Sunday party in campo (pictures)

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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There is nothing better than a fiesta in campo. The campo parties / festivals are the best in Dominican republic. The people genuinely enjoy the festivities the town has to offer.
On Sunday (yesterday) there was a party in Sabana Iglesia (a little town in the province on Santiago). It is famous for its presa (water dam). The party was sponsored by Ron Bermudez (Bermudez rum) and Don Filipe of sabana Iglesia. Don Filipe is a very successful and equally respectable citizen of this small town. He owns about 800 plus Tareas of prime lake front property in Sabana Iglesa, over looking the lake. He is developing the area by selling land and constructing beautiful houses, villas etc. Total investment is 6 million dollars. I think this location will rival Jarabacoa. Don Filipe probably has more power than the mayor of this town. He treats people to regular parties and brings musical bands to the town for people to enjoy, for free. He even brought Fernando Villalona to the people of that town once. Needless to say, he is loved by his people.

The party was organized in his property. I have pictures posted below. The guests were varied from millionaire businessmen, to NYC Dominican yorks to recent Cuban baseball top player (defectors). These boys are about to sign lucrative contracts with the major league in USA. These boys already know their price , no wonder they were acting so reserved. They maybe just shy, who knows. They stayed together the whole evening and talked little with other folks around them. They are being taken care of by Aguilas players. Good boys who have a bright future ahead.
Then we had the campo tigres with hungry eyes locked on food and free rum. They came in bikes and pasolas (scooters). The food was also ranged from roasted pig to chivo to even lobster and fresh water fish. The pigs were roasted in caja china. It?s a metal box covered with hot burning wood charcoals. The pig gets roasted inside for hours. Then we had chivo (goat) cooked on natural fire, yucca and green bananas. The lobster was also boiled and then cooked with veggies to a delicious finish. Unfortunately the lobster never got to reach us (VIP guests), the tigres snatched it all when it was coming to us. So little was left, we only got to taste it a little. OHHH, I hate those damn tigres, just can?t enjoy food with them. They eat like as if the food is served to them after a devastating natural disaster. They eat fast and pack a huge quantity.
The first serving was goat with yucca, green boiled bananas and lobster and roasted pig. Since I don?t eat pig, I doubled up on goat. I never got to eat lobster in good quantity. It was gone before I got back from peeing in the lake. Then we had fresh water fish. Wow, so delicious I am still dreaming of it in my office. Then at night a meringue band was invited but I left when they came on stage. We heard an old guy sing old songs for us in our gathering and a guy from Santiago who sings professionally. The local folks were treated to the meringue band by Don filipe and delicious dish of local delicacy Asopao (spelling???). This is sort of like think chicken rice soup. I just can?t describe the flavor in words. It was the most delicious dish I have ever eaten in DR. Can?t beat local campo food cooked on real fire. These campo cooks really know how to swing out delicious food on natural fire for such a large quantity of people. I was impressed.
The drinks were given out free to local people by ron Bermudez and some gift bottles were handed out to some people as well. We had cases of corona beers, whiskey (black and blue label- typical Dominican york brands) and other drinks, all served to VIP guests.
Did I mention Cuban cigars?
I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
I say this is better than going to the beach, so beautiful yet so close to Santiago. What more can you ask for.
AZB
P.S. pictures are also taken by my cell phone camara. Sorry for the quality.

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Video I took by my cell phone. Please forgive the bad quality. This was towards the evening when the people were in lesser numbers.

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He sang old folks songs for us all afternoon.

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People joined in to sing along.

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People playing dominions on lazy Sunday afternoon.

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Cuban defectors who will sign up with major baseball league in USA.
They are accompanied by the owner of century plaza hotel on Rafael Vidal avenue.
 

AZB

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A malecon will be constructed there, the foundation is already marked.

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Lobster is being boiled.
 

Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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Thanks for the pictures and write-up.

An excellent way to get to know different aspects of the DR, as only someone who lives there can show us.
 

AZB

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Chivo (goat) is being cooked.

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Pig being roasted inside Caja china.

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not a bad spot for picnic?

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I watered this tree after drinking cold coronas.
 

AZB

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Now the people and their faces.

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Don Filipe, his buddy and owner of century plaza hotel in santiago.

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singer who sang popular songs for us.
 

AZB

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campo people arriving.

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people dancing.

