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"santo domingo - historical city of the... " a Santo Domingo Travel Page by willy_wonka

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Home » Caribbean and Central America » Dominican Republic » Distrito Nacional » Santo Domingo » santo domingo - historical city of the DR - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

"santo domingo - historical city of the... " a Santo Domingo Travel Page by willy_wonka

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willy_wonka    
going nowhere in 2009. stab me now.


Real Name: anna wonkalicious nutcakes delight
Lives In: Perth, AU
Member Since: Jan 01, 2005
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santo domingo - historical city of the DR

by willy_wonka - last update: Aug 1, 2006

old cannons at the fort
what can i say about the beautiful city that is santo domingo? well let me start with how i even got here in the first place. the thing is, my ignorant a** didnt even know about a place called santo domingo. to be honest, i had vaguely heard about the dominican republic! so i was sitting in kansas city, bored and miserable as hell, things not quite working out how i had planned. i had booked trips to central america, and to jamaica, to kill some time, before going off to spain. instead of sitting in kansas, i decided to try and go to a caribbean island. a friend lent me a book on every place in the caribbean, and i started searching.

islands here, beaches there.... yawn, i dont give a toss about beaches, im over beaches! then something caught my eye. it said that santo domingo, located in the DR, was the place where colombus settled and basically created the 'new world'. intrigued, i delved further and discovered just how much history this place had. damn, i had never even heard of it, yet its the type of place that is right to my liking. to top if off, in my research, i had discovered that the whole of the colonial zone in santo domingo is on the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST. thats it, i was sold!

a check on the credit card, a booking on expedia, and i was off to place i knew very little about. i bought a lonely planet to help me out, and i landed at the airport praying to god that i didnt make a big stuff up...
the DR flag on a balcony
... after 5 days i realised that this was not a mistake, but such a cool place to hang out! i saw so much history, i learnt how magical the place was. i experienced the kindness of the locals, i tasted new foods and experienced new drinks. i am so glad that out of all the places that are possible to go to in the DR, i decided to go with santo domingo. sadly, this city is often missed by americans who are in search of sun and sea. they usually end up in beachside resorts like puerto plata and punta cana... nice places im sure, but just another cancun if you ask me. santo domingo definitely opened my eyes to another world, and i am definitely glad that i gave this place a shot!

> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]

Pros:"hot weather, history, people, culture, unesco heritage city"
Cons:"poverty, intense humidity, chaotic"
In A Nutshell:"santo domingo - the historical dominican republic!"
willy_wonka's Santo Domingo Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 12 - Photos: 26
 
RestaurantsHotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
NightlifeOff The Beaten Path
Tips: 3 - Photos: 10
 
Tourist TrapsWarnings Or Dangers
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Transportation
Tips: 2
Local Customs
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Packing ListsShopping
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
 
Sports TravelGeneral Tips

Comments for willy_wonka about Santo Domingo
Trekki Thu Jan 22, 2009 06:18 UTC
 Hey, how come that I didn't find this one before. Oh carribean :-) Sounds great and I also would like to visit one day :-) These caves look fantastic as does the city :-) and I like your b&w photos :-))
toonsarah Sat Feb 2, 2008 12:39 UTC
 Like you before your visit I never knew there was so much history to the DR - until now! Great tips on some fascinating places, and excellent photos too - I love the fact that you've included B&W as well as colour :)
marielexoteria Mon Nov 5, 2007 09:05 UTC
 I'm glad you enjoyed my hometown. Yes, I don't think any airport on DR has a shuttle service like at other "civilized" places.
JLBG Mon Oct 1, 2007 04:27 UTC
 I understand that this place is the old world in the new world! Or may be the missing link between these two worlds! The hospital ruins are great, with nobody around! I did not know that DR was so special! Thanks!
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