Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic Trip November 15-19, 2003

“This is the most beautiful land anyone has ever seen” Christopher Columbus wrote in his diary after discovering what is now the Dominican Republic in about 1492. While much has changed since Columbus first discovered the New World on this Caribbean island over 500 years ago, his words kept ringing in my ears as I walked along a sugar white beach lined with palm and coconut trees in the largely tourist area of Punta Cana.

A palm tree lined road along the beach.

As a guest of Alabama Power, I was fortunate to visit this fascinating country and to witness firsthand the many contrasts, diversity and above all friendliness of the people.

After settling in at the very exclusive Melia Caribe Tropical resort, a virtual self contained village with its own shops, restaurants and a casino, the second day of my visit a small group boarded a tour bus for Santo Domingo, the oldest city in the New World. During the two hour bus ride, the passengers were treated to the ever present meringue music, which first greets visitors at the airport and is played in cabs, shops and hotel lobbies.


The Presidential Palace, Santo Domingo.	Honor Guard at the Cathedral of the Americas in Santo Domingo.

In 1496, Christopher Columbus’ brother Bartolomeo founded Santo Domingo, the first permanent settlement in the New World. The city at that time served as a jumping off point for further colonization of the Caribbean area. When our bus arrived in the colonial area of the city, it was almost as if we were transported back to the 15^th century as we strolled down the stone streets among buildings which are almost 500 years old.

We started the tour by visiting Fort Santo Domingo, a fortress which was used to guard the city from invaders from the sea. Of particular interest in this fortress was an original sun dial which was used to keep time, and of course the old cannons.

Further down the street on the walking tour we visited Alcazar de Colon, the home of Diego Columbus, Christopher’s son. This impressive palace has columned terraces that face both the market area one side and the port on the opposite side. As we walked around the palace, we were constantly bending over to walk through the doorways and at one point noticed that the master bed was at least a foot shorter than today’s beds. “The people back then were a lot shorter than they are today” explained the tour guide. Further down the street we visited the Cathedral of The Americas which had an army honor guard and the Christopher Columbus statue in the courtyard. Leaving the Colonial sector we passed the Christopher Columbus lighthouse which purportedly holds the remains of Columbus.

The Christopher Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo. Columbus' remains are buried here.


The Alcazar de Colon	A doorway at the Alcazar de Colon

The next morning I was awakened by a caller speaking Spanish. While I am still not certain as to what the gentleman said, he was probably telling me it was time to leave for my snorkeling trip. I am glad he called! As the boat left the dock, I was awed by the almost turquoise color of the water and how clear it was. While it at times seemed as though I could be in a swimming pool, I quickly came back to my senses when a couple of sharks and a sting ray swam just a few feet under me.

The following day brought what I consider the highlight of the trip: about an eight hour jeep ride through the countryside and into the mountains. As our expedition left the resort, the contrasts became more evident every moment. Among the pristine beaches, lush jungle and in general a tropical paradise, crushing poverty almost reigns supreme. While extremely poor, I could not help but notice the friendliness of the people. As we rambled along the dusty back roads of the countryside, people of all ages, especially children, would rush from their cabins to wave at the passing cars. Some people were prepared and had hard candy to throw as if they were in a parade. Another observation I made was the maniacal way most drivers drove on the roads. Cars, trucks and even motorcycles would pass even in the face of oncoming traffic. While stripes on the road almost seemed meaningless, horns were a must. While passing into oncoming traffic, motorists would simply blow the horn as they passed, sometimes causing other cars to ease off of the road to avoid a collision. And avoiding the ever present potholes almost seemed like a sport!

One of the first stops our expedition made was at a huge sugar cane plantation. It seemed as though all one could see for miles were the sugar cane fields and the Haitian migrant workers tending the crop. Our guide explained that most of the agricultural workers in the Dominican Republic are from neighboring Haiti. “Unemployment in Haiti is about sixty percent. The only opportunity most of these people have to earn a living is on these plantations” he said. He added that most of the workers earned the equivalent of one hundred and fifty U.S. Dollars per month. Further along the trip, we passed through several villages with streets lined with colorful houses and open air markets. As we started to climb higher into the mountains, along the roads were wild coconut, grapefruit, pineapple, mango and various other fruit trees.

A couple of shots of a sugar cane plantation.

At one stop there were several coffee bean trees growing and local men were roasting them in a large pot over an open flame. At this stop, several people purchased bottles of “Mamajuana,” a local mixture of herbs and rum. “One of the ingredients in Mamajuana is an aphrodisiac, so we call this liquid Viagra” the guide said.

A local man roasts coffee beans.

As we meandered back down the mountain and toward a beachside pavilion for lunch, the tranquility of the deep blue water lapping on the sugar white beach lined with palm trees was breathtaking.

After an outstanding Dominican lunch in which we sipped coconut milk directly from fresh coconuts, we were treated to a horseback ride along the beach.

As my plane left the airport the next morning, I couldn’t help but think that I had experienced a little taste of paradise.

	One of the many contrasts of the Dominican Republic: a couple relaxes in a hammock on the beach while pigs root around nearby.
	A serene setting at the Melia Caribe Tropical Resort.


*A typical rural street*	*Fort Santo Domingo*	*Colonial area in the city.*