And let THAT be the reason

I have had several emails inquiring what made me choose to vacation in SDQ and what keeps me going back? Well, if you have to ask....the flora and the fauna are simply beautiful. LOL But seriously, whereas the Colonial Zone can appear to be quite dirty (even third world) at times, it is still one of the best places I know to just sit and people watch, to cruise, to have a great meal for a reasonable price and to soak up so much history of the city. There's always a new adventure or you may choose to revisit past adventures.

I will expound on the history of the Dominican Republic and the beauty of it's various regions at a later time. But, right now I want to take a second to explain one of the other reasons I keep going back to Santo Domingo. Dominican people are gorgeous. Period. There must be something in the water. (hint: you don't want to risk trying to find out) Actually, it could be the year- round sunshine and humidity. Or, it could be that african-latin mixture. Whatever it is, it's working!!!! I could go on, but they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

SPEAKING OF.....

When my friend and I were reminiscing, we thought about some of the old haunts and how nice they were. In terms of service and friendly clientele. Back in the day(about six years ago from my reference point) there didn't seem to be as many buggarones in the clubs. Or they weren't as aggressive maybe. Perhaps taking on the "speak when spoken to" approach. Whatever the case, we could spend time enjoying a night of clubbing( and each others company) as opposed to fighting off pests so frequently.

There also seemed to be a larger gay Dominican clientele in the various clubs. Which made for good opportunity to "hook up" with a cutie or just make arrangements to hangout while you were in town. Of course, you had to speak a bit of spanish, as most Dominicans then weren't speaking much english, if any. That's one change that has been welcome. "Spanglish" is commonplace now. LOL

Does anyone remember the Penthouse, with it's urban feel and latin house music? Oh, and the bathrooms were wicked. What about Disco Free, they sure had a strong lesbian presence. You don't see that anymore. It was a very nice club without having the snooty attitudes. Of course later you had the Red Zone, which was huge, and I loved Atlantis (when they first opened). They had the sexiest bar staff.

I didn't mention Bar Phoenix (Freddys) because I wouldn't step foot in there until some friends insisted on going a couple of years ago. I'm glad Leon remodeled it. I can't stand tight spaces. And if you enjoy the buggarones you will LOVE bar Phoenix. No pretentions. Cruising at it's most intense. Something for everybody. For a fee, of course. LOL

FANCY MEETING YOU HERE

A friend called me from Dallas yesterday and we began reminiscing about our first trip to Santo Domingo. During the conversation there was one recurring thought. "My, how things have changed." When we first began going to SDQ there were only a few, a handful, of Americans that had set up camp and called SDQ home. And one certainly never expected to bump into a friend or acquaintance. It was unheard of. People were simply not travelling to SDQ in droves. Hell, most people never heard of it!! We got our first inkling that things were changing a few years ago when a good friend that was part of our group spotted a fellow Dallasite in one of the clubs. The guy had heard about SDQ from a friend: about how beautiful the country was, and the people, and about how inexpensive it was to be entertained. (Of course, that was when the exchange rate was RD$49 to US$1) Well, the cat was out of the bag. That's what happens when queens can't keep their mouths shut!!! Gotta go home and tell all the haters what a great time you had.

Well today, you see people you know ALL the time. Many Americans are now living in SDQ and several have thriving businesses. More and more flights are being added to accomodate the rising interest in the countries capitol city. Unfortunately, the influx of tourist dollars seem to have made some people in the city a bit greedy. (Dominicans and others likewise) Have you noticed how many drinks are priced similarly, if not higher, to drinks in the US? Why is that, when most liquors can be found cheaper in SDQ? A bottle of beer is sometimes twice as high in a nightclub than it is at a restaurant or in the market. And the buggies have lost their minds!! (that's short for buggarones, if you didn't know) They sweat you all night, even if you say you're not interested, then have the nerve to ask you for 2000 pesos. WHAT?!!! Vamos a su casa, ti hombre loco!! The value of the peso is improving, so why is it that goods and services are not reflecting it?

All in all, SDQ and other parts of the Dominican Republic are still a great place to vacation. After reminiscing over the phone my friends and I have tentatively planned a trip for February. Rather than complain about the changes on Temptation Island, we are going to vent our frustration on one of the airlines. We hear they will match the lower rate of a competitor as appears on their very own website.

THE AFTERMATH

In the wake of Hurricane Wilma and Tropical Storm Alpha the number of displaced persons continue to rise across the caribbean, particularly in the mountainous areas of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Cuba has incurred power outages and heavy property damage due to flood waters, even in the capitol city of Havana.

The work now begins to restore power, provide resources, rebuild and find new housing and most importantly, locate the missing and bury the dead. This, indeed, has been an exhasperating and unprecedented storm season.

Thankfully, our beloved Santo Domingo and immediate areas have had only minor damage.

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

What a way to begin my journey into bloggery. I could have posted about any number of topics, but felt this was timely and important. While we are assisting our own that were affected by the recent storms, let's not forget our neighbors and friends who live on the torquoise sea.

Wilma left 13 dead in Jamaica and Haiti as it made it's way across the caribbean. And if you have a dislike for history here is something to add to your disdain. Tropical Storm Alpha is the record-breaking 22nd named storm of the Atlantic season. It drenched the Dominican Republic and Haiti with heavy rains after sweeping ashore Sunday.

Forecasters warned that deadly flash floods and mudslides were possible as days of rain have already swollen rivers. There have been no immediate reports of death, but the island is in a state of high alert.

dr1.com reports that Alpha leaves a trail of woe. There are 3 persons missing and several thousand homeless. The worst damage is in the southern regions, including Santo Domingo East and San Pedro de Macoris. Cuba has also been heavily damaged by recent storms.

After speaking with my friends in Santo Domingo, I am assured that things in the heart of the city are well. The sun was even shining today!

Let's hope November brings a welcome end to what has been a very busy season.

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