Country Living in the DR

Many people from Santo Domingo also have fincas {farms} outside of the city in the countryside.  Going out to the finca is like an escape from city life, and is usually the home of families during long holiday weekends or the meeting place for BBQ's on Sunday afternoons.  

For me, I'm starting to love going to the finca just as much as I love going to the beach on weekends.  Boyfriend's family has an incredible finca with a big river to swim in, but since boyfriend isn't a fan of "the country" we don't get to go as often as I'd like.  Last weekend, however, I managed to convince him to take me to his cousin's finca, a quick 40 minute drive away. 

Some pictures from the day:

Drinking Mamjuana

Mamajuana is an interesting blend of strong alcohol.  These concoctions usually begin with a wine or rum base, and then honey, medicinal plants/weeds, and sometimes even sea creatures are added which are then left to marinate inside forever.  I'm usually not a fan but this one was quite delicious!

Munching on tropical fruit from the yard

Whenever at a finca, I'm always eating all kinds of fruits that I don't know the names of.  I try to look them up with their local names, but I really believe that they simply don't exist in English since they are not eaten in English speaking countries! This fruit was crunchy and juicy, not really sweet and not really sour.

Pool on a Sunny Day

In the country near Santo Domingo there are no beaches and few rivers, so this is the way you cool down on a hot day.  This toddler deep pool was big enough for about 8 people, and after running a 10K that morning, it felt so nice to just sit in this cold water and chill, literally.

Fresh corn

Probably what I love most about being at a finca is eating all the food that is grown no more than 20 feet away from me.  Whether its poultry or fruits & veggies, most likely everything you will eat will be the freshest you'll ever taste.  This corn was plucked about 10 feet from our pool and was thrown on the barbecue.  Delicious.

Hen eating the cat's food

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