Day Tripping
The Dominican Republic offers so much more than just beautiful beaches. Day tripping allows you to experience the true essence of this vibrant country, from historical landmarks to hidden local gems and everything in between. Get ready to ditch the rigid schedules and embrace the adventure!
You generally know about the picturesque beaches, history, and some of the cities from a brief vacation or what you’ve read. Now let’s take that general knowledge and convert it into an adventure!
To start make a list of things you know about a city and some attractions. With each destination think about how you’re going to travel there, how much time it will take to get there, and how long you’re going to stay.
Let’s pick a destination: Santo Domingo
Attractions: Plaza de Espana, Alcazar de Colon, and the rum museum.
Transportation: Express Bavaro
How long to get there: two hours
How long to stay: Day trip
Remember this is an adventure and like all adventures, we gotta start somewhere but where we end up may not be as planned.
So, we need to have some rules for our adventure!
Rule number 1:
Let’s be safe. There are always bad places in every city you’ll travel to but you may not know where those places are located. So, let’s agree we’re going to use our common sense and not wear our best jewelry or watches when on adventure. We’re also going to pay attention to what’s going on around us, who is around us, and our belongings. There is no bigger downer than losing your stuff on an adventure.
Rule number 2:
Dress for the occasion. An adventure often means lots of walking to, from, and around the sites you visit. Wearing shoes that pinch and cramp but look great, are gonna talk to you a lot. I don’t know about you but I hate it when my shoes talk to me because it’s not the shoes doing the talking, it’s my feet! You can’t enjoy the place if you have to stop and rub your feet regularly.
I know you might not take this rule very seriously but if your favorite actor passes you in the street what are you going to do? It hurts to walk! You’ll catch up with them next time… Right?
OK, now that we have your feet feeling comfy let’s talk about the other end, your head! Wearing a nice wide-brim hat with ventilation will help keep you cool. Let’s face it the sun constantly beating down on you can be uncomfortable.
Rule Number 3:
Water is life! The Dominican Republic can get hot, like temperature hot, like 30C/86F, hot! When you’re on an adventure this means water can be crucial in keeping you hydrated and the adventure fun.
The temperature is going to change hour to hour so when I go on an adventure, I normally have a liter/quart of water in my bag. If I’m in an area with a lot of shops or vendors I might buy water and then drink the water I brought. Sounds strange I know. However, when I do that, I drink my slightly warmer water and have a new water to cool down. That way if I’m in an area where I can’t immediately buy water, I have water in my bag.
Rule number 4:
HAVE FUN! Since we’re planning on having a lot of adventures let’s add to the fun by answering these questions for every adventure. Write down your answers either during or when you get back so you can keep a fun book.
– What was the coolest building that you saw?
– What was the weirdest person you saw wearing?
– What was the best appetizer, meal, or drink?
– Name the best thing you discovered on this adventure.
Now that we have rules for being safe, hydrated, cool, and a fun list of things to answer let’s go! Don’t forget to build your fun adventure book one adventure at a time.
