Our Spanish Course in Dominican Republic (see below)

 - Santo Domingo

 8,3 million inhabitants

National Anthem

• 1492: The of island of Hispaniola Discovered by Columbus.
• 1496: Foundation of Santo Domingo de Guzman, first city of Americas.
• 1697: island shared between France (Haiti) and Spain (St Domingo).
• 1795: The Spanish part is yielded by treaty to France.
• 1809: France is driven out of Spanish part by the inhabitants.
• 1821-1822: The first independence.
• 1822-1844: Reunification of the island by the Haitians.
• 1844-1861: New independence and proclamation of the republic.
• 1861: Return of Spanish before the proclamation of a new republic in 1865. In full anarchy it falls little by little under the American influence.
• 1916-1924: American occupation.
• 1930-1961: Dictatorship of the General Trujillo.
• 1965: " revolutionary " explosion and American intervention.
• 1966: Beginning of a presidential democracy still in progress with elections every 4 years

Spanish is the official language.

Dominican Peso

The main dish is " Bandera Dominicana ". At midday each Dominican must have its " viveres ", an immense plate of rice and kidney beans, with banana pulps, a leg of chicken and a little salad and vegetables. You will find a great choice of fruits and fruit juice. The coconut milk is greatly appreciated. You will also be able to taste local beer " Presidente " or better still, with rum, coming from one of the Capital Bs: Barcelo, Brugal and Bermudez. You will have the choice between brown or white rum. Pay attention to the rum bottles which carry number 151, this product being guarantees more than 70 % of alcohol...

Acras of Cod
Time for Preparation: 20 min. + 1 hour of waiting for the rest of the paste

Ingredients

• 250 G of cod fillet slightly salted
• 1 bouquet " country " parsley, bay-tree,  wood sheets of India
• 2 or 3 chives (Welsh onion or chive)
• 1 onion thin sliced
• 2 parsley
• 1 coffee spoon of oil of corn
• 150 G of filtered flour
• 100 ml of boiled and cooled milk or 50 ml of milk + 50 ml of water
• 2 eggs
• salt, pepper
• 1 pinch of powder pepper

Preparation of the cod
de-salt cod; to thread and remove the edges if need be. cook with the bouquet " country " slowly; crush with the fork but never with the mixer incorporate oil and to work with a wood spoon. add the onion , engraved chive.
Cooking and serving
gently incorporate the paste in cod. Make pellets and plunge them in the hot oil basin and are serve at once.
Preparation of the paste
To make a bucket with the flour, salt, pepper and green pepper. incorporate one by one eggs, then milk while beating unceasingly to obtain a homogeneous substance, a little mollette. cover with a linen and let it rest 1 hour at ambient temperature so that the paste is inflated and light.

First tourist destination of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is located 970 km in the south-east of Florida. Old Spanish colony, it occupies the Eastern part of the island of Hispaniola where culminates Pico Duarte at 3 175 m, and where is also the low point of the Caribbean, lake Enriquillo 44 m below sea level. The Dominican Republic is also a tropical climate and is sunny all the year, a place where the winter unknown. Without forgetting the amazon forest, the vast areas of savannas or desert, the beaches bordered by palm trees, the sunny meadows in January, the marshes of mangroves, the beautiful coasts, the archipelagoes with their dozen small islands, the dunes, the torrents and the cascades, the plantations of cane with sugar without end, and coconuts, the villas of colonial style, the XVI century old fortifications, the Caribbean houses of all the colours, boats fishing and its open and cordial inhabitants.

St Domingo (of Guzman). principal Port and capital on the southern coast in founded 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus, brother of Christopher, oldest colony of European settlement (uninterrupted since then) in the Americas. Arts and commercial center of the country, the city has two universities and a cathedral (XVI century beginning) containing the first burial of Columbus, whose remainders were brought back to the cathedral of Seville, in Spain. Called Ciudad Trujillo since1936, it was renamed in 1961, after the assassination of president Rafael Trujillo. 

The beaches and other nautical activities (fishing, diving, surfing, etc) are the principal reasons for the tourists. Protected by coral barriers, the beaches do not present any danger. Puerto Plata on the northern coast is the most famous station in the country, however it is in the south and the east that one meets the most beaches of which some are deserted. Also: St Domingo, Santiago and Puerto Plata (many colonial remains); Bay of Samana (observation of the whales); excursions in the cordillera and in Pico Duarte.

Potteries, ceramics, various objects in wood, local stones, cigars, rum and CD of Meringue (traditional music). Amber gives splendid pearls for the collars and stones rings. The amber mines in the north of the island produce much and the artists often use them. A mine close to Barahona is the only place in the world where one finds a stone semi-precious of light blue colour called Larimar. The craftsmen braid also sheets of palm trees to make baskets and the sculptors work the wood of the trees.

The trade winds which blow with length of year, soften the tropical temperatures of the island. The period from June to November is the season of the hurricanes. Tropical and wet climate, attenuated by altitude and the winds on the edge of the sea. Dry Season from November to April and wet the remainder of the time with the short but strong downpours (occasional hurricanes). Average temperatures: 20 to 30 °C on the coast. To plan: light clothing and a woollen article for the evenings and altitude as well as impermeable clothing for the rain season.

• Voltage : 110 volts  get an American adapter,
• driving :to the right
• National Parade : December 27th.
• Country motto : God, Country, Liberty (Dios, patria, libertad) 

• Visa : Canadian visitors please consult this handy site  Travel information and advisory reports
• For all other nationals please consult your Dominican embassy or consulate in your country of origin