Family Visit in Dominican Republic
My family made their first trip to Dominican Republic for a visit. Time to give them a tour, and hopefully they'll end up loving here.
There’s no better time you will have as a foreigner in new lands then when your family comes to visit you. Recently that’s exactly what happened for me. As an expat, for me even the thought of it is surreal. To be in a different country with your family there with you. This visit from my family was planned out from Xmas. We have a sizeable family, but 5 made this trip. The exciting part had to be that it would be my mom's and my sisters first time ever being in Latin America. None of them speak a word of Spanish or know much about the Dominican culture. Being so that kept them optimistic and more eager to experience Dominican Republic.
The flights were booked in a month in advance, and they landed on the first week of March. With plenty of all-inclusive resorts to choose from in the area, they decided to go with Cofresi Palm Beach & Spa Resort. Located in a nice area, right by the beach and down the road from an expat community Costambar. I wanted them to have the best trip ever, I’ve been telling them about Dominican Republic for a while now. From what I’m told, it was an excellent resort. The pros of the resort were, great staff, employees were very nice, everything was all inclusive, with always a wide selection of food. The cons were that the AC in the guest suites were not manual, and the staff wasn't able to turn it off in the nights. Maybe it was an older building and the AC were auto, nevertheless everyone was happy with the resort.
With only a one-week vacation, there's no way of seeing everything that this wonderful city Puerto Plata has to offer. I would like for them to enjoy both worlds, the resort life and a taste of the non tourist life with me. To see how it is to live in Dominican Republic, and perhaps if they do get tired of North America, they can consider DR as an option. So, for them the time was split between the resort and outside of the resort. The following day we were catching up with everything. They spent just under 24 hours in Dominican Republic and already loved it. That was good to hear. You never know with someone's experience and how it could negatively shape their whole outlook on a country. Some people would meet one rude person and then wrongfully consider that all of the people are alike as that one individual. Not my family, they have the right spirit for travel. Being openminded, they came looking to embrace Dominican Republic. The family also came bearing with gifts, also with some of my stuff that I did not pack. So many gifts, shoes, clothes, accessories and particular food spices that I love.
A few days later we were going to get together again. Unexpectedly, I was informed that because the carnival in February went so well, organizers added another carnival day on the Saturday. What great timing that the family happens to be here for this. But first, got to take them on a quick tour, the carnival doesn't start until 3pm and it ends around 8pm. The first stop was to show them my recently purchased land. Also to fill them in on the house building process. We then went off to the City Center (Centro Histórico). If you ever touch down in Puerto Plata, this area is a must. The City Center is tourist friendly, blended in with your everyday Dominican people going about their day. There's so much to do and see in this area, we first walked through one of the historical landmarks Paseo de Doña Blanca. A pink street (alleyway) with art objects hanging on the wall. As you enter the pink street you will be greeted by someone holding a huge parrot(s) and with steps away another person holding on a monkey. For the cost of a small fee if you would like to take a souvenir picture with any of the animals. The walk through Paseo de Doña Blanca is free. Inside there are a couple of photography props (Instagram) for your perfect personal photo. Also, there is a very nice lounge area where they serve food and refreshments.
Next stop was the one and only Umbrella street, known for the umbrellas blocking out the sun and makes for great shade lol. Actually, a major tourist attraction, known for its coffee shops, restaurants, cigar lounges and much more. This area was pretty busy when we got there, but usually it is. A great spot to just grab a bite and hang out, possibly meet people from all over the world. We didn't decide to eat there, I was keen on going to a more local spot. I wanted my family to eat some real authentic Dominican food, and I knew just the spot.
On the way towards the restaurant a gentleman from one of the nearby Museums was telling us that Museo del Ámbar Dominicano was free today. He was encouraging us to check it out, also that the museum would be closing soon. Ok, we took him on his offer. In different countries I like to check out museums, so why not. Once we entered there was a loud voice man who gave us such a warm welcome. He explained the history of what we would be seeing in the museum. It showcases Dominican Ambar, which is considered some of the finest in the world. The museum has exhibits displaying pieces with ancient fossils trapped inside, including insects and even small lizards. The Ambar gemstone is on display being sold as jewelry. Another gemstone that the museum was carrying was Larimar. I’ve been meaning to talk about this gemstone for a while. The museum didn't talk much about the Larimar gemstones. With over 195 countries in the world, Larimar can only be found in Barahona, Dominican Republic. A light blue rare gem to say the least, also made in jewelry for a pretty price. The museum tour was about 15 minutes, and everyone enjoyed it.
Now we got a little more time left before the carnival starts, let’s grab a bite at an authentic Dominican restaurant. It was a nice day, not humid and with a warm breeze. Instead of calling for transportation we took a nice 10-minute walk to the restaurant Como en Famila. I tried the food at this location once, and in my opinion, it was the best Dominican food restaurant that I’ve been. I had it in late November and was telling myself if my family comes to DR, I would bring them here. Not only is the food really good, the prices are very reasonable as well. Less than $5(USD) for a plate of rice, meat, a choice of salad and a natural juice. This restaurant has a homemade type of feel, and now we are eating together as a family in Dominican Republic, good times!
Mind you, this is all in one afternoon. The carnival has started, we are only a few blocks away from there. As we get to the street, I’m shocked to see that it's actually a parade. Ok, this is totally different from the carnival I attended the prior week before, but we'll gladly take it. Everything from marching bands, carnival floats, trucks with heavy speakers, many in costumes, and lots of people watching on and participating. The organizers did a great job with this parade. The main road was shut down for the parade to pass through the street. Those in costumes would willingly take pictures with whoever asked, especially for the kids. We sat by the waterfront (Malecón) and watched the many parade floats go by.
Hands down the best visit I could ever ask for. The family had a wonderful time in Dominican Republic. With time spent and through conversations they were able to get a glimpse of life in Dominican Republic. Such a good time that family members are considering to move out this way. They see the vision..
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