I left my heart in an island full of joy. I left my heart in an island full of music. I left my heart in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic!
The culture in Punta Cana is very rich. Sometimes when
we travel to new places we are a bit scared or nervous to see what is on the
other side. I had planned to only stay in our resort, since I have never
traveled to the DR before. But then I decided to just book some tours, and
enjoy the island. I booked a tour for Santo Domingo which is the capital, and I booked a Safari tour in Punta Cana. The safari tour gave us a closer look at how people live on the island.
Let me take you back in time to where I left my heart!
This is the entrance to Diego Columbus' castle who was the son of Christopher Columbus.
On our way to the resort I took a picture of 2 small businesses.
People in the DR work 12 days in a row, and then get 3 days off. Most people do not have a car, they get a ride in pick up trucks or motorcycles. The people who drive these trucks and motorcycles do this for extra income, meaning they most likely have 2 jobs.
A beautiful painting for sell in a store.
This is the entrance to Diego Columbus' castle who was the son of Christopher Columbus.
Diego and his family were about 5ft tall which is why all the doors are short.
In a plaza near Diego's castle we ate a traditional meal called Mofongo and drank passion fruit juice. Mofongo is smashed plantains with your choice of meat/seafood and broth soup.
This is the "Presidente' s" house.
We went underground to see Los Tres Ojos which are 3 lakes. This is where the ocean once was.
A nice walk way through our resort.
Mama Juana shot! Mama Juana is a popular and traditional drink for the Dominican people. It is rum, red wine, honey, soaked in tree bark and herbs. It is mainly consumed for medical value. As we were told in the DR one shot a day keeps the doctor away! Yes, I bought the tree bark/herbs from the DR, and now make my own Mama Juana!
Mangu is another traditional meal which is eaten mainly for breakfast. It is smashed plantains topped with sauteed onions and sausage.
We were shown how they make cigars. Some of the leaves are hanging from the ceiling.
Here they were teaching us how to ground coffee the old way. Which takes a lot of strength and time!
All this rawness and culture is what I fell in love with. I learned how hard these people work, and importantly they do it with a smile. I will forever cherish this trip, and carry a piece of their culture in my heart.
I can't wait to reunite with my heart!
Want to read more stories of places people left there heart in? Check out http://www.getyourguide.com/info/ileftmyheartin/
