Santiago: A Day Out On The Town

Although the barrio where we call home is in Santiago, today we got the chance to go into the city part of Santiago. Maria, Joan, and I took a concho (taxi) into the city which cost about 20 pesos or 50 cents each. Riding in a concho is like being in one of those racing video games except the objective isn't to cross the finish line, but to weave through traffic, squeeze by cars, and stuff as many people into the car at once. Luckily, it wasn't my first time in a concho; I've used them a lot during my previous two trips to the Dominican Republic. I have gotten used to the fact that you share the cocho with complete strangers and no one ever wears a seat belt. Honestly, it is my preferred travel option. There are less cars on the road which contributes less to pollution; it's cheaper to ride in a concho than to pay for gas/insurance/repairs; and for those who frequent to bars in the city, it prevents drinking and driving.  Plus, you might even make a friend along the way. 

On this particular day, we were trying to exchange money at one of the markets. Joan, Maria, and I walked down Calle del Sol and headed towards the monument at the center of the city (we acted like tourists and stopped for a picture). Joan explained there are three types of shops that we will see almost everywhere: colmados (convenient stores), bancas (gambling) and beauty salons.  After he told us this, we couldn't stop pointing them out. The latter--salons--says a lot about Dominican culture; appearance is very important. You will find women (and men) frequenting the nail and hair salons. To prevent their hair from frizzing, women wear tubees which look almost like knitted hair nets. Joan's wife works at a hair salon, so if Maria and I end up having our hair done, we may even get our own personal tubis to wear. We stopped by la Sirena, the grocery store, to pick up few extra items we needed including ointment for a mosquito bite on my leg the size of a ping pong ball (don’t be alarmed mom). We also bought some birthday decorations for Joan's wife's birthday tomorrow night. It will be a surprise party at a local piscina (pool) with family and friends. After shopping, we decided to eat lunch there; my plate consisted of an assortment of frutas (fruit), pavo (turkey), and moro (brown rice and pigeon peas). Delisioso! Although I have passed by McDonald's  Pizza Huts, and other U.S. food chains, I prefer to eat as Dominican as possible. However, the existence of these chains reflect the strong presence and influence that American culture has in this country. The clothing stores we pass sell a lot of "American style" clothing and even one of the children in the barrio shared with us how they try to incorporate aspects of U.S. culture into their lives. However, during my stay here, I will be sure to pay closer attention to the Dominican cultural values that continue to persist among the dynamic and changing ones.