Day 3-042
Day totals: 16 hrs, 9 .8 kms

On my first day in Santo Domingo, 2 weeks ago I was given dire warnings of how dangerous it was for me to be walking around the city. Now I know that those warnings were exaggerated... but I'm still going to play pretty safe. I did my research ahead of time, and I'm going to head straight for a hostel to drop off my stuff before taking a second shot at exploring the city. I briskly make my way from the market district, across Santo Domingo's one block long Chinatown... through the ancient walls and into the "Zona Colonial"... Santo Domingo's historic (and supposedly "safe") colonial city.

The hostel is a beautifully preserved colonial mansion, with a charming inner shaded patio--with even a tiny pool in the middle. Definitely a refreshing change from the cheap, low end hotels I've been staying at during this trip.

I head out to take some picture of the city before darkness sets in . This Zona Colonial is deeply significant--not only in the history of Dominican Republic, but also in the history of all of the Americas.

It was here where the first permenant Spanish settlement was built. This was Cristopher Columbus's first home and base of operations in the New World. The transformation of the Americas from a mosaic of thousands of distinct and disconnected ancient cultures, into a giant homogeneous imposed Spanish culture began here.

A few months ago I was in Costa Rica, where I got a brighter, happier glimpse at the consequence of the Spanish Conquista. There I saw a society built upon equality and hard work rather than exploitation of the weak by the strong... a society where descendants of Spanish and descendants of Natives have worked side by side to create a functional society where native cultures are respected.

Now here in Dominican Republic, my thoughts are more on the darker side of the that monumental collision between Two Worlds . Here there was no fusion of European and Native cultures. Here the native Americans were either killed, wiped out by disease, or simply worked to death. And the often revered Cristopher Columbus was at the helm of this cruel genoncide--even shocking his fellow Spaniards at his brutality.

Despite this, I still try to appreciate the beauty of Columbus' neighborhood... the houses built out of solid coral blocks, looking just as sturdy as they did 500 years ago...

When I reach a church like building, I ask if I can go inside. Turns out, this is the "Panteon de la Patria" a masoleum dedicated to the heroes of the nation. I decide to break with tradition and let a fellow be my guide through the building.

There's a solemness the the place, added to the ceremonial moment of silence at the change of the guard at the entrance. The guide gives me a thorough explanation of the people who have been laid to rest here .

Mostly military leaders, writers, poets, etc--not many actual presidents buried here. In the front is a massive chandelier in the front, I'm told was a gift from Spain's dictator Franco to DRs dictator at the time, Trujillo...

I continue on with my tour. Enjoying the tranquility of the streets and plazas. It's the first time here in Dominican Republic that I feel comfortable wandering the back streets after dark, looking for little architectural gems and cozy corners... Food is a bit pricier here, but I do find a nice little family run joint where I enjoy a delicious burger right under the shadow of the intriguing ruins of the Fransiscan monastery.

I need a climatic finish to my journey, and I know just what to do: an extended parkbench concert in the plaza in front of the Casa de Diego Colon, to let music express my thoughts and feelings of this symbolic place.

With songs like "Soar" and "Love Hate Admire Despise", I connect through music with the beautiful island of Hispanola ... one last time...

The Cavern Pools

I was expecting that on my last day I would do a quick walkaround in Santo Domingo and then head off to the airport. But checking on TripAdvisor to see if I'm missing anything, I realize there's one more spot I'm going to need to cram in at the last moment: the Parque de los 3 Ojos, a cluster of cavern pools which look very photogenic.

I'm still not sure I want to do this as I head to the bus station. If I'm not able to catch a passing bus from the park to the airport, I might be in deep trouble. But in the end I decide to take a shot.

Sure enough, the pools are magnificent. You take a stairway down to the cavern, with fascinating cave formations all around. In one of the caverns, you take a rope ferry deep into cavern. On the other side, you follow the cave to an opening, where there's another lagoon surrounded by jagged cliffs and lush vines and jungle plants . It feels like you've discovered a whole new world--even though you're right in the midde of a big city!

Later I learn that this spot was used a a location for some scenes in the Jurassic Park movies...

Definitely glad I tried to cram this spot in at the last minute...

And with that, I grab my last typical Dominican fruit salad from a stall... hop on a wawa towards the airport... hop on another motor taxi to take me the rest of the way... check into my flight and head to the waiting lobby.

I have mixed feelings as a gaze out the window, realizing that this is probably the last time I will visit this country...

Conclusions on my Trip

My experience in Haiti and Dominican Republic were really two completely separate adventures. Haiti was more the thrill of "I can't believe I'm actually doing this!" while traveling through one of the most chronically troubled countries in the world ... and discovering its hidden beauty and charm. Dominican Republic felt quite easy in comparison... however I always felt hampered by security concerns which kept me from thoroughly exploring the towns as I normally do. In most towns I didn't stray more than a couple of blocks from the town plaza and my daily kilometer count was very low. Also, this was the first long trip in 5 years in which I didn't do a single "Superhike". I'm a little disappointed with myself for that...

Although Dominican Republic is a unique country with its mix of Spanish, African and Latin American cultures... it didn't inspire me in the way that Costa Rica did. The chronic negativity I heard from the locals about their own country did affect my perception of it as well. I still can't quite decide if it is a "successful" country or a "failing" country. Compare it to Haiti, and it seems very successful... but it still seems to fall short of its potential in many ways.

Perhaps in years ahead, after exploring some other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, I'll come back and take a second look at my memories of my 16 day journey through Hispanola...