Santo Domingo – My Favorite Westerns

Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo / Columbus House

moments / boz scaggs

Our trip to Punta Cana seems like a dream now – and far away. It was indeed the experience of a lifetime and I wonder if I made the most of the opportunity – as I will not likely get back that way again. I have to thank my wonderful companion Rose without whom I would never have had this experience

Columbus House / Plaza de Espana

I was unable to find much information on Diego Columbus. I was curious to see if he had carried on with the tyrannical behavior of his father.

Diego Columbus was the eldest son of Christopher Columbus. He was a Portuguese navigator and explorer under the Kings of Castile and Aragón. He served as the 2nd Admiral of the Indies, 2nd Viceroy of the Indies and 3rd Governor of the Indies as a vassal to the Kings of Castile and Aragón.

Columbus House was the house of the Columbus family in Santo Domingo. It was built by Diego Coulmbus in 1515. Today, it’s a museum furnished with original and period furniture.

Columbus House Knight — **The tools of Spanish power**

Columbus House dining room — **Dining area ?**

Columbus House kitchen — **Kitchen to be sure.**

Columbus House kitchen 2 — **Opulent eating …**

Columbus House main hall — **Main Hall …**

Columbus and son — **Chris and son. An idealic image.**

Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo 6

sloop john b / tom fogerty

The Colonial Chu Chu

Remember that little train? The Colonial Chu Chu.
All aboard!

The Chu Chu chugs us through the downtown Santo Domingo streets
… as we attempt to take some pics …

Next: Columbus House …

Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo 5

sloop john b / The Beach Boys

Downtown Santo Domingo

Out of Cathedral – to the streets.

Santo Domingo Columbus the Tyrant — **Columbus Memorial – monument to a tyrant.**

Santo Domingo pigeon maestro — **The maestro of pigeons appears.**

Santo Domingo pigeon maistro 2 — **Orchestrates his minions.**

Punta Cana day 3 — **Meanwhile … Dominos.These guys were heavily into it … with spectators.**

Santo Domingo Cathedral — **Cathedral and plaza**

Santo Domingo Columbus Park 2 — **It’s guaranteed that somebody will try to sell you something. “NO. Gracias.”**

Santo Domingo Columbus Park 3 — **The Museum of Tobacco – with 3 cigar store Indians.**

Santo Domingo Columbus Park 4 — **The Cathedral of Santo Domingo is the oldest cathedral in the Americas – they claim.**

Santo Domingo Columbus Park 5.5 — **Remember that dog?**

Santo Domingo Columbus Park 6 — **He’s drinking Rose water.**

Santo Domingo Columbus Park 7 — **A local steed. Doubt this would be legal in Canada.**

Heading off plaza …

Inscription reads:

“Homage of the First Council of America the Adelantado Don Bartholomew founder on the east bank of the Ozama River from the town of Santo Domingo Colon on 5 August 1498 before being transferred to this part by the governor of the island of Hispaniola Fray Nicolas Ovando in 1502 “.

These guys really celebrated themselves.

Santo Domingo side streets — **Rose spots a horse. It must be watered.**

Santo Domingo side streets 2 — **Trying to figure out where we are …**

So did we.

Next time … more downtown Santo Domingo

Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo 4 3/4

Game of Thrones Theme – Violin Cover – Taylor Davis

Downtown Santo Domingo
Catedral Primada de America / Looking around

I had a Confession to make …

… I’m Ironman

Next … more downtown Santo Domingo

Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo 4

I Can See Clearly Now / Jimmy Cliff

Downtown Santo Domingo
Catedral Primada de America

Catedral Primada de America 2 — **Catedral Primada de America – Plaza Entrance**

Catedral Primada de America gate — **Heading around to other Entrance … some Saint guards the gate**

Catedral Primada de America 3 — **The other entrance … not as impressive**

Catedral Primada de America 4 — Even the Church looks like a fort – for good reason. In 1586 Sir Francis Drake of England pillaged and burned the city, which survived only to be invaded by the French and Haitians. Drake lived in the Church for 25 days they say.

Catedral Primada de America 5 — **Statue of Arzobispo Meriño. I could not discover who he was, but he’s got a statue.**

Catedral Primada de America 6 — **Crowding in …**

Catedral Primada de America 8 — **But inside is impressive**

Catedral Primada de America 9 — **Vaulted Gothic ceiling**

I like Churches. They have Altars.
And I can thank God for my many blessings.

Though I can do that anywhere.

Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo 4

Sloop John B / Waylon Jennings

Downtown Santo Domingo

Leaving the Presidential Palace we head Downtown.

We had to park about 3 blocks from the main plaza where we were headed and hoof it.
Large vehicles cannot navigate the narrow Santo Domingo streets.

Downtown Santo Domingo stairs — **Head up some stairs …**

Downtown Santo Domingo rally point — **Rally at the top: … that’s our guide in the orange shirt.**

Downtown Santo Domingo stone arch — **Stone walls … stone arches – the former battlements.**

Downtown Santo Domingo — **Plaza just ahead …**

Downtown Santo Domingo kids on day trips — **Lots of school groups on day excursions.**

Downtown Santo Domingo Colonial ChuChu — **Entering the plaza we spot this thing: The Colonial ChuChu – a future ride.**

Downtown Santo Domingo plaza — **Gathering for a peptalk … Rose spots a dog …**

Columbus Park

As has been said: History is written by the victors.
We discover that this plaza is called Columbus Park and has a huge monument to Columbus right in the middle.

I have to wonder if things will change due to the recent revelations about how he actually behaved over here. It won’t come easy. They’ve been celebrating him as a hero for 500 years and feasting on this past image for Tourism for quite a while. This country is run by the descendants of the conquerors – though it now has democratic elections. And there’s that other very big elephant in the room – the Catholic Church. These guys were all good Catholics weren’t they??? It’s going to be interesting.

Downtown Santo Domingo Columbus Monument 1 — **The pigeons know how to treat Chris.**

Here’s a little Columbus anecdote for you: See that native gal on the statue?
(from St. John Beach Guide): “Bronze statue of Columbus, pointing northward, and a native Taino climbing up to reach him. According to an other description the native Taino is the Cacica, Anacaona, the first Indian to learn to read and write. Anacaona was captured in an act of trickery whereby her village was burned and all the inhabitants slaughtered by troops under the command of Nicolas de Ovando, then Governor of Santo Domingo. Ovando was under orders by Columbus to wipe out the remaining unsubjugated Tainos who were beginning to rebel against the Spanish. Anacaona was subsequently hung in a public square in Santo Domingo.”

Nice guys.

Downtown Santo Domingo Columbus Monument 2 — **“Is that gold?”**

Plaque on the monument reads:
“In honor of the great Admiral Don Cristóbal Colón (Columbus)
discoverer of the new world – first viceroy and Governor of AMERICA.
made by artist Ernesto Gilbert / Inaugurated on 27 February 1887”

Onward …

Next: Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo 5

Punta Cana Cowboys / Day Trip to Santo Domingo 3

Kingston Trio

Next stop:

The Presidential Palace

We knew that a Day Trip wouldn’t allow us to see very much of Santo Domingo. But as we chugged along in the bus we tried to snap some pics … click, click, click … Whirlwind Tour style.