Postcards from the Past: Dominican Republic

 The Land of Fruits and Beaches

When and Where:           03/2018 – Santo Domingo

51st Country Visited; 20th North American Country Visited

Interesting Facts:

·        The first cathedral, hospital and university in the Americas were founded in what is now Santo Domingo, the capital.

·        The Dominican Republic is a tourist haven for Americans and Canadians.  It has more restaurants than any other Caribbean country. 

·        The national sport of the Dominican Republic is baseball.  Other than the US, the Dominican Republic has the most Major League Baseball players.

 As many Americans know, the Dominican Republic is known for their world class beaches and all-inclusive resorts.  Most Americans have been to, or heard of Punta Cana on the east coast or Puerto Plata on the northern shore.  Our DR trip was to Santo Domingo, the capital.  In 2018, Joe, Aaron and I were given the proper tour by our bestie/Dominican friend, Carlos.  We had booked a cruise out of Santo Domingo but bookended our vacation with land days before and after the cruise. 

 Santo Domingo is much different than the beach areas. It offers old world charm and contemporary charisma.   It is a bustling cosmopolitan city with outdoor restaurants and upscale boutique malls.  Carlos led us around to the famous sites.  We stayed in town so most of the landmarks were in walking distance.  We started by walking around the cobblestone streets and well-worn dirt paths of Zona Colonial.  We stopped at Columbus Park, where a large statue of Christopher Columbus looks out over the bay.  This statue marks the landing point of Columbus in the Americas in December, 1492.  Nearby this site lies Cathedral de Santa Maria la Menor, the first, and oldest cathedral in the Americas.  We stepped into the church to see the remarkable art and the simple, yet ornate altar decorated for Lent.  From the Cathedral, we could see the Faro a Colon, also known as the Columbus Lighthouse.  Finally, we walked past Ozama Fortress, the oldest fortress in the Americas, which was constructed in 1502.  During our tour, we built up quite an appetite.  We finally stopped and sat at an outdoor café for a light lunch and a few Presidente Beers.  With live Spanish music playing off in a distance and the locals out for a Saturday afternoon stroll, it was the perfect vision of Dominican life. 

 Post-cruse, Carlos again took us on an adventure around the capital.  This time he took us to National Palace, the seat of government in Santo Domingo.  The building was sandstone and domed, and reminded me a lot of the US Capitol building.  From the palace, we went to a grocery store for some snacks.  I was impressed by the array of fresh fruits and vegetables available.  Our final stop was a posh upscale mall called Blue Mall.  It is one of the nicest malls I’ve ever visited, and certainly the nicest in the Caribbean.  Overall my stay in the Dominican Republic was wonderful.  The people are nice and welcoming, and the city is vibrant.  I was so happy with my visit that I began exploring housing options in the DR.  I hope my next trip can combine house hunting with beach time in Puerto Plata.

Cathedral de Santa Maria la Menor

Santo Domingo

The National Palace, Santo Domingo

Outside the National Palace

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Postcards from Portugal

Image
Picturesque Harbors When and Where:            04/2023 – Lisbon, Sintra 76 th Country Visited; 33 rd European Country Visited Interesting Facts: -         There are 250 million Portuguese speakers around the world; most live in Brazil. -         Mainland Europe’s westernmost point is located in Portugal. -         Portugal is a popular place to live for retirees due to the low cost of living. Some days don’t go as planned.   My visit to Portugal was a case in point. The cruise was scheduled to arrive in Lisbon at 10am on April 10.   The night before arrival, Guest Services contacted me and asked me to surrender my passport for inspection in Lisbon.   I was one of a handful of passengers who were offboarding in Lisbon.   My plan was to take an evening flight to Madrid where I would stay for two days, then...
Read more

Postcards from Morocco

Image
Where Old Meets New in Africa When and Where:            04/2023 – Agadir, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Asilah 75 th Country Visited; 12 th African Country Visited Interesting Facts: -         The highest ski resort in Africa is in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.   -         Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States as a country. -         Although overwhelmingly Muslim, there are thriving Christian and Jewish communities in Morocco.   April has turned out to be a hectic month and I have not been able to keep up with my blog.   Unlike other legs of this journey, now that I am in Europe, we are in port nearly every day.   But I am committed to keeping up with the blog. Simply put, Morocco is an amazing country!   There is a diversity and richness of culture that goes back many cen...
Read more

Postcards from The Canary Islands

Image
 Spanish Autonomous Territory When and Where:            04/2023 – Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Arrecife (Lanzarote)   Interesting Facts: -         -  Christopher Columbus used the Canary Islands as a stopover on the way to the Americas. -         -  The world’s worst ever aviation disaster happened on Tenarife in 1977 when two 747’s collided on a foggy runway killing 583 people.   Some adventures are less active than others.  Earlier this week, the Zuiderdam visited two of the Canary Islands: Tenerife and Lanzarote.  Unlike most ports of call, I had two chill days with no excursions planned.  Both islands were beautiful and very European-influenced, despite being off the coast of Africa.  On Sunday, I visited Santa Cruz, the largest city on the island of Tenerife.   Santa Cruz is one of two national capitals of The Canary Islands.   As I step...
Read more