The first time I travelled to the DR, many years ago the Las Ameicas Airport was still somewhat "primitive." Oh, they had recently upgraded from the dirt landing strip I was told, but you still had to exit your plane under the nice warm sun as opposed to a nice cool terminal as you have now. There were many, many people crowded in at the exit from the baggage claim area, which I later found out were mostly there to sight-see and to hustle your money (offer to carry bags or provide a "taxi") I had not learned enough Spanish yet and the experience was quite harrowing, but after a good laugh inside our shuttle it became part of fond memories of the DR. This is an exert from a poem I wrote.
As I exited your portal I
could not contain the emotion that had welled up inside me. There was an
explosion that rocked my senses, a transcendent spiritual experience. My eyes
beheld your beauty, I inhaled your tropical allure and I surrendered to you.
As I made my trek into the
fray of the countless others, I was a Johnny come Columbus in this new world. The descendants
of centuries-old inhabitants are more
hospitable now. And there in the frightening exchange of linguistics, in the
maddening convergence at my welcome, it was then that I loved you.
