Last week, which was a loooong week as evidenced by these multiple postings, I went to Cabarete. Cabarete is a tourist town on the beach, and as one fellow Volunteer fondly put it, the United States of America in the DR. It truly is like taking a vacation from the DR.
I had a wonderful time. I spent the day with my Volunteer friend and her American visitors. Certainly, I didn’t fill my Spanish quota for the day. There are European- and American-owned restaurants along the beach. Merengue and bachata are strangers there; instead, the pubs (yes, pubs) play classic rock and other American hits. English is the main language, and any type of American cuisine can be found there! I gorged myself on a hamburger, fries, chocolate ice cream and apple pie! Common for you all, but really comforting and enjoyable for me!
However, while I was taking a solitary swim in the ocean, relishing the absolute calm and peace I felt, I couldn’t help but think about the real DR that was just down the road. Tourists come here and relish the luxuries of postcard-like beaches, exotic fruits, cocktails, and a Miami-like nightlife – a real paradise for them. Yet, so close to them is the true reality of the DR. They’re missing out on the picturesque mountains that characterize the rural roads, the roadside empanada and juice stands, colorfully painted houses, the “bandera” (the main dish here), bachata and merengue discotecas, loud families, rapid Spanish and animated hand-gestures. They don’t know about the poverty, the illiteracy, the environmental abuse… Yes, they are visiting the DR, but they are visiting the DR that is encapsulated in a comfortable, Western bubble. They aren’t visiting the real República Dominicana.
I found that profoundly interesting.
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