Do you like Merengue?

This is the question the tall manager at a local shoe store asks as I try on a pair of wedges. “You must let me take you out to dance tonight. You will love it. I will come get you at 8 o’clock.”  Surprised by his forwardness, I giggle off his advance with my friends and ask him about the local nightlife in Santo Domingo.

Merengue, the national dance of the Dominican Republic is played in clubs and bars throughout the island. Young and old will grab a partner to swing and show their fancy foot work. Though Ruben, our friendly manager’s offer was tempting, we decided to venture on our own to find out what Santo Domingo had to offer.

After dinner at El Meson de la Cava, we hoped to find a fun place to dance outside of the colonial zone where we were staying. After driving to many different dance clubs that were closed or looked a little shady, we finally ended up at Copa which is connected to the Hotel Melia. As we entered the club through a side entrance of the huge hotel property, we looked around at the empty dance floor and few occupied tables and chairs and we quickly began to feel disappointed. It seemed as though we had not found a fun night spot. We found a few seats at a round high table and were quickly greeted by a very friendly server. We decided to suck it up and order drinks. The DJ was playing a great mix of music, the drinks were great, and overall the atmosphere was nice even if it was empty…silly girls. This soon changed! Read more

All Aboard - Tips for Cruising

My girlfriends and I love to travel but as much as we love to delve into the deep, we often find ourselves stuck in the shallow end of the pool, and our purses.  Never the types to be discouraged, we have found a wonderful way around our monetary hindrances…cruising!  What better way to see a variety of cultures and landscapes, make sure you get plenty of sun, sand, breathtaking views of the ocean, and all the food and beverages (non-alcoholic/non-carbonated) you can handle at one reasonable price?  If you’re ok with sharing a room with friends (up to 4 in a cabin), are willing to be understanding of the culinary attempts to feed thousands of people practically 24 hours a day on limited refrigeration and freezing systems, don’t mind being around lots of couples and families, and want to get a little taste of a few places, then cruising is for you and yours my friend.

To learn about a recent trip I made with my friends and to hear my tips for cruising, view my article at Escape Together in their Featured Section.