Dominican Republic trip report 2009

[Serenity82]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

Thanks Xavier for sharing this. I'm looking forward to more from your report!

How's your beautiful daughters doing?

[Serenity82]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Xavier</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks all...more to come....

Churchdude I think it was a rice farm. I was not sure. The picture was taken while driving.

BND1999, no worries with the Spanish...just do it. I have been 2 three Spanish speak countries (DR, Ecuador and one I cannot mention with my real name) and had no problems. If you know the basic you should be good.

Jazz, it was quite an adventure. I don't think words can explain how bad the driving was.

Marylin, you sure you want this lady as a grandmother

</div></div>

uhoh! I have heard very bad things about Ecuador! Hope you didn't have bad experiences that other people I've read and talked to have!

[Marielle]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

I'm also looking forward to your trip report.

Went to Dominican Republic a few years ago, on the north side.
Sosua and Cabarete.

Great place, lovely people.

You're right about the crazy driving!! Saw one guy on a motorbike with wife and child cross diagonally through the red light at a crossroads.....needless to say none of them were wearing helmets....

[R00TS]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

Look forward to the rest Xavier

Seems like alot of us have been there a time or two
I found the paintings there very very good!
The forests of palms running right down to the beaches spectacular!

[Wahalla]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

I went to Dom Rep/ Haiti a couple times..the most ponient I think ever in my life was in Dom Rep.. there is a hill tthere with a hotel now in Semana.. All I could think of was this is the place that Tousaint saw the arrival of the French Fleet and he was reputed to have cried.. I can only imagine the lassitude and failure he felt.. He had been prepated to sell any principle to avoid whhat was to about to happen...I cant get past that....

[Xavier]

Dominican Republic trip report day 2 &amp; 3

<span style="font-weight: bold">
Day 2
</span>

This guy was cleaning the window of our hotel room on day 1. He frightened the &quot;daylight&quot; out of me when I opened the drapes.





We slept in late after the long ride the day before. We were going to see the Los tres ojos (three eyes) caves. We asked at the front desk for directions. They copied maps to help us but it did not work. The signage in the Dominican Republic is bad.




We went in circles and found a couple roads on the map closed. We asked a few people but our Spanish was not that good and they spoke no English. Finally we came to a supermarket. One of the guards there tried to help us even though he spoke no English. Eventually one of his buddies came up to him and told him to show us for a few pesos. I was tired of driving around to I told him I would give him the 300 pesos. He had a bike and we were following behind him. We came up on a round a bout that had backed up traffic. People started to jump the median to go on the other side of the road into oncoming traffic. The guard jumped the median as well and waved his hand for us to follow him. He was pointing at people coming on the road and telling them to pull to the side like he was the police. We followed him. This is typical of what we have seen in Dominican Republic since we arrived, no regard for traffic rules. When we arrived at the caves he tried to get more money from us for his co-worker. We refused. We paid him the 300 pesos we had agreed to. Eventually he gave up and left us.




We paid less than the rate we heard to get in. I think they have local rate similar to Dunn’s River in Jamaica. We were approached by 3 different men with official looking identifications that said they could guide us though the caves. We declined.





There were 3 caves. There were two small ones and a big one. The water was really clear. The picture below with the turtle in the water will give you an idea.




I took a picture of a turtle and it looked like he was floating. The biggest cave had a boat ride which took you through the cave to a lagoon on the other side. It was pretty amazing. It was like a hidden oasis on the other side. We met a guy from the Dominican Republican who was visiting from New York. When we heard English we were happy because we needed someone to help us get back to the coast. He told us to drive behind him as he was headed to the beach. Before we left we asked him about a sign we saw on cars around the city that mention something about Haitians. He mentioned it was a campaign to assure that Haitians do not get an amnesty to become Dominicans. The bumper stickers translated to English read “No Negotiating with the Haitians”.



On the way back to the hotel we got jelly coconut and enjoying them by the roadside like in Jamaica.





We got back to the hotel just as the afternoon rains began.

[Xavier]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 2 &amp; 3






After the rains we headed out to dinner and toured the mall in the hotel. The mall barely had any stores. Next it was the horse buggy ride to the old city. We waited for a buggy in front of the hotel. One came after waiting about 10 minutes. Our driver’s name was Ettol. At first we called him Effie. He pleasantly corrected us with a big smile.




As you can see Obama is popular in Dominican Republic. He has his own hamburger stand.










We took the evening tour around the old colonial city in the capital.




