Country #01 - Dominican Republic

 Country #1 - The Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic my country of birth and also where I grew up. I lived in Bonao, my home city, until age 18. Bonao is a city known as "La Villa de las Hortensias" (Hydrangea Village). It is surrounded by hills and it can get quite rainy. The rivers Fula and Masipedro are well visited. 

I'm the tiny guy wearing the cap. Nope, I did not graduate that day; this is a picture to remember my mom's college graduation in the 1980s. 

My aunts visited from the United States and got a picture of me and my neighbors and friends, 1980s. 

In this picture, I am holding my sister's cat and posing in the middle of my dad's sweet potato plantation with a chicken and a rooster my mom bought for me. Sadly, these two birds were stolen after a few months, but I did enjoy caring for them until they probably became someone's soup, 1990s. 

In 2005, after having lived in the United States for two and a half years, I went back to the Dom. Rep. to see some friends. I stayed at my hometown of Bonao, but visited Piedra Blanca and Higüey as well. Some of the best empanadas, made of yuca (cassava) and beef are sold on the town square (parque) in my mom's hometown of Higüey. Piedra Blanca, a town near Bonao, had a rustic aura and some beautiful places for hiking along the river.

Visiting the Town of Piedra Blanca, 2005.

At the river with Junior in Piedra Blanca, 2005.

My mother and I in Higüey, 2005.

    In 2007, I returned for another Summer visit to the Dominican Republic. This time, I visited the city of La Vega, near Bonao, as well as the capital Santo Domingo.

Framboyán tree in full bloom and Cibao Valley landscape viewed from La Vega, 2007.

Paying the piano with my friend Paúl at the Plaza de la Cultura in Bonao, 2007.

View of the ocean from the Malecón in Santo Domingo, 2007.

My friends Klaudia and Junior ventured with a group of other friends to the Masipedro River, 2007.

In 2009, after I had finally graduated college and had my first job, I was able to take a third trip to the Dom. Rep. to reconnect with friends and spend time with my mother, who traveled to Bonao as well. During this trip, I did not go out of my hometown as I preferred to rest, ride my bike and visit as many friends as I could.

The house where I lived until age 10 was on a large lot. In this picture, the old house had been demolished and two connected houses were built in its place, 2009.

My friend Edward and I in his neighborhood El Reparto Yuna in Bonao.

In 2010, I visited the Dominican Republic again during the Christmas Season, but lost the pictures.