Tag Archives: fun

Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

The Parque Eugenio María de Hostos, located on the Malecon sea side road in Santo Domingo, is a beautiful park to visit. The plaza has tree and flower-lined paths, playground and exercise areas and a reflecting pool. The park was also known as Plaza Colombina and Parque Ramfis. It is a place of fun, beauty and also a place of incredible sadness.

Parque Eugenio María de Hostos, located on the Malecon sea side road in Santo Domingo
Parque Eugenio María de Hostos, located on the Malecon sea side road in Santo Domingo

The Plaza History | New and Improved Parque Eugenio María de Hostos | National Scout Office | Who Is Eugenio María de Hostos?

The Plaza History

The Park and public space Eugenio Maria de Hostos has a very interesting past and present.

The original park was named Plaza Colombina and was there before the entire seafront was reworked to be a place for enjoyment. (President Trujillo is the person that build the seafront road, The Malecon. Before this there was no real road to speak of.)

On September 3, 1930 a devastating hurricane, Cyclone San Zenón, hit Santo Domingo directly. There were only 400 buildings left standing of the cities 10,000 some structures. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, who had just recently become president, declared a state of emergency, as tens of thousands of the cities residents were now homeless.

Plaza Colombina was used to dispose of and burn the storm debris. These fires were also used as funeral pyres, for cremating hundreds of the human and animal casualties from this incredibly devastating hurricane (some say that the dictator Trujillo used this opportunity to also dispose of politicians and activists that did not die in the storm).

The park was again renovated and inaugurated in 1936 during days of dictator Trujillo. The new name was Parque Ramfis, named after Trujillo’s first-born son.

The park was very well kept. It had a public swimming pool, library, aquarium, aviary, a place for skating, bicycle trail and pavilions for concerts.(Old pictures of the park are located in the Old Pictures of Dominican Republic image collection).

The old Parque Ramfis
The old Parque Ramfis

The name changed, once again, to Parque Eugenio María de Hostos in 1961. Over the years it changed to a dull, dirty and depressing place. It was boarded up for many years and became an eyesore along the Malecon.

Reflecting pool -  Parque Eugenio María de Hostos
Reflecting pool – Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

New and Improved Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

The new Parque Eugenio María de Hostos
The new Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

After closing the park for about six years and spending over 80 million pesos on renovation works the new Parque Eugenio María de Hostos was inaugurated on December 14, 2013.

Parque Eugenio María de Hostos new architect design

The newly improved park adhered to much of the original park looks and design. The park has many flowers, shrubs and trees including beautiful Oaks (Robles), Almond (Almendras) and Palms. There are a playground and an exercise area plus a beautiful reflecting pool in the center.

The playground -  Parque Eugenio María de Hostos
The playground – Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

There is a fountain with reflecting pool and a mural by artist Manuel Toribio. You can stroll along the beautiful and serene flower-lined walkways that twist and turn throughout the park.

Mural by artist Manuel Toribio -  Parque Eugenio María de Hostos
Mural by artist Manuel Toribio – Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

There is a section where there is exercise equipment for all to use and a brightly painted playground for the children and even clean public restrooms. There is a police station located in the park, good lighting and security cameras for the safety of all.

The exercise equipment -  Parque Eugenio María de Hostos
The exercise equipment – Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

The park is now a fantastic and fun place for the entire family.

Location:

The Malecon (Avenida George Washington) of Santo Domingo across from the Plaza Juan Barón and the Obelisco Macho, Ciudad Nueva. Walking distance from the Colonial City.

National Scout Office

Asociación de Scouts Dominicanos, Inc. - Parque Eugenio María de Hostos
Asociación de Scouts Dominicanos, Inc. – Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

For the Scouts, the Eugenio Maria de Hostos Park has special importance. It is the headquarters of the Asociación de Scouts Dominicanos, Inc. / Dominican Scout Association, Inc. and has housed the National Scout Office since the 1950s and is the home of Scout Group No.7. “In 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Scout movement to the Dominican Republic. The reopening of this space that houses the national home of the Scouts, as is the Eugenio María park Hostos, occurs at the right time, as it will allow us to celebrate with the rest of the citizenry this historical moment in our home, “said Diana Taveras, No. 7 Scout Group.

