Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Helpful survival hints
Since I didn’t have many friends in Dominican Republic so I had to go out friend finding. Walk around and talk to people. Get to know my surroundings. Make my self at home in my new country. So Sniffy and I went out on many walk abouts. Of course on all our walks we had to stop in the Colmados and have a liquid refreshment. Sniffy got a funda de auga (Bag of water), a plastic glass, and a piece of pan de auga (bread). I got a Presidente pequiña (small beer). Then we’d talk. Sniffy talked also. People always loved her. She really didn’t think she was a dog so she joined in the conversations with a bark or a body move which made many a person laugh. People knew her name before they knew mine.
We walked everywhere. Started out in the morning when it was cool. Many times returned home after the sun went down. One day we walked from Enchanche Julietta to Gazcue then down to the Malecon. Ended up at (can’t remember the name right now) the place that had the big beer mug on their billboard along the Malecon. Since there weren’t amny people there yet they permtted Sniffy to be inside. We sat near the doorway. She was so tired from the walk that she didn’t talk much.
These 2 men came in and sat near us. We started talking. They were really nice humans. We all decided to go and get some mondongo. It was great because I was going to have to get a taxi home. It was way to far to walk to return (we had that problem alot. Walked so far that when it was time to return we had to get a taxi). So we went out with these men. Which ended up that one of them, Tony, has remained one of my closest friends to this day. I have met many of his friends and we have all become very close. So friend finding does have its good points.
I went with Sniffy to the first Colmado I ever went to on my first trip to Santo Domingo. They remembered me and one guy there even remembered my dogs name from me telling him stories of her when I was on vacation.
Once walking, I was having a bad back day, A man started talking to us. He looked familiar. It ended up he was one of the owners of a Meson de la Cava in Mirador del Sur. He drove Sniffy and I home. Sniffy got to ride on fine leather seats that day!
We went to visit some people from DR1 I met on the computer who, it ended up, lived one street over from me. Sniffy got to ride on an elevator that day. She didn’t even seem to mind.
We walked everywhere. Every direction. Met good and not so good humans. But it was all good for me. I was where I wanted to live. Where I felt like I belonged. Where I could take Sniffy into a store with me. She was even permitted into some of the cafeterias with me. She seemed to like her new home also. She was the star of the Colmados and someone once gave me the title the Colmado Queen (jejej).
Next came Christmas…
