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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 12, 2022 10:00 PM Sunday in Santo Domingo
No sun today and "only" 26 deg Celsius. I can take a breath! Santo Domingo was thr first city established in the New World. It was walled around - few gates and parts of the walls remained till now. Pedestrian' only Conde Street cuts the old city end to end. Many local painters offer here their works on the sidewalks. The heart of the Zona Colonial is a shady square of Parque Colon. Imagine that on Sundays a lot of musicians is coming here to practice on the open air. Their instruments produce great cacophony :) in the corner of the square the First Cathedral of America stands. There was service inside, but I did not see there a crowd of believers. There are nice houses in the narrow streets, but my impression is that the place is more dirty than 20 years ago when I was here for the first time...
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Mar 11, 2022 10:00 PM Faro a Colon
Dominicana was the first island (and land in general) discovered by Columbus. To commemorate that the rulers already at the beginning of the 20th century eanted to build on the hill a special building - mausoleum called Faro a Colon - Columbus' Lighthouse. The structure was finished only in 1992 . It was funded by the Latin American states and the cost was 70 million dollars. I approached concrete construction from Parque del Este. It is back side and two walls rindefe the high prison rather thenaua piramid. In fact the building has a shape of the crowned cross. In the center (the entrance at the moment is free) there is rich tomb of Colon (the Dominicans say) Scientist say that the body of Columbus is in the cathedral of Sevilla - they checked DNA.
On the ground level of the faro there is cultural museum showcasing objects not only from American countries but from the countries from the whole world. For sure worth to see!
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Mar 10, 2022 10:00 PM Tres Ojos Nature Monument
From my hotel there is only about 40 minutes walk to the Monument National Tres Ojos - Three Eyes. This is monument of the nature. You pay the entry fee for foreigners 200 pesos and step down to the cave. Three eyes are three little lakes in the caves. The color of the water is unusual. First lake is most impressive. The second (Damas) is the smallest one. In the third is surprise: little timber ferry awaits to take you (50 pesos extra for the round trip) to the other side where, after 100 m walk you will find yourself at the bottom of the deep, green cenote. What a wonderful surprise! In the caves there are stalactites of different size. The place is absolutely worth 200 pesos paid for entry!
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Mar 09, 2022 10:00 PM Aquario National
Today, after the morning walk under the palms of Malecon (that's how the call coastal boulevard) I went to the National Aquarium of Dominicana. Even in the ticket office they want to make their little business on the tourist: for extranjeros ticket cost 5 USD, but they wanted me to pay 300 pesos... Well, once you are inside you will see sea turtles and the - in the pavilions a lot of aquariums of different size with the fish from all over the world. The most imposing is probably one with the sharks and mantas. Separate pavilion is dedicated to the freshwater fish with species taken say from thecAmazon. Glass tunnel is built under the biggest aquarium but the walls are to dirty to enjoy the view in full. Anyway - once you are here it is worth to take a look...
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Mar 08, 2022 10:00 PM Santo Domingo Este
My little hotel "Setup" stays without any sign on the corner of the coastal boulevard called Avenida Espana. Dominican Rep does not like the backpackersuch so it is not easy to find something cheap. I pay here 30 dollars per clean and roomy single with bath, tv, a/c and fridge. The room has a balcony and substantial breakfast is included. Today I took a long walk along the boulevard till faro de la Marina slim lighthouse. National Aquarium in on the way (5 USD entry for the foreigners, half of that for locals) and OLE supermarket where you can change your currency to dominican pesos. They pay 54,50 pesos per dollar and only 58,80 per euro. Your passport must be shown for euro. Police with long rifles is present near aquarium, bur onward the street is almost empty, so I was watching around carefully just in case... The coast on this stretch is sharp and rocky with some mice views. It was 7 kms walk in the heat - not bad! The next will be tomorrow...
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Mar 07, 2022 10:00 PM Long flights to Santo Domingo
My good friends offer me overnight stay and early morrning lift to the airport. Thanks so much Asia & Jurek! In the check-in hall already before 5 am I found long line to Air France desk. Bad organization! I was waiting there more than an hour to get the boarding pass and then running through the security to the gate. Uff! Fortunately they were waiting for the last passengers! The flight to Paris was delayed 30 min an they served as a breakfast only 3 biscuits, juice and coffee (!!) In Charles de Gaulle airport the bus took us to the terminal F for covid and passport control. Then anothet bus to the gates M in terminal 2E. I was on time to board my flight to Santo Domingo. They checked obligatory Dominican QR code. I had nice neighbor on the plane. It took us more than 9 hours to reach destination with one hour delay. But they served hot meal and unlimited wine, even champagne. Airport in Santo Dom is small and poor. long line to immigration (you must declare the hotel) Then the customs - Polish passport is not the good one so they sent me for full screen of my luggage! Hot (28 deg) and high humidity outside. No public transport to the city - taxis (25 usd after bargaining) are the only option. Palms along the coast - it is about 25 kilometers! In the tiny hotel they do not speak English!
