Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque

This may be a very long post so I will have to do it in several segments as time allows. I arrived on Spirit Air at 1:40 pm on an uneventful flight from Ft Lauderdale. This time there was no complimentary glass of Brugal in the arrival hall of the airport. A bad omen?? Tourist card purchase and money exchange were quick and painless. Apparantly due to an overcrowded baggage system an airport employee was taking all bags off of the conveyor and putting them on the floor. This caused all sorts of confusion and added 20 minutes to my planned quick getaway when I could not locate one of my bags. Finally I found it and made my way through customs and into the crowd of waiting taxies. Though they initially started at 1300 RD, I settled on 900 RD for a ride to the Zona Colonial in the capital. This was still a little high but I was thirsty and anxious to get settled. After a 40 minute ride I arrived at the Aparthotel Condo-Parque near the Parque Independencia. I was greeted by Walter the owner and was quickly helped to my room. After a little confusion I settled into a very nice room on the third floor with A/c, television for $35 US/night. This hotel is very adequate for the price. My room was quiet with a window that faced the direction of the ocean, though I could not see it, and the constant breeze was nice. There is a small restaurant/bar on the first floor with seats both inside and in the garden with the pet birds. There is a good selection of books and magazines in several languages for guests in the lobby. Walter has installed a security system on the front door so you need to be buzzed in each time by one of the very pleasant members of the staff. I was advised by Walter, though it did not apply in my case, that he would discourage anyone comming back to the hotel nightly with differant "friends". Apparantly some of his customers, and consequently he, had problems with some of the "friends" having sticky fingers. Walter did not want the headaches associated with this and I completely understood. Though the room had A/c it did not have a strong fan so I walked to the California Sedares store on the Conde and bought a fan for 600 RD. I will just give it to my Dominican friends when I leave. I am sure they will find a good use for it. Being from the northeast US the heat and humidity in the DR, especially in the capital, takes some getting use to and I had to change my shirt after each walk to the supermarket or other stores. I met my friend for dinner and after some discussion she conviced me to settle for a light dinner and some people watching on the Conde. There is no shortage of small eateries and beer joints on and around the Conde and it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours despite the heat. A nightcap at The Venus Bar at my hotel was nice end to my first day back in the DR. On Friday my friend had to go to work so after breakfast at Parco's on the Conde and a discussion about the lack of justice in this world she left to go to work and I set out to go to Boca Chica for the day to enjoy the beach and visit with some friends. A publico from Parque Independencia to Parque Enriquillo was quick, interesting and 12 RD. I boarded the express guagua for Boca Chica at Parque Enriquillo(40 RD and 50 minutes) and after purchasing a few items from the many vendors that boarded the bus we set out for a day at the beach. To be continued........

Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque II

The guagua to Boca chica was air conditioned clean and comfortable. Just outside the capital the driver was told to pull over by two Amet in the road. The driver got out and had a lively debate with the two cops but after 10 minutes he was given what appeared to be a ticket and he reboarded the bus. The driver said something to the passangers that I did not understand with my limited spanish. The whole bus errupted in laughter and we resumed our trip past the two Amet who were left wondering what the joke was. I asked the person next to me why the Amet stopped us and recieved the ever popular "no se". After a few stops in Andres I arrived at the central park in Boca Chica. It was only noon so I took a walk down Duarte to soak up the ambiance and look for changes since my last visit. The disco across from RT 66 had a new awning and some new paint and is rumoured to be opening soon. The Austria bar is now a pool hall. Other than that the place seemed the same, at least at noontime. I did notice on the way into town that there were signs posted along the way that announce Boca Chica as part of an anti-crime initiative that includes Juan Dolio and the Zona Colonial. We shall see. I then stopped by Fernandos for a tuna sandwich and a refresco(160 RD). He was doing well but he mentioned that business has been slow. I then proceded to the Playa Vista to catch up on the scuttlebutt and go for a swim. The Playa Vista is the same as ever with a few tables of expats playing cards and the girls from San Pedro looking bored. Peter himself was tending bar due to an emergency at home for his barmaid. Apparantly her apartment had been broken into and looted. True, or a reason not to work on a slow Friday in the slow season, I don't know. Many comments went around the table as to the general state of thievery in the country and it was decided that Dominicans who will steal from other poor Dominicans are the lowest ever. The beach was uncrowded and the water was calm and warm. I spent an hour swimming the length of the beach and enjoying the quiet. The degree of sunburn on my bald head and the persistant call of a grande Presidente persueded me to return to the shelter of the Playa Vista. A few hours of watching the container ships jockey for position in the port across the bay was reason enough for several more rounds of grandes. The port seems to be very busy with eight or so ships comming and going in the coarse of the afternoon. They all seemed to be delivering only and left empty or semi-empty. Some were proceding to Haina to unload the rest of the containers. In all the port operation seemed very efficient and well run, at least to the beer soaked panel of experts at the Playa Vista. Much debate also centered on the commings and goings of the birds at the two islands off the coast of Boca Chica. The birds seem to be on an almost first name basis with the dennisons of the Playa Vista as thier schedules are well known and fairly regular. At that point the party made a decision to move to The Boathouse for a few games of pool and a change of view. With daylight and my alleged sobriety slipping away I decided to return to the capital while I was still able to resist the allure of the infamous Boca Chica nightlife. The final guagua to the capital is between 7-8 PM so I puchased a few gifts at the market on Duarte(Monolos ?), rum and coffee and a cold beer for the ride. I boarded the bus at the park and after a seamless change of busses in Andres, 40 RD and 50 minutes later I arrived in the capital at Parque Independencia, sunburned, somewhat drunk and glad to be in the Dominican Republic. To be continued.......

Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque III

After a semi-sobering shower I joined my friend in the restaurant/bar on the ground floor of the Condo-Parque Hotel. The goulash was excellent and it went very well with the german beer Walter serves. The menue there is limited but does include mondongo, steaks and "beefburgers" as well as other light fare. I found everthing I ate there, including the made to order breakfast, cooked by Walter himself, to be very good and reasonably priced. After a few beers and some interesting conversation we called it a day. The bar and conversation was very pleasant and I hope to spend more time loitering there on my next trip. We departed to Playa Palenque at around 11 AM Saturday. We were told that we could catch a direct guagua to Playa Palenque on the other side of Parque Independencia but that just taking the guagua to San Cristobal and switching busses would be just as easy so we did that. 25 minutes and 45 RD later we stopped at a parque in San Cristobal and changed to a crowded bus for the remainder of the trip to the beach. I got a seat for my friend but I had to settle for the scrunch seat next to the driver. The bus had no A/C and it got pretty hot pretty fast. The bus had a sign that said "express" but it seemed to stop every 100 yards while still in San Cristobal to pack in more people. Some people saw how crowded it was and chose to wait for the next bus. Eventualy we got moving and the breeze through the windows made it bearable. The ride was nice with many views of medium sized mountains, though a bit uncomfortable without a back on my seat. Eventualy a woman came onboard and shared my seat with me and we leaned against each other for support. Once we got to Playa Najayo half the bus emptied and I was able to snag a regular seat. The countryside from Najayo to Palenque was mostly agricultural land with an occasional grouping of houses. Total time from the capital to Playa Palenque was about 1.5 hours and 90 Rd per person. Very interesting and very economical. There seemed to be no shortage of busses comming and going to Palenque and several times while traveling around the area the bus would slow down to a crawl. When I inquired as to why they did this I was told that there was another bus very close ahead of us and if they were too close there would be no customers for our driver to pick up. Economics 101 Dominican style. When our bus arrived at Playa Palenque we were the only ones on the bus as this was the end of the line and the busses head back to the capital from here. The bus dropped us right at the door of our hotel, The Hotel Playa Palenque. We were escorted in by the employee watching the gate. We met Peter, the Swiss gentleman that owns and operates it with his wife Maria and after a short conversataion we were shown to our room. It was a gorgeous large room with a full kitchen, refrigerator, balcony, fan and A/C (which we never used). The balcony overlooked the garden and pool area with it's many flowers and fruit trees. The room was large enough to have a square dance in. The pool was spotlessly clean with a nice restaurant/bar area next to it. We strolled through the grounds which included a large trampoline and some private garden dining tables. This place was very,very nice! It was also very quiet with only the occasional sound of a passing guagua or motoconcho to break the stillness. Lots of butterflies and birds added to the effect. I had only been there for 20 minutes and I was totaly relaxed already. To be continued..........

