June 24, 2024
Ever since Cliff visited the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico while in the Navy, he wanted to revisit these countries. I was equally excited seeing them for the first time.
The port area of the Dominican Republic has an enormous number of shops and restaurants, as well as a lazy river pool. It looked like an area where we could have lots of fun. However, we wanted to see the interior of the island, so we booked an excursion: Exploring Isabel due Torres Mountain and Puerto Plata City.
We boarded an all terrain, open air vehicle that held about 20 people. We traveled through San Marcos Village and through the countryside, up to Isabel De Torres Mountain. Traffic was so heavy in Puerto Plata, that our driver pulled off the highway into neighborhoods, seeking an alternate route. We didn’t mind, because we were enjoying the ride and guide’s narrative. There was a wide variety of homes, from rustic to very expensive, as well as cows and horses.
People who have visited The Republic of Dominica have told us about the barbed or razor wire protecting many properties, but we didn’t really notice it that much. We simply admired the natural beauty, as well as the many resorts and condos springing up, many with sweeping sea views.
Once we hit the sharp incline to the mountain, the vehicle ground to a crawl, allowing us to view the incredible greenery and views. Sometimes, we couldn’t tell the difference from traveling in the Smokey Mountains, it was so lovely and verdant, except for the palm trees.
The entire mountain is a national preserve, so there were no homes there. It was very unspoiled. When the truck stopped, we climbed out of the truck, down to a path that led to an incredible botanical garden. It was exceptionally well maintained, with many unique features and stunning views.
We enjoyed a display of what typical housing looked like before the island was developed, and learned how food, chocolate, and coffee were prepared by the locals.
After the botanical garden tour, we re-boarded the truck, warily eyeing the low clouds rapidly moving upwards from the bushes, puffing across the road like a mysterious mist. The clouds gathered rapidly as we rode for another short trip up a sharp incline.
We arrived at the base of the Statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer, a replica of the more famous and enormous one in Rio. Before we climbed the steps to take close up photos of the statue, our guide took us to the gondola ride building.
By this time, the top of the mountain was completely shrouded in clouds. Gondola cables sliced through and then disappeared into the clouds. The air cooled around us. We felt enraptured by the entire experience. The visit to the peak of Isabel de Torres Mountain was lovely, one we would gladly repeat.
Afterwards, we traveled back down to Puerto Plata City for sightseeing in the historical center. We viewed Plaza Independencia and San Felipe Cathedral, and admired the Victorian houses around the plaza.
We arrived at the base of the Statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer, a replica of the more famous and enormous one in Rio. Before we climbed the steps to take close up photos of the statue, our guide took us to the gondola ride building.
By this time, the top of the mountain was completely shrouded in clouds. Gondola cables sliced through and then disappeared into the clouds. The air cooled around us. We felt enraptured by the entire experience. The visit to the peak of Isabel de Torres Mountain was lovely, one we would gladly repeat.
Afterwards, we traveled back down to Puerto Plata City for sightseeing in the historical center. We viewed Plaza Independencia and San Felipe Cathedral, and admired the Victorian houses around the plaza.
Our guide escorted us to a wonderful gift shop. The DR is famous for mining Larimar, and there was a mind-boggling selection of it, with the most reasonable prices I have ever seen for silver and Larimar jewelry. However, I didn’t have time to make up my mind, so I didn’t buy a piece of it.
I did buy something that the guide had told us about: Mama Juana. The shop staff gave us a testing of it. Oh my goodness, it was absolutely delicious! It is a mix of red wine, island made rum, honey and spices. We bought a beautiful bottle to display in our china case at home. Along with the bottle of Mama Juana, we were given the recipe so that we could refill the bottle for decades to come. For now, we are just admiring it. I’m sure I couldn’t duplicate it, but if we return to the DR, we could have the bottle refilled. What a great way to lure tourists back!
Next, our guide quickly escorted us to photograph a couple of colorful pedestrian streets.
Finally, we very briefly visited the San Felipe Fortress, built in 1564 to protect the city from pirates and corsairs. It was absolutely beautiful. The truck then returned us to the port area shopping and restaurant area. We craned our necks at the huge variety of offerings and the beautiful live parrots on display, as we fast walked to the long pier and back to the ship.
We definitely recommend the four hour tour that we took. It was an experience we will never forget!
コメント