Ah…there she is. Smack dab in the middle between Cuba and Puerto Rico and bordering Haiti: the most visited destination in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic. 

On behalf of The Golden City Gate Awards at the ITB  in Berlin last month, I was honored to present this country with three awards for their film submissions for the 2019 GCA  international multimedia competition. Take a look at my opening remarks about The Golden City Gate and meet Mr. and Mrs. Wolfgang Jo Huschert the founders of this event here:

With it’s idyllic–downright spectacular–beaches, rich colorful culture and astounding nature, the Dominican Republic is an island paradise for vacationers and tourists. Having never been here, I wanted to know more about this land and her vivacious people, so I did some research.

To that end, keeping it on a sunny note this Monday morning, I thought I’d share a few fun facts that I discovered about this country.

The Dominican Republic: 

*rum. Enough said.

*has been enjoying strong economic growth in recent years and is the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central American region

* has world-renowned golf courses–talk about teeing off with a view! Do google pictures!

*is the oldest European settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

*has the only flag in the world that uses the image of a Bible.

* is a popular destination for weddings and honeymoons.

*the only place in the world where the blue, semi-precious stone called larimar is found. It most closely resembles turquoise. 

* is the birthplace of the famous fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.

*is home to the world’s largest salt lake, Lago Enriquillo, commonly graced by flocks of pink flamingos.

*is the most visited destination in the Caribbean and 

* is also known as the place of the ‘Endless Summer’ 

Ahh…

Ok! Back to reality! It’s Monday morning and as Daddy would say, “It’s time to get up and get on it!” In other words: MondayMerengue everybody!

Nonetheless, Monday Merengue everybody!