From Tiffany Schauer, founder of Our Children’s Earth
I just returned from the Dominican Republic, which I reached by a flight from Miami to the Puerto Plata airport. My trip was for fun, but it also had a purpose. I wanted to enjoy the beach, culture and sun and also to learn about the various humanitarian efforts serving Dominicans as well as the Haitian refugees. I connected with two extraordinary people in the VIP world of Dominican tourism/commerce as well as the world of service and aid for the underserved populations living in the Dominican—Timothy Tuccelli, the go-to guy for the island, and Paul Moore, the founder of CitiHope International (www.citihope.org). They compiled a five-day itinerary for me that incorporated a variety of experiences, including visits to aid operations in the Puerto Plata area.
I stayed at the Casa Colonial (Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata; 809-320-3232; www.casacolonialhotel.com) in Playa Dorada. The hotel is one of the few, if not the only, boutique five-star properties in the Dominican Republic. The hotel brilliantly blends the heart and soul of the country’s culture with splendid luxury accommodations and services. A Dominican family owns the hotel, and their commitment to local culture is evident throughout the hotel. The hallways are filled with art and artifacts depicting Dominican resources and spirit.
Sara Garcia de Casoni, the hotel’s president and architect, and her family are invested in treating their guests well, but they also empower their employees with respect and proper compensation. Paying less than subsistence wages is a common practice among some resorts in the Caribbean, but Casa Colonial (particularly their expansive spa) is staffed by the happiest people I have ever seen. After a couple of days, the hotel people seemed to know and accommodate all of my daily habits and preferences while happily agreeing to teach me Spanish. I felt like I had lived there for months on end.
I loved eating at the hotel restaurant, Lucia. Chef Raffi consistently served delicious local fresh food. Veranda, their beachside restaurant had fish tacos to die for. The lobby bar has an excellent selection of drinks and tequila. I recommend a shot of Porfidio tequila followed by an orange slice sprinkled with cinnamon. Another highlight is the rooftop pool with four infinity hot tubs overlooking the beach and hillside—a perfect place for happy hour cocktails. In town, I enjoyed Trapiche, a Euro-Dominican fusion restaurant. They had excellent fresh fish and fun outside seating. My all-time favorite meal was at Juanita’s restaurant, Los Charros. Juanita has not formally opened the restaurant so getting a reservation is really tricky (call Tim to see if you can wrangle an invite). Way off the beaten track is a restaurant called Chez Maeva at Perla Azul in the old Yagua region. It is run by a Frenchman named Claudio and his family. This rustic gem is on a deserted beach with one bungalow for rent and out-of-this-world fresh fish for lunch. You can also arrange to ride horses on the beach here. This is a must see if your kids need a true Robinson Caruso experience. It is remote, untouched and so quiet. Again, call Tim to find this place.
My humanitarian visits included a medical clinic, CEPROSH, located in Puerto Plata. I arrived to witness their receipt of the only immune system diagnostic machine, associated with H.I.V. testing, in the Dominican Republic. The local press covered the event to encourage people to come get tested at the clinic for free. Anyone testing positive can begin treatment through the clinic. I also visited one of the main donated pharmaceutical distribution centers— Servidores de los Enfermos hospital pharmacy. This organization operates out of a humble house run by the divine Sister Sor Tehodora. While I was there, a young mother brought a baby in for medicine. The baby had an open wound on his belly since birth, and they were picking up prescription cream from Sister Tehodora. Later, I visited a Haitian Maternity and Pre-Natal Medical Outpost. When I arrived, thirty Haitian women (including teens) sat with their babies awaiting treatment. The room full of thirty babies was eerily silent from malnutrition and despair. That facility lacks a refrigerator; the needs are stunning.
The Haitian population in the Dominican is in dire need of basic necessities: running water, food, medicine, healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. I visited Haitian refugee villages, which were built as part of a larger effort to provide minimal living conditions for the hundreds and thousands of refugees. I arrived at the Los Algodones village just in time to see the new water hose recently installed surrounded by children with water jugs. The Samaritan Foundation partners with another group by the name of Dominican Crossroads (www.dominicancrossroads.com) to build subsistence level housing, provide running water, and electricity. The image of smiling Haitian children getting water and dancing in the cinder block foundation of their future school was priceless and life altering.
I also met with people working for a group called Esperanza (www.esperanza.org). Among other things, Esperanza works to provide small loans ($100-$150) to the underserved people of the Dominican and Haiti with the goal to empower people to start small businesses that will jumpstart the participants out of the cycle of poverty and into the economic food chain. Esperanza was founded by Seattle Mariner, Dave Valle, who was inspired to help when playing in the Dominican Republic as he was coming up through the ranks of professional baseball. Esperanza has been on the ground helping for the past 13 years. The concept of microfinance and some of Esperanza’s projects are also showcased on the larger microfinance site at www.kiva.org. Anyone can register at this site and become a micro lender—it’s amazing!
In my mind, the Dominican Republic is a country with devastating poverty, unrivaled natural beauty and an exquisite soul and human spirit. There are endless ways to enjoy nature, sun, and beauty while finding the same intensity for opportunities to augment the evolution of the human condition. Don’t miss it.
