Most of the magic to be found in a place comes from seeing it through the eyes and hearts of the people who call it home. You can find it when you have the courage to let go of what you know and trust in the people you find yourself with. My son Alex has this kind of courage and we thrive on the growth that comes from understanding and building connection with people and places. Together, we spent 9 days wandering around the mountains, beaches and towns of the Dominican Republic taking in moment after moment of the magic that exists there.
Alex has lived there for almost 2 years and he’s spent most of that time finding the heart of the place by relaxing into and enjoying the culture of the people there. Whether it’s disarming people and making them laugh by yelling ” que lo que”, the Spanish version of ”what’s up” or finding connection in the shared experience of a Presidente Light Jumbo served up bien fria, ice fucking cold, Alex knows how to shares his heart with people and then, they magically open up and share theirs too.
We started our trip at Alex’s apartment in Veron. Veron is just outside the resort area of Cap Cana where the locals who often produce goods and services for the resorts live. It is a bustling place alive with people squeezing inches between cars as they speed about on motorbikes, colmados selling fresh fruits, vegetables and goods to passersby, people playing pool and dominos open air and families and friends working and living in a closely connected community with one another.
Alex and I are hopping around from one colmado to the next looking for the ripest aguacate and mango for the meal we are going to cook with Nel, Alex’s Venezuelan friend who also moved to the DR. Together we make arepas, a traditional flatbread that most Venezuelan’s grow up eating. Alex and I shred the chicken, mash up the avacado, and add chopped cilantro, salt, pepper and lime to make filling for the arepas that Nel is busy making. We are sharing stories to begin to know the essential things, the heart of one another, all the while moving back and forth between languages to connect. We talk about the vulnerability of trying out a new language and what comes from taking the risk. I know that when I get home that I will make the arepas and that this moment will be a part of me and how I share this trip.
Over the next few days, Alex and I drive to different places and take life as it comes to us. We stop in Boca de Yuma and pick up a trail Alex found previously when some boys from the town showed him some of their favorite spots. We find the trail hidden off a small dirt road and start making our way to a cenote hidden in the jungle of trees. We stop along the path and see butterflies all around us …one, two and another one. We watch them and wonder. We look at the trees, see the fruit growing and wonder what can be eaten. We feel a part of the place. We climb down around rocks and trees to reach a deep, clear blue natural water cenote and we dive in to cool off and explore. Later we stop at a small hotel outside of Santo Domingo and we meet the husband and wife who own it. Alex works his magic and we find connection with them. We leave feeling an understanding for the love and care they put into building the space they invite guests into.
We head to La Vega next in hopes of tasting the amazing fruits and vegetables that are grown by the farming community high up in the mountains there. On the way, we stop at a gas station food truck park and have crispy, fresh empanadas made with yucca and filled with chicken and cheese. On the side, we have an amazing chunky avacado and tomato salad that perfectly balances our empanada and bien fria beers. Alex has by now, eaten many, many empandas and explains that the ones made with yucca in the dough are the best. I agree and know that I will want this food again and we are working out what’s in it as we eat.
In La Vega, we stay at a hotel owned by another family. When we drive in, we are awestruck by what we see. We can see out over their deck to the jungle below and the expanse of the city in every direction lit up at night. We know that we found magic here and we are excited to explore. We meet the host family and learn that they have family also arriving as they are preparing for the funeral of their grandfather. We walk through the town chatting with people we see to find dinner. We are welcomed by a family who cooks the best club sandwich I’ve ever eaten and they have the fresh chinola, passion fruit juice that I love. The food combined with the warmth of both families that have welcomed us, leave Alex and I feeling immensely full. We sleep well and wake up to a day of exploring. We wind up at a nearby river with families all around cooling off in the water while colassal speakers blast Domincan music and men play pool and drink rum. We are an oddity here but we revel in taking it all in and watching, learning, being a part of it all. That night I make the avacado and tomato salad and it is what I need to feel at home here.
We head to the beach at Samana next and while driving, Alex spots Chicarrone on the side of the road. We stop and 3 boys serve us up 2 pounds of freshly roasted pork, deep fried to make the skin crispy and salty and wonderful. They squeeze a sauce out over the top of it that takes the complexity of flavor to a new level. Tons of fresh garlic float in a sauce with vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper, some lime maybe and cilantro. Later Alex finds out from a local friend that this sauce is called Wasakaka and we love both the name and the sauce and think of a million ways to make a meal around this. I imagine being able to stop on the way home from work to grab some of this to take home and make a meal around it and feel the beauty of life here.
Arriving at Samana, we overlook the most expansive stretches of clear blue water and beautiful white sand beaches from high up. I immediately feel ready to be there. We stay with a French family who has transplanted themselves here in retirement. Again, we feel welcomed and excited to be part of life here. I go for a walk on the beach and then Alex and I head out for one of the best pizzas ever. It is exactly the wood fired, crisp, just the right amount of salt, perfect tomato sauce and melty, cheesy goodness I hoped for and it leaves me ready to find all the treasures in this place. We have our second amazing ice cream during this trip for dessert. Picture chinola, mango, lime, dulce de leche all freshly made into creamy, frozen concoctions that perfectly balance the heat of the Domincan sun. We play in the water and try to keep up with the waves. Alex lifts sand dollars from the water and I get to hold them and we lay out after swimming and soak up the heat from the sun.
We end our trip on my birthday and spend our last night drinking rum drinks together, eating tapas and enjoying people dancing to Dominican music. We reflect on our trip and feel the creeping sadness that comes when you are deeply connected and leaving hurts. We tell our favorite moments from our trip and feel the one’s we don’t need words to describe. We leave with so much more than we came with and the hope of next time, deeply grateful for each other and the people and places we experienced on our journey.