Five Things the Dominican Republic is Famous For

The Dominican Republic is located on the island of Hispaniola, which is part of the beautiful Caribbean region. The island of Hispaniola is unique in that it is home to two nations: Haiti and the República Dominicana. The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation besides Cuba. The nation has over 48,000 km of land and has an estimated population of 10 million people. While the Dominican Republic is known for producing top notch athletes such as Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez, the island offers much more than baseball. The Dominican Republic is famous for their hospitality and friendliness, baseball, beautiful beaches and weather, carnavals, as well as music and dance.

Hospitality and Friendliness
The citizens of the Dominican Republic are very friendly and personable. Whether you are ordering a meal, asking for directions, or conversing with locals, the people are always looking for good conversation. The country opens its doors to millions of tourists each year with their arms wide open. Their hospitable nature extends beyond the beaches and results, even in the busy capital of Santo Domingo, which houses one-fifth of the population.

Baseball
Baseball is a way of life for those in the Dominican Republic, which produces some of the best MLB players in history. The Dominican Republic has several players in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, including Juan Marichal, who retired with the legacy that is called the San Francisco Giants. Record-breaking Dominicans include San Pedro de Macoris and Albert Pujols. Overall, the Dominicans have 1,521 players signed to either minor or major league teams in the MLB. Many American teams, including the Cubs and Athletics, have baseball camps in the Dominican Republic.

Beaches and Weather
The Dominican Republic offers beautiful and elegant beaches and resorts, offering five star conditions year round. The tropical weather attracts millions of tourists, as the average weather is 77 degrees. Average temperatures range from 64 degrees in higher elevations to 82 degrees at the beaches. January and February are the two coldest months of the season, while August is the hottest time of year. The rainy season, primarily by the coast, lasts from November to January. Everywhere else in the country the wet season lasts from May to November, however; May is the wettest month in most locations.

Carnavals
The Dominican Republic knows how to have a good time, especially during the months of January and February, Carnaval is a festive celebration in which everyone takes to the streets and participates in circus, masque, and street parties. It is not uncommon for people to dress up in costume, which is used to signify a change in daily life. Carnaval Vegano is the most famous carnaval in the country.

Music and Dance
The Dominican Republic is known for its music and dance, most notably the Meringue, Bachata, Perico Ripiao and Reggaeton. The Dominicans invented the Moquegua, which is a mixture of fast paced beats and rhythms between 120 and 160 beats per minute. The Meringue is composed primarily out of drums, bass, and chorded instruments unique to the region. Bachata was invented in rural and country neighborhoods and focuses on romantic subjects.

Taking A Motorcycle Taxi Through Barranquilla For 75 Cents

This is a typical motorcycle taxi ride around the city of Barranquilla Colombia. The ride costs about $0.75 cents. A long ride would probably cost around $1.00 to $1.50 or roughly 3,000 Colombian pesos. They make you wear a vest with the motorcycles license plate number on it, along with a helmet. They don’t have motorcycle taxis in every Colombian city, but they have them in Barranquilla…

Beginners Guide To Learning Spanish With Pimsleur

One of my personal favorite ways of learning a language is with the Pimsleur training courses. Pimsleur courses are based on listening only. This means you can burn CDs or put the MP3 files on your laptop or MP3 player and learn a language anywhere either – in your car, on the bus, while working out, in the waiting room of your dentist or while you are doing your housework. This approach can be quite effective because it saves time, for those of you that are very busy, but it also taps into the potential of your subconscious mind.

The pimsleur audio courses contains only those words and phrases a native speaker would use on a daily basis. this means you don’t have to learn any vocabulary that you don’t need in your conversations. The main difference between Pimsleur courses and conventional programs is the way the information is presented rather than the information itself. The Pimsleur method is based on two principles: Graduated Interval Recall and Principle of Antipipation. The former has to do with how your memory works as this is the most important aspect of learning a second language. Dr. Pimsleur found very effective ways of memorizing new vocabulary. That’s why the Pimsleur programs reintroduce bits of information at specific intervals during the learning process to optimize retention until you have memorized the words and phrases entirely. There is more to Pimsleur though, for example the voices in the training courses are pleasant and the dialogues are easy to understand, and you can certainly google it to find out more. As, for me, it’s my preferred method of learning a language.

