SATURDAY,FEBRUARY22,2020 | THEGLOBEANDMAILO PURSUITS| P1 1
A horse-drawn carriage passes me by as I make
my way to Parque Colon, the central square, where
men are playing dominoes, cigars are being rolled
and children are chasing pigeons, all under the
watchful eye of a statue of Christopher Columbus,
who landed here in 1492.
I couldn’t be happier about not being on a beach.
When most Canadians think of the Dominican
Republic, they probably think of an all-inclusive re-
sort on a strip of white sand. That’s certainly where
the majority of us flock to when we visit the Carib-
bean nation. Punta Cana, on the easternmost tip of
the country, is the most popular destination for
Canadians who visit this country.
But if you want to escape winter for warmer
climes and experience something far more inter-
esting than a resort stay – with not much else to do
besides saunter back and forth between the beach
and the buffet – the Colonial Zone is an ideal
choice.
Founded in 1848, Santo Domingo is an UNESCO
World Heritage Site that is a city of firsts – home to
not only the first paved street in the Americas but
also the first university, hospital, castle and cathe-
dral.
Bordered by walls and forts, many of its histor-
ical buildings still standing, the Colonial Zone of-
fers a window in to what life was like here in the 15th
century. But it is also home to the modern Domin-
ican Republic, with great restaurants, shopping and
vibrant nightlife.Wander down Calle El Conde, a one-kilometre
long pedestrian thoroughfare and you will find ev-
erything from sporting goods to shoe stores. At the
Choco Museo you can get a free taste of Dominican
cacao or, if you’re a real chocolate lover, make your
own in the “bean to bar” workshops on offer.
Save your appetite for dinner though, because
you will find some fantastic restaurants. At Pat’e Pa-
lo, one of several restaurants that line the Plaza Es-
pana, I wasn’t so much interested in the building’s
history – believed to be the first tavern in the Amer-
icas, it was opened by a Dutch pirate named Pata de
Hierro in 1505 – as I was in devouring everything on
the menu at what’s now a European brasserie. The
Chili Sea Bass was tempting, but I opted for a rack of
locally raised pork ribs that came smothered with
organic honey barbecue sauce.
I was seated on the front patio underneath palm
trees, looking out at the plaza while diners waited
for tables at the several restaurants that stretch
across the entire end of the plaza. I wished I had
time to make it to La Briciola, an Italian restaurant a
few blocks south of Parque Colon in an unassuming
building from the 16th century that has a beautiful
courtyard.
For all its charms, and despite the size its name
might suggest, the Colonial Zone is small. It covers
just 106 hectares. After two days I had lapped all the
main streets several times. I will admit, I began
yearning for the beach. Thankfully, there are a few
within a drive of 30 minutes or so.Before I bolted for the beach, however, I abso-
lutely had to do one last thing: see a baseball game.
The sport is practically a religion in the Dominican
Republic. Many Major League players are born here
and some can be found playing for one of the six
teams in the Dominican Republic Professional
Baseball League.
Two of those teams, the Licey Tigers and the Le-
ones del Escogido (Chosen One Lions) are based at
Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, an open air, more
than 14,000-seat stadium a short drive northwest of
the Colonial Zone.
I’ve always enjoyed live sports as a way of experi-
encing another country, even if I’m not really into
the sport (televised baseball is more boring to me
than televised golf). When I heard that the Tigers
were playing the Lions on my last night, I went to
the game the same way I would go to a bullfight in
Spain or a rugby match in New Zealand.
Children in baseball uniforms leaned against the
railing, pointing at their favourite players on the
field. Vendors walked up and down the aisles sell-
ing empanadas and cold beer. The crowd, fans
evenly divided between both home teams, went
wild every time a double was hit up the middle or a
runner raced for home.
It was the perfect way to end my stay in Santo
Domingo. I was, finally, ready for the beach.ThewritertravelledasaguestoftheDominican
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