We stopped at a few of the historic spots but it was getting dark so I was unable to get good pictures.


We passed by the first church in the western hemisphere but it was closed. I was able to get the shot below of the outside of the church.

[Xavier]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 2 &amp; 3

Ettol stopped at a shop and encouraged us to looking around. There were some nice paintings in the shop. No shopping for us. We are traveling light.





On the way back we got a “punctured” tire which he fixed.




We saw dancing in the streets.




He took us back to the hotel after the 2 hour tour.

He too like the guard earlier in the day asked for more money. He said he wanted to buy food for the donkey. I paid him what we agreed to. It was trend we say everywhere. As the Bob Marley song says ‘Give them an inch they take a mile’

[Xavier]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 2 &amp; 3

Day 3

We checked out the hotel, filled up the car with gas and then went off to visit the old colonial city.



The roads were empty. We wanted to see things in the day. I was interested in seeing the first church in the western hemisphere in the day.





We could not find a place to park. A policeman offered us help to park. We wondered if he would ask for a tip.



As soon as we parked we were approached by a tour guide named Freddy. He had an official looking badge. We declined his services.



The church was having mass so we walked around. A gentleman approached us and asked if we knew French, Spanish or English. We said English. He saw my shirt and said his great grand was from Jamaica. He said he spoke the patois language (yes he said language). I tried him and started to talk in patois he understood fully. He said he had a friend from Jamaica who spoke the language well and used the bad words. He was a tour guide. We told him we had no money. He told us “No Problem” and pointed out a few things to us. Like the oldest street in the Western Hemisphere.





He took us to a free museum that basically showed us how the rocks for the jewelry were made. You had to enter the jewelry store at the bottom floor to go to the museum on the top floor.


We went back to the church but mass was still going.



We went to the Hard Rock café to eat. After lunch we went back to the church. Mass was over and it was closed. The church gates were closed.

We sat and just observed people around the park. During that time we were shadowed by the police man who kept telling us the car was safe and that he was watching it. As we left we gave him a tip. We knew he was waiting on it.



Next it was off to the beach. I heard there was one along the coast near the airport. The Dominican man (who lived in New York) we met yesterday told us about it.

The rain started to fall so I pulled off to the side of the road. I can handle the crazy driving but the crazy driving in the rain was another case. We were on the side of the road for about 20 minutes. I got a nap while my wife played a game on her mobile phone.

The rain stopped and we were on our way again. We went pass the air port exit and continued to Boca Chica. We saw some people on a truck in bathing suits so we knew were going in the right direction. We followed them.

[Xavier]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 2 &amp; 3





The beach was off the main road. We found a lot to park in for 2 pesos. We were approached by a gentleman who asked us what language we spoke. He spoke English. He soon realized we were from Jamaica (the shirt) and said &quot;We are all black brothers&quot;.

He had an official looking badge like we saw many other people who were 'hustling' wearing.

He wanted to show us his restaurant. We went with him as he was going in the direction of the beach. He sat us down but when he learned we were not going to buy a meal he stopped paying any attention to us.


The beach was packed. You could barley walk along the beach without getting bumped by someone.



The shore line was narrow. There were people everywhere. In the air was a strange “flying” object made from a paper plate and paper.



We walked around a bit. There were some buildings going up. They looked like hotels.




We did not spend a lot of time on the beach as we needed to get to the airport.

On the way to the airport we noticed country flags and names on the poles lining the street. We believe it was for the Pan American games that the Dominican Republic hosted in 2003. With anticipation we waited to see the Jamaican flag. We got to the pole and there was no flag. There was only the name Jamaica on the poll. We took a picture and left in disappointment.



The rental car inspection was smooth. We were very early for the flight so we got to observe people. There was a waving gallery. It was inside the airport but it reminder us of Jamaica as people were pressed up against the glass waving. The airport was packed. I think everyone who was not at the beach was at the airport. The flight was uneventful and we got home on time.

[Xavier]

Dominican Republic trip report day 2 &amp; 3

I will be posting a few more random pictures as I go through the photos.

A Front View of the Hotel


This is an army barrack

[Xavier]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: R00TS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Look forward to the rest Xavier
</div></div>

Sorry for the late reply. Posted the rest. I took quite a few pictures and had to go through them.

[Boopie2]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

We are going in October can't wait. Beautiful pictures

[turtledude]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

Wow!

[chitowngirl]

Re: Dominican Republic trip report day 1

love your black &amp; white photos


<span style="font-style: italic">(((Xavier)))</span>