Amber Cove and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

I took a cultural and historical tour today.  The ship came in to the dock at Amber Cove, and I took a bus to the nearby city of Puerto Plata.  The city of Puerto Plata is said to be where Columbus visited after leaving San Salvador. 

The tour included the center of the city with its plaza and Victorian style buildings.  While in the plaza, the group visited the church and learned more about stone and amber found on the island.  The surroundings looked familiar, and the group was told that they shot a good bit of the original Jurassic Park in this area.  I also have  a coconut water which is a specialty of the region.

I also got a chance to go the Brugal Rum Factory to see how rum is distilled in the Dominican Republic.  We had a sampling of two types of rum. 

The bus took us along the waterfront and we visited the San Filipe Fortress that was built in 1564 to protect the coast from pirates. 

The final stops were at a combination restaurant, garden, and artist studio, and a museum dedicated to the first president of the Dominican Republic who rose to power in the late 1800s.

The ship arrived early at Amber Cove.  It's part of the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic and Haiti are on the island of Hispaniola.  The DR is not as poor as Haiti.

You can rent all kinds of places (chair, bungalow, etc.) for the day when staying at the beach.

I visited another rum factory today. 

The god of the sea, Neptune, is protecting the city of Puerto Plata.

The main square in the city.  Lots of people and pigeons.

The island is known for its stone deposits and the ancient amber.

I visited the Catholic Cathedral while at the square.

Coconut water is one of the items sold by the street vendor.

Each member of our tour group was given a coconut to taste the water.

Some unusual folks are around to photograph.

A picture from atop the fortress.

We went to the home of a local artist who also gardens.  His son runs the restaurant where we had lunch.

The sign in front of the restaurant.  The food was great!