special occasion, the Café de la Leche gathering, traditionally held at a Casa de Campo villa was sponsored by “Splish Splash” excursions company and the “Trigo de Oro” bakery and Café in La Romana and as a result of the unusual location attracted more than 70 ladies AND raised rather a lot of money for the Hogar del Niño – in addition to the milk donations usually collected.
Departing on Dominican time (or in other words a little later than planned) our group of merry ladies (and a few fun-loving gentlemen) set sail up the Chavón river with the sound of laughter and chit chat in the air as we sipped on “Saona Dream” rum cocktails.
And we’re off! Saying goodbye to the Marina Casa de Campo
With the majority of ladies having never (or at least not recently) taken the journey up the Chavón river on boat, proclamations of joy; “hay que linda” (oh how pretty) y “esta bella” (it’s beautiful) were heard repeatedly as we floated past submerged palm trees, sheer rock cliffs cascading with vibrant green vegetation and the artistic village of Altos de Chavón perched high above us.
“Hay que linda!” Floating along the Chavón river
And as the sun started to set we arrived at “la represa“, where the main La Romana – Punta Cana road cuts across the river and where the newly completed bridge of the “El Coral” La Romana – Punta Cana highway could be seen. [Once completed, hopefully sometime in the next few months, the “El Coral” highway will cut the journey time from La Romana to Punta Cana from 2 hours to just 45mins, completely by-passing Higuey town. Woohoo!]
On our return journey, we encountered a small fishing boat with 3 generations of fisherwomen returning from a hard day’s fishing. It was both magical, inspiration & heart-wrenching to see these 3 hardworking women; daughter, mother and grandmother proudly hold up their catch of the day.
3 fisherwomen on the river Chavón
Clearly moved by the 3 ladies and their daily plight for survival, the ladies on board the river boat handed over platters of food and money, a generous yet simple gesture, very gratefully received by the 3 fisherwomen and no doubt by the countless other mouths they return home to feed.
The following photos were taken during the Café de la Leche on the river, hosted by Splish Splash and Trigo de Oro on Friday July the 6th 2012:“The face of this lady is a poem….there is history, the footprints of the sun, the passing of time and hard work that only a noble heart can endure…….hands of work and the body of a woman.”
— Erika Vilain, speaking of the lady rowing the boat
ABOUT the Cafe de la Leche
The Cafe de la Leche is a monthly charitable event, a little like a coffee or a tea party held for the ladies of Casa de Campo (although men are occasionally invited) and usually takes place on the first Friday of the month, hosted by a member of the Casa de Campo villa at her Casa de Campo villa or occasionally restaurant/business.
The aim of the Café de la Leche gatherings are to boost the milk supplies of the Hogar del Niño (a daycare and educational facility in La Romana) – which uses the milk to feed more than 200 babies cared for daily in it’s crib room. Everyone is welcome to attend these great events and it’s totally free – you are just requested to bring some dried/powdered milk, cereals or baby formula to contribute.Click here for PHOTOS of previous Café de la Leche events!
The Hogar del Niño is a children’s daycare and educational center for over 1500 children, located in La Romana town, just outside of Casa de Campo. Children from as young as just a few weeks old up to 18 years old are cared for and educated daily, from as early as 5:30am and staying as late as 7pm.
Click here for more articles and information on the Hogar del Niño!
