Got a week in Santo Domingo in Jan 2012. Recc's on what to do cool and different

Hi, all, and thanks for having this informative site on the DR. We're in our late 40's and enjoy exploring new countries (i.e. we have little intention of hanging in a resort, drinking, eating and laying on a beach). We'd like to learn about the ecosystems, history, culture of the country as much as we can in this short time. We got a hotel in the Colonial District for the week. If you guys had a business associate or good buddy coming in for the week to SD, what would you recommend? We can rent a car and drive, but preferred is always to find "some guy" who can take us around exploring who knows the area. We hate doing the buses. Thanks in advance! Tambien, hablo espanol pero como gringo.