Santo Domingo

Today was our first visit to Santo Domingo, which was founded by Spaniards who wished to plant a permanent settlement along the southern coast of Hispaniola, the island the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. This is the first settlement made by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish explorers in the New World. It has been declared a World Heritage Site. The "Colonial Zone" district dates back to the 1500s.

Our plan for the day included a ship's tour of the Colonial City and Tres Ojos, a national park which contains caves filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and lakes. It was a 4-hour tour that was very interesting. It was nice to have a guide explaining the history of the very old buildings. Our guide, Quirico was very knowledgable and I wish I could remember a fraction of all the information he gave us today. We had to endure the required shopping stop along the way, but that was a good time for a cold drink. The heat and humidity were both quite high today.

The caves of Tres Ojos

Columbus Lighthouse, where Columbus is buried...or not.  Spain claims to have his remains so there is a controversy

Sailaway and we are about to take a swim

Once back on the ship, we enjoyed a swim in one of the aft pools as the ship sailed from the harbor area.
The ship's internet has become the slowest thing I've ever experienced, so adios...
Tomorrow.....Grand Turk