5 Months came and went last wednesday. Time for some Top 5 action:

Top 5 Days in the Dominican Republic:

1: Saturday on the south coast, Touring the cacao farms by day, and feasting on Susanna’s fantastic ceviche and lobster at nights. Number one day by miles and miles. Unforgettable.

2: Finally moving into our apartment in Montecristi after a month in a very uncomfortable hotel.

3: Spending the day with Michelle, Dan, Janet and Kim on the fantastic Playa Rincón, and later feasting on wonderful food at Taínos in Las Galleras

4: Not getting robbed at the really fun Dajabón markets

5: Cockfights in the bateyes

 

Top 5 Eats:

1: Susanna’s truly fantastic dinners at Casablanca outside of Barahona

2: Pomodoros actually authentic Italian pizzas in Cabarete

3: El taquitos non-authentic but still great tacos in Santo Domingo

4: Taínos stellar steak with amazing zapote concoction in Las Galleras

5: Adrian Tropicals (Malecón branch) unbeatable seaside setting and actually great Dominican food in Santo Domingo

 

Top 5 Beaches:

1: Playa Grande with its amazing green jungle backdrop

2: Playa Rincón’s amazing waters and miles of sand.

3: Playa Limón’s deserted end of the world feel

4: El Morro and its unique setting

5: The grey pebbles, and turquise ocean in Paraíso south in the country.

 

Top 5 Hotels:

1: Wonderful Hotel Atarazana in Santo Domingo. for the amazing hosts, the above and beyond, the great breakfast and, well everything.

1: Susanna’s CasaBlanca outside Barahona, for the setting, the host, the location, wine! and of course the food.

3: Kite Beach in Cabarete, a wonderful respite for the weary expat hungry for modcons, peace and quiet.

4: TodoBlanco in Las Galleras, for the setting, the wonderful seabreeze and the architecture.

 

Top 5 Towns:

1: Paraíso, picture perfect set by crystal clear rivers and turquoise oceans.

2: Las Galleras, tourism without the masses

3: Montecristi, frontier cowboy town with a real different feel

4: Santo Domingo, really quite a great place.

5: Manzanillo, old seat of the united fruit company, now,: sleepy, cute and did I mention sleepy.


Top 5 Challenges

1: Finding a place to stay - solution, get to know some dominicans

2: Finding a place to eat - solution, get to know some expats

3: What to do when you need a shower but the water is gone - solution.. wait.

4: Constant blaring music (and or barking dogs and gallos) - solution, hearos ultimate earplugs alternatively, blare your own music.

5: Death defying dominican roads and drivers - solution, go with the flow