Awesome video, road and engineering. Makes me want to go just for the drive!
Off topic? Your video had me remembering and thinking. In part the WHY are people NOT coming to the D.R. anymore?
I was in Thailand a few years ago for my brother in laws wedding. (he 55 and she 45... got it?) I was amazed that a country with close to the same socioeconomic's as the D.R., how good the roads were. Lanes painted, signs clear, guard railings and NO GARBAGE. I walked around Bangkok for a couple of days and never had a problem crossing a street. I quickly noticed that every muffler was a working muffler. Not only quite but NO fumes belching and polluting the air. As a smoker, I quickly had a problem while walking around.... I dare NOT throw my cig butt on the ground and could not find a garbage can anywhere on the street so the butt went back into the cig pack. While doing a lot of walking, NO one jumped out in front of me or grabbed my arm to yank me into their store and the ones that I did enter I was not harrassed, someone was always around watching to see IF I had a question or needed help.
I had even wondered into the designated and contained Red Light area while walking around. I didn't even know it until I noticed photos in the windows of what was available inside but out of view. A few times men would try to show me the ?complete? menu but did so with respect and withdrew when I shook my head no and I would receive a small bow, hands together while they backed away. In fact, I don't even recall seeing the inside of one bar from the street. No one begging except for an occasional Monk. They would stop about 8 feet away, head down and holding a small bowl with both hands and never said a word. I learned that I had to go over the the Monk and could give whatever I wished or not. But never touch or try to speak with them. My gift in the bowl, my slight bow with hands together and a ?sawatdee? would get me a smile and the Monk would go on his way.
Going up North to Phitsanulok and meeting up with my brother in law, I saw the same; good roads and not one speck of garbage anywhere. We took two day driving trips up to the Laos boarder visiting the amazing temples that looked brand new but are hundreds of years old. So clean, so well kept and so amazing that no one talked with more then a whisper. Clean, organized, gracious and respectful.
When I returned to my home here in the D.R., I just shook my head. I swear that my head has become more like a ?bobble head? on the dashboard over the years.
But being in the D.R., we are not some 30 hours flying to our work, family and at times needed medical and shopping in the U.S. Our home is here and we adapt.... even with the shaking of our heads.