Buenagente reflecting at the pool - Parque Eugenio María de Hostos
Buenagente reflecting at the pool – Parque Eugenio María de Hostos

Who Is Eugenio María de Hostos?

Eugenio María de Hostos Bonilla (Born January 11, 1839 and died on August 11, 1903 at the age of 64). He was born in Puerto Rico, educated in Puerto Rico, and Spain and traveled extensively throughout the Americas. He held many titles including educator, philosopher, lawyer, writer, sociologist and fighter for women’s rights. He also has many published written works.

Hostos and his Cuban wife had 5 children. He was known as “The Great Citizen of the Americas” / “El Gran Ciudadano de las Américas”.

Eugenio María de Hostos first came to the Dominican Republic in 1875 where he founded a Teachers School. He stayed here for a year, then moved to Venezuela. He returned off and on to Santo Domingo and helped to reorganize the educational and railroad systems of the country.

Eugenio María de Hostos remains are located in the Panteón Nacional in Colonial Zone, as he wished. They are only to be moved to Puerto Rico on the day the country is completely independent. His birthday is a national holiday in Puerto Rico. Honoring Hostos are schools, monuments, towns and more in Dominican Republic, Spain, USA and other countries.

More detailed information about Eugenio María de Hostos.

Useless Trivia

Dominican Republic Dumb Facts, Trivia, and Useless Information

Here are all those facts you always wanted to know but just did not realize you wanted to know them. These may be very helpful when playing the game of Dominican Trivia that is so popular now (joke).

If you know of any more interesting and pertinent items to add please let me know. Let’s compile a list of all the useless, dumb, facts that everyone does not need to know.

Good reading for those who are bored, have nothing else to do with their time or are looking for some non-important good junk.

Note: We here at Colonial Zone-DR.com cannot vouch for the truth of this information. Consider the things listed here as fun, maybe true, could be true, maybe not true at all, or complete crap. It is all in fun, or is it?

*The worlds largest pot of Sancocho was prepared at the 7th Dominican Fair at La Sirena February 12, 2007. After 5 hours of cooking in a four meter cooking pot three thousand people got to eat this yummy, typical Dominican dish. Eleven chefs and their assistants used 300LBS of beef, 250LBS of pork, 150LBS of chicken, 500 plantains, 300LBS of malanga, plus the other ingredients used to make this hugh Dominican dish. (for information on how to make Sancocho)

Cooking some sancocho over a fire
Cooking some sancocho over a fire

*Even though Santiago is the second largest city in Dominican Republic, as of 2006 the metropolitan area of New York City had a larger population of Dominicans.

*There is an old law dating back to Trujillo’s era. He had the highest peak in the Caribbean known as Pico Duarte named after him. Legally, because of some kind of mistake, it is still called Pico Trujillo instead of Duarte.

*Dominican Republic has the only flag with a bible in it. It was designed by a Vexillographer (flag maker) who was a vexillologist (one who studies flags ) and into Vexillology (the study of flags). More information on the Dominican flag.

Dominican Republic flag among others
Dominican Republic flag among others

*In the Colonial Zone on July 8, 2001 the Association of Spanish Festivities in Dominican Republic held the islands first bull run, a version of Spains’ San Fermin bull run. A three-minute bull run took place from Calle Atarazana, through Vicente Celestino Duarte to Cristobal Colon. Youths raced and the poor, confused bulls had no idea what was happening. It seems that the Dominican bulls were just too lazy, resulting in them having to be pushed through the streets, instead of them chasing the participants.

