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Calle El Conde - Santo Domingo
Calle El Conde
by Jim_Eliason
Go shopping in Santo Domingo with recommendations, reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and locals.
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swiss mine: amber and larimar
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  • little bug stuck in amber - Santo Domingo
    little bug stuck in amber
    by willy_wonka
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    the dominican republic is famous for its amber and larimar. there are many of these stores selling amber, but i liked the swiss mine because on the 2nd floor there is a little bit of a museum that shows how they mine it.

    amber is beautiful, with a golden honey colored hue. pieces vary from a tiny bit of the rock for around US$10 to big chunks of it, some of which have old fossils stuck in it. think jurassic park or something! these pieces are alot more pricey.

    larimar is amazing. this rock can only be found in the dominican republic, nowhere else in the world can you find it! it has a beautiful sky blue color to it. there were so many beautiful rings and necklaces made of larimar, but they were very pricey. its a matter of if you really want it or not, and sadly this time, i had to pass up!

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  • Theme: Jewelry
  • Address: on parque colon
  • Phone: 809-221-1897
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    Plaza Lama: "La Supertienda ¡Con todo a su alcance!"
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  • The biggest department store in Santo Domingo. We entered there as I wanted to buy a couple of disposable cameras (my camera stopped working on my second day in SD... why they never break down when you're at your home place??? :) What was supposed to be a 10-minutes shopping, ended as kind of funny tour around the place for a couple of hours! Everything was so different as what we are used to find at our hometown supermarkets. We bought here most of our small gifts for friends and family (we really liked the idea of bringing them some "real" stuff more than obvious souvenirs).

    For us, straight haired Europeans, the amount and variety of product for uncurl and treat hair was just amazing! The food halls, with loads of nice-smelling spices and fruits, were quite interesting as well.

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  • Theme: Department Store
  • Address: There are a few, we went to the one in Av. Duarte
  • Website: www.plazalama.com
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    el conde: the main thoroughfare
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  • not so much one shop, but a series of shops, the pedestrian mall known as 'el conde' is the centre of town, with the main shops and people on the streets also trying to sell souvenirs etc.

    on the el conde you will mainly come across stores selling fashion, cd's, souvenirs, and more fashion (some of it somewhat tragic!) for the locals it is THE main drag, the place to be seen, to hang around, i suppose the DR version to the american mall. it is also here that homesick tourists can grab a piece of KFC chicken, or a pizza from Pizza Hut. (which i gladly did not take part in!)

    for those in the market for jewellery, there are also numerous places along el conde selling amber and larimar pieces.

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  • Theme: Women's Clothes
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    Shops of "Santeria": Interesting experience
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  • My friend and I could hardly believe it when we found the first shop of "santeria". In case you didn't know, "Santeria" is like voodoo or spiritism. A Creole religion, widespread on Caribbean countries, Brazil, etc... that mixed Catholic saints with old African divinities venered by the slaves that were brought to these lands. This shop was tiny, next to Mercado Modelo. Please don't go there just for fun, it's a serious belief for many people. But very interesting experience if you go there with respect and open mind (and eyes!)

    The owner patiently explained us what all these strange things were for. Interestingly, the most accessible items were the less "dangerous" things he did not mind to sell to anyone who wanted them, even if the purchase was just for fun/curiosity. He even said us that some of the items were just for fun, some without any real "power". You can find there sprays to get your car or house free of bad spirits. Soap or perfume to attract your love, to ear more money... or any purpose you can imagine.

    However, things that were not convenient to be handled by inexpert hands were kept in closed cabinets. Quite mysterious.
    .

    We left the place with a few small bottles of "love perfume" to bring as gift to our friends.... I would had buy the "bad-spirits cleaner for cars" if they had it in a smaller size!

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  • Theme: Other
  • Address: Near Mercado Modelo
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    Calle el Conde: Amber and larimar
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  • Calle el Conde is a pedestrian street that connects the Colonial Zone with the new part of the city. It begins from Parque Colòn and is full of shops.

    Here you can find beautiful jewels made of amber or larimar. The amber of the Dominican Republic is considered the finest amber in the world. The larimar is a semiprecious stone you can find only in the Dominican Republic. I would like...for lack of funds I bought a picture.

    Bargain over the price. Always.

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  • Theme: Jewelry
  • Address: Calle el Conde near Parque Colòn
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    Street vendors (frio-frio): Real life 2
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  • Frio-Frio (that means Cold-Cold) is scratched ice with syrup. You'll see these vendors at the most popular streets. We were well advised not to try this typical treat (high risk of E.Coli in the water they use), but it's fun to see it anyway.

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  • Theme: Food and Drink
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    local pedestrian shopping street: Calle El Conde
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  • This "Pedestrian Only" shopping street is both the center of tourist goods and western designer clothes. It runs from Parque Colon to Parque Independencia. The street name honors the Count of Penalba, who defeated the English during the 17th century.

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  • Theme: Local Craft
  • Directions: Between Parque Colón and Parque Independencia
  • Website: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2770096-calle_el_conde_santo_domingo-i
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    Cigars
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  • The main exports from the Dominican Republic include sugar, cocoa and tobacco. The cigars are among the best. You can find small and fine cigar shops on Mella Avenue, near the Modelo Market.

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  • Theme: Local Craft
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    Spice vendors: Spice it!
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  • We saw so many shops and street vendors, with huge amounts of spices.... Nice to see and to smell. No idea about the use of 90% of these products indeed!

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  • Theme: Food and Drink
  • Address: Area of Av. Duarte, Av. Mella, near Mercado Modelo
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    Street vendors (anything you can imagine): Real life 3
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  • the most strange items... - Santo Domingo
    the most strange items...
    by Belsaita
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    We found many second-hand street vendors in the streets close to Mercado Modelo. Everything you can imagine can be sold or repaired. A huge contrast with our "use and discard" societies.... something to think about.

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  • Theme: Other
  • Address: Streets close to Mella and Duarte avenues
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