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getting down and dirty.

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Crazy boys breaking sound barrier with jet skis.
 

AZB

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I hope the AZB bashers will cut me some slack today. I am not here to pick fights with you all, I am here to show you what you don't see and don't know if it exists in DR. Here is a different image of DR from my eyes. These are the real campo people who make up the population body of Cibao. I am not against them, on the contrary, I enjoy being with them. The people who bother me are the ones who make dominicans look bad. You all know whom I am talking about.
AZB
 

AZB

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There are so many parties scheduled in santiago and areas around for christmas and new years that i am not even sure if its a good idea to go to NYC for the holidays. Saturday, there is a fiesta in nagua. The don from sabana iglesia is a personal friend of mine. I think I will be spending a lot of time there on the lake. Great picnic spot.
So if the people want to know about santiago and its campos, look no further. I love campos and I know it all when it comes to campo parties and pasa-dias. To be able to enjoy the parties with real dominicans, one cannot act like a gringo. You have to mix in or you will feel left out. I just can't get enough of beautiful campos.
AZB
 

SKing

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Nov 22, 2007
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Hey! I got back Saturday...why wasn't I invited?!? I would've left my pasola at home this time!;)
Just kidding....looks like you had alot of fun. I love any campo, you already know that! Beautiful views there.........
SHALENA
 

AZB

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Hey! I got back Saturday...why wasn't I invited?!? I would've left my pasola at home this time!;)
Just kidding....looks like you had alot of fun. I love any campo, you already know that! Beautiful views there.........
SHALENA

If I had known you were here, I would have taken you along. My car was all empty because I woke up late so i had to take my own car there. Your kids would have had a blast there.
AZB
 

Canela21

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Oct 29, 2008
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Beautiful pics, I love the campos of the Cibao. One of the best ways to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon is to go driving around there with some cold drinks!
 

Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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There are so many parties scheduled in santiago and areas around for christmas and new years that i am not even sure if its a good idea to go to NYC for the holidays.

Don't waste your time, and more importantly don't waste your money.

I'm getting the hell out of Dodge for the holidays for a reason. All anyone can talk about here is the economy, how bad it is and who may get laid off next. I'm sick of it.

Stay in Santiago, you will have a much better time.
 

DRob

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Aug 15, 2007
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I hope the AZB bashers will cut me some slack today. I am not here to pick fights with you all, I am here to show you what you don't see and don't know if it exists in DR. Here is a different image of DR from my eyes. These are the real campo people who make up the population body of Cibao. I am not against them, on the contrary, I enjoy being with them. The people who bother me are the ones who make dominicans look bad. You all know whom I am talking about.
AZB

The pics are great. Thanks!
 

AZB

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Its the portion of presa en sabana iglesia. i think its formed by rio bao (river). Presa = dam and its in sabana iglesia a small provincial town in province of santiago. Ask for the place of Don filipe in the town and they will direct you to this location. Don filipe has lived most of his life in USA so he speaks good english. He is very hospitable and equally generous. i am sure he would give you a private tour of his property if you care to see. I paid a motoconcho 50 pesos to take me to his property. I followed his bike in my car. You can pay 20 pesos and it would be just the right price. I paid 50 pesos plus a free bottle of rum later in the evening. now he worships me. hahaha
Give this place a few more years in development and the whole santiago will be talking about it. I am already impressed with the property and the location. If people don't hurt my feelings on dr1, I might even take a group there for a sunday afternoon, a sort of like private picnic.
AZB
 

Chris_NJ

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Dec 17, 2003
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That is a nice looking lake - I wouldn't mind dropping a canoe in there and wetting a line. Out of curiousity, do you know what type of freshwater fish from the lake were served at the party?
 

AZB

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That is a nice looking lake - I wouldn't mind dropping a canoe in there and wetting a line. Out of curiousity, do you know what type of freshwater fish from the lake were served at the party?

I wanted to ask the guy but I forgot. he was in the middle of cooking and talking to dozens of people at the same time. The fish was delicious and very mild in taste. Its better than any fish I had ever eaten in DR.
I will go there again and will certainly will have a chat over the fish species in the lake.
AZB
 

AZB

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By the way, I think you need no license for boating or jet skiing. Guys were shooting off in jet skis in blazing speeds. I had spotted local guys floating in boats made out of truck tire tubes and fishing.
AZB