I wrote a previous report on my trip from Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque but I went there again in September and will post a second report.You might want to read the first one before this...........----- This time I wanted to go dirrctly from the airport (SDQ) to Playa Palenque with all my baggage so after looking into it I decided that a taxi would be the easiest and best way to go. I got a price of $65 US for a direct taxi but after consulting with friends I was persuaded to offer that same amount to a friend of the family to drive us out to Playa Palenque. They were happy to do it and could use the money so it worked out for everyone. By doing this I would save the $30US cab ride to the capital and muscling my bags on and off of crowded guaguas. After dodging the new cambio with the higher rates in the airport I exchanged my money at the Banreserva booth in the airport for 35.25-1 and met my friends outside. After a quick stop in San Cristobal we proceeded out to Palenque. The Hotel Playa Palenque was just as I remembered it-quiet and peaceful. We spent the rest Sunday of the afternoon on the beach, which was only semi-crowded, sipping beer eating fish and watching the kids play in the waves. It was a short visit as my ride was anxcious to get home and off the road with the kids before dark. Back at the hotel we settled on some seafood soup which was proclaimed as a specialty of the house(Sopa Mariscoes de Hotel Playa Palenque). It was excellent and I made sure I complimented the cook(Indera). The restaurant in the hotel has won several awards according to thier website, but I don't know from whom as it is in german. We sat around the pool and I helped my friend with her english homework. The owners wife Marie and the girl working the bar seemed very interested in this as they both had studied some english. I spent some time trying to explain contractions to them (can't, don't, I'll, we'll etc).It was the lesson my friend was working on but I'm not sure it was sinking in, but we had some fun trying. We retreated to our room after the appearance of some mosquitos as my friend had two family members get very sick with dengue this summer and she had a healthy fear of mosquitos. She had to go to work in the morning so after I saw her off at 6 AM I was on my own for most of the day. I spent the day at the beach watching the snorklers off shore collecting shelfish. I sat on the pier for a while and had a long conversation with a local boy about baseball and the United States. Once he realized that his requests for money were in vain we had a long and interesting talk. He obviously was not attending school and did not know very much about his own country. He was very bright and curious about me and the United States. He had an uncle that lived there and he was firmly convinced that most people there were very rich. From where he was sitting I'm sure this was true. As we talked we watched a tugboat ferry parts and workers to a large ship that was anchored a few miles off shore and that passes for excitement in these parts. The conversation ended when an older boy appeared to inquire as to his progress with me. He told the older boy not to bother me and they went off together on another errand. If I had a chance I would have bought him a coke or something small to eat but I did not want to hand him money. My friend returned from work in the afternoon and we sat on the near deserted beach and watched the tugboat and the waves and sipped a few beers. Not much happens during the week out here and that is fine with me. We went back to the hotel to swim in the pool and work on her english lessons till again the mosquitos drove us in. There were not a lot of them, they are much worse where I live in the USA, but the fear of dengue is very potent. To be continued........
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Santo Domingo to Playa Palenque Take 2
At the Hotel Playa Pelanque they told me the ocean was polluted and I shouldn't swim there. Did you?
Did the electricity stay on all night? to keep the fans on and the mosquitos out of your ears?
Did the owner tell you his wife was a doctor and it was foolish for you to be worried about dengue?
Did the electricity stay on all night? to keep the fans on and the mosquitos out of your ears?
Did the owner tell you his wife was a doctor and it was foolish for you to be worried about dengue?
Pollution was not mentioned by anyone at the hotel or on the beach. I did swim along with 75-100 other people on the beach and did not suffer or witness any ill effects. I had no problem with electricity though I believe it was a generator much of the late evening. The water did not work from 3-6 AM. Marie the doctor spoke of caution and empathy about the dengue outbreak.