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Mar 06, 2022 10:00 PM To the Caribbean!
I'm going on another trip - this time to the other side of the ocean! The month of February 2022 was terrible for me. Not only because of the outbreak of this monstrous war right next to Poland, but also because of the proverbial "stab in the back" from the US administration, which unexpectedly refused to allow me to enter USA without a visa. An interview with a consul that opens the way to the regular visa may not take place until April. My repeated requests for earlier date of this interview remained unanswered. I had to cancel flights and a cruise that was to start in Miami. I have suffered considerable losses. That's all because I was in Yemen and Iraq (and in all other countries of the world :)
This is why this trip will begin with a flight not to Miami, but to the Dominican Republic, where I intend to spend the first few days in the sun. Then I will get on a ship that will first visit a few Caribbean islands (most of them are already described on my website, but I will be glad to see if and how they have changed). And then it will sail across the Atlantic to Europe.
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Feb 28, 2022 10:00 PM I finally have my passport back!
What's going on in Ukraine is terrible and I worry about all my Ukrainian friends. Let's God stops this madness and undeserved suffering of people!
I have my little war too. I need US visa for my next journey. In the past I had more than five US visas including last two valid 10 years each. Now the introduced for Poles visa-free system (ESTA) and... I did not receive permit to enter USA because I have been to Yemen and Iraq (and all other countries of the world!) I applied immediately for the regular visa, but they say I must be interviewed by the consul. First available possibility: April 19th. They even did not responsed my polite request for the fast track. In addition they wanted to keep my passport till April 19th!. I went to Warsaw but they did not allow me to enter embassy. I made phone calls, I sent e-mails and courrier letters and the fax. Ufff... Finally after many nervous days I got my passport back. I am free to travel again! but so far not to the USA...
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Jan 26, 2022 10:00 PM Will I be on time for the second flight?
The other guests in our little hostel were still sleeping when I said goodbye to Giovanni - very nice and knowledgeable person and the real traveller. See us on the picture. Perhaps we will met a chance to meet again!
It was quite long walk along the Coastal Boulevard to the city beach of Arecife, and onward - to the Guagua Intercambiador. City bus 22 departs from here to the Lanzarote airport. They charge 1,40 euro per ride. Once in the airport I went through the security and (unvolytarily) through the long chain of the duty-free shops. EasyJet 4-hours flight was very pleasant. In Milan we experienced thick fogg, but the plane landed on time.
I had only 3 hours to get from Malpensa to Bergamo airport. It is 91 kms and no direct connection. Risky!
Fortunately they do not have any control on arrival! So why I paid for the test?
Train to Milano Centrale (55 min) cost me 13 euro. Then I was running across the huge station to the Bergamo bus. Ufffff! - I got it 3 minutes before departure!. In Bergamo very unpleasant lady at the gate packed us to the Ryan plane to Gdansk (she required special FFP2 mask, sending people back to the shops. 2 hours later, at 10 pm I landed in rainy, windy Gdansk. One more interesting voyage was over! I want to fly back to the sun! Soon, soon!
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Jan 25, 2022 10:00 PM Ferry to Lanzarote
Imagine that Ryan cancelled my flight from Fuerteventura. Fortunately I found similar from Lanzarote.
At 9.30 am I was already in the ferry dock in Corralejo, thevferry arrived soon and I boarded "Tindaya" for a 35-min journey in the sun. One way ticket cost me 24 euro. It is worth to know, that there is competitive company "Romero" offering the same journey for 18 euro on thevsmaller ship.
The view from the upper deck was great: Corralejo, Lobos Island them Playa Blanca on Lanzarote. Once disembarked I walked 500 m to the main road to find the stop of guagua. It cost me 3,60 to the capital of the island - Arecife. Lanzarote has not as many colors as Fuerteventura. The landscape is less dramatic, valleys are more wide and flat.
In Arecife I found little and crowded hostel "Casita Arecife" to stay for 18 euro in 4-bed room. Cramp but nice atmosphere and new friend - Giovanni from the Italy - the real traveller.
New carrier informed me that I must have a covid test to land in Italy. Giovanni helped me to find the BioLab on Argentina Street. It is worth to recommend - they made the test in 15 minutes for only 20 euro!
Fthen I was free to walk again the beautiful bouleward - againn after 7 years. They build new complex near marina.. Palms, little caste St Gabriel on the island, white boasts in the inside port. I am happy to be here again!
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