Nancy Norris

By the time the ship moved from our day at Catalina Island to the pier at Casa de Campo it was already 6:30. Our original plan was to venture to Altos de Chavon Village on our own. I am not exactly sure what happened, but somewhere along the way our plans changed. An excellent mini-van service was offered at the port to transport individuals to La Romana. For $10, 1-5 passengers were transported to anywhere in La Romana for 1 hour. After that, you negotiated by the hour for your driver to remain with you. We hurriedly joined another couple and headed off in our shared van without making clear where we wanted to go. Now, the driver did not speak any English, and only one of us spoke any Spanish, and that was minimal. It was already getting dark and I know sightseeing opportunities were limited, but I am not sure that our rather hurried trip to Columbus Plaza for some shopping really counts as a visit to the Dominican Republic. Obviously, this would be a port that I would need to revisit and explore in greater depth. I might even try to learn a little Spanish before I return. Since my personal experience was lacking, as a gesture of good-will, let me share excursions that were recommended to me in hindsight. Based on other passengers comments and the first hand accounts of some new found friends whose opinions I had come to value, we should have stuck to our original plan to visit Altos de Chavon. Built in 1976 by a team of Dominican craftsman, Altos de Chavon is a cultural village perched above the Chavon River. This majestic view is a backdrop for the black coral and terra-cotta buildings that line the cobblestone paths. Craft workshops, artist’s studios, galleries, shops and restaurants abound. A 5,000 seat open-air amphitheater is a focal point of the village. We had not booked the tropical Kandela Show performed at the amphitheater and if you learn anything from my mistakes, don’t miss this show! It was, by all accounts, excellent. If your ship is in port during the day, purchase a day pass to Casa de Campo.

I have it on good authority that this is an outstanding property, well worth a visit.

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