Tuesday, March 11 - Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic by bus

Breakfast at the MCC Guesthouse was at 5:30 this morning so we could leave by 6 to catch our bus to the DR. The sun was coming up as we boarded our big luxury bus and we were off by around 8 am. We drove out of Port-au-Prince, through Croix des Bouquets (where the cut metal artisans live), past Lake Azuey and up to the border at Malpasse-Jimani. We got out of the bus to clear DR customs and then started our journey on to Santo Domingo. We passed south of Lake Enriquillo and through the towns of Duverge, Azua, Bani and San Cristobal before arriving in Santo Domingo at about 2:30 in the afternoon. We checked into the Hotel Antiguo Europa by about 4 pm.

A few of us wandered around the area near our hotel to see some of the historic sights and then we all walked down to the waterfront for dinner at a seaside restaurant called D'Luis.

Our big bus at the Capital Coach Lines terminal in Port-au-Prince.

Blossoms on a tree in the bus parking lot. Can anyone identify them?

Kevin, Ginny, Jean and Kim boarding our bus.

We drove past Lake Azuey as we were nearing the border between Haiti and the DR.

Jean and Charlie walking by the ruins of the San Francisco Convent in Santo Domingo.

Hibiscus in Santo Domingo.

Ruins of the convent next to brightly colored houses.

Street vendor with green coconuts to be sliced open for a cool, refreshing drink.

Our hotel, the Hotel Antiguo Europa in old town Santo Domingo.

Waterfront near the restaurant where we ate dinner.

View from our restaurant.

The cathedral in old Santo Domingo.

Walking back to our hotel after dinner.

Some of us plan to get up to see the sunrise tomorrow morning before we have breakfast at our hotel. After that we will visit the CONACADO offices and then do some sight-seeing in the afternoon.