Dominican Republic > The Cathedral of Santo Domingo

It is still dark outside when the alarm goes off. The ship is already docked at the pier in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Because our excursion starts early today, we go to the breakfast buffet shortly after seven. It is surprisingly busy already. Today, people who started their journey here two weeks ago are disembarking. I estimate this applies to about half of the passengers. This afternoon, new travelers will arrive to replace them. At half past eight, we meet Eduardo by the bus. He is our guide for today. It takes some getting used to that everything in the Dominican Republic is indicated in Spanish. As we head toward Santo Domingo, the capital, Eduardo begins his explanation in German. This may make sense for all the other passengers, but the excursion was explicitly supposed to have an English-speaking guide. Eduardo promises to translate into English occasionally. I agree with him that I will give a signal if I cannot follow the German. He speaks calmly and is reasonably easy to understand. He talks about the country, the history, and occasionally mentions his frustrations about the traffic, the litter in the streets, and the corrupt police. After an hour and a half, we reach the capital. The traffic congestion is manageable. We get off at the Puerta de la Mar, one of the gates of the old city wall. Eduardo explains that Columbus landed here in 1493.

Dominican Republic - The entrance to the old city of Santo Domingo

However, it was his brother, Bartolomeo, who founded the city of Santo Domingo. The city became an important hub for trade between the different islands. Our first visit is the Museo de las Casas Reales. In a former colonial residence, the history of the Dominican Republic is shown. Eduardo explains in detail how Columbus’s voyages went and how the western part of the island came under French control. This is present-day Haiti. The Dominican Republic became independent in 1844. Nevertheless, the country experienced many civil wars and changes of power afterward. In the 1960s, changes came after the assassination of dictator Rafael Trujillo. The newly appointed prime minister, Joaquín Balaguer, led the country toward more prosperity and wealth. Besides the museum, we visit the Pantheon. During his rule, dictator Trujillo had the Jesuit church converted into a planned mausoleum. After his death, the Dominicans prevented his remains from being placed in the mausoleum. The later leader and national hero Balaguer did allow it. Parque Colón forms the heart of the old city. In the middle stands a large statue of Columbus. You do sense a certain pride here for these explorers, despite what the Spanish rulers did to the local population. On the south side of the square stands the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. This cathedral was completed in 1541 and is therefore the oldest church in the Caribbean. After visiting the church, we have half an hour to walk around the city on our own. At one of the cozy terraces, we order cola. Meanwhile, Caribbean music is being played in the square. At one o’clock, everyone is back at the bus.

Dominican Republic - The Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion

We drive back to La Romana. The bus passes the impressively large monument to Columbus. After his death, his wife ensured that his remains were buried in the cathedral. During a later restoration, these remains were discovered. Today, Columbus rests under the Faro a Colón mausoleum. At exactly half past two, we are back at the ship. We decide not to walk into La Romana anymore. We had a nice excursion today. We take our book to the bar by the pool. After a quick swim, I grab my book and enjoy a drink. Because many new guests have boarded today, the entertainment program is a bit different. The new guests must first complete their safety training. Everywhere, people walk around the ship wearing life jackets. At seven o’clock, there is a drum solo show in the theater. Two local musicians play Caribbean tunes on drums and saxophone. Because the ship doesn’t leave the harbor until ten o’clock, they can perform without needing to stay on board. Tonight we eat at the Brauhaus—a typical German restaurant with schnitzels and beer. Since there is no real evening program apart from an interview with a crew member, we take a drink to our balcony and watch as the ship leaves the port of La Romana promptly at ten o’clock. As every evening, the departure is accompanied by the song “Orinoco Flow” by Enya, with the lyrics “Sail away, sail away.” We head toward our next adventure.