Are they all the same?

jrf

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Jan 9, 2005
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So I get a few days off while I am here and want to see a bit more of the country.

What I was wondering is most of the towns are the same. As in same colmados, same motoconchos, same feel of music and dust and such.

If I were to be in La Vega or elsewhere in the country would I experience the same type of people as in Maranatha or Sosua?
 

Janin

On Vacation....
Jul 31, 2007
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Places Differ

....What I was wondering is most of the towns are the same.
No, they are not.

Towns influenced by tourism (Sos?a, Boca Chica, Las Terrenas, etc.) are much different from other places.

Villages in Cibao are much cleaner than those in Saman?.

I shall not elaborate why, but find out yourself, there's a difference... :squareeye

Janin
 

J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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Apart from the overwhelming "alegria", they are at times so different, you wonder if you inadvertently made it onto a different island.
Just riding East on the road from Puerto Plata to Samana, will lead you within 3 hours thru such different panoramas... the villages are all sooo unique too. But every where you will find smiles and music... and good food.

... J-D.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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So I get a few days off while I am here and want to see a bit more of the country.

What I was wondering is most of the towns are the same. As in same colmados, same motoconchos, same feel of music and dust and such.

If I were to be in La Vega or elsewhere in the country would I experience the same type of people as in Maranatha or Sosua?
I don't know where Maranatha is located, but Sos?a and La Vega are worlds apart.

La Vega is quite an attractive city with clean streets, fancy light fixtures and rows of Royal and Cana palms line its main streets , many of the neighborhoods are tranquil with well appointed homes, and plenty of good looking nice people. The parks are well maintained and in the center of town there are some colonial buildings.

Sos?a is not as clean, no fancy light fixtures line its streets and no trees (other than the palmitas) line some sections of the sidewalks (although giant trees on private properties which loom over public streets do offer shade here and there). Sos?a does have some nice residential areas filled with foreigners and some Dominicans, and there are plenty of nice people, but plenty of the not-so-nice kind as well.

In terms of physical appearance, La Vega looks what a tourist town should look like while Sos?a doesn't and yet, the economies of these two cities are completely the opposite.

The Cibao is wealthier than most other places (except Santo Domingo), so obviously the towns are generally cleaner, nicer, with plenty of nice well maintained homes in the towns as well as in the countryside and the best part is that its as pure as the Dominican Republic comes as far as foreign influences go.

The coasts, well that's another story all together.

-NALs
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Villages in Cibao are much cleaner than those in Saman?.

I shall not elaborate why, but find out yourself, there's a difference... :squareeye

Janin
I agree. But why is that, in your opinion?
 

ElNegrote

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Jul 31, 2007
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The cities and towns have commonalities but they're distinctive. Try visiting some of the central and southwestern towns, like Constanza, Jarabacoa, San Crist?bal, Palenque, Ban?, and Barahona. They are very different in character from Puerto Plata, Sos?a, etc. They're definitely worth seeing.
 

harrydr

On Vacation
Dec 12, 2006
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the same, yet different

Colmados, motoconhos and the music, bachata and merengue are cultural stables of this country.

That being said, every city has it's own flair. La Vega is awesome during Carnival, Constanza is great in the winter when you need a fire in the fireplace, Santo Domingo for when you need an urban experience, Santiago for shopping, Moca for buying a car (LOL), Las Terenas for a different North Coast feel.

Maranatha and Sosua are a small part of this island. Take your few days and go explore.
 

J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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I don't know where Maranatha is located...

La Maranata is the entry leaving South from the road from Puerto Plata to Sosua, just before Sosua Bajo and Jaramicos. It leads all the way up to Bellavista and the pick nick and swimming areas of the river. One could arguably say that it's a part of "greater Sosua", but with a quite different flair... essentially more like a barrio but not as bad. Most tourists usually don't go there unless they are taken there by their Sanky to pay for rent and such ;) or really are lucky to be invited to spend a real Dominican Sunday at the river.

... J-D.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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La Maranata is the entry leaving South from the road from Puerto Plata to Sosua, just before Sosua Bajo and Jaramicos. It leads all the way up to Bellavista and the pick nick and swimming areas of the river. One could arguably say that it's a part of "greater Sosua", but with a quite different flair... essentially more like a barrio but not as bad. Most tourists usually don't go there unless they are taken there by their Sanky to pay for rent and such ;) or really are lucky to be invited to spend a real Dominican Sunday at the river.

... J-D.
Ok, now I know. Thanks!

-NALs;)