My second trip to North Coast of Dominican Republic ...
Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata ( Port of Silver ), Republicana Dominicana (DR)
Bueno, ( their way of greeting ppl ... WZUP! )
My second trip to Puerto Plata was an eye opener. I became too close to this
caribbean hot island and got to know peoples' cultures, likes, and preferences.
I love the blue/azure beaches and doing stuff in sea. On my first day, I challeneged
myself to board on a yacht which was on a visible distance with the name called
"la pantera" ... as i saw it has a picture of Octopus in it. So after this self
inflicted thinggie, i started my struggle with the ocean tides which were very
smooth. The distance from the beach might be 1 KM. after reaching 70% of it, i
felt it's too far than i thought. suddenly so many thoughts came to my mind. the
laws of physics where virtual distance is apparently smaller than the real one.
rejected that coz it's for the submerged stuff. i was about to abort my plan and
take a U-turn but suddenly this motorboat guy 'a tigrè' ( local young guys who
are often resort employees are called that means tiger! ) came in front of me.
he asked me if i was allright which boosted my morale. i had this man vs. machine
dilemma again. the target which is so easily accessible by a motorboat seemed
impossible by me. i never revisited my thought of abandoning the target and thus
swam farther. To my amazement, the Octopus was infact a Panther's head drawn on
the hull of the boat. Thus the name "La Pantera". I thought of so many things in
my life which changed when i became closer. Returning after touchdown was so
relaxing and fulfilling.
The beach I like most is, Playa Dorada ( Golden Beach ). I could be in it whole
day. There is underwater reef to discover in designated areas. Only once i found
a big green sea ant/mosquito trying to hold onto my body. it was small beautiful
and probably came of from the green algie i was playing with.
I also found a very tasty sea grass which tasted like sugar cane once it's juice
is taken out. If one's taste become too salty because staying long in sea water,
trying this reduces that salty taste. While snorkeling I liked studying the amazing
sea plants and live animals which are so different. About people on the beach,
most of the white people prefer to soak on the sun hoping to get a tan in their body.
About 30% of the women bare it all while soaking it. Most of the locals prefer to
stay in water and play with waves while in the beach. It is very dangerous to be
out in the sun without sun protection cream as last time I burnt my skin. Most of
the shapely girls stroll from one end to the other end of the beach picking up things
which they think are precious - till they find a better one.
Nightlife is the best in Playa Dorada and Puerto Plata. There are Discoteca which
are full with the most beautiful wonderful european women and locals looking for
fun. Drink is dirt cheap and they play all kinds of latino dance music. Anybody
can pair up with anybody and dance for hours! Dancing is real fast and eclectic.
First time in my life i danced with the most beautiful women ( I thought ) and
far too many.
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Being Indian is so very good in Dominican Republic. As the skin is same, after
picked up a little spanish gives me the bonus of the "latin culture" which is
so amazingly different from India. Just go anywhere, start talking to a girl and
sometimes for hours without annoying them. This is so impossible in other places
I've been to. Dominican women are the most beautiful behaved and so not proud of
their physical assets! As their features look alike an indian girl, i liked
especially their company. They can dance, love and talk you to death!
I saw so many people from Europe, North America and Latin America, overstaying in
DR and never returned! The best part is, I never saw a single clash or a fight over
so many beautiful girls. ( guess supply overcomes the demand )
The only thing missing in this wonderful island are Chinese, Japanese and Oriental
faces. In my stay of six days I saw only two orientals one Indian pair and one
chinese girl. ( that's if I overlook myself! ).
All directions, boards, and road signs are so small as compared to US that you have
to get down from the car and see them as pedestrian and again hop back! once i tried
not too, and ended up in a ditch. getting out of it is costly!
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There is a cable car which takes tourists high up on the tip of the mountain. The
name of the mountain is 'Isabell de la torro' which is 3500 feet. The fare is very
cheap and the view is awesome from up there. There is a huge idol of Jesucristo facing
Puerto Plata and the ocean ( something similar to Rio, Brazil).
