The scene was hundreds of tourists wandering the shops, bars, and restaurants in the cruise port safe areas designated for just that sort of thing. But not me. I wandered out of the safe zone and into the streets and neighborhoods where the locals live and go about their every day tasks. Because...well...that's what I do. This time a chance encounter provided me the opportunity for an insider view and a personal perspective. It happened when I met Antonio in the town square.
A friendly fellow. We hit it off immediately. I told him I wished to see the real town, not just what the tourists normally see, and he happily volunteered to give me a tour. I know what you're thinking..."how much?" That was the cool part. I offered to give him a cash tip but he declined. I'm not naive, and I've been in similar situations before where the money exchange takes place at the end, and there was an exchange at the end of our tour. But it wasn't money. I'll explain at the end of my story, so read on.
We walked past the main attractions of Umbrella Street and Pink Street -
Then we went beyond the popular hot spots to see what I really wanted to see -
At one point along the way Antonio took me to a house of a friend where he asked if we could pick some fruit from the trees in the front yard. Permission granted, and this was the bounty -
We walked and talked for over an hour, until I said that I had to get back to the ship. That's when he said there was one thing I could do for him. I thought, "Great. Here comes the pitch." And it did. But he didn't ask for money. He politely asked if I could buy him some milk for his family. He actually said that - "milk for my family." I was expecting cigarettes or a bottle of rum. I told him I would be happy to do that and he led me down the street to a small neighborhood market. He picked up some milk, then asked if I would also allow him to get some flour for bread. Of course I agreed. Then came, "one more thing?" I thought, "okay here it comes." The "one more thing" was a single roll of toilet paper. How could I refuse? I paid for the items. He was genuinely thankful. We said our goodbyes. I doubt I will ever see him again, but I will remember him...Antonio...my friend in the Dominican Republic.
Roger O'Dea 1/30/2026
