acilando

With an aim of exploring the Caribbean, Dominicana Republica was the second destination that Kayhan and I visited after Puerto Rico. When I was teaching First Grade in West Harlem, most of the students in my class and many colleagues were from DR. I was thrilled to be visiting DR, and more so because we were going to be meeting our friends. We booked an apartment through Air Bnb, and stayed at Bavaro Road, El Dorado Village. It’s a central part of Punta Cana, which has a beach within walking distance and myriad restaurants in the vicinity.

 

This trip was a languid one and we spent most of our days exploring different beaches. To visit different parts of town, it’s easiest to get around on a bike or a car. We spent time on Bibi Jagua, Macao, Arena Gorda and Bavaro. Bibi Jagua is deserted at night, but during the day all the booze cruises depart from this playa, making it quite the festive beach. Macao is a great place to eat lunch, since the fishermen wrap up shop by sundown becoming desolate at night. It’s a playa, where Dominicana’s are serenading the crowds and loving living life. Arena Gorda, has a great restaurant on the beach called Kukua and the lobster that we ate there was divine. At Bavaro, we hired a boat and went deep into the ocean to enjoy the scenic sunset, which unfortunately was rather shy that day and remained hidden behind the clouds, refusing to give us even a peek. 

 

Dominican’s specialty is a drink called Mamajuana, a sweet red wine. It has several clubs and things generally, get started only by 11:00 PM. Clubs in Dominicana have an all-inclusive deal and a cover charge includes unlimited drinks for the night. We checked out Imagine, a cave club and Drink Point where a lot of the local people hang out. A 30-minute drive away from El Dorado, is a place called Versus. It’s beautifully located right next to the marina with a pool in the center, where one can lounge around, however, it’s super quiet compared to the thumping crowds at Imagine.

 

I loved the food at DR. Dominican is known for it’s Sancocho soup, a stew with beef, chicken, potatoes and broth which is scrumptious. Pork mofongo is made of plantains and was better than what I had at Puerto Rico. The signature dish is Pollo Asado con Frijoles y Arroz, which I tried at different restaurants, Casa de Yeya and Don Pio. Don Pio in fact, had a Cuban menu as well and the Ropa Viejo was delish! Close to where we were staying, there was a Mexican cart, which was set out in the parking lot and most evenings, they had a live band performing. The micheladas were the perfect accompaniment to the tacos and burritos. Additionally, it seemed that calamari, ceviche and coconut-based shrimp had become our staple diet.

 

The people of Dominicana Republica are full of life and love, with their priorities well in order ;) Siestas are taken in order to be refreshed for the night of madness that lies ahead. As we culminated our trip, I bade farewell to the fun-loving folks, waves on the shore, gentle breeze, pitter-patter, amorphous clouds, warmth of the sun and limitless land that stretched into the horizon. I never cease to be stunned by the heavenliness on earth, which I often forget to soak in, in my quotidian moments. It's always astounding to discover what exists out there, beyond our little world. Until the next time, till we meet again.

 

-Kamiya Kumar