Pardon the Delay

Please pardon the delay in posting. My home computer is kaput so I have been filing my dispatches from work, and my boss insists that I do at least some work while I'm here. He's got a lot of nerve!! In answer to the questions: the goulash was listed on the menue(chalkboard) as goulash and if I remember correctly was 85 RD and was served over noodles that were cooked to order. This dish was recommended to me by Walter himself as being "a little spicy and excellent". He was right, it was very good,a little on the spicy side and very filling. He also had several Dominican dishes on the menue which I believe included sancocho though I didn't know what that was. His wife also made mondongo but I didn't get a chance to try it. Next time. The breakfast was made to order by Walter. He asked me if I wanted a large or small breakfast. I chose a small and that included two eggs, ham, bread and coffee for 125 RD, if my memory serves me well. As to the price at the Hotel Playa Palenque(not a resort) was 1200 RD per room per night and that included all taxes. I will go into this in more detail in the next excruciatingly slow in comming installment of the trip report which I hope to do this afternoon if my boss would stop bugging me about "doing some work here already".

Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque IV

When we last left our intrepid tavelers they had just arrived at the Hotel Playa Pelenque. Meanwhile back at the hotel.............We sat at one of the poolside tables, drank an ice cold refresco and chatted with the owner Peter about what a nice place he had. He was also very excited about the upcomming Word Cup match between Switzerland and France. He was cautiously optomistic for his Swiss team. The game on Monday ended up a tie, which to Peter was as good as a win. The rooms for two were 1200 RD per night which was excellent, but the meal prices were a bit steep. A breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit, bread and coffee was 230 RD per person and was very good. The dinner menue had a very good variety of items to choose from considering that we were at what some people considered the end of the earth. One night I had wienerschnitzl with pan fried potatoes and a salad for 300RD and it was very good. My friend had the lasanga and a salad for 285 RD and she said it was excellent as well. The service was very attentive and very friendly and the cook, Maria, was very accesable and offered to customize dishes if a request was made. Each table was set up with fresh linnen tablecloths and candles each night. There also was a small private area set up for dinner in amongst the flower and fruit trees. The hotel and restaurant was not very busy with perhaps one third of the 18 rooms rented and this was over a weekend. They also had a note in the menue saying that customers who were there for the restaurant only were welcome(and thier children) to use the pool and changing rooms and shower for a nominal fee(30 RD ??). There was a phone available for use at the bar which was very good because cell phone service (Orange) did not work this far out in the boonies. The charge for the phone was 6 RD/MIN for San Cristobal and 25 RD/MIN for the United States. This seemed a little steep but there were not too many options out here and you could not beat the convienience of it. I found myself smiling a lot at all the little nice suprises that kept presenting themselves. We spent a couple of evenings at the bar poolside chatting with Peter and his wife Maria( not the cook ) who is a doctor at the local hospital. It turns out that she is somehow related to my friends family and they spent some time discussing various family subjects that were unintelligable to this gringos ears. The first day we walked to the beach, abour 50 yards away. The beach was nice and clean with a section of grey sand and a section of smooth gravel with medium sized waves. We walked the length of it and watched the fishermen repairing thier nets an throwing in handlines. There were many restaurant/beach bars along the way but most of then seemed to be closed. This was suprising for a Saturday. We returned to one that was open next to the large pier, which apeared to be some sort of abandoned train/boat transfer pier. The name of the bar/restaurant/dancehall was "Golden Beach" in english which was a little odd for way out here. There was another sizable establishment next to this called the "Dominican York Restaurant" but it was closed that day. We had a plate of garlic shrimp for 300 RD but I think this may have been precio especial for the gringo as there were no prices on the menu. The beach was safe and uncrowded and we spent the afternoon swimming, listening to music and sipping beer and also tried a plate of fresh fish, the price of which escapes me. Playa Palenque was a very low key place and a welcome change from the chaos and heat of the capital. As the sun went down we returned to the hotel to sip beer poolside and swim in the pool. We met several Dominican couples at the pool and spent a quiet evening swimming and chatting in the well lit pool. A great end to a great day. The total immersion into spanish conversation was starting to take it's effect and my comprehension of the discussions was improving. Our particular room did not have a television but I actually welcomed that, being no great fan of TV. We stayed for 3 nights and the charge for the room was 3600 RD but my total bill for meals, phone calls ,bar tab and associated taxes and service charge was 7900 RD. It was well worth it and I would recomend this hotel to anyone. I hesitate to publicize this place, as I would hate for it to be overun by ugly Americans, or ugly anything for that matter, but I hope that this post will aid Peter and Maria in attracting some worthy clients. To be continued.........

Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque v

The next morning, Sunday, we boarded a guagua to go back to Playa Nayajo. A friend of ours is building a house in the hills overlooking Playa Nayajo and we were meeting family there to inspect the progress and to take some photos to bring back to the States. The whole family met us at the worksite and we spent several hours as sidewalk (?) superintendants. They were pouring the cement for the second floor and I gained a lot of respect for what hard work that is. There were 15-20 laborers working on this because once you start the pour it is very time sensitive and needs to be completed. I was given a tour of the construction and escorted up to the second floor where the cement was being applied. The cement was mixed in a gas powered mixer on the ground an then sent up to the second floor via a power derek type device. Once on the second floor it was dumped into a hopper that was used to fill individual wheelbarrows. The workers on the second floor then muscled the cement to the correct spot and screeted (sp) it till smooth. I'm glad it wasn't me pushing around wheelbarrows full of cement in the sun that day. They worked very quickly and very hard, and it was very hot. When we had seen enough we all headed down to Playa Nayajo for some lunch and a swimming. Playa Nayajo is much more crowded than Playa Palenque and the music added to the atmosphere. The family I was with carefully selected fish from the restaurant which was then cooked and brought to us with rice, papa frites and salsa. We also bought some chicken for the kids that did not like fish. The whole shebang along with some corn and several rounds of grandes and refrescos came to around 900 RD for 4 adults and 2 kids. After lunch we bought a couple of small floats for the kids from a wandering vendor and jumped in the water. I think I had more fun than the kids ! Oh to be young again !! The fun was interupted a few times. Once a 10 year old kid cracked his head on the rocks that make up the breakwater. He seemed dazed so we helped him to the shore and tried to find his parents if they were there. This was not easy as the beach was very crowded and chaotic, he was dazed and I was trying with broken spanish. Eventually someone he knew appeared and escorted him to what looked like a first aid station, a little bloody but otherwise OK. A short time later I was hailed loudly from the beach by one of our party to " GET OUT OF THE WATER NOW!!!". This was repeated several times loudly and I notice lots of people were quickly exiting the water. I collected the kids and headed to the shore. What could it be? Sharks?? Barracuda?? Giant Squid?? I was not waiting to find out, I just hustled to shore. When I asked what was going on I was told " no se ". It was a typical mob reaction. When some people suddenly bolted out of the water everyone else, especially watchful parents, followed suit and rushed to get everyone out of the water. On further investigation it turned out to be a fight in one of the dancehalls along the beach, though not close to us. The excitement ended with several of the combatents being marched up the road by the local authorities, I think the NP. With the excitement over we returned to the water with the kids. After an hour more of splashing around it was time to board the next bus back to Playa Palenque. 20 RD and 25 minutes later we were back at the Hotel Playa Palenque for a quiet evening around the pool. To be continued.........

Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque VI

The next morning we had breakfast poolside and then I saw my friend off on a guagua as she had to go to work. I was going to stay in Playa Palenque for one more night and then meet her in the capital. This was one more night than I had planned and I found the hotel and the whole area so peaceful and pleasant that one more night would do me no harm. I spent a quiet morning walking the beach. There were only a half dozen people on the beach. The pier was deserted so I sat out on it and read a book. Around noon I returned to the hotel for a nap (Oh Vacations! ). I then returned mid afternoon to the Golden Beach Restaurant for a plate of shrimp (delicious) and a grande Presidente(ice cold) and an afternoon of watching the waves and meditating on the mysteries. The power was out so there was no music and that was OK with me, though the waitress seemed dissappointed. Besides the waitress and a few of her friends I was the only one there. At one point I noticed some movement on the beach all around me. Thinking that the sun, the beer, the meditation or all three were getting to me I rubbed my eyes and looked closer. I then discovered that I was surrounded by a lot of (50-60) crabs. They seemed to watch me and with the slightest movement they would dissapear back into thier holes in the sand. They had very big eyes (Fiddler crabs?) and if I remained still long enough they would reemerge from thier burrows and just look at me. If I am not mistaken I do believe they were trying to figure out how to eat me. Being several Presidentes into the process I found this game of hide and seek amusing. I spent an hour or so watching them watching me and wondering if they would approach me. They did not. They were very fast and with my slightest move the beach would go from 50-60 crabs to 0 crabs within one second. As the day wore on some dark clouds appeared and the beach turned cloudy and windy. The few swimmers on the beach came up to the shelter of the restaurant just as the rain started. The rain and wind was intense and I practiced my spanish weather words with the new arrivals. The storm left as quickly as it came and the visitors scattered leaving me the only patron at the bar. The day was growing late and the waitress was preparing to close down. She told me I was welcome to stay as late as I wanted as there was a watchman on duty so I ordered one last beer and spent a half an hour chatting and sharing my beer with the watchman. They all seemed curious as to how I found myself all the way out in Playa Palenque on a Monday afternoon in the slow season. Just lucky I guess ! I also think I provided them some entertainment and relief to the boredom that day. With darkness approaching I made my way back to the hotel for a swim and some dinner. Peter and Maria were entertaining some guests so I enjoyed some more conversation. The guests were a mix of Germans and Swiss with Dominican and Hatien wives. It made for a very interesting mix of language and accents. I also tried giving english lessons to the girls working the bar. They seemed amused. The European men seemed stunned that I knew next to nothing about the World Cup. It really has not caught on in the US. The chicken cordon bleau for dinner was excellent (280 RD ?). As the day ended I needed to mentaly prepare for the assault on my senses that was comming tomorrow with my return to the capital. To be continued...

Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque VII

The next day ( Tuesday) I readied myself for my return to the capital. When I inquired as to the checkout time at the Hotel Playa Palenque I was told "anytime is OK". I asked if 3:00-4:00 was alright and they said that was fine as they were not busy. After breakfast I preordered my lunch, a ham and cheese sandwich 80RD, and settled my bill. The total bill for three nights lodging, all meals, drinks and phone calls came to 7900 RD including the 26% of assorted taxes and service charges. A word of caution to anyone visiting out here, they request payment in cash. It seems the telephone service can be sporadic and that makes it difficult to process/confirm credit cards and travelers checks. I know that the 10% sevice fee should go to the workers but I wasn't sure so I made sure I put a tip in the hand of the maid, cook and barstaff. The service had been outstanding and I told them so. I took one last walk down the almost deserted beach and then returned to spend the rest of my day there sitting by the pool swimming, reading and napping. After lunch I said my goodbyes and boarded a guagua at the gate of the hotel and headed back to the capital( 50 RD and 1:20). They told me that all busses leaving from there would go to the Parque Independencia in the capital, 2 blocks from my hotel. The bus was uncrowded and it slowed down several times to keep time and distance between it and the bus ahead of it.This was OK with me as I got a chance to sightsee. We went through a town called Sabana Grande Palenque. It was a good size town with several nightclub/discos and a couple of hotels with pools (not cabanas). I have no idea how to get info about these hotels but I may try as this town seemed interesting, clean and possibly worth an overnight visit on my next trip out this way. There were advertisments on the telephone poles for several large bands that were to be playing in town soon. I think this town is a weekend magnet for all the aggriculteral area around it. The rest of the trip to the capital was uneventfull and as advertised I was dropped one block from the Aparthotel Condo-Parque near the Conde. Sorry so short, I have to go but will finnish the report as soon as I am able. To be continued.......