Page 2
On Tuesday I spent the day doing nothing. In the afternoon while sitting at the pool I asked Marie, the owners wife, if she could direct me to the local school. I had a box of school supplies( pens, pencils, chalk,markers, paper and flash cards) that I wanted to donate but I did not want to just walk into the school. She told me that she was on a sort of parents advisory group for the school and she would bring me to the school in the morning before she went to work if I wanted. I did not want to be disruptive so I asked if there was an easier way and we settled on her just taking the supplies to the teacher with my best wishes. I thought this was best for now as I have read several posts on DR1 about the best way to donate and help without making a scene out of it. Perhaps next time when I have more time I will arrange a visit. Marie told me the next day that the teachers and children were suprised and very happy to get the new supplies. The can use any help that they can get. On my final day after my friend left for work I packed for my return to the capital took a swim in the pool and then walked down the beach and crossed a river to another section of the beach that I had not been to before. It had a differant name ( Chimmicaros ???) and seemed to be a more lively area even for a Wednesday. I stopped at one of the beachfront restaurants to have a beer and enjoy my last few hours of beach life. There were several families there and several groups of men at tables playing cards and passing time. While looking down the beach I noticed that a half mile down the beach there was a group of about 15 men manually hauling in a large net from the sea, so I walked down to observe. There were two teams of 6 men each about 50 yards apart and the technique was similar to working a tug-of-war. All six men on a side would dig thier feet into the sand and lean back to pull thier side of the net a little closer to the beach. Every ten minutes the teams would move closer together thus closing the net a little more. There were 3 bosses/facilitators that gave instruction and coiled the net on the beach. I watched this for about an hour until the end of the net was reached. The pocket of the net was full of hundreds of small (8-10 inches) fish. I did not want to disturb them with stupid questions so I don't know if this was considered a good catch or not. On my next trip if I see it again I will find a way to ask some stupid questions. This is a little differant than the way they catch fish in Gloucester MA. I walked the half mile back to the hotel through the groupings of modest houses with people cooking on small fires outside on the ground. The charges at the hotel were similar to my last trip:$1200RD/night for the room, $230RD for breakfasts, $250-300RD for dinners and my total for three nights for two people was $7000RD. I rounded up my bags, said my goodbyes and headed for the capital. To be continued........
On Tuesday I spent the day doing nothing. In the afternoon while sitting at the pool I asked Marie, the owners wife, if she could direct me to the local school. I had a box of school supplies( pens, pencils, chalk,markers, paper and flash cards) that I wanted to donate but I did not want to just walk into the school. She told me that she was on a sort of parents advisory group for the school and she would bring me to the school in the morning before she went to work if I wanted. I did not want to be disruptive so I asked if there was an easier way and we settled on her just taking the supplies to the teacher with my best wishes. I thought this was best for now as I have read several posts on DR1 about the best way to donate and help without making a scene out of it. Perhaps next time when I have more time I will arrange a visit. Marie told me the next day that the teachers and children were suprised and very happy to get the new supplies. The can use any help that they can get. On my final day after my friend left for work I packed for my return to the capital took a swim in the pool and then walked down the beach and crossed a river to another section of the beach that I had not been to before. It had a differant name ( Chimmicaros ???) and seemed to be a more lively area even for a Wednesday. I stopped at one of the beachfront restaurants to have a beer and enjoy my last few hours of beach life. There were several families there and several groups of men at tables playing cards and passing time. While looking down the beach I noticed that a half mile down the beach there was a group of about 15 men manually hauling in a large net from the sea, so I walked down to observe. There were two teams of 6 men each about 50 yards apart and the technique was similar to working a tug-of-war. All six men on a side would dig thier feet into the sand and lean back to pull thier side of the net a little closer to the beach. Every ten minutes the teams would move closer together thus closing the net a little more. There were 3 bosses/facilitators that gave instruction and coiled the net on the beach. I watched this for about an hour until the end of the net was reached. The pocket of the net was full of hundreds of small (8-10 inches) fish. I did not want to disturb them with stupid questions so I don't know if this was considered a good catch or not. On my next trip if I see it again I will find a way to ask some stupid questions. This is a little differant than the way they catch fish in Gloucester MA. I walked the half mile back to the hotel through the groupings of modest houses with people cooking on small fires outside on the ground. The charges at the hotel were similar to my last trip:$1200RD/night for the room, $230RD for breakfasts, $250-300RD for dinners and my total for three nights for two people was $7000RD. I rounded up my bags, said my goodbyes and headed for the capital. To be continued........
