Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano de Luperon, Republica Dominicana

Deciembre, 2005

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We arrived in the Dominican Republic on December 20, 2005.  There were Christmas trees in the patios, a nativity set in the town park (Parque Central - below left) and special dinners at the local restaurants for Christmas and New Year's.  We saw a life-sized nativity set in the oldest church in Santo Domingo (below right).  The guide told us that there are no faces carved, to reflect the mix of Taino Indian, Spanish, and African ancestry of the Dominican people.

On board Ellipsis, we had stocked up for our holiday dinners.  We enjoyed Christmas dinner on our boat, with roasted turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce, candied yams, peas, and Dominican cornbread from the local bakery.  This provided a welcome break from the tedium of having to eat fresh caught mahi!!

On New Year's Eve, the harbor celebrated with many dinner parties and music and fireworks at midnight (below).  On New Year's Day, we went to brunch at a hotel resort on the hill above La Isabela, the site of Chirstopher Columbus' first landing here.  You can still see ruins of the fort from that time and there is a replica of Columbus' village.