santo domingo, a hidden gem

today i grabbed my camera and just went for a walk. while living in vienna during my study abroad trip last spring, this was one of my favorite ways to spend my weekends and down time. i not only felt that it was a great way to get out and moving, but also a way to discover the inner beauty of a city. every walk led me to new appreciations and findings that i had not yet noticed. you can sometimes walk by a building a hundred times and notice nothing, and that can all chance on the 101st time. it is like watching a movie again or looking at a painting at a different angle, you just never know what you will see this time around. these walks also help you learn the streets and
new paths to get from point a to point b. the dr is no different.

at first glance, i felt that santo domingo, though beautiful in a sense, does not compare to other places that i have been. it can be an eye soar.

my opinion changed today, walking up and down the streets i began to notice the hidden beauty of the city through the eye hole of my camera, then through my own two. there is so much potential for this city to mimic the feel of a paris or barcelona. it was not uncommon for me to notice a wonderful house with flower boxes, balconies, rich wooden doors and windows stuck between two abandoned run down estates.

i kept getting visions in my head of how this city could look, small shops that have well marked signs, mixed in with a well kept bakery, shoe repair, barber, cafe, and flats to make a home. the landscape is all here, great usable land, quaint city feel, the sea front only a few hundred yards away, this could be a developers dream. i feel that the city is on the rise, but fear that it is happening too slow to see the difference that could be made. i am thankful for today though, that i was able to look past the first notice exterior and witness the hidden beauty that lies tucked away throughout the city itself.