Just in case I've given the impression of dirt floors and roads, here's an high-tech first-world aspect of Santo Domingo

First, driving east on Avenida 27 de Febrero. There is a very long public park, with lots of public art, statues, greenery, places to sit and walk - all being rehabbed at the moment. Seems like a strange place for parks, but it is very common to have them right in the middle of the roads - like giant medians you can hang out with your friends on. Talk, sit, find some shade. And of course breath some exhaust fumes, but after awhile you stop noticing.

Next, sitting at the corner of 27 and Abraham Lincoln, it's like a miniature Hong Kong or Times Square, with giant video screens towering over the traffic. You can also see a few of the superstores. Casa Cuesta is like a home store - mostly decor, I think. It's connected to Supermercado el Nacional - one of, if not the largest one I've been to. Then inside, surrounding the store at a second level are mini stores or booths - like GNC, pastries, ice cream. (Sorry, no videos of that - all left to your imagination.)

Now continuing through the light, in very light and well-behaved traffic, you see more buildings and stores. Nacional, by the way, is the nicest and most expensive supermarket, similar to one of the high end Safeways that carries all the international fruits. You'll see on the left of the car the express lanes coming up out of a tunnel. The nice thing is that these lanes, even in horrible traffic, do move quite quickly.

Now we'll go back to the corner - only night time. It's quite pretty.

More later - of different parts of town (that was showing off). by the way, the two main thoroughfares going east / west through Santo Domingo are John F Kennedy and 27 de Febrero (named for the Dominican Republic's "Fourth of July" or Independence Day from Haiti). Along with Abraham Lincoln as a beautiful higher end thoroughfares is Winston Churchill. Are you as entertained as I am at some of the street names? Through they sound very American/European - they are also names of freedom, an important statement for any country to make these days!

Heather J. Kirk, Photographer, Author, Graphic Designer"We...a spirit seeking harmony for a world that's out of sync" - purchase an e-book at: photographicartistry.citymax.com/BooksFind her art at: Fine Art Americaand HeatherJKirk.com