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Here I was almost bitten by a wild green snake. It was long ( 5 feet ), very sleek,
amazingly fast and so beautiful. I managed to take few pictures of it before it vanished
into blue. Thinking of holding it by tail as I saw in Discovery Channel by that Aussie
dude by then thought of wind surfing and dropped the idea immediately. ( Things which
look simple, might need a lot of practice to begin with! )
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I also went to Dijabon, Haiti which borders DR. I passed Montecristo, and a huge desert
on my way. In the desert I did the same mistake of getting off the road to take pictures
of huge cactus and had a flat tire. Once again, there was a tigrè, who fixed the extra
tire from the front.
Photos Pending!
Haiti was a different ball game. It was a blackwash and too many people there.
Very hot and trees full of so many mangoes that nobody likes them. Dominicans
treat Haitians as Indians treat Nepalese ( most of the laborers in DR are Haitians).
The moment they realize they can ooze some moeny from you, they flock in dozens with
different offers and paraphernalias. ( no pun intended )
As I had a car and I put 1200 Kms on it. I know every road and ditch of North Coast
in DR. Both East and West. More than their people who often travel by Moto-Concho
( 100cc Motorbike driven by a tigrè and you have to sit in the back seat ).
Food is amazingly simple and not delicious here. That explains the lot of
dancing and beautiful woman without a family here. Dancing (NOT food) seems
to the way to a man's heart. Women are so beautiful here that nobody seems
to bother about what they cook and what they eat. People don't do breakfast
here. Their carb intake is mostly from fruits and other stuff. And that
explains their amazingly proportionate bodies. Also they are very hard
workers. Most of the european girls come here as they like escorted
by the tigrès. Both men and women don't have no fat at all in their
bodies! ( unlike fat ass americans! )
I met a dominican tigrè who drives a Moto Concho and he became my friend.
He invited me on lunch and I met his huge family ( 50 people ) joining on a
working day without any notice. I realized ppl who are rich by time have very
little money and vice versa. Here are his two daughters posing for me. I took
the picture of this huge family but it's almost non reproducable after
scanning.
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My discovery of 'empañadas', which is a food like "samosa". It's a
meat-or-cheese ravioli. It tastes similar to "samosa" and also prepared
likewise. It's cheap ( 25 cents per one ) and packed with oil and fat!
also i like coco water and it's scrapped young coco fruit! it's heavens!
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Among seafood, there are people with small baskets selling oyestera
( oyesters ) 2 peso a piece with lemons. These oyesters are very small
and eaten raw with a hint of lemon, salsa picantè or both. Amazingly
tasty although not tested by labs! These people also sell raw cuts of
conch and other seafood to be consumed ( con limòn ). Two days I lived
only on Coco water + scrap and oyesters. Locals believe it makes you
virile. I did too!
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So the routine would be goto a beach and find a girl to talk, sit back
and have coco water + scrap and oyesters till death. But how to find the
combination which has these three stuff is another story.
In resorts, locals are prohibited! They can be arressted, and worst even shot
if found within a resort in an unauthorized way. That means you cannot make a
local friend and take that person to your hotel room or resort! That's a shame.
In these resorts, enormous amounts of food, drink and smoke is available and
one can do anything till death! I found so many ppl enjoying it, but to me
it's gluttony!
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Police and bad stuff, like fights, arguments, theft, beggars, robbery, rape and bad
behavior is astonishingly missing in this island. I can tell one reason for sure.
Weather is so nice that you cannot piss anybody off. An aggressive yankee attitude
seems so stupid here, because everything you fight for is so easily available! People
are poor as compared to Americans and other tourists but they don't want to fill the
gap in unwanted way!
Some funny stuff - He Heeeh
On this morning a woman and her baby was taking public transportation. As she entered the bus the driver says "Wow that is one ugly baby."
The woman deeply hurt just continued on the bus and found a seat next to an elderly man.
The man asks "What's wrong you look mad?" She replied, "I am.
That bus driver just insulted me."
"You shouldn't take that from him." the man replied. "He's a public worker and should give you respect. If I was you I would take down his badge number and report him." You're right sir I think I will report him.
The elderly man says, "You go on up there and get his badge number and I'll hold your monkey for you.
Addresses & Links
Aguaceros - Bar & Grill
Malecon, Puerto Plata, Rep Dominicana
Tel: 586-2796
Map of Puerto Plata 1:20,000
Picture Album
Click Here
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© Copyleft 2001 - § Sudip Roy. Permission to copy with or without modification. Some photos Pending!
Contact sudip@sudip.com for high quality photos.