Your favourite place in DR?

britishgirl

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Where's your favourite place in Dr. Mine's simple, I just like walking about Sosua el batey area, and looking in shops, and generally just hanging out like any teenage girl does. But Sosua is a great place to hang out, I also love Sosua beach and El Batey area is my favourite. Where ya like hanging out in the DR??? ;)
 

Keith R

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A tie between Jarabacoa and Samana, for different reasons.

If you had asked me in 1986-88, I would have said Bayahibe, but no longer. That was when it was still quiet and not "developed" into yet another AI enclave....

I also like a small provincial capital near Lake Enriquillo called Duverge, but that's because I have relatives there and have gotten to know the place.
 

Cleef

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Feb 24, 2002
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Hard to pick one spot.

Breaking through the clouds on the way into SDQ and seeing trash burning and dirty rivers gets me pretty fired up; just psyched to be back.

Coming out of the airport, remembering back to my virgin landing makes me laugh. Feeling the heat, someone's hand going into my pocket, the smells of hot tropical air. Ripping off about 70 "no gracias's" and seeing people's focus drop down to my sandal-clad, translucent-white feet. Gringo in shorts.

Coming into SDQ from PR along the aqua south coast is a great ride.

PLAYA VISTA, BOCA CHICA: I love hanging out at Peter and Flemings. It's like home there. I have a collection of CD's I can just pop in when I feel so. The beer tastes especially good there?and the bar scene is reminiscent of the Star Wars bar scene. I used to call Flacko "chewy". I've shot beer out my nose from laughing too hard at least 8 times there.

AUTOPISTA DUARTE: I really enjoy the ride from SD to the north shore for a couple reasons. You go through so much variety on the way up to Cabarete, especially the back way through La Vega. The road from La Vega to the north coast highway - that pops you out just east of Cabarete - is right out of a story book. The rolling hills, mountains and flora are amazing.

LAX, CABARETE: When I finally rest my head at night, I dream of being at Lax in the mid-day, feet up, cocktail in hand and great music. I realize I'm right in the spot I've been dreaming about since I was little boy.

DR1.COM, SD: Lunches with the dr1 family. Great food, great company, spirited discussion, tons of laughs? and the incredible dining room fan.
 
Apr 26, 2002
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Keith R said:
I also like a small provincial capital near Lake Enriquillo called Duverge, but that's because I have relatives there and have gotten to know the place.
I like Duverge also. Like stepping back thirty years in time. I remember meeting a gentleman there back in the late 1980s still bitter about the US invasion of the DR --- the 1916 invasion! But I don't think it's the capital of any province (Barahona, Jimani and Neiba are the regional seats).

But Jarabacoa ain't Jarabacoa anymore.
 

Keith R

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Porfio_Rubirosa said:
I like Duverge also. Like stepping back thirty years in time. I remember meeting a gentleman there back in the late 1980s still bitter about the US invasion of the DR --- the 1916 invasion! But I don't think it's the capital of any province (Barahona, Jimani and Neiba are the regional seats).

But Jarabacoa ain't Jarabacoa anymore.
Duverge is the capital of Independencia. Trust me. Or look it up. Either way, answer is the same.

I haven't been back to Jarabacoa in five years, would be sorry to hear that it has lost its charm but wouldn't be totally surprised. In the 18 1/2 yrs I have known the DR, I have seen many places lose their charm in that amount of time or less....
 
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Apr 26, 2002
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Keith R said:
Duverge is the capital of Independencia. Trust me. Or look it up. Either way, answer is the same.
At first I trusted you. Then I looked it up. The answer wasn't the same. Jimani is the capital of Independencia. Duverge is the capital of ... nothing. http://www.jmarcano.com/mipais/geografia/province/ :bandit:

Interesting, though, Independencia may be the only province where the capital is not the largest city. Duverge is larger than Jimani - especially since the floods.
 

Keith R

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:confused: :dead: ARGH! That's what I get for being a wise-a*s! Thanks for straigthening me out. My wife reminds me that Durverge is only the biggest and most important town in Independencia and where its Senator lives, and not the titular capital per se. I stand corrected! :dead:

Does this mean you'll never trust me again, Porfi? sniff sniff :cry:

I never liked Jimani anyway...
 
Apr 26, 2002
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Keith R said:
:confused: :dead: ARGH! That's what I get for being a wise-a*s! Thanks for straigthening me out. My wife reminds me that Durverge is only the biggest and most important town in Independencia and where its Senator lives, and not the titular capital per se. I stand corrected! :dead:

Does this mean you'll never trust me again, Porfi? sniff sniff :cry:

I never liked Jimani anyway...
Admission of imperfection? You're definitely not Dominican. And sure I'll trust you ... just not with my wife. ;)

BTW, one of the interesting things to me about the capitals of the border provinces (Jimani, Neiba, Elias Pina, etc.) is the surviving Trujillo-era government architecture. Trujillo made great efforts to "Dominicanize" the border, building an excessive number of government buildings for the small populations and many "model" housing projects. Most of them are still around in various states of upkeep and/or decay.
 

DominicanScotty

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The campo

Take a drive into Jamao del Norte which is on the road to Moca from Sabeneta de Yasica. It is so close to it all yet so far away. In the town of Jamao there is the Jamao River. Drive in and enjoy the little swimming hole they have and enjoy some fresh fish or chicken that they have there. Not too many tourists there so make sure you bring your Spanish dictionary. If you really want to see some beautiful countryside cross the Jamao River and drive into the country. You will go into a time machine where everyone is friendly and people do not drive cars but ride on horses and donkeys. This is where my family is from!
 

