nagua
Thanks Steward. Your directions were on the money. However, in the future I would/will come from POP. By far less dangerous; faster; more scenic; quicker.
Blanca was right about the hotel Bella Vista. Wonderful, helpful people. Took me by the hand to find Orange shop, mercado, internet cafe, etc. Only once they didn't do for me immedeiately. And then it was " lo siento. un poco tiempo mas, por favor ". Duh!!
The town was interesting. Unlike " city "places. In a sense it was very chaotic. many, many, businesses. Quite busy town. The people are independent and self sufficient. No one standing around waiting for tourist dollars. Could care less. If you don't meet them on people terms you don't meet them. Every thing is a little gritty but very clean. It is a beach town with only a hint of beach.
I don't know too much about the food. In the evenings I would go to the central part of town ( a square city block or two ) where I found this fellow who makes food in the back of his truck. You got to see it to believe it. A small pick up with the bed converted into a restaurant on wheels. Small tent top that covers the bed of the truck. In it he has a small grill ( similiar to the ones the nite vendors use to make those great pork sandwiches ) where he cooks hamburgers. The best part is the sopa. The rest of the bed is occupied by a giant cauldron where he makes his witches brew.This pot is, at least, a yard in width and about the same in height. In it he makes san cocho on some nites and au soupa (sp? )on others. People are lined up along the street curb chatting and waiting for him to taste and decide when it's done. Mind you, the corner where he is has a very popular dominican restaurant with good music AND their own
menu. People everywhere. Plenty of bonita chicas and groups of families, too.
Meanwhile he has chairs arranged along the wall of this open air restaurant. When I get there all his chairs are taken. He tells me to sit at the restaurants table. No problem. We order beer and wait for our food like everyone else. Chatting, dancing, singing. Just another boring evening in the D.R. An the sopa. F**K me!!!! That is living large ! Breakfast was breakfast. For dinner I drove outside of town to these small fishing villages along the coast road and had pago frito mostly. Yum,yum! There are many places between Nagua and Rio San Juan to eat.
The drive from Nagua to Sosua along the coast was also special. What was quite puzzleing were the cliffs. As your driving to POP you look to your left and WOW! suddenly there are these cliffs. I will guess approx. 1000 feet high. they are etched and eroded as though they were once under water; about one or two hundred thousand years ago. And then the water rescided leaving these giant, craggy, crevised cliffs with moss and hanging vines cloaking them like ringlets of hair falling over ones face. But in the midst of this some one came along and as they were passing noticed an outcropping or mini cliff at the base and about half way between the highway and the bluffs. ( total distance from highway to bluffs around 1/2 mile ). This was only around 200 feet high, about 2-3 acres across with a natural ramp running from boottom to top. So they see this and decide to build a house on it! What? Man, what a view of the ocean. And big brother always looking over your shoulder, protecting you. See for yourselves. Those cliffs! Maybe Hillbilly or someone knows more about them and can tell what's what.
While I was in Nagua I had to go to a small town approx. 15 klm away named Cotayito and then up to Pieto., another 4 klm.It took around 20 minutes of fast driving to reach Cotayito and at least 1 hour to go the next 4 klm.
Get off the beaten path and out of town whenever you can. The people are even more friendly. And without guile other then that needed for commerce, as any tradesman knows.
OOPS! All that just slipped out. Just meant to say thanks for the directions. In the future, when heading towards Los Terranes, Samana, Nagua, driving along the coast thru Cabarrette is the simpleist. Thanks, John.
Thanks Steward. Your directions were on the money. However, in the future I would/will come from POP. By far less dangerous; faster; more scenic; quicker.
Blanca was right about the hotel Bella Vista. Wonderful, helpful people. Took me by the hand to find Orange shop, mercado, internet cafe, etc. Only once they didn't do for me immedeiately. And then it was " lo siento. un poco tiempo mas, por favor ". Duh!!
The town was interesting. Unlike " city "places. In a sense it was very chaotic. many, many, businesses. Quite busy town. The people are independent and self sufficient. No one standing around waiting for tourist dollars. Could care less. If you don't meet them on people terms you don't meet them. Every thing is a little gritty but very clean. It is a beach town with only a hint of beach.
I don't know too much about the food. In the evenings I would go to the central part of town ( a square city block or two ) where I found this fellow who makes food in the back of his truck. You got to see it to believe it. A small pick up with the bed converted into a restaurant on wheels. Small tent top that covers the bed of the truck. In it he has a small grill ( similiar to the ones the nite vendors use to make those great pork sandwiches ) where he cooks hamburgers. The best part is the sopa. The rest of the bed is occupied by a giant cauldron where he makes his witches brew.This pot is, at least, a yard in width and about the same in height. In it he makes san cocho on some nites and au soupa (sp? )on others. People are lined up along the street curb chatting and waiting for him to taste and decide when it's done. Mind you, the corner where he is has a very popular dominican restaurant with good music AND their own
menu. People everywhere. Plenty of bonita chicas and groups of families, too.
Meanwhile he has chairs arranged along the wall of this open air restaurant. When I get there all his chairs are taken. He tells me to sit at the restaurants table. No problem. We order beer and wait for our food like everyone else. Chatting, dancing, singing. Just another boring evening in the D.R. An the sopa. F**K me!!!! That is living large ! Breakfast was breakfast. For dinner I drove outside of town to these small fishing villages along the coast road and had pago frito mostly. Yum,yum! There are many places between Nagua and Rio San Juan to eat.
The drive from Nagua to Sosua along the coast was also special. What was quite puzzleing were the cliffs. As your driving to POP you look to your left and WOW! suddenly there are these cliffs. I will guess approx. 1000 feet high. they are etched and eroded as though they were once under water; about one or two hundred thousand years ago. And then the water rescided leaving these giant, craggy, crevised cliffs with moss and hanging vines cloaking them like ringlets of hair falling over ones face. But in the midst of this some one came along and as they were passing noticed an outcropping or mini cliff at the base and about half way between the highway and the bluffs. ( total distance from highway to bluffs around 1/2 mile ). This was only around 200 feet high, about 2-3 acres across with a natural ramp running from boottom to top. So they see this and decide to build a house on it! What? Man, what a view of the ocean. And big brother always looking over your shoulder, protecting you. See for yourselves. Those cliffs! Maybe Hillbilly or someone knows more about them and can tell what's what.
While I was in Nagua I had to go to a small town approx. 15 klm away named Cotayito and then up to Pieto., another 4 klm.It took around 20 minutes of fast driving to reach Cotayito and at least 1 hour to go the next 4 klm.
Get off the beaten path and out of town whenever you can. The people are even more friendly. And without guile other then that needed for commerce, as any tradesman knows.
OOPS! All that just slipped out. Just meant to say thanks for the directions. In the future, when heading towards Los Terranes, Samana, Nagua, driving along the coast thru Cabarrette is the simpleist. Thanks, John.