Dave's Dominican Republic
September 3-6, 2011
Saturday 3rd
AA MIA 10:15am to SDQ 12:25pm
$134
Upgraded to first class, meal was actually excellent.
Sun Spanish, Mon French, Tue German Nice couple from Vancouver, WA on ride into airport, 24 and 25 on honeymoon Haa haa ha ha ha website to prove I was there, an individual experience- otherwise it could be surreal and forgotten Independence vs Haiti
Taxi arranged by hotel $27.
Hotel Atarazana
#1 of 69 on TripAdvisor Includes AC, wireless, breakfast- $80 minus 10% discount for cash payment. "The Hotel Atarazana is located in the heart of the Zona Colonial, just a few feet away from the famous Plaza de Espana and surrounded by century old buildings. The historical district of Santo Domingo has been declared world heritage in 1990 and offers a variety of interesting options. The main attractions are the magnificent houses, vibrant plazas, the lively pedestrian street ”El Conde” and historical buildings like the first cathedral, the first University and the first Hospital of the New World. Life takes place in the streets with the Zona Colonial being the favourite spot for a tropical night out. You can stroll the streets, wine and dine in one of the numerous outdoor restaurants and dance the night away in fancy bars and clubs. A dominican specialty are the Colmados, small shops with powerful music systems, where you easily meet people over a drink and might even end up dancing to the local favourites Merengue and Bachata. Dominicans are generally friendly and funloving, it is easy to make contacts and feel welcome. Diverse impressions, experiences and discoveries are waiting for you and many tourists keep coming back to this vibrant and colourful island.Please ask us for more information about current events, cultural offerings or nightlife hotspots." Run by a Suzanne, a nice lady from Hamburg.
That looks like a fire waiting to happen.
Not much of a view out my window, but a good location.
Headed out to near-by Plaza Espana.
The Museo Alcazar de Colon.
Several restaurants.
The Columbus Lighthouse in the distance. Then took the two Lonely Planet self-guided walking tours of Santa Domingo's Zona Colonial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Museo de las Casas Reales
A little gift shop where I suckered myself into buying two small pieces as gifts- amber is found here as well as a blue stone unique to the DR.
Fortaleza Ozama, the oldest military structure in the New World.
Cool you can still see the original walls of the city.
The Parque Colon area.
Inside the Catedral Primada de America, the oldest working church in the New World.
Museo de la Familia Dominica
Walking west on Arzobispo Portes, "one of the Zona Colonial's prettiest streets, with tidy colonial homes and plenty of shade trees."
Here you see a UN worker from neighboring Haiti, I wish I would have spoke to him. Apparently a fair amount of them come here for some time off.
They take down then fold the flag at the Panteon Nacional.
A pick-up baseball game by Plaza Espana,
Where I would have dinner tonight.
Back for my 8pm reservation at Pat'e Palo, definitely had the most people of all the restaurants.
A fantastic carpaccio with arugala, parmesan shavings, toasted pinenuts, & also fresh portobello mushrooms and white truffle!
Tournedos Rossini- perfect aged beef tenderloin, foie gras mousse, porcini mushroom sauce and white truffle essence on crunchy potatoes.
Throughout dinner right there in the plaza was a cultural show serenading me as well.
Back to my friend at the hotel.
