Even before plans regarding a trip to the capital of Dominican Republic got underway there was advice galore. Most friends and well-wishers told us that this was where we would be able to locate the ‘most ancient in a contemporary world’, including the oldest street, the oldest building – well, not exactly – the oldest chapel, and the oldest cathedral in the world. By the time we landed in Santo Domingo we were well-informed about the erratic traffic, fake jewel purveyors, etc.
God bless Sheena, our travel agent, who’d booked us at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel, one of the best spa hotels and Casino with its jaw-dropping backdrop. Shaded by tall swaying palm trees it overlooks a lovely beach. The bilingual staff of the hotel is also most helpful and friendly.
Our first visit was to the Columbus Lighthouse or the Faro a Colon. The place is enormous and walking about tired us out quite a bit. One American tourist informed us that the view from the top of the light house is absolutely gorgeous. We could only take him for his word because we didn’t get to climb to the summit. We also learnt that Christopher Columbus lies buried here.
And how could we miss seeing the oldest cathedral in the Americas? The founding stone of this holy shrine was laid by Columbus’ son, Diego Columbus. Stepping inside the enormous vault one got a sense of a redoubtable colonial past. I was also reminded of the pirates who stormed the place in the 1500s to plunder all the precious artifacts and artworks and couldn’t help shivering. Some of the artworks they left behind cannot fail to impress, however.
All this made us hungry. Our watches said four pm local time, a little too early for tea and too late for lunch. Yet our stomachs were growling. So we got into our rented car and made our way to El Conusco, a favorite eating joint with tourists. I enjoyed the chicken salad and yams. Sue found the spaghetti really delicious. A must visit and highly recommended.
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