January 27-28-29-30-31 – BAVARO
I buy some empanadas, 70 DOP. I leave to Bavaro with Andrea, a boy from Trieste. A gua-gua brings us for 20 DOP to the intersection with the main highway, from there we reach Higuey (50 DOP) and then, by bus, Bavaro (60 DOP). Andrea has a friend of his mother who opened a couple of shops and lives there. The lady, I can’t remember the name, married a young man of Haitian origin. Many Haitians live and work in the Dominican Republic, they attend the most strenuous jobs. Their culture is completely different, as well as their language, they hate merengue and reggaeton, have very dark skin, and many have rasta hairstyles.
The hotels of the Bavaro in the area near the beach called El Cortecito are quite expensive. Andrea’s friend recommends us to stay in Bavaro Pueblo in a particular hotel, and she sends her husband to lead us there. He leaves us in front of the place, I read the hotel name, peep inside and I feel a revulsion and overwhelming desire to leave. I do not want to be rude with the lady’s husband, so I get inside. The name, “La Pasion”, says it all (650 PDO). It is an hourly motel, a brothel, in one word… which, however, as it also happens in other parts of the world, is used as hotel by the penniless, and also as a board for long stays by local students and workers
Seedy, no hot water, the shower handle is missing, I would need a pincer to open properly the steel butt sticking out from the pipeline. I have shower with a trickle of water, mumbling.
Moreover, in the evening, and until early morning, the bar of the complex pumps music out loudly. I resists only two nights, and then I leave. So does Andrea, he was sleepless as well.
Public buses go between Pueblo Bavaro and El Cortecito (20 PDOs), where, as already mentioned, are the nice hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops. The beach is quite small, and being exposed to the east, is virtually the entire afternoon in the shade.
Walking to south, bypassing huge gatherings of sunbeds of some luxury hotels, after a while I reach an area where there are apartment buildings (Los Corales), with a vast coastline, and some little bar, for instance the Hurican Cafè, where a tuna and tomato sandwich costs 150 DOP
This place is just amazing, although, due to the wind, it is not really easy to swim in the beautiful turquoise sea, because of the waves and also because it quickly becomes deeper. In fact, very few people are swimming. There are also kite surfers
Apart from this beautiful beach, Andrea’s friend recommends me Cabeza de Toro, reached through a coincidence of gua-guas (40 DOP in all), the connection is at a junction, I think the name is “Cruzero of Cocoloco. Let’s say this beach is a little bit disappointing
Hotels
Left “La Pasion” motel, I try the following others. Hotel Anacama (800 PDO), on Avenida España, (the main street) a nightmare, although it is not a brothel, and finally the Flamboyant Hotel (1160 DOP), very similar to a 4 stars. It is close to the Casino Princesa. Andrea instead moves to “Cortecito Inn”, where he pays 55 USD, but it’s worth it. In fact, the complex has a beautiful garden, and is close to the beach, although it does not face the sea (it’s just across the street).
Restaurants
In the Bavaro Pueblo area, near the Hotel Anacama, a kind of KFC, here called “Solo Pollo”, fortunately they have also roasted quarters (180 DOP), in addition to the usual fried nuggets. Next to Motel Pasion is a large outdoor restaurant, right on the roundabout which also branches off the Avenida España, with very slow service, attended only by Dominicans, with reasonable prices, and local cuisine. I recommend a soup made of beans and pork rinds (120 DOP).
Next to Hotel Flamboyant a small comedor, where I eat the food of the day, and spend little, 200 DOP.
At El Cortecito prices are upmarket. A fish grilled bream type costs me 350 DOP + taxes. Andrea, despite my admonitions, gets the worst rip off of his holiday, 100 USD for a lobster