 Gay Santo Domingo
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Camilo House Apartments - Santo Domingo
Although I haven't been to visit yet - check out the website for a new gay vacation apartments in the Colonial Zone. Formerly known at Casa Monega Apartments, it has a very convenient location within easy walking distance of everything in the old city at very reasonable rates. www.camilohouse.com |
Santo Domingo
"Johnny Cake & Spaghetti"
Johnny Cake is a cake that you prepare with flour, baking powder, water and salt. The word in The Dominican Republic is 'Yaniqueque' and is one of the most popular breakfast foods in both the Dominican Republic and much of the Caribbean. There is a popular joke in Puerto Rico that Santo Domingo is not much more than 'Yaniqueque with Spaghetti and Mangú (pureed plantains)' which are the stereotypical breakfast dishes. But Santo Domingo is much more...
Although I've visited Santo Domingo on innumerable occasions, I've never explored the city as much as I did this trip. During the entire trip - I was known as 'The Boricuas' much more than 'The Puerto Rican'. The Dominicans love to use the original name Boricua - rather than the Spanish 'Puerto Rico".
The perfect place for gay people to stay is the Duke of Wellington Hotel (Hotel Duque de Wellington). The location is excellent in Ave. Independencia near the Jaragua Hotel, the bars, restaurants, mini-marts, cafes and liquor stores. It is very secure with 24 hours front desk service that is very understanding if you want to bring a friend to visit for a while.
The First City in America
Santo Domingo, the first city in America, was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage in 1492. It is a very large city compared to San Juan, PR. Among the attractions that are of interest to the visitor is a guided tour of the Colonial Zone. To explore the Colonial Zone I recommend a visit to the "Ozama Fort" that was constructed along the Ozama River to defend the city from the English and French. Just inside the fort, you can find a guide who will give you a free tour of the fort - and then for a modest fee, continue the walking tour outside through the Colonial Zone. The difference between Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone and Old San Juan is that Santo Domingo's colonial area is much larger. The streets are laid out in a straight pattern on very flat ground with no cobblestones. The old buildings are mixed in with newer structures so you don't have the same concentration of colonial architecture that you have in Old San Juan.
The First Cathedral in America
Make sure that you visit the first cathedral in America, 'Santa Maria la Menor'. Constructed in 1514, this is where Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass during his two visits to the Dominican Republic. It is a marvelous example of colonial architecture with 14 chapels, seven on each side of the main alter. The Cathedral is also famous as the resting place for Christopher Columbus' remains for many years before they were moved to the new 'Columbus Lighthouse'. There has been a continuing dispute between Santo Domingo and Seville, Spain as to who has the actual remains of Columbus. They are currently conducting DNA tests with the descendants of Columbus to determine who has the true remains.
Exploring the Colonial Zone
Continuing our tour through the Colonial Zone, we see Columbus Plaza with the statue of the Indian 'Anacaona', the 'Street of Women' where Cortes lived before his conquest of Mexico. There is also a unique sun dial, the house of Columbus and the Museum of Art. If you want to visit the museum, I recommend that you return another day, since Santo Domingo can be very hot - similar to Ponce in the south of Puerto Rico. Don't forget to bring a hat! The American guy who went with us ended the tour burnt to a crisp!
In the Colonial Zone there are many restaurants, shops selling arts & crafts and a flea market on Sundays. Don't forget to visit the Church of Our Lady of Mercedes - the patron saint of the Dominican Republic. The church, built in the same Romanesque style as the Cathedral is only open to the public on Sunday mornings.
If you want to find shopping with good prices, visit the famous 'El Conde' pedestrian street. From here, its a short walk to the 'Plaza Central' or traditional market place where you can find hundreds of tourist-oriented shops - almost all offering the infamous "Mamajuana" or 'Chinito' that are supposed to be the best 'herbal viagra' in the world. But with the all of the different forms of Merengue music and the friendly hospitality of the Dominican people - I can guarantee that you really don't need any extra 'herbal stimulation' to have a great time!
National Pantheon
Don't forget to visit the National Pantheon which used to be the Jesuit Church built in the 18th century. Here, you find the tombs and remains of all of the important people from Dominican history. For Puerto Ricans, the most interesting tomb is that of Don Eugenio Maria de Hostos - who is revered by the Dominicans for organizing the educational system in their country. It is very common to find statues, street names and buildings named after this famous Puerto Rican. The National Pantheon has an honor guard that is always at attention. Also make sure to notice the elaborate bronze and mahogany candelabra that was a gift from the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco to the now disgraced Dominican dictator of more than 30 years - Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. On the ceiling, you can admire a fresco inspired by the Death and Resurrection. The floors are of Dominican marble. It is very impressive - so don't forget to visit.
Other Attractions
Outside the Colonial Zone you can visit the National Zoo and the Botanical Gardens which are huge when compared to our own small Botanical Garden in Rio Piedras. In Santo Domingo's gardens - you can take a 'mini-train' to see many different types of gardens that are organized by themes and types of plants. On the other side of the city - the Columbus Lighthouse is also an interesting place to visit. The lighthouse was constructed under the direction of ex-president Juaquin Balaguer and contains the actual remains of Christopher Columbus. At night, the lighthouse creates a 'laser light show' that you can see in the sky from all over the city. The lighthouse is closed Mondays.
National Theater
The National Theater is very nice with spectacular gardens and sculptures. We went to see 'The Vagina Monologues' where we laughed a lot - especially at one character who imitated our 'Boriqua' accent when we change the 'r' to an 'l'. We enjoyed the stereotyped character a lot and didn't find it offensive at all. The actresses were excellent, especially Beras Groyco - who we imagine is related to the highly admired Charitin Goyco.
Night Life
The gay 'disco of the moment' is called 'AIRE'. Located in the Colonial Zone, just across the street from the Church of Mercedes, all the taxi drivers know where it is located. It is a very old colonial building that has been converted into a fabulous disco. There are several different rooms, with a fantastic interior patio covered with a glass canopy. If you tend to get claustrophobic in discos, you have the option to move to an outside bar in a tropical courtyard with lush gardens. You can also visit the 'VIP Lounge' which is done in a very luxurious red velvet decor with a private balcony overlooking the dance floor below and providing views of the ancient church across the street, the light show from the Columbus Lighthouse and if you're lucky - a spectacular full moon!
If you don't like discos very much, you can go around the corner and down the street to "J'Dees" which is a much less formal atmosphere and more to my taste. The best time to visit is Saturday night, when they have a lots of music, videos, strippers, dancing and a noisy all-night party. This is my favorite club by far. Not too far from here is another club called 'Phoenix', but it wasn't air conditioned, was on a deserted corner and the taxi driver warned that it was more or less 'at your own risk' - so we didn't enter... maybe next time.
If you go to Santo Domingo and you want to explore the city without any hassles - contact the taxi driver that they call 'El Primo' or 'Cousin'. He's straight, very serious and very attentive. He knows the city very well, is honest and will take you wherever you want to visit. He has a new air conditioned van that is very comfortable. If you want to escape from Santo Domingo go to the beach at 'Boca Chica'. Here we couldn't resist the temptation to eat the famous 'Johnny Cake' which were enormous. However, we bypassed the stereotypical combination of Johnny Cake and Spaghetti in favor of a fried fish and ice cold Presidente Beer. The beach at Boca Chica is the nicest you can find. So you see, Santo Domingo is much more than just 'Johnny Cake and Mangu' - and you'll have a very nice time. I can't wait to return.