*Did you know that there was a small town in Dominican Republic where it was discovered and documented in the early 1970s that girls turned into boys? It seems that children appearing to be girls turned into men at puberty. First girls when they reached puberty they grew testes, and a penis. They called these children ‘guevedoces’ which literally means “penis at 12 years”. Also known locally as machihembras (‘first women, then man’). It was published in the American Journal of Medicine. For pictures and more information http://www.usrf.org/news/010308-guevedoces.html

*The Austrian musician, Falco (Johann “Hans” Hölzel), famous for his electronic Euro-pop smash hit ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ in 1986, was killed in Dominican Republic. Returning to his home in Cofresí, Puerta Plata, after spending time drinking at a local bar, his vehicle was involved in a collision with a bus. He died instantly and was pronounced dead in the hospital on February 6th, 1998 from head injuries at the age of 40. He is buried in Vienna, Austria. There is a cross marking the location where Falco died in Montellano, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic Falco CD on Amazon.

* Huracan is a Taino (natives that inhabited the island) word that is thought to have come originally from the Caribs (a cannibalistic tribe that also inhabited the island). Huracan was the Carib god of evil and that word is thought to have come from “Hurakan” who was the Mayan god of wind and storm. (More about hurricanes in Dominican Republic.)

*The longest baseball game in the Caribbean Baseball Series had 18 innings. The game was 6 hours and 13 minutes long. Played at the Roberto Clemente stadium in Puerto Rico February 2, 2007. The Aguilas Cibaeñas of Dominican Republic won 4 to 3 over the Tigres de Aragua of Venezuela.
Update – the Aguilas won the series for 2007!

A baseball game at the Estadio Quisqueya
A baseball game at the Estadio Quisqueya

*Lisa Marie Presley (Elvis Presley’s daughter) and Michael Joseph Jackson (Jackson 5) got married May 18, 1994. The ceremony was held at Casa de Campo in La Romano, Dominican Republic. Their marriage lasted only 20 months.

*Rush Limbaugh was detained by customs officers in Florida, USA when he landed after a visit to the Dominican Republic. He had a bottle of 29/ 100 MG pills of Viagra with him and he didn’t have a prescription! Bad Bad Rush!

*Can you speak only using your nose? Dominicans are famous for their “nose talk“. A little twitch here and a little wrinkle there. The nose knows.

*Did you know that the town of Nagua has its own slogan? “A Nagua tu entras si quieres, y sales si puedes” (translated, Enter Nagua if you want, leave if you can). Make sure to visit Nagua and you just may understand.

Watch a Barcelo rum television commercial taped in Nagua around 2006 and hear for yourself this slogan.

* Do you know what a Merentician is? It is a Merengue singer and Politician in one. Merengue artist Sergio Vargas is one.

* A man (boy) has to be 16 to get married and a girl (woman) needs to be 15 years of age. Even if the parents agree that the kids can be wed in matrimonial bliss most likely the government will not grant their wish. My thought: Many people here do not have birth certificates or birth records so how can they really prove their correct age? (they are trying to change this law now 3-17)

* Dominican Republic in position 74 of the 121 nations classified in the Global Peace Index in 2007 according to the British magazine The Economist, for reference The United States and Iran appear in positions 97 and 98. Norway and New Zealand are number 1 and 2. Sudan and Iraq come in the last place.
more information at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2091513,00.html

* Parque Colon is considered one of the great public places by PPS – Project for Public Spaces. It was voted on because of its vegetation, the nearness to historical landmarks, its accessibility, and its usability. They describe it as an “urban living room” and a “magic space”. see the article(7/09)

Saturday afternoon in Parque Colon
Saturday afternoon in Parque Colon

* According to an independent research group in Britain that has the goal of building a new economy, “centered on people and the environment.” in their “Happy Planet Index,” that seeks countries with the most content people. Surveying 143 countries Dominican Republic ranked second in 2009. Each year our little island country makes the top of the list as do many of the smaller islands. Check out the map of the Happy Planet Index for 2011 and make sure you come and visit one of the happiest places in the world!