My mom, "Susie", came to DR to visit me last week! We started our visit in the capital city, Santo Domingo. Tamara was there in the city with me and mom, but spending her days in the Peace Corps -www.peacecorps.gov- office getting some of her "Close of Service" requirements attended to.
Susie chose the "Jaragua" Casino/Renaissance Hotel to stay at for our few days in the city. The hotel featured a large breakfast buffet, turtle pond with waterfalls, large outdoor pool with sundeck, and spa/fitness center. I used all of the amenities, receiving my own key and being signed in as a "guest" even though i was staying at a hostel close by.
Again the Colonial Zone holds the best of what Santo Domingo has to offer so it was there that we went first. A well spent day there includes some lunch at one of the outdoor cafes, some window or other shopping at a jewelry or tobacco store, and a hot walk through the oldest city in the Americas. The sights here include; Diego (son of Christopher) Columbus' home, Calle las Damas (Ladies' Street), and Parque Colon'. Taking a look at one of the city's cemeteries is another interesting activity. All the walking in the days heat can make one yearn for the cool waters of the hotel's pool. Another day of sightseeing, shopping, and pool party was in order before our departure for the Southwest of the country.
In a rented Ford Explorer, Susie, Tamara, and I drove West towards the Haitian border. The first stop we made was to a network of caves which hold great anthropological value for the hundreds of Taino paintings and etchings found there. Navigating in the DR is tricky as road signs are occasionally incorrect, if in place at all. Asking for directions is a necessity, and the verbal directions are wisely followed with skepticism. Let me say that if you hate wrong turns and backtracking, just hire a driver. Luckily our group liked the challenge of navigating here and it added to our fun and the suspense of the destination.
Not far after leaving San Cristobal did the vegetation change to include many cacti, a signpost of our entering the Southwestern Region which receives less rainfall than the rest of the country. Casablanca is one of my favorite hotels anywhere, we stayed here for a night and then returned for one more stay two nights later. The second time we reserved dinner too, which was delicious though pricey. The first stop of day two was a Larimar mine in the mountains close to Bahoruco. The bad/steep track keeps most tourists from reaching this mine, but we were rewarded for our effort. I had a lot of fun driving the road as well. This was probably the only part or our 650 kilometer trip that really required 4wd, though the suv did make for a more comfortable ride over the rough roads, speed bumps, and pot holes. We had a guide show us some of the shaft entrances to the mine. With about thirty of these entrances in use, up to six hundred miners could be underground at one time. The working conditions were tough, its a dangerous job and we were treated like vip's up there. It was a stand-out feature of the trip in all of our minds.
Bahia Las Aguilas was our last stop of the day, we set up on the beach there and did some swimming in the warm calm waters. Our reservation for the night was at a hotel in Pedernales, the Haitian border town. The Hostal Dona Chava has an eco lodge feel but is on the edge of the city. That night we waited over an hour for a salad (actually sliced tomatoes on a plate) a grilled chicken breast, and a plate of spaghetti marinara at a hotel next to Dona Chava. This was for me the most unpleasant experience of the whole trip. The next day on the drive back to Casablanca we stopped at the Laguna de Oviedo in hopes to spot some birds. The birds apparently don't like the mid day heat any more than humans do but the lagoon was beautiful to see anyways.
Back at the comfortable Casablanca we unwound from all the kilometers of the past two days and I set up the much anticipated jumbo hammock. Its a three person hand made hammock that i had purchased in Navidad, Mexico last winter. Then some more time on the excellent stone beach near the hotel before a delicious three course meal of Dorado fish. We drove back to Santo Domingo the next day in order to make it back to the Jaragua for some pool relaxing. The week went fast, I had a great time with my mom and she had a really fun visit here in Dominican Republic.
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