Trip Report Part I...

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
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I'll try to make this short and sweet. Flew into Santiago with Bronxboy and was picked up and driven to the campo by a fellow DR1 member. We got to Villa Bao and I hung out in the campo for my whole stay with another DR1 member. The hospitality was incredible on all sides.

Trip purpose-to relax. To stock up on my much-needed medication. To do as little as humanly possible. To get the stuff I brought from NYC to all DR1 parties concerned.

I've known Bronxboy for years, but this was the first time we've hung out in the DR. Talk about the perfect wingman. When he came to pick me up to go to the airport, I had, along with my luggage, two huge bags of stuff for the peeps in the DR. He didn't even mention it on the ride over, didn't complain, and when we got into the airport terminal we got down to the process of getting the stuff in our already overpacked luggage while being cognizant of the weight limit. Thank goodness for the scales at the airport.

The first failed attempt he was over the limit and I was under. We decided to re-shuffle some things and his bag came in underweight and mine was over. A bit more finagling and we got it right. Since Bronxboy didn't have a carry-on we put some things in a plastic bag and he got on the plane with it.

We get to Santiago, no worries. On the flight, I had an aisle seat with someone sitting next to me and the window seat unoccupied. This is the third time this has happened to me, where we have an extra seat in the aisle and the person sitting next to me refuses to change seats so we can both be more comfortable.

Coming back there was an elderly lady in my seat who refused to budge, and I was not trying to sit anywhere but in the aisle seat. So someone was kind enough to switch seats with me and all was good. But the same thing happened. Some lady sat next to me with the window seat unoccupied and refused to move so we could BOTH have more room.

I've visited campos in the DR before but never stayed as long as this recent trip. Definitely an eye-opening experience. Here are some pics-

The local baseball field, "El Play de Villa Bao-

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Typical campo road-

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Tobacco drying in a shed-

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Local tobacco fields-

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keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
4,734
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Thank you for the trip report...a nice change of pace. Love the photos. Wish more people would do trip reports...Gives a glimpse into areas/things one may not have seen or know of.
 

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
9,513
2,782
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Very nice and thanks for the Nice Pics ... Glad you got to relax and unwind ..

and yes, what is it with Airplane seats and Dominicans ? good grief they just dont get it .
This is another reason to buy a ticket up front on the way down, to not have to deal with such utter nonsense .

again, glad you and Bronxboy had a nice time.
 

bigbird

Gold
May 1, 2005
7,375
163
0
Real nice Berzin and myself being a picture person loved the photos. When i look at the pics they say to me relax, if i don't do it today i do it tomorrow so just take it easy.............

Had to laugh about the person not moving to the empty window seat. It has also happened to me and i could never figure it out....
 

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
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I was able to pick up my medication in large quantities from the same pharmacy in Santiago that I had done business with previously. Without knowing (because I didn't tell him) the guy helping me told me to put the stuff in my check-in luggage so I won't get hassled. I guess I'm not the only one who goes there to buy medication in bulk to bring back to the states.

SantiagoDR was more than patient with me on more than one occasion, taking me into town and waiting with me while my order was processed and either dropped me off at the guagua or took me directly back to Villa Bao. I felt bad inconveniencing him like that, so I learned how to get into town and back on my own. No one bothered me and even though I did get a bit lost for a quick second in Santiago proper, I still managed my way back. Walking around and getting lost is the best way to acclimate yourself to your surroundings.

I met up with The Gorgon, who once again came through in the clutch. Gorgon is definitely an extremely kind-hearted man for what he did for me. Think about a cat who takes a bus from Puerto Plata just to drop something off for me. We exchanged items, spoke for a a bit and then he had to be off. Next trip we will definitely hang out with more time to spare. He had a book with him that I found interesting, and told him to pm me the title and author so I can check it out once I get home. He did me one better. He actually gave it to me on the spot. That type of magnanimous behavior is something I will appreciate forever.

The local Colmado-

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A man and his donkey, who the night before was strolling around the ball field at 2 in the morning hanging out and nibbling on some grass-

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More pics of the ball field-

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Y quien dice que Berzin no se mete en el campo, baina?

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Getting dark in the campo-

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The unofficial groundskeeper-

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Two photos from the corner colmado where you take the bus into Santiago from Villa Bao-

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Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
113
Thanks for the compliments, everyone. Will post Part II tomorrow, with more photos.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
948
113
... so I learned how to get into town and back on my own. No one bothered me and even though I did get a bit lost for a quick second in Santiago proper, I still managed my way back.

Thanks to Waytogo, who supplied him with an emergency cell phone for his adventurous trips to Santiago to call me in case he got lost. :D lol
 

Garyexpat

Bronze
Sep 7, 2012
2,105
739
113
Berzin, it was good to meet you and SantiagoDR but too bad you couldn't hang out a while with Bronxboy, Cristorey and I.
Next time - nice photos.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
I'll try to make this short and sweet. Flew into Santiago with Bronxboy and was picked up and driven to the campo by a fellow DR1 member. We got to Villa Bao and I hung out in the campo for my whole stay with another DR1 member. The hospitality was incredible on all sides.

Trip purpose-to relax. To stock up on my much-needed medication. To do as little as humanly possible. To get the stuff I brought from NYC to all DR1 parties concerned.

I've known Bronxboy for years, but this was the first time we've hung out in the DR. Talk about the perfect wingman. When he came to pick me up to go to the airport, I had, along with my luggage, two huge bags of stuff for the peeps in the DR. He didn't even mention it on the ride over, didn't complain, and when we got into the airport terminal we got down to the process of getting the stuff in our already overpacked luggage while being cognizant of the weight limit. Thank goodness for the scales at the airport.