The complete Pimsleur language training course includes 3 levels. Level 1, 2, and 3. Each level usually cost around $200+ for a new course and 100+ for a used course. You might be able to find better deals on ebay or craiglist, but that’s about the average price on amazon.com.

I wouldn’t recommend the full Pimsleur spanish language training course without first trying the system out. Although I personally find the Pimsleur method very useful and efficient, there are probably many of you who have different learning styles and won’t be able to benefit as much from and audio training course like Pimsleur.

For this reason I recommend that you get the Pimsleur Quick & Simple Spanish 2nd Revised Edition. You can get a used version for as low as $8 and a new one for about $16. Since I’m assuming you’re a total beginner and don’t know a word of spanish, then this small little training course will teach you about 75 words and some of the most common phrases that you will use just about anywhere you travel where you’ll need to speak spanish.

If you already know a little spanish, you might just want to pick up this course to brush up, but also to see if the Pimsleur method is right for you. If you really like the Pimsleur approach to learning Spanish then think about getting the entire training course. I feel it would be a good investment.

Low Fairs To Latin American Destinations From Continental

It’s February, the year is still just getting started and it’s not to late to head down south, away from the cold (for those of you in the north), and take a little time off in one of the many Latin American destinations that are being offered at a discount right now at continental.

I see some interesting prices and destinations on the list including:

San Jose, Costa Rica
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Lima, Peru
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bogota, Colombia
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic among others:

Low Fair To Latin American Destinations From Continental

If you want to bookmark the Continental special offer page it’s right here:

Continental Airlines Special Offers Page

Hope some of you can take advantage of some of these good deals!

Five Things Argentina is Famous For

Argentina is the second largest country in South America, and one of the most populous. Long a center for immigration, this mixture of different peoples and cultures has created a rich and unique Argentinean culture separate from the rest of Latin America. Although often overlooked in the media, Argentina is actually the birthplace of many world-famous cultural icons that many people will recognize. This article will list five unique thing about Argentina that you may not have been previously aware of.

1. Beef

Argentina has tradition of cattle ranches and cowboys (gauchos) much older than the United States. Raising about 55 million head of cattle, Argentina is the third largest exporter of beef in the world. Argentine beef is world-famous for its quality and flavor. Argentines have the largest consumption of red meat in the world.

Whereas many US ranches contain grain-fed cattle raised in feedlots, Argentine ranches are still largely grass-fed, free-range cattle roaming over the vast rolling pastures of the central Pampas and southern Patagonian plains. Many consider grass-fed, free-range cattle to be tastier and healthier, as free-range cattle are less likely to have hormone injections, get more exercise, contain less saturated fast, and more healthy omega 3 fatty acids which reduce cholesterol.

2. Asado

Argentina has its own, world-famous type of barbeque, known as asado. Asado combines the dry heat of grilling with the humid, slow-cooking method of smoking. The result is grilled, barbequed meat that is very tender and juicy. Many foods Americans consider to be Mexican actually originated in Argentina, including chorizo, empanadas, and Dulce de Leche. Finnally, chimichurri sauce (made of olive oil mixed with parsley, oregano, paprika, garlic, onion, pepper, and salt) is actually an Argentine creation, and is traditionally served with an asado barbeque.

3. Wine

Argentinean wine has become increasingly popular worldwide over the last twenty years. Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world, and has long been the single biggest producer outside of Europe. The province of Mendoza, Argentina’s primary wine producing region, is considered one of the eight wine capitals in the world. Argentinean wine also reflects Argentina’s diverse ethnic background. The grapes cultivated for wine in Argentina come from Spain, France, and Italy, among others places.

Due to the high altitude and low humidity of the prime Argentinean vineyards in the foothills of the Andes mountains, Argentinean grapevines rarely suffer the problems of insects, molds, fungi, and other grape vine diseases. Consequently, Argentinean vintners rarely use pesticides or herbicides, making Argentinean wine naturally organic and flavorful. Argentina is credited with the finest Malbec wine in the world.

