| Page Views: 2,090 Last Visit to Dominican Republic: November, 2004 | ~ The Dominican Republic ~ by starship - last update: Nov 7, 2009  |
Our time in the Dominican Republic was extremely short, but long enough to reveal some of the Casa de Campo's abundant physical charm. Blessed with beautiful beaches and other geographical & cultural attractions, the Dominican Republic seems like a diamond in the rough. Apparently, interest in the island is growing as evidenced by the financial investment being made by resorts, cruiselines, and people building spectacular homes perched on hills with magnificent views of the Caribbean. It is rumored that Celebrity Cruise Line is in the process of building a private beach recreation area here.
We really didn't have the opportunity to interact much with people living here. Of the Dominicans we did see or talk to, some Dominicans seemed extremely friendly to tourists, while others we perceived as just the opposite. I didn't really think of it until I took this picture of a local baseball field, but this island is the home of many of America's baseball legends such as Sammy Sosa and Pedro Martinez (currently a Philadelphia Phillies pitcher (2009))! One can almost picture the legions of little boys playing baseball on dirt lots, in fields, and maybe in small stadiums (as in the picture above), all hoping to be discovered by a scout from the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs or the Boston Red Sox! Of course, this is a country whose national pasttime is baseball and they produce some of the best players!!
Like other Caribbean islands, the Dominican Republic has its share of poverty which is seen outside of the glitzy resorts.
The information on this page will reflect the small amount of time we spent here and focus only on the area around Casa de Campo, La Romana and Altos de Chavon, all of which are geared for tourism. |
|  | A Brief History ~ The Dominican Republic lies on the eastern side of the island of Hispanola and covers about 2/3rds of it. The other 1/3 of Hispanola is occupied by the country of Haiti. As with just about every place in the Caribbean, this island was "discovered" in 1492 by Christopher Columbus who ruled as the Spanish Royal Governor until 1499. When discovered, the island was inhabited by the friendly Taino indians who were treated ruthlessly by the Spanish and exploited for gold and subjected to harsh labor. Because of their inhumane treatment, the Tainos eventually died off from starvation, exhaustion and disease. Having no longer a substantial population of enslaved natives to work crops, the growing demands of sugar cane cultivation led the Spanish to import slaves from Africa, and by 1520 labor was provided almost exclusively by African slaves.
The Dominican Republic has a long and significant history which is too extensive to cover here but definitely worth a bit of study because of its historical Spanish ties, its subsequent form of government and the current situation. |
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| Pros: | "Beautiful Beaches, Golf, Up & Coming Destination" | | Cons: | "Young women should be careful!" |
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 Comments for starship about Dominican Republic | | | | |
deecat Sun Nov 8, 2009 03:43 UTC
I'm going with my sister in February to Punta Cana in DR all for free. Her son won it and gave it to us. Includes air, all-inclusive resort, etc. So checking your pages [which are marvelous] | VeronicaG Sat Sep 19, 2009 17:38 UTC
It's hard to believe that next door to all of this beauty is the impoverished island of Haiti--my brother is a missionary there and it is truly Spartan compared to the amenities here. Lovely page, Sylvia! | tiabunna Fri Sep 18, 2009 14:30 UTC
I'd have to admit that before reading your page, my knowledge of Dominica was near nil. Sadly, if I ever visit, I suspect the Casa de Campo Resort is beyond my pocket. :) | globetrott Wed Jun 10, 2009 07:42 UTC
an interesting page bringing back great memories and also an important warning ! |
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