- Thread starter MiamiDRGuy
- Start date
Drone Video: Higuey
No, amigo. Although I was watching to see if my neighborhood would come into view.
I have to say that Higüey has grown at a very fast rate: What was once forest is not blanketed with all manner of construction.
Check before posting, you nincompoop: I think you meant to write 'now', pariguayasazo.
I have only been to Higüey once and that was a long time ago (2006 to be exact) and only because you had to pass through Higüey to get to Punta Cana. Technically it was 2 time, one heading to Punta Cana and it was literally just passing through and then a few days later heading back to SD. That time we stopped at the Basilica since you’re already passing right in front of it, why not. Higüey the town wasn’t impressive (at least the parts we passed through), except for the Basílica which is impressive due to its size. The fact I never return to Higüey is a testament I didn’t like the town (nothing look worst than psssing through San Pedro de Macorís which I also did on that trip since not even the csble stayed bridge was finished and the highway with a median ended just before town. Again, simply going by what was seen passing through.)
It seems Higüey has change since then, not entirely but some of the differences are noticeable.
It seems Higüey has change since then, not entirely but some of the differences are noticeable.
And there's much more growth, specifically to the area el El Cerro and beyond.
I only caught a glimpse of the central park and the San Dionisio Church, the traditional center of Higüey.
I'm with you.
But now, via la carretera del Coral, one could bypass Higüey in its entirety, on the way to Bávaro-Punta Cana area, or from B-PC if traveling to Bayahíbe and/or SD.
I always cringe when I see those safari-style trucks, full of European tourists, being shuffled around like caña pa'l ingenio around the mercado, with its hustle and bustle activity, sidewalks covered with filthy food products and trash scattered all around it. Most tourists choose PC for obvious reasons, and not to be sold a trip to the city in order "to see the real D.R."
My better half and I hail from the same part of town, but upon returning this summer, we've decided to stay close to PUJ, much to the chagrin of our relatives.
A big-city dweller, after having lived in NYC, Houston, Dallas, and Miami, I'd prefer the polígono central area of SD (Evaristo Morales, Piantini, etc...), but she ain't having no part of that SD traffic. So PUJ area will be it.
I've been on one of those safari trucks. When TiBlan was here, I took him and Kenson to Riu and one day we did the zip line thing. They transport you in the safari trucks like that. There are others, but that's the one we took. And yea, TiBlan and Kenson darkened the truck just a bit.
It is a lovely view of Higüey from aloft. Suspect the footage was recorded on an early morning because there is very little traffic on the streets. Grim street level views and traffic congestion of Higüey during normal working hours contrast markedly with those of the drone.
Higüey is a very rapid growing commercial and university town. It was never planned to be physically attractive.
Regards,
PJT
Higüey is a very rapid growing commercial and university town. It was never planned to be physically attractive.
Regards,
PJT
That also helps create a worse image of the DR, IMO. The “real” DR and their tour often includes stopping at a wooden home when nowadays most Dominicans actually live in cement homes, stoping at a traditional market to see where “Dominicans shop for their food” when nowadays most Dominicans shop for their food in supermarkets (not Nacional types, but still supermarkets), not even colmados are the main source of food unlike a few years ago. They would show a real “real” DR by simply stoping at Sirena and Aprezio. Lol The “real” DR they show isn’t as real anymore if the “goal” is to show how the “typical Dominican lives.” Like the notion some think rural DR is the “real DR,” a country where more than 70% of the people live in cities and will never live in the countryside.
Some regulation of tour groups need to be created, not just for the sake of at least not claiming to show the “real DR” and then show stuff that in reality is “real” to a minority of the population, but also for the sake of protecting tourism. Image is everything in tourism.
I've always been very uncomfortable with tours that turn struggling Dominicans into exhibits, be that of poverty, illness or daily life issues.
If the tour fails to respect the inherent human dignity of the people visited, it should be stopped.
Children in the streets running to a tour truck because the tourists are throwing candy or little gifts is a simple example of failure to recognize the dignity of the children.
Not sure I agree with that, even though I understand your rationale. My experience of course is much more Haitian, but the sentiment is the same. I enjoy throwing candy or helping the kids when possible. It's fun to interact with them and their parents. I don't thing it fails to recognize their dignity at all.
Omg you just reminded me of one time we were headed to Santo Domingo from our house, and we passed a group of kids near our campo. We happen to have a big bag of candy so we stopped and Mr AE was throwing bunches of it to them. There were adults nearby and one of them charged at our car screaming that we were trying to kidnap their kids. He tried to calm her down but she was very upset. We never did that again.
I used the kids and candy as a more "innocent" example of things I've seen.
I was an adjunct prof for a dental school in the US and part of my work with them involved getting Salud Publica permission for and setting up free clinics staffed by dental students and supervised by their professors.
One year, one of the profs cajoled one of the Dominicanas I had hired to keep the clinic area clean into allowing him to bring a group of the students into her home so they could see "how poor Dominicans live." I found that extremely offensive.
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