Sabana Grande Palenque

No Dragonfly I did not notice the name but my visit was very short, consisting of 4 trips through the town in a moving bus. I saw the band that would be playing in the town advertised on the poles from Najayo all the way to Playa Palenque. The hotels looked small but included pools with kids swimming in them. I sat next to some people who boarded in the town and they were very friendly and pleasant and we talked mostly about the beach. The nightclub/discos seemed to be pretty big and I am sure they would hopping on the weekend. I hope to spend a day or two there the next time I'm in the area.

Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque VIII

After my return to the capital I met my friend around 7 PM and we decided to have dinner at Vesuvios on the Malecon. It was raining in the capital and though it eliminated some of the heat it made it unbelievably muggy. The meal at Vesuvios was excellent though quite expensive. I had the ravioli stuffed with cheese and proccuitto for 350 RD. She had the mixed seafood special for 700 RD. The service was excellent and they had a very nice desert cart. We split a huge piece of chocolate cake that was very rich and very good. We stayed for a few cocktails after dinner and did not feel rushed at all even though the restaurant was very busy. Though it was very good I think there must be other restaurants equally as good in the Zona Colonial closer to our hotel. We returned to the Hotel Condo-Parque and spent a little time enjoying a drink and chatting with the interestingly mixed group of customers at Walter's bar(The Venus Bar). It was a nice way to spend my last night in the DR. My friend needed to get up early to go to work so at 6:30 in the AM we tried to judge the breaks in the rain and I walked her up to the bus stop at the park. The air was heavy with humidity and the sadness of another great vacation comming to an end. After seeing her off on the bus with assorted last minute gifts I trudged over to Parco's Restaurant for a cup of tea and a bite to eat and to while away some time before I had to go to the airport . Paco's is an open air cafe/restaurant at the end of the Conde that is open 24 hours a day. While mulling over my ham and eggs and watching the early morning crowd dodge the raindrops I noticed a dispute brewing at the far side of the lunch counter. Two men, one of them a cabbie were getting into an ever louder exchange of opinions. One thing led to another until punches started to fly. After several exchanges of fists one of the guys grabbed a grande beer bottle from a nearby table and smashed it over the cabbie's head. He then started threatening to use the jagged end of the remainder of the bottle. There were more heated words but by then the staff at Paco's had tried to intervene to calm things down. They supplied a towel to the cabbie who's head was bleeding profusely. The combatents were seperated and a lot of loud pleading of cases ensued. After 10 or 15 minutes of this the cabbie got in his cab and left. 10 minuts later a cop showed up on a motorcycle (small Harley?). Several other cops materialized and all were wearing bullet proof vests. The remaining combatent gave a statement to the cop as did the employees of Paco's. With my limited spanish and the rapid speaking I understood none of it. A brand new SUV police vehicle pulled up and the combatent was invited to get in and was then driven away. All of this went on while most of the customers in Paco's continued to work on thier breakfast as if this was an everyday occurance in these parts. I had been told by a friend that Paco's was not a very good place to hang around but I did not expect this sort of trouble at 7 AM. The excitement over, I finnished my breakfast and waited for the rain to slow down so I could return to the hotel. A few more hours of packing and watching TV and the rain and I said my goodbyes to Walter and his staff and headed to the airport. The taxi, arranged by Walter was 700 RD and the driver was friendly and chatty. Several times on the way to the airport he crossed himself without explaination. I can only guess that that spot on the road was the site of a past tragedy. The trip through check in and immigration was relativly quick and painless, but I constantly got the feeling that I was being sized up. After reading of other peoples airport problems on DR1 I know why. The end of another great Dominican Republic vacation and time to start planning the next one. THE END