Travelog for: Nymeria

Hello Mom! 

My auntie in Santo Domingo was sick for more than a week. Finally she got recovery and took me for a hangout out in the Colonial Zone (Historic Center) of Santo Domingo. This Colonial City is really beautiful and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First, we started at the San Francisco de Asis's Monastery Ruins, one of the most important ruins in the Dominican Republic.  This was the first monastery ever built in The Americas Continent. The construction started in 1508 and finalized in 1566.  This place was sacked by Sir Francis Drake in 1586, was also hit by a stron hurricaine, restored and then destroyed by earthquakes.... Nowdays is just a ruine, but auntie Idrialis told me that some sundays they do folklore music shows for free named Bonyé. She also said that she'll take me here again if it happens I still in Santo Domingo when a concert takes place.




Here I am with my dominican gang, they all live with auntie Idrialis and are going to travel in the Dominican Republic before flying away! (sorry mom I couldn't introduce you all of them), the beautiful lady is Tita, she's such a delicate girl that loves to be treated softly (hihihi, just like me). The colorful guy is Toño, he's the big brother and is always ready to protect Tita. Their little brother is Totó, he's very funny with thos big eyes and open mouth despite being so small :P.



After that, we walked down to "Las Damas" street, a very beautil street named like that because of Isabel de Toledo, the viceroy's wife back in yeat 1500's who used to walk this street along with the wifes of governors and others court's memmbers


Look how many beautiful things on this giftshop!


We walked down to the "Panteon Nacional" (National Pantheon),


It's a patriotic and solemn place


The National Pantheon is the place where most of the national heroes of the Dominican Republic are buried. They have a Fire Flame that never turns off to honor the heroes.




Security guard was surprised with my visit. He said I'm so beautiful that he had to look directly at me. I was blushed mom!



I'll upload more pictures of this trip tomorrow, I hope you're enjoying a lot the adventour I'm having in the Caribbean.

Miss you mom, kisses!

Hello Mom!  It's being raining in Santo Domingo, and we have been working hard hard hard.

But today we went at 3:00 am to a "Barra". In Santo Domingo, Barra are places where you can buy any kind of sandwich and any kind of juice. It's open 24 hours.  Totó, auntie and I went to one called "La Barra" and we had a delicious sandwich. It had danish cheese, turkey jam, tomatoes and pork in a bread called by locals as "Pan de agua" (water bread).

I'm going tomorrow to the see the gardens of the National Palace... I can't wait and I'll upload the pictures right away!


Kisses!

Hello mom! Todavy I visited the front yard of the National Palace of the Dominican Republic. It is the place where the president of the country has his office. Opposite some others countries where presidents also live in the Presidential Palaca or Presidential Houses, in the Dominican Republic, the person who host the presidency lives in their own house.

The National Palace was built by a dictator, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, who ruled the country for 31 years.  Despite he was a dictator, most of the government structures were built under his era.

Aunty used to work there from 2004-2012 during the 2 latest presidential terms of former president Leonel Fernández.... She knows this place very well and also told me a secret: This palace is way more beautiful and stunning than the famous White House, in the outside and inside too.

She told me that if I still here by the next 2 weeks, she will take me inside the Palace to a special conference Eduard Punset will have in there 


We'll go back to the Colonial City tomorrow, we have some work to do there , but I can't wait to visit that amazing neighbourhood!

Next Thursday February 27 is the National Independence Day and we are making plans already. Aunty never misses the Military Parade that is always hold in the shore avenue, in front of the Caribbean Sea.  I can't wait to see that too!!

Now I'm going to sleep, miss you mom, I'll dream about you!

Hello mom! Yesterday February 27 was a very busy day for us! It was the National Independence day and we barely didn't sleep and wake up at 6 am to participate as (watcher) at a 5k marathon. It's a marathon hold by a small association within an not too weatlhy neigbourhood of the city. We went to support the organizers and to take pictures with aunty's aunty 



I was watching the runners getting ready for the marathon



Others watchers were watching me too!




Community band was animating the runners all the way from the beginning to the end.








Little dude was asome!





WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FLAG!!!


After the Race Marathon, we had a breakfast at MacDonalds, before going to the Colonial Zone.