Spirit7

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El Cibao is the best, by far!

Being from La Vega, smack in the middle of the El Cibao area which encompasses most of the middle of the country including La Vega, Moca, Santiago, Puerto Plata all the way to Nagua, etc., I am prejudiced for my area. Some of the spots already mentioned above including Jarabacoa and Jamao del Norte are very nice and the general area is industrious, varied from tranquil mountain towns to vibrating beach towns like Cabarete or Sosua.

Santiago is very nice and La Vega, at least during carnival time, is great and a nice quiet, civilized, good-for-raising-a-family town the rest of the time.

Santo Domingo, of course, is a very cosmopolitan city where you have access to just about anything and right this moment I wish I was at my neighborhood's El Nacional supermarket getting my weekly fix of 'arroz con leche' (rice pudding), majarete (sweet corn pudding) and 'habichuelas con dulce' (sweet bean soup--chock full of sugar, sweet potatoes and raisins).
Happiness for me goes through my stomach, most of the time.
 

Golo100

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Jan 5, 2002
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I have changed my mind so many times

I once thought Bavaro Beach was the most beautiful place. I even had thoughts of moving there. That is, until Hurricane Jeanne just about flooded the whole basin. I don't wat to risk having to reconstruct or deal with floods in my lifetime. I used to love Jarabacoa, but I sold out after George just about blew every roof in the mountains. I used to love Puerto Plata, but it seems the area is the disaster capital of DR. from earthquakes to hurricanes, everything hits POP. Samana is a sucker for disasters. Even rockash was sent there.Santiago likewise, plus the added name of crime capital of DR and the underworld. The Cibao valley towns like La Vega, Moca, San Francisco de Macoris, Bonao, and as far as Villa Altagracia require you own an Uzzi to survive. The southern towns like San Cristobal, Azua, Barahona are just as bad. Bani is the exception.
So my place in Gazcue ,Santo Domingo looks better all the time. I will saty here until someone pays me a ramson for my small palace.
Only problem we have is garbage collection. But the entire DR is a garbage dump anyway. Santo Domingo residents are now building high protective walls and restrictive enclaves to stop crime. My place is a fort, but it is super charming inside. But people building in resort areas are now absorbing crime from cities in their unprotected open properties. Thieves are searching for easier prey, like houses and avoiding apartments.
TW
 

Keith R

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britishgirl said:
lol, none of ya got ur favourite place -Sosua. Wos up?_ Sosua is slammin!!! ;) Is goin on
Depends on one's taste. Sosua doesn't thrill me at all...

Also the perspective depends on how much of the rest of the country you know. I used to live in the DR (4 yrs). Have only been to SD, Boca Chica, PP, Sosua, Nagua, Cabrera, Samana, Jarabacoa, La Vega, Santiago, Bonao, Ramon Santana, La Romana, Bayahibe, San Pedro de Macoris, Punta Rucia (which I forgot to mention in my prior post as one of the places I favor!), Azua, Barahona, San Cristobal, San Francisco de Macoris, Loma Quita Espuela, Duverge and Jimani. So I can only pick from that universe, and among that bunch, Jarabacoa, Samana and Punta Rucia are my favorites!

But there's still much of the DR I have yet to see, so my choices may yet change. For example, been wanting very much to go to Constanza, but my wife couldn't hack driving the road to there - something about all those razor-sharp twists and turns, no guardrails and mini-buses whipping around at 100 MPH in the middle of the road frightened her! LOL Heck, back where I came from (West -- by God! -- Virginia), we're used to that sort of advanced highway! ;)
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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I have always liked Jarabacoa, Samana

Punta Rucia and Constanza. San Jos? de las Matas offers some advantages, it is close to Santiago and only another 35-40 minutes to the beach.

If we ever develop the property at the Counterdam of the Mao River, that would be a nice place to be if we can get satellite communications set up properly, a big if

The other side of the equation is Santiago. We do not see or have yet to see or feel anything but small crimes, such as petty thievery...Of course we lead very quiet lives and are not "en el medio" very often.

HB :D:D
 

Criss Colon

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"Sosua,IS Slamin"

Never more than 10 feet away from a Cold Presidente",or a "Hot Hooker"!!!

I like the ride over the mountains ,either from Moca,or Santiago to Puerto Plata or Sosua!!!

I used to enjoy arriving at "Las Americas" at about 11 pm from Puerto Rico.As I drove from the airport to Santo Domingo,I could feel my "cares" falling away like the snow off a New England roof top in early April!

Then the best part,2 or 3 hookers from the "Par de Cinco"!!!!!.."EXCELLENT!!"

I liked is SOOOOOOOOOOO much,I moved here!!!!
cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc :bandit:
 

Pib

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Your favourite place in DR?
Does my bed count? No? Oh well.



I like Manzanillo. I know it's a bit crazy, but if you have read 100 Years of Solitude and remember Macondo then you will understand what I am talking about. Manzanillo is like a Petri dish and I love been there people-watching.

I also like the campitos in the midwest. And the roads around.

And I like Santo Domingo. But only if I am not driving. And it is not raining. And there is no fireworks. And if my car doesn't fall in a pothole. And if I am not in a rush... you get the idea.