4. The Tango

Almost everyone has heard of this slow, sensual ballroom dance, but many don’t realize it originated in Argentina. Specifically, it evolved in the ports, bars and brothels of Buenos Aires (the capital of Argentina) in the late 19th century. Buenos Aires was a city of immigrants at the time, and the Tango, both the dance and the music, was a fusion of musical styles from Spain, Cube, Africa, Italy, Eastern Europe, and indigenous Argentinean folk music.

This slow, sorrowful, and sexual music and dance spread from the working class slums to the rest of Argentinean society by the turn of the 20th century. In the 1920s, it exploded on the international scene and became wildly popular in Europe and the United States. Like Jazz, the Tango craze flourished until displaced by Rock & Roll in the 1950. In 2009, UNESCO declared the Tango to be part of the world’s “intangible cultural heritage.”

Violin, piano, guitar, flute and bandoneon, sometimes guitar and clarinet

5. Evita

For the average person, the first thing they associate with Argentia is the stage and movie musical “Evita,” a rags-to-riches story about Eva Perón. Eva, nicknamed “Evita” by an adoring public, was the wife of the popular Argentinean President Juan Perón, who ruled Argentina in the 1940s and 50s. Evita’s massive popularity among Argentineans came from the charity foundation she set up to assist the poor and working classes. She also advocated women’s right. The story of Evita hit new levels of popularity in the 1990s, when a movie version of the musical was released starring Madonna in the lead role of Eva Perón,

Random Clips of Carnavales Barranquilla Colombia 2010

I spent Carnavales here in Barranquilla Colombia, after having spent 6 weeks in Medellin. This little video is a compilation of some random clips I took during the days of Carnavales in Barranquilla. Hope you like!

How To Renew Your Tourist Visa In Colombia

I’ve been in Colombia for almost two months now. When I arrived, immigration gave me a 60 day stamp on my passport. This means that I can stay legally for 60 days within the country. Since my 60 days are almost up, I have to renew my Visa.

What happens If I don’t renew my visa? What happens is that I end up staying in the country Illegally, and I’ll have to do a whole bunch of paperwork, get stuff notarized, and pay fines in order to get my proper paperwork to be able to leave the country. It’s too much of a hassle, not to mention more expensive, so I recommend just renewing your visa the proper way which I outline below.

Most likely you’ll also get a 60 day stamp, which means that if you get close to your 60 days in Colombia, you’ll have to go to the D.A.S. which stands for “Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad” which translates to “The Administrative Department of Security.” Most large cities in Colombia have a D.A.S. agency within the city, but if you’re in a smaller city you might have to go to one of the larger ones to get your paperwork done.

If you have a local agency in your city all you need to do is hop in a taxi and tell them to take you to the D.A.S, pronounced “das”. Once you’re at the agency you’ll have to go past security and let them know you want to extend your tourist visa or “extender mi visa de turista”.

The agents in the office will ask you to photocopy a your passport as well as the original entry stamp. You’ll also have to fill out a form which should only take about 5 minutes. You’re going to have to sign the form and also take a few photocopies of it. Finally, you’ll have to go to a bank and pay a fee, based on the details they give you in the D.A.S. agency. Usually this involves going directly to a bank and paying with a certain code that you’ll be assigned.

Once you pay the fee at the bank, you bring the receipt back to the D.A.S. agency and they will process the final paperwork. All in all it took me about an hour and half to complete everything including taxi rides. Unfortunately, after your first initial stamp is up, you’ll have to repeat this process every month.

Latin American Block Party – Barranquilla Carnavales 2010

I took a small video here in Barranquilla on the second to last day of Carnavales, which was a Monday night. People were partying outside of my apartment until the sun came up. It’s not uncommon to see block parties like this one, not just in Carnavales but for birthdays, holidays like New Years as well as other festive dates. This isn’t exclusive to Colombia. It’s a common to see block parties all over Latin America especially during New Years and Carnaval season.

How To Build A Basic Travel Budget

When you’re thinking about traveling it’s always a good idea to build a budget. First you have to figure out how much you can spend and how much time you want to be away. This is a very simply guide to building a basic budget, and this is what I use most of the time when I plan on traveling to a new location.

You can build a budget in two ways. The first is go build a cost estimate based on where you want to go, then you know how much you need to save up for a certain trip. The second is to build a spending estimate based on how much money you plan to spend, if you already have the money.