The first failed attempt he was over the limit and I was under. We decided to re-shuffle some things and his bag came in underweight and mine was over. A bit more finagling and we got it right. Since Bronxboy didn't have a carry-on we put some things in a plastic bag and he got on the plane with it.

We get to Santiago, no worries. On the flight, I had an aisle seat with someone sitting next to me and the window seat unoccupied. This is the third time this has happened to me, where we have an extra seat in the aisle and the person sitting next to me refuses to change seats so we can both be more comfortable.

Coming back there was an elderly lady in my seat who refused to budge, and I was not trying to sit anywhere but in the aisle seat. So someone was kind enough to switch seats with me and all was good. But the same thing happened. Some lady sat next to me with the window seat unoccupied and refused to move so we could BOTH have more room.

I've visited campos in the DR before but never stayed as long as this recent trip. Definitely an eye-opening experience. Here are some pics-

The local baseball field, "El Play de Villa Bao-

dw77uv.jpg


jjwz9e.jpg



Typical campo road-

29nxlx1.jpg


281vp7r.jpg



Tobacco drying in a shed-

ipv6lx.jpg



Local tobacco fields-

2dwcdg4.jpg


mrtpgh.jpg

Love your photos... #field of dreams.
 

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
113
Part II-

My last stop was at Hillbilly's. He spoke about this in a previous thread, so let me add that it was great to see him and even better that we had a bunch of DR1'ers there for a couple of Presidente Grandes and some excellent conversation.

Got to meet Garyexpat and CristoRey for a couple of moments, as we dropped Bronxboy off at a bar near the Monumento, if I'm not mistaken. Hopefully next trip we will have time to sit down for a couple of cold ones and to share some stories.

Here are some more photos-

Local graffiti art-

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Road alongside La Fortaleza San Luis-

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Fortaleza San Luis-

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I knew there was something about this place I liked!!! LOL!!!

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The McDonald's on Calle del Sol. They have a take out window selling ice cream, and it does brisk business from the looks of it-

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Mural of a typical Dominican campesino-

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Park across the street from la iglesia-

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Iglesia Nuestra Señora del la Altagracia-

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Sarah Gourmet-

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dulce

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
2,524
211
63
Thank you for taking the time to post the trip reports and the photos. Sounds like a good trip.
 

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
113
Part III-

The street along the Monumento where Kukara Macara is located-

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Stage setup for Carnival Festivities-

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Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración-

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Views of Santiago from the steps of the Monumento-

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More Monument shots-

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Oye mami, llamame cuando bote to novio…

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bigbird

Gold
May 1, 2005
7,375
163
0
real, real nice pics Berzin and I know a lot of effort went into sharing the pics. Those who have never uploaded pics may not realize it takes time.

The Macara cowboy restaurant is real nice. Yeah it is a place to be seen but the food is also pretty good.

Did you walk up the steps to the monument? A little secret, there is a winding road to the left and on the side of the monument that vehicles use to get to the top. Much easier to do for those who aren't too fond of a million and one steps.
 

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
113
Part IV-

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Mural artist at work-

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The Nike Factory Store-

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I'm an unapologetic Pizza Hut fan. This was one of the best I've ever had. The ingredients were fresh, the service was excellent. And the view onto Calle del Sol wasn't bad, either. Ya tu sabe...

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View from the guagua heading back to Villa Bao (Colmado Miguel)-

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Brush fire in the campo…

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At Santiago airport. Time to go…

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Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
113
What does Sarah Gourmet sell?

Here's the menu I found on Facebook. They also cater private events-

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Did you walk up the steps to the monument? A little secret, there is a winding road to the left and on the side of the monument that vehicles use to get to the top. Much easier to do for those who aren't too fond of a million and one steps.

I know about the winding road, but decided to take the steps. It wasn't that bad, and I enjoyed the walk up immensely.
 

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
113
real, real nice pics Berzin and I know a lot of effort went into sharing the pics. Those who have never uploaded pics may not realize it takes time.

Thank you. I was a bit nervous about walking around with a D-SLR camera, but I managed it by taking a photo or two and then returning the camera to my bag quickly, and was on the look-out for any tigres trying to scheme on me.

I never felt nervous or concerned for my safety, but I was also out in broad daylight and plenty of people were out and about. Not that this matters, but it made me feel safe.

I wish I could have taken more photos, but that was a long day out and I was on foot. Not being used to the sun, even though there was no humidity, it took its toll. The remedy? Pizza Hut!!!

I want to take this time to thank everyone who added positively to this trip-Waytogo, SantiagoDR, The Gorgon, Hillbilly, Bronxboy, and anyone else I may have inadvertently left out.

Especially Waytogo, who made my stay in the campo possible and was the ultimate host. The hospitality is something I will never forget.

Until next time...peace to everyone and I hope y'all enjoyed this trip report.
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
14,107
595
113
I want to take this time to thank everyone who added positively to this trip-Waytogo, SantiagoDR, The Gorgon, Hillbilly, Bronxboy, and anyone else I may have inadvertently left out.

Especially Waytogo, who made my stay in the campo possible and was the ultimate host. The hospitality is something I will never forget.
Until next time...peace to everyone and I hope y'all enjoyed this trip report.

Thanks Berzin. On the next trip, we are going to venture out to new adventures.

I also want to give a BIG shout out to Waytogo and SantiagoDR. These 2 gents are in a class all by themselves.

The ultimate hosts.

On my next trip, I am going to surprise them both.

Waytogo, hint hint. Plum.................................

SantiagoDR, I am just going to have to improvise.

Hillbilly, that cigar was to die for. I smoked it while having a glass of Remy Martin XO I bought in the duty free.

Can't wait for the next ride to DR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!