"First things first, we have to get the setting correct. It's important to understand that we're talking about Dominica, not the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a relatively large Caribbean country that shares its island with Haiti. Dominica is another Caribbean Island, but it's very tiny, and much farther south.
So Dominica is not your usual Caribbean Island. It's not really on the cruise ship line stops, being so far south and so tiny, so it's not very touristy at all.
What is DOES have is a Medical School - Ross University (starting to see the common thread in my travels yet?). Caribbean medical schools, (if you're a Scrubs fan remember the Todd's school?), are the last resort of the sons of privilege to become a doctor, when their grades couldn't get them into any US schools. So you have a poor island, with rich kids (for the most part) attending their last resort med school there.
I was there for a week, doing my thing at the University, and then came my last evening on the island (thank God I had an afternoon flight out the next day, not the morning.)
Now the absolute coolest thing about Dominica was the outdoor bar(s). Imagine a shack, maybe 12x12, serving what is basically a giant outdoor patio. More of a party than a bar. Cheap as hell, delicious food from the Shacks (this food was the best food I've ever had on the road. Completely fresh, made from scratch local Caribbean food. Amazing. Well the best besides the Taco Bell in Boston, but that's another story) down the road, paradise. THAT's what made it the most fun at a bar, the company, the outdoor air, the setting, man it was amazing.
Now, it was usually my rule, being older and in a professional capacity, that I would do my fun time away from whatever university I was at. However, this time, I had to break that rule because:
1.) There was no where else to go. 2.) I didn't have a car, the university was responsible for getting me up the mountain to the airport. 3.) Heck with it, these are all grad students anyway, those aren't really kids.
So I whooped it up with the med students at the bar, like I was a kid again. The rum flowed like beer, and I was making friends left and right. These guys were probably starved for someone different to talk to as well. Imagine if you were stuck on an island with that was made up of your high school and some locals and that's it. No one else would ever come. You'd probably be more than happy to party with someone new, even if they were some lame 30 year old.
Anyway, I got way too inebriated, and ended up going to a house party up the hill. Then I specifically remember outlasting most of the kids, but staying up with 2 or 3 in particular late late into the night, swapping back and forth funny YouTube videos we knew about, laughing until our sides ached. By far the best "one night" friends I ever made."
"Ever get something in your head, and then told you can't have it? Ever have it nag on you, and nag on you, and you're just incredulous that something is impossible, and you want it so bad, but "nope, can't have it?". It's not even something that good, but once you're told you can't have it...
So I was in Boston (Boston University this time) for a week, and all set to head back to Ohio on Saturday morning. I actually had a childhood friend who emigrated to Boston before high school, so I was anxious to catch up with him, have a nice dinner, go out after and get a little stupid, you know the drill.
So we agree to meet up on Friday night. My hotel was back around the University, but I took a cab down to meet him in the Mission Hill area, and we had dinner and went out for drinks.
As the night went on, a few hours later, I told my friend "man I could go for a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, I think I'll hit up a Taco Bell on the way back to the hotel".
"Oh, there aren't any in Boston. You can't.", he replied.
Wut.
Now, I don't know if you guys knew this about Boston, but he's right. Check this crap out: https://www.google.com/maps/search/taco+bell/@42.3195444,-71.1017217,13z
(I don't know how you people in Boston live, seriously. No wonder you're so angry about sports all the time. I'd be angry too without delicious tacos)
No Taco Bell? "Impossible" I thought. "Has to be a lie." And the thought wormed into my brain as my friend and I drank and talked the night away. It festered as I paid my bill. It exploded into full denial as I hailed a cab.
Now this is what you have to know about my job back then. I had a company credit card, and we had a strict $65 per day per diem, for food. Any of my stories where I'm acting the fool, I'm doing it on my own dime. But remember... the per diem was for food... not, well, cab fare...
"I want to go to Taco Bell, then back to Boston University" I slurred towards the driver.
"No Taco Bells in Boston" grunted the cabbie. (Seriously Boston, get your shit together)
"I know. Take me to the closest one".
At this point, the cabbie turned around and regarded me, raising one eyebrow in unspoken question. "That'll be quite the trip" he remarked.
I waggled my company card in the dome light. "Don't worry, I'm good for it".
So that's the story of my 84 dollar cab fare to get Taco Bell, which as I said in my previous story, was the best food I've ever had on the road. There's no better spice for food than to tell a drunk person he can't have it. Well I had it that night, and it was pure ambrosia. Luckily, the company accounting department never questioned the cab fare (pretty much one of the dumbest things I've ever done on the road, except for the Kansas Drive, but that's another story) and I got away with my 100 dollar meal (ordered some for the cabbie too).
Man that Gordita was good."
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