Lets start with what I call a spending estimate:

First figure out how much you want to spend or can afford to spend. This will be your “Available Funds”. Divide this by the total time you plan on traveling (in days):

Available Funds / Total Time = Daily Budget

For example, if you currently had $2,000 for a 15 day trip, this would look something like:

$2,000 / 15 days = $133 per day

Once you have your daily budget you can get a better idea of how much you can afford to pay for a hotel every day, as well as how much you’ll have in your pocket for other expenses. The most common things you’ll have to pay for on a daily basis are food, transportation, and lodging. Anything extra like beers, cover charges for bars and clubs will be extra expenses that will vary throughout each week and each day. I like to break down expenses into three different areas:

#1: Lodging.
#2: Food and transportation
#3: Extras (Beers, cover charges, tourism excursions, souvenirs etc.)

Generally speaking I allocated one third of my daily budget to each of these categories. So if we go by the above $133 daily budget, I’d probably be looking for a hotel or hostel that costs $44 or less. If I cut back on the lodging costs then I have more to spend on food, transportation and extras. At the same time, I allocate about $44 per day for food and transportation and another $44 per day for extras.

Once you have a basic budget you have a better idea of how much you can afford to spend each day. Once you get to where your going make sure you at least keep a mental note of sticking to your budget. A budget isn’t any good if you don’t stick to it, and the whole point of making one is to make sure you don’t overspend.

I’ll be making a more detailed budget creation tutorial in the near future but this should give you a better idea of how to budget and estimate costs before you travel.

Taking The Bus In Barranquilla Vs Taking The Bus In New York

I was on my way to a mall to do some grocery shopping. I was dressed casual, nothing fancy. A blue hat, a white t-shirt, some blue jeans and my comfy sneakers. Most of the time I would have taken a taxi, but this time I decided to take the bus for kicks. Sometimes taking the bus can be a great way to meet women.

I knew where the bus stop was, a few blocks over. As I got closer I noticed a very nice looking woman who was dressed like she had just gotten out of work from the office. She was looking very professional yet attractive. I sort of knew what bus to take, and what to do, but I decided to ask her for help just to see if I could start a conversation.

I asked her if this was where I can take the bus, and she said told me that it was. I made a comment that I didn’t know the bus routes yet, so I had to ask around all the time, I said this with a smile. She asked where I’m from? And I told her I was from the U.S. and that I was just visiting. I asked her if she was from Barranquilla and she mentioned that she wasn’t. She was from a city about 3 hours away, but she was living there because of work and University.

At this point we had only talked for about 30 seconds and bus came. I let her get in first and she sat down at on the first seats. I got on and paid my bus fair and then sat across the isle, but right next to her. After I sat down she got up, and paid her fair, and then sat down in the isle behind me. I was about to put my right arm back and over the chair so I could turn and still engage her in conversation, but before I could move, she asked me to come sit next to her. This was a surprise. I’ve spoken with women in New York and New Jersey on the bus before, I’ve never had a woman ask me to come sit next to her.

I take a seat next to her and we chat some more for about 2 minutes before we get to our final destination. It turns out we were both going to the mall. She was going to meet a friend to talk about a job opportunity and I was going to do my grocery shopping. When I mentioned the grocery shopping she mentioned that if I wanted one day she would come help me do some shopping because she knew where to get the best prices. Again, another surprise: An attractive young professional, educated woman offering to help me with my groceries only minutes after meeting me. I thanked her and told her I’d take her up on her offer. We exchanged a few more sentences and then she invited me over for lunch the next day at her apartment. She asked me if I had a phone, and of course I do, so she asked me to take down her number and call her the next morning so we can arrange a time for lunch.

I use to work in New York, and I use to take the bus into the city from various places in New Jersey, and back to New Jersey from New York. I struck up conversations with many women on the bus, at the port authority, and bus stops, but in my five plus years working in the city and taking the bus to work, I never had an interaction that flowed as easily, and effortlessly as this one.

This is just one of many examples of what the women are like in foreign countries. YES I know not every interaction will be this positive or flow this effortlessly, but it just goes to show you what’s possible with international dating and foreign women. Even if just 2 out of every 10 interactions flow like this in Colombia, back in New Jersey/New York, it’s never this easy, effortless, and fun!