December 8, 2024
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Casa Del Campo
We got diverted from Punta Cana to the sleep marina of Casa Del Campo, due to high winds and waves. We had to tender in and there was very little to see or do in the upscale marina. I walked the area with Scott - stopping at grocery and hardware stores. Alot of shops were high end and only a few were open. Basically, treated this stop as another SEA DAY with a nice tender ride & walk mid-day.
Vihara Avalokiteshvara Graha or Guan Yin Temple is near 500 Lohan, so we also toured the grounds of this large Temple complex. It's dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and is one the tallest brass statues of her in SE Asia. She is just over 55' tall, coated in 22 carat gold and is surrounded by scenic dragon fruit plantations. The tile work is intricate and textured with great details. The whole place is very tranquil and calming for meditation and prayer.
500 Lohan Temple or Vihara Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was the most interesting place we visited on Bintan Island . It features 500 hand sculpted, life sized, distinctively expressive statues of Buddhist disciplines (Lohans) surrounding a tranquil courtyard. They are arranged symetrical, in an arc and it's interesting how some pop out, as you look down the rows. The statues were crafted by artist in China from 2010 to 2017 when the temple was inaugurated; no two are alike.
As part of our Global Harmony Mission , eighteen of us, including 7 crew members, went on an excursion into the Mangrove Forest and planted 100 new mangrove trees. It was a fun, informative afternoon and nice to have some of our hard working crew, be our guest and enjoy the time too!