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Friday, May 6, 2011

The Edges of Santo Domingo/ City Scenes

I apologise for the time lapse. I will try to do a weekly blog from now on. Seeing we started our trip in Santo Domingo, I thought I would begin with a more detailed look at the D.R. with scenes from the city.

We stayed with Clara and her family on the outskirts of the Capital. Each morning, we would take the hour ride into the city by car (maybe 15 miles).
I saw this man every day with a fresh load of fruits.

Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 2,253,437 in 2006. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River. Founded by Bartholomew Columbus in 1496, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and was the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World.

I was amazed at the beauty of the city.


There seemed to be murals popping up in every sector.



There was music everywhere. Some live.


In the colonial city, the feeling was very old Spain.

The oldest fort in the Americas.


The Cathedral was spectacular.

ThePlaces de Artes was beautiful. 


In the Museo del Hombre Dominicano we found masks of "Carnival"

Our ride on George Washington Avenue passed a Bunker Hill look-alike monument.

We ended the city stay with a great lunch at the Professor's Club.

Next stop ... the Family farms in the mountains. Check in next week!