the best way to a country is through its food

Food is a pretty important part of any culture. So I'm going to deviate from chronology and devote this post to Dominican cuisine.
First thing to know: the most common lunch of the country is la bandera, which is beans, rice, and some sort of stewed meat (in my experience, usually chicken), often served with a salad (which, again based on experience, is shredded cabbage with a vinegar dressing). In poorer areas, the lunch of la bandera is the only meal of the day, as it is very filling. I confess I got tired of la bandera from sheer repetition.

stewing meat

The good news is there are plenty of other awesome Dominican foods. One of the country's favorite side dishes is also one of mine: tostones, which are fried green plantains. They are salted, and are very good with ketchup. It's a strange idea to eat banana-looking things with ketchup, but trust me, they are good.

The great thing about tostones is that I know how to make them!

[Actually, plantains are extremely versatile, and show up in all kinds of forms. Boil and mash them for breakfast as mangu. Fry and mash them for a dish of mofongo. Slice them, layer with ham and cheese, and roll up to make piononos. For a sweeter side, carmelize chunks of plantain in platanos al caldero. No, I have not eaten all of these things. I'm just making a point.]

Pastelon de platanos amarillos. It's kind-of like lasagna, but with plantains.

One of my best, most cherished experiences in the Dominican Republic was staying with a Doña Altagracia and eating her homemade meals. I learned a lot about Dominican food, and am proud to say that I immediately liked concón (crunchy rice), some sort of chocolate tea, ginger tea, and fried corn patties.

Altagracia and me

Come to think on it, a LOT of things are fried. I guess it's an easy way to cook.

bollitos de yuca: cheese-filled cassava. and it's fried

My favorite way to end off a meal was to go for some batidas, which are basically smoothies: fruit, ice, evaporated milk, sugar. The fruit in the DR tastes SO good!