We went to the Colonial Zone, but we arrived late to the Tedeum, the annual church service hosted to honor the Independence Day were the President, VP and all the government Chieves has to listen what church needs to say about how the country is going on.  We were not going to the services but we wanted to see the cadets doing the military honors to the President.... We were late for that but at least we could see the cadets getting a rest before they left this UNESCO WHS


We had a walk and stopped at Cacao's Museum
There was a tasting going on in there and I tasted lot of delicious edibles made with Cacao.... gotta love the chocolate!


And look! My first picture with a real Cacao! Wow...... I would never thouh they looked like that before being transformer into sweet delicious chocolate.    At the musem they told me that The Dominican Republic is one of the top cacaos producers in the world.... Who was going to guess that Belgium and Swedem Chocolate are made from Dominican Cacao?


After the Museum, aunty wanted to take to the Ozama Fortress, but instead of using the street, she took me to one of the most famous and beautiful passageway or backstreet in Santo Domingo, named "The Priest Passage" cause it's a little bit hiden in the back part of the Cathedral and priests and nuns used to take it to go from one part of the Cathedral to the other churchers around the Neigbourhood... And they still using it today.
This passage is often painted by lot of artist and lot of dominicans homes have one paint of this hung in their walls (aunty has one too, I'll took a picture of it to show you).


Yes, it is really beautiful and quiet relaxing!


Look at the nuns!




Aunty and me, we think the Trinitary flowers makes the passage looks pretty




Grumpy uncle



And finally, the passage way took us to a street where the entrance of the Ozama Fortress is... And I now I understand why aunty always says this is her favorite place in Santo Domingo. Stunning




Toño was with me




We also took a picture with the Ozama River in the back and a cargo ship being fulled with ships to be sent to Puerto Rico


Sadly, we ran out of battery on our smartphone... Great Aunty took us some pictures with here camera but who knows when she will send them to us (hehehe, you know, people barely delivers someone else's pictures).


So, we went to eat to Adrian's Tropical, a typical gastronomy restaurant located in the shore.... This was my first time looking directly to the Caribbean Sea!!!










You have no idea how peaceful was our lunch with the sounds of the waves and the sea sparks




And the foooddddd! This is a grilled churrasco and corn, but I did't have this. I decide to have a typical Dominican Food.


So I had a delicious Mofongo! Mofongo is a dish made with mashed green platains with garlic with pork... It's a food for the gods!


And they say that Dominican must always have avocado with the lunch, so I had some too!!.... Also I had a taste of Dominican Sancocho, a sort of heavy soap with all kinds of meet and plantains, yams and some others stuff


Everything was so delicious!


After the food, I met some haitians friends... They are colorful and smiley... Hand made by haitians living in the DR.


Then we just had to stand outside in the avenue, to wait for the Military Parade to start!! The Military Parade is ALWAYS hold on February 27, to celebrate the National Independence. Lot of dominicans comes to the "malecón" (the shore avenue) to attend the parade.


And it started!




Everybody claps to the soldier, and I clapped too..




Very strong and armed soldiers from the National Army














Army Girls



Army Cadets








Army Horses!



Wow, look at this army girl with her weapon and painted face!



A Guaraguao! This is a type of hawk







The Navy cadets



Specials Navy corps







Mixed cadets from Air Force, Navy, Army and Police


Air Force Cadets


Air Force Special Corpo girls!



National Police







Special Operations police guys



Swats



We ran out of battery again, so we couldn't take pictures of the rest of the Swaps, special Squads, motorizer police women, etc...

But I had a very happy day and shared with lof of dominicans from everywhere.....

Tonight we're gonna have dinner at the Colonial Zone and tomorrow we're going there again.... Maybe Beach is comming this weekend too!!


Hugs mom!

Hello mom.

Today I had a very long day...  But finally we arrive home just right now, after having a delicious dinner at a Mexican Pub in the Colonial City.

We had nachos with meat, guacamole and cheese... and tacos.


Then we had a walk in near the Royal Houses Museum, where an iron sculpted cow is located... I ride her!








Hugs from Santo Domingo Mom!

Hi mom!! I finally visited the beach... WOW!! I had an amazing weekend.. here is a preview of the upcoming pictures of me at Punta Cana! I'll post photos soon!