BOP Goes Local

We are still in a Semana Santa mood this week because it is one of the most important weeks in Punta Cana and the rest of the Dominican Republic. In this edition of BOP goes local, we teamed up with Dominican Rafelina Santana. She decided to share her favorite Semana Santa recipe with us….

As daily life in Punta Cana starts up, chaotically and not too fast, we pass many people on the streets playing the favorite pastime of the Dominicans: dominoes. The game is everywhere: it’s played on the veranda in front of someone’s house, at bus stops, in the street. Time to get into the game and…

As Latin America was a big winner of this year’s Oscars with Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water winning Best Picture, Chile’s A Fantastic Woman  winning Best Foreign Film and Coco, an animated film on Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos, winning Best Animated Feature, we would like to celebrate by focusing on Dominican films and their culture! Dominican films As we know, the Dominican people are a huge mix of cultures and ethnical backgrounds, with roots in Europe as well as African and native influences. This fact alone could create deeply interesting stories from a diverse mix of people – perfect for film. But how big is the Dominican film industry? Good news: it’s an emerging one! Cinema arrived to the Dominican Republic in 1900, when the Lumière brothers brought film to the Curiel theater in San Felipe…

As we mentioned before, Punta Cana is an especially musical place. We looove dancing! Last time we discussed dancing the national Merengue, but we’re not even halfway through our list of moves! Here comes the rhythm, the Spanish vocals, the sweat… it’s Reggaeton time. What is Reggaeton? Reggaetón is a genre of music which originated…

Sometimes you overhear the funniest and craziest things on the calle. While you are walking or sitting somewhere, people around you discuss all kinds of topics. In word on the street of BOP goes local,  we collect the funniest things we heard on the streets of Punta Cana. Of course, we write down everything anonymously. So, don´t be worried when you think a BOP editor is in the area.  You can also participate in Word on the street. Tweet, email and share the things you overheard and we will feature them on BOP. Man to woman on the bus carrying a life-size doll from frozen. “I am so happy my daughter is not here with me today. She would go crazy if she would see that Elza doll. It is beautiful like you. Can I have your WhatsApp?” “Are you all…

Sundays are for Dominican cooking in Punta Cana. Well, that is what we at BOP do. Sometimes we gather our friends and family to have brunch or dinner, where everyone brings his own dish. One of the things that usually appears on the table is pastelón. Something you must try when you are in Punta…

“Moto, motortaxi? Hola, where are you going? I can take you!” This is something you will be hearing on the streets of Punta Cana from the motor drivers that pass you by. Known as motoconchos, these drivers take you everywhere you want to go. In our article BOP goes local: taking the guagua, we showed…

The exciting feeling you get when you just discovered something that only insiders know like when we discovered secret beaches. We also got this sensation when we visited the fish market in Cabeza de Toro in Punta Cana. A place where you can get the catch of the day and be surrounded by Dominican culture. A…

In BOP goes local, we show you insider information straight from the local population in Punta Cana. In this edition, we show you the best way to get around with our super friendly form of public transport: the Guagua. Time for a new adventure You find yourself in Punta Cana and want to discover…