Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, is "where the rhythms of the country are on superdrive, where the sounds of life—domino pieces slapped on tables, backfiring mufflers and horns from chaotic traffic, merengue and bachata blasting from corner colmados—are most intense. Santo Domingo (population 2.9 million), or ‘La Capital’ as it’s typically called, is to Dominicans what New York is to Americans, a collage of cultures and neighborhoods, or what Havana is to Cubans, a vibrant beating heart that fuels the entire country.
"At the heart of the city is the Zona Colonial. And at the heart of the Zona Colonial is Parque Colón. And across from the park is one of the oldest churches in the New World. And a block from the church is one of the oldest streets in the New World. And on this street is the oldest surviving European fortress. And so on and so on. Amid the cobblestone streets reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans, it would be easy to forget Santo Domingo is in the Caribbean—if it weren’t for the heat and humidity.
"But this is an intensely urban city, home not only to colonial-era relics and New World firsts, but also to hot clubs packed with trendy 20-somethings; museums and cultural institutions, the best of their kind in the DR; and businesspeople taking long lunches at elegant restaurants. Santo Domingo somehow manages to embody the contradictions central to the Dominican experience: a living museum, a metropolis crossed with a seaside resort, and a business, political and media center with a laid-back casual spirit." [—From Lonely Planet, Dominican Republic]
Catedral Primada de America
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Main altar (closeup)
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Main entrance on the other side
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Late evening view
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Many theories about where
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Some say pigeons are
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From the other side,
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Back on the main plaza,
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Tourist musicians
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Last night in Santo Domingo
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Feeding pigeons (more)
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American evangelists in town
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Panteon National
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Heroes honored here (more)
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Formerly Jesuit church, tobacco warehouse, and a theater
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A building next to Panteon
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Shady tree on the plaza
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Street behind the church
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Art for sale on the streets
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Couple hanging out
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Clown with balloons
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Local musicians
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Churchmen
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Zona Colonial street
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Roadside game
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Group shot
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Just married
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Hipsters (more)
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Lady in red posing
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Most likely a tourist
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Calle El Conde
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Election rally for Papa
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Nickname for Hipolito Mejia
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Blaring loudspeakers
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Supporters of Papa
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About an hour long rally
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Roadside game
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Roadside game
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PDA
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Colonial facade
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Zona Colonial street
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Zona Colonial street
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Zona Colonial street
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Fortaleza Ozama, dates
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"Oldest colonial military edifice in the New World" (1, 2, 3)
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Torre del Homenage and the ramparts (1, 2)
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Famous historian Gonzalo
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Rio Ozama meets the Caribbean
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Room inside the fort
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Another room
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Rusty cannons
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Ruins of Monasterio de
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First monastery in the
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Dating from 1508
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Begun by Franciscan friars
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Iglesia de Nuestra Senora
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Congregation on Sunday (more)
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Iglesia de la Regina
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... and its facade
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Ruinas del Hospital San
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First European hospital in
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Built in 1503
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Capilla de Nuestra Senora
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Capilla de la Tercera
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Built in 1729, now an office
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The house of the archbishop
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Convento de la Orden de
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First Dominican convent in
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Main altar
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A secondary chapel (more)
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Plaza Espana (more)
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Museo Alcazar de Colon
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Street near Plaza Espana
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Tourist restaurants
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Salome Urena, poet and
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Plilately society
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Playing with whips
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Rum, Cigar, Coffee house
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Plaza Fray Bartolomé de las Casas
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Streotypes survive
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Boat on Rio Ozama
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Once a colonial royal house,
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Streetside bar / restaurant
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Or "The Three Eyes"
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Three limestone caverns
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Filled with still, dark lagoons
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Looking out from inside (1, 2)
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Fishes in the lagoons
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Beaming tourist
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Faro a Colon (1, 2)
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Said to have Columbus' remains
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El Meson de la Cava
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Restaurant with local art
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