So I know that our pictures from Punta Cana look dreamy.
And yes, the pool and beach were phenomenal! Even so, some parts of our trip were challenging. I would definitely classify our Dominican week as more of an eye-opening adventure than a relaxing vacation. Admittedly, our family wasn't in top form so that added to the challenge. Jason had a nasty cold, Talia got food poisoning, plus there was the undercurrent of worry about Annika. Even under the best of circumstances, I suspect traveling on one's own through the DR would still be taxing. I'm just grateful we had language skills under our belt--it would have been so much harder without.
For starters, we rented a car so that we could drive to Santo Domingo. Let me tell you, driving in the Dominican Republic is nuts! I'm glad Jason is gutsy, because I never would dare. The infrastructure is quite good, particularly compared with Haiti, but it feels like there are no rules whatsoever. In the rare instance that you find a stoplight, you're likely to get honked at if you actually stop and wait. In general, all the cars just nudge their way through intersections, creating this chaotic gridlock. You still have to be super careful because there are mopeds weaving in and out everywhere. The mopeds particularly scared me as they buzzed alongside of the highway, often on the shoulder, depending on traffic. Many had multiple passengers, no helmets, and some very unusual freight. I hate that my mind goes there, but I kept thinking about how fatal an accident would be. Same thing with the lorries jammed full of workers standing in the back.
My anxiety about driving was coupled with troubling observations about race. The vast majority of the population in the Dominican Republic is quite dark with beautiful ebony skin. Still, I sensed that much of the privilege went to those who were lighter. Those lorries crammed with workers standing in the open truckbed? All of the workers were black. Talking to our cab driver, he explained that the locals can't afford to live within Punta Cana, so they commute in from an hour away each day. While I don't know anything about their politics, I noticed that most of the political billboards featured lighter-skinned politicians. Why? One last example: most of the public spaces we saw in Santo Domingo were kind of dirty and run-down, but one public park was beautiful and pristine. When we went inside, nearly everyone there had lighter skin and many were expats. While there was no physical barrier keeping people out, it felt obvious that racial and socio-economic differences divide the country, just as within the U.S. I think it's okay to feel troubled--that's the first step to change. But for me, the division was extra disturbing because of the rampant poverty. I felt uncomfortably privileged. I recognized my entitlement in my comfortable Avenues sphere and realized that I ought to be doing more.
Of course, the racial profiling went the other direction some as well. We'd been driving our rental car for less than five minutes when we got pulled over by a couple of policemen. At first, we didn't realize they were signalling our car to pull over, mostly because we hadn't done anything wrong and couldn't imagine they meant us. In the end, they couldn't give us a good reason why we'd been stopped. It was very obvious that we'd been targeted as tourists and they wanted a bribe. Instead of pulling out his wallet, Jason kept talking and talking in Spanish until they finally grew tired and waved us away. In retrospect, it's pretty funny, but at the time it felt rather disheartening. It was going to take us a LONG time to get to Santo Domingo if we got pulled over every five minutes!
For the first thirty miles of our trip, there were still a TON of officers pulling tourists over. Fortunately, the policing calmed down as we got farther away, although I was still pretty salty. Not only was I indignant that we'd been pulled over for no reason, I was offended. As the officer came over to our car, the first thing he did was look me up and down, and ask Jason "¿Está embarazada?" Is she pregnant?"
Seriously??? First of all, while it's true I have a poochy tummy, I don't like being called out as fat. Secondly, please address me directly instead of talking about me in the third person, particularly when I am right there. Finally, how the heck was this the officer's business and what did it have to do with a traffic stop? I wish I could say that this was the only time in Dominican Republic that someone asked Jason if I was pregnant, but alas, it was not. Time to lay off the chocolate, I suppose. But hey, at least I look young enough to still have children.
Talk about culture shock! Eventually we made it to Santo Domingo, parked the rental car, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Our AirBnB in Santo Domingo was quite nice--modern, spacious, and even air-conditioned.
Someone's growing!
It even had a rooftop terrace to enjoy. I think the best surprise was when we stepped outdoors and realized that we were LITERALLY across the street from the Centro Cardiovascular. Always a bit on edge about Annika, I'd done my research ahead of time and knew that this was the place to go if we ran into trouble. It was reassuring to feel like help was so close by.