Page 3
I waited for and boarded the bus to the capital with a few of the employees of the hotel who were done for the day. They were very helpful and friendly. On the way to the capital we picked up a lot of children and teachers getting out of school along the way. The children did not seem to pay so I am not sure how, or if, the driver gets paid for them to ride. I really enjoyed bouncing down the road surrounded by laughing and smiling kids in thier uniforms. Once in the capital it was 4 PM (rush hour) so I decided to walk with my bags the six blocks from Parque Independencia to the Hotel Palacio at the corner of Conde and Duarte. I'm in fair shape an didn't mind the walk but by the time I arrived I was soaked, and I mean soaked with sweat. I got some looks when I walked into the Hotel Palacio lobby dripping wet. The Hotel Palacio is a very nice hotel. It is the former home of a former President ( Baez) and was built around 1850. I stayed in the Senior Suite and it was very nice. It had two rooms with very nice furniture, 20 foot high cielings, a minibar and computer with internet, a large jacuzie and a balcony. The whole building had a lot of character with a library and a sitting room for the guests to use. I believe they are adding a pool and the also sell the apartments in the building. The Senior Suite was $118 US per night including all taxes. They offered a breakfast buffet for $8 US. The service was excellent and very pleasant. We had dinner at the Meson De Cava. It is a restaurant in a cave 15 minutes ride from the Conde. It was very good though a bit expensive and dinner for two including wine was $3800 RD. It was a unique experience. All in all a nice, but short, trip. I hope my next trip is a bit longer ! THE END
I waited for and boarded the bus to the capital with a few of the employees of the hotel who were done for the day. They were very helpful and friendly. On the way to the capital we picked up a lot of children and teachers getting out of school along the way. The children did not seem to pay so I am not sure how, or if, the driver gets paid for them to ride. I really enjoyed bouncing down the road surrounded by laughing and smiling kids in thier uniforms. Once in the capital it was 4 PM (rush hour) so I decided to walk with my bags the six blocks from Parque Independencia to the Hotel Palacio at the corner of Conde and Duarte. I'm in fair shape an didn't mind the walk but by the time I arrived I was soaked, and I mean soaked with sweat. I got some looks when I walked into the Hotel Palacio lobby dripping wet. The Hotel Palacio is a very nice hotel. It is the former home of a former President ( Baez) and was built around 1850. I stayed in the Senior Suite and it was very nice. It had two rooms with very nice furniture, 20 foot high cielings, a minibar and computer with internet, a large jacuzie and a balcony. The whole building had a lot of character with a library and a sitting room for the guests to use. I believe they are adding a pool and the also sell the apartments in the building. The Senior Suite was $118 US per night including all taxes. They offered a breakfast buffet for $8 US. The service was excellent and very pleasant. We had dinner at the Meson De Cava. It is a restaurant in a cave 15 minutes ride from the Conde. It was very good though a bit expensive and dinner for two including wine was $3800 RD. It was a unique experience. All in all a nice, but short, trip. I hope my next trip is a bit longer ! THE END
possible pollution in palenque....
I don't take no chances with my children's health. A compulsory cuava soap scrub-down is de rigeur after a beach, river, or even swimming pool dip. As a result, my children have not suffered not even an earache... On my way to Azua, a pitstop at Playa Palenque es also de rigeur. However, I stop at the farthest western part of the beach, known as Playa Cocolandia, from which begins a two or three kilometer stretch of uninhabited, undeveloped stretch of sand. all the way to the Nizao river. I'm on familiar terms with the local fishermen (who have a special affectionate regard for my youngest, Aroa, who is invariably referred to as "El Rey de Tonga"). My routine is placing a $1000 peso bill on the counter, and making the same speech about how hungry we all are for fresh fried fish (colorao), and 'moro de guandules al coco', fried plantain chips and 'escabeche', and how all I have is that one bill, because we all are going through such hard times... Of course, they all laugh, and we end up having a helluva 'jartura'.
I don't take no chances with my children's health. A compulsory cuava soap scrub-down is de rigeur after a beach, river, or even swimming pool dip. As a result, my children have not suffered not even an earache... On my way to Azua, a pitstop at Playa Palenque es also de rigeur. However, I stop at the farthest western part of the beach, known as Playa Cocolandia, from which begins a two or three kilometer stretch of uninhabited, undeveloped stretch of sand. all the way to the Nizao river. I'm on familiar terms with the local fishermen (who have a special affectionate regard for my youngest, Aroa, who is invariably referred to as "El Rey de Tonga"). My routine is placing a $1000 peso bill on the counter, and making the same speech about how hungry we all are for fresh fried fish (colorao), and 'moro de guandules al coco', fried plantain chips and 'escabeche', and how all I have is that one bill, because we all are going through such hard times... Of course, they all laugh, and we end up having a helluva 'jartura'.