Independence Day Parade 2009 on the Malecon

The parade this year seemed to be a little smaller than the other years. It started late which is sort of the norm for things in this country. While everyone was waiting the crowd was so anticipating the parade that when 3 pelicans flew overhead everyone cheered. It was too funny. Finally the president showed up (here is a picture of him in the jeepeta not that great of a pic but its the side of his head at least. He is on the passenger side).



The crowds were big and all seemed to enjoy, especially the troops from days gone (video here) by and the airplane show (sorry, didn't get that on video). I was very close to the platform where the President was. It was a great position for taking pictures but the crowd got so large and everyone was squishing in. It was really hot and sweaty and there were people so close I could feel someones breath down my neck and kids were climbing around my legs, I had to get outta there. Guess I'm just getting too old for all that stuff. But it was nice and I got some pictures and videos to share.

I'll post all the pictures soon on the web site in the picture section here









For more information about Independence Day and our Founding Father Juan Pablo Duarte check this out.

Sunday Sancocho at Barrio Santa Barbara

A friend of mine, Chino, who lives in Santa Barbara which is a section of Colonial Zone, invited me for some sancocho (sancocho recipe-opens in a new window)) so I happily obliged. When I got there all the neighbors were out and about near the small Colmado. Chino introduced me around and we got ourselves a bottle of rum waiting until the food was ready.

After we mixed our drinks he took me by the hand across the street to see the cooking that was under way. In a giant pot (picture of a lady cooking sancocho-opens in a new window) over a small fire the typical Dominican stew was already cooking. they had a large sheet of tin across the pot to protect it from the constant drizzle we were experiencing. The smell coming from the pot was wonderful. The man cooking the stew was cutting up ingredients and adding them to the brew. He had the pinion with garlic and other herbs and spices and was mashing them up to add to the pot. Everyone kept coming over to look, smell and sometimes add other ingredients and some dumplings as we all waited.

A man came by with a bunch of cangrejo (picture-opens in a new window) and we haggled on a price for a dozen or these crabs. They were still alive, all tied together, with their little pinchers opening and closing. I felt bad, but not too bad, that I was going to kill them when their little beady eyes were looking at me. I got over the feeling bad part as we took those tasty crustaceans and threw them in a pot on the fire alongside the sancocho. We added a few green herbs to their pot and waited for the water to boil.

The crabs were ready. We got a tray, dumped them on it and enjoyed them with a little lemon. Man, they were tooo yummy! While I was eating the crabs the pot of sancocho was ready to eat.

All the neighbors came out with they're bowls, pans, foam food containers and their spoons. The cook guy ladled out the stew into everyones containers. People found a place to sit and everyone was enjoying. It was a real neighborhood feast. I got me a pink plastic bowl and a plastic spoon and got my share, sat on a plastic beer crate and ate every drop.

Funny, I usually do lots of talking (ask anyone), but I can tell you that for at least 10 minutes the only sound that came out of my mouth were yummy sounds. That stuff was sooo good. It hit the spot for sure. The hot stew made the cold (yes, it was cold, maybe about 76 degrees Fahrenheit...brrr) go away.

Then, when the entire kettle was empty and our tummy's were all filled, everyone started to disappear into their homes. I did the same. I walked directly to my home and did the worst thing ever, went to sleep with a full, happy stomach and did not fell in the least bit bad about it (except for a little heartburn later in the night and a few more pounds added to my gutt).

I can't wait until the next time to do exactly the same thing again. They also told me if I ever know any tourists that want to join in to bring them along.

Duarte Day 2009

Today, January 26, is Duarte Day in Dominican Republic.

Celebrating the birth of The Father of the Country or in Spanish Padre de la patria. The day is celebrated with a parade of different military groups and some school children. They all meet at Duarte Park and honor Juan Pablo Duarte with some speeches, music and by placing wreaths around the statue.

These are some pictures I took today.


In front of the monument


Military band playing the Himno a Juan Pablo Duarte/ The Hymn to Juan Pablo Duarte






I love this picture with the dog sitting and joining in the ceremony

More information on who Duarte is and what he did for Dominican Republic at www.colonialzone-dr.com/people_history-Duarte.html

Road Trip - Palos Videos

I went on a road trip last week (more about that later) but we stopped in San Jose de Ocoa for their Virgen de Altagracia festival. The festival wasn't really started yet but there was some good palos drumming and some people dancing and having some fun under the kiosk. I wish I could have stayed for the entire festival but we had to get back to the city. But at least I got a few videos and pictures (I'll post them soon) to share.
I even danced a bit and thank goodness no one video taped me!

Some Old Santo Domingo Pictures

This is a Power Point Presentation with some great old pictures of Santo Domingo. Enjoy!
Old Santo Domingo in PPS form

Marina de Guerra Dominicana in Parque Duarte 2008

I took this video about a month ago in Parque Duarte here in Colonial Zone. This is the Marina de Guerra Dominicana or the Dominican Marines. Enjoy!

Second Earthquake Felt!

I just felt my second earthquake in my entire life!

Just sitting in my office in Colonial Zone working on the web site and the chair vibrated. It was just for a half second but it for sure shook. I thought at first that maybe there was something happening in the street, like something fell off a truck or something. Then I realized what it was. At that second I heard people in the gift shop in front of the office whooping and laughing. I knew than what it was.

I went out to the street and most people were doing their normal things as if nothing happened. while others were coming out to the street and looking up to the sky. Then the animation happened in the street that is normal when anything, small or large, happens here. People were all talking and laughing with a little bit of a look of fear (not much, just a little) in their eyes.

So anyhow, we had a 5.1 Earthquake or as they call it here, temblor de tierra or los terremotos (hope I spelt those correctly)! It's center was about 39 miles from Santo Domingo and seems to have it's center near La Romana.

I have lots of information about Earthquakes here in Dominican Republic on my weather page here.

More information about this earthquake can be found here
Earthquake USGS
IRIS.edu
rmsismo.uprm

Halloween 2008 in the Park

Xiomara decided to have an American style Halloween Party for all the neighbors in the park. Well, it didn't work out as planned

She made all these balloon decorations and put them in the park and Colmado Arca.

People said they would get dressed up, but, oh well, only a few did. Cesar dressed as a fat woman and he was the star of the party. Others just wore a hat of some glasses and that was their costume.

I went as a Cedula (Dominican Republic identification card). Not many people got the joke that my blood was acid and I was from Mars (which I really am from Mars, PA.). But we had a good time anyhow. I couldn't stay out late as I had to get home and sleep because my trip to USA was the next day and I still had to pack my stuff.