On our first evening there happened to be a Carnaval celebration happening just down the street. We wandered outside and caught the tail end of the celebration. Colorful and fun, although the aftermath left a disturbing amount of litter in the gutter.
The internet connectivity from our phones wasn't great, so we struggled to pull up the online menu. When we asked for a paper copy, they brought over the entire placard! Just for the record, I liked the sancocho best.
The next morning Talia and I headed out for a run. Living on an island is awesome because you're never far from the ocean! Santo Domingo has a beautiful wide sidewalk running along the shore. It's just challenging to cross the four lanes of traffic to get to the path.
Plus, some sections have a lot of trash.
Back to the beautiful side, here we are lounging on our rooftop terrace.
Well, some of us were lounging. Talia is courageously plowing through AP US History. Just think of all the places that giant textbook has been!
Our first Santo Domingo adventure was an outing to "Las Cuevas de los Tres Ojos." We opted on an Uber to get there. Pretty squishy but we made it! I really loved rideshare because it gave Jason a chance to chat it up with the driver. Our primary inspiration for the DR was Jason's mission connection to los dominicanos in New York City. He was so excited to spend time in Santo Domingo to experience this culture that means so much to him.
Right within the city they have this super cool cave system with these beautiful underwater pools. We loved it!
If you weren't paying attention, it would be easy to miss the caves completely. Here's our family peering down into the entrance.
The water is so clear!
We ended up following a couple of women who kept posing for a hilarious number of Instagram photos. This one cracks me up because Annika is passing obliviously through their shot.
Not to be outdone, Jason and I decided to pose for some glamour shots of our own.
Looking good there, Talia!
Brooklyn's pictures are the classiest.
After descending into the last "eye" you can catch a boat that will pull you to the other side. Also, I'm pretty sure I see a person standing in the water at the bottom. Is that allowed?
From the far side, you have a gorgeous view of the last pool, which is open from above.
Remember the Instagram gals? Well, we ended up connecting with these two sisters who were tourists from Colombia. One of them is a hobby photographer and insisted on taking a few shots of Jason and me. Twenty years, mi amor!
Grateful to be in such a beautiful place with such a beautiful family.
The next Uber may not have had functioning seatbelts, but at least there were seats for everyone. Our destination?
La Zona Colonial. We started at la Plaza de la Independencia for a little bit of history.
Jason and the big kids headed to El Altar de la Patria (National Mausoleum) while Annika and I explored the surrounding park.
Inside, Jason and the kids impressed the guide with their brilliant conversational Spanish, so he invited them to go upstairs and take a peek around for free.
From there we walked along the Calle de Conde. I'd read that it was a pretty lively and interesting spot...
...but we found it to be rather deserted, at least in the early afternoon.
Luckily we found a juice shop with the most amazing batidas (fruit milkshakes). Service was slow, but they juiced the fruit right in front of you. I was so intrigued by all the different kinds available. We loved zapote (squash), lechosa (papaya), and mango with chinola (passionfruit). Annika wanted straight up coconut water. Refreshing!
La Calle del Conde ends at la Catedral Primada de América. I don't know if it's truly the first Catholic cathedral in the Americas, but it is certainly one of the earliest, having been constructed in the mid-1500s. The limestone interior and vaulted ceilings were fantastic. If you are looking for Columbus's tomb, however, it's up the road.
Annie and the altar boy.
Outside the Catedral is el Parque Colón (Columbus Park.) I, along with many others, have pretty mixed feelings about Columbus. In the end I appreciated this representation. Yes, there is a colossal statue, but there is also a pigeon perched atop his head, doing what pigeons do best.
As you might imagine, Annika was delighted to spend time with las palomas. The word for pigeon and dove is the same in Spanish. I don't know why, but that somehow makes them feel less dirty.
Tantas palomas!
Rejuventated by our drinks and some rest, we then walked a mile and a half back to our condo, located near el Palacio de Bellas Artes (the Palace of Fine Arts).
Home, sweet (temporary) home. Buenas noches, Santo Domingo!
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