Santo Domingo

We checked out of the hotel, and took a cab to the bus station. We took the Expresso Bavero bus to the capital, Santo  Domingo, $9 US, 3.5 hours. The ride went fine, although Sandi was not happy about the vendors who boarded the bus along the way. The bus went from an express to a local when it hit Santo Domingo. Traffic was just as anarchistic as we had heard. We got a taxi to our hotel, El Beaterio, a quiet oasis in the city, an old convent.   The photo is of the courtyard. 

We had a nice dinner at Buche Perico, a restaurant with its own greenhouse. Nothing on the menu was familiar; most of the Spanish descriptions were incomprehensible to me. There was no English menu, and the waiter had no English. We spent 10 minutes with the waiter trying to understand the menu. The food was good, but different. 

We went to 5 pm mass at the first Cathedral of the Americas, with some elderly ladies and a guitar playing nun. 

We walked around the colonial area, and fell into a walking tour with Pablo. He was an enthusiastic guide, a wealth of information.  We visited the fort, and walked by many historic buildings, including the house of Diego Colon, son of Christopher Columbus. Santo Domingo was first in the Americas in many categories. 

On Thursday we went to the first cathedral of the Americas, or at least the oldest still standing. We listened ti the audio tour

Then we went to the Museum of the Royal Houses, all about the history of Santo Domingo. We were reminded how important Ferdinand and Isabella were. 

As it was hot, we went back for a nap. For dinner, we went to Jalao for Dominican food, easier with an English menu. 

The painted telephone ploes were interesting. 

On Friday, as we were getting ready to leave, a group arrived with historical signs, lead by a museumoligist. This will be the first hotel/museum in the DR. 

We took a 3.5 hour bus ride to the Punta Cana  airport, where we picked up a rental car, and headed for the beach, Bayahibe.