Santo Domingo - The Capital of The DR

As we were so close to the capital we decided to rent a car with some cruising friends and head into the "Big City" for the weekend. We found a local who would check in on Bella at on the boat and take care of her needs so we packed our bags and were off to explore the land!

We didn't get very far fast as the traffic going into the city closely resembles the the 401 during rush hour! After a few hours of driving we were able to check into our hotel downtown and crossed the city to check out a national park. The park had beautiful caves that you could explore on foot and an old style boat trolly that would glide you between the lakes within the caves.

After the park we headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner. We had plans to meet a former colleague of mine along with his wife at a local spot in downtown. While walking through the streets looking for the place, we commented that Santo Domingo has a very similar look as Miami. It was truly that modern! Big box stores, Starbucks everywhere and the largest McDonald's we had ever seen with Valet parking for motos!! Dinner ended up being delicious and after getting some Baskin Robins, we headed back to the hotel for a goodnight sleep.

The next morning we headed out to the colonial old part of town to check it out. With outdoor patios and cafes, there was many choices to eat lunch. After enjoying some tasty local treats, we headed to a chocolate factory where we made our own chocolate bars with your choice of milk, dark or white chocolate and various toppings. It was delicious! We visited a really cool waterfall at the foot of the mountains where the guys went swimming! 

We headed back to Boca Chica after experiencing the big city. We were glad to return home to Bella Vista to see our excited Fury Friend!!