Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

I can’t say much about this giant gorilla, as Internet searches came up either empty or with references to other gorilla sculptures. An attraction at the Taino Bay port area, the gorilla appears to be a bandstand or platform for performances of some kind. As you can see from the photo, the structure is quite close to the cruise ship dock that was enlarged from the cargo ship pier in 2021 to add additional cruise ship moorings to the city.

Nearby, about a 15-minute drive from Taino Bay, the Amber Cove Cruise Port began welcoming cruisers in 2015. Amber Cove is a Carnival property and we were scheduled to visit there via the Carnival Magic in 2018, but bad weather in the area caused Carnival to drop the port stop that week. We would not stop in Puerto Plata until January 2023 via the Norwegian Escape.

About the photo: I captured it on my Samsung S20U. The gorilla sculpture and the Norwegian Escape made a nice composition featuring a popular photo stop at Taino Bay. I had to wait a bit while other cruisers took selfies while standing next to the gorilla.

I cataloged the image in Adobe Lightroom Classic and used the program’s cropping and alignment tools to level the horizon and remove extraneous stuff at the image’s edges. I exported the file to Luminar Neo for development tweaks, mainly the Smart Contrast tool and Enhance AI to adjust the exposure. The jpeg file didn’t need any more than that, so I uploaded it to my Flickr site in 2K HD and posted it here as a 1K image. Click on the photo above to view the high-resolution version or check out its metadata.

Lynn and I are traveling this week for a family reunion. I may be a bit scarce in responding to your comments immediately and in checking out your Cellpic Sunday responses.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, and, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

On the north coast of the Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata, also known as San Felipe de Puerto Plata, was our first destination on the Norwegian Escape in early 2023. Puerto Plata, which translates to “Silver Port,” hints at the shimmering beaches that greet visitors upon arrival.

Puerto Plata’s history dates back to the early 1500s when Spanish colonists carved out a small settlement in the region, quickly turning it into the island’s primary commercial and maritime hub during the early years of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo. This strategic location made the city a key player in trade and exploration, shaping the island’s future in the centuries to come.

I couldn’t find much information online about the large gorilla at our port stop. Just a short distance from our ship, the Taino Bay area is the first place visitors see when departing the ship. The one quote I noted from a cruise reviewer stated, “The large gorilla sculpture at Taino Bay in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, is quite the sight! Officially named “King Kong” but often referred to as “Gorilla Island,” it’s a 20-foot tall, brightly colored fiberglass sculpture that has become a popular landmark and photo op for visitors.” We continued our walk through the port shopping area and found our tour group meeting point. We then boarded a bus to tour the city.

On our tour, we visited the Fortaleza San Felipe, a 16th-century Spanish fortress. According to Wikipedia, construction of the fort began in 1564 under the reign of King Philip II of Spain and was completed in 1577. The thick walls, cannons, and strategically placed towers served as a vital defense point protecting the city and its harbor from pirates and privateers. In the 19th century, it became a prison and is now a museum and major tourist attraction. I captured the opening photo of the Norwegian Escape from the shoreline at the fort. Its strategic location was instrumental in protecting the harbor at Puerto Plata.

The city square or Parque Central dates back to the early 16th century when Spanish colonists founded Puerto Plata. Initially known as Plaza Mayor, it served as the city’s main gathering place for public events, celebrations, and trade. In the 19th century, it was renamed Plaza Independencia to commemorate the Dominican Republic’s independence from Spain in 1844. The ornate gazebo in the center of the square is a popular landmark and often features local musicians playing traditional Dominican music. Several statues pay homage to historical figures like Gregorio Luperón, José María Pérez, and Gregorio Rivas, all of whom played significant roles in Dominican history.

The building that we might call City Hall in the United States is located on the Plaza Independencia. The structure is a beautiful example of 19th-century architecture and houses various city administrative departments.

Our next stop included a visit to an amber museum. It was interesting to learn about amber and its history. Amber is a fossilized tree resin millions of years old. Dominican amber, prized for its beauty, and clarity, often contains perfectly preserved insects and other inclusions and is considered some of the finest in the world.

Our next stop included a walk about town. We started at Calle San Felipe, also known as “Umbrella Street.” It’s a pedestrian-only street adorned with colorful umbrellas suspended overhead, creating a whimsical and picturesque atmosphere. The rows of colorful umbrellas suspended above the street add a playful and artistic touch, transforming the ordinary street into a visual delight for locals and tourists. The umbrellas create a kaleidoscope effect for pedestrians walking beneath them.

As we explored the downtown area, I noticed as I looked down a hill that even though we rode a bus around the port city, we were but a short walk from our cruise ship. Of course, it isn’t a direct walk, even though it looks to be. Soon we boarded our excursion bus and headed back for an afternoon relaxing on the ship.

One of my favorite photos was captured on our way into port that morning. Near the fort, the lighthouse stands tall to warn ships of the island coast in inclement weather. The golden light in the early morning gave the water a violet hue. The image reflects probably the most beautiful sunrise on our Caribbean journey.

Taino Bay and Amber Cove are the two major cruise ports in the Dominican Republic. The original cruise port at Amber Cove opened in 2015 and Taino Bay opened in 2021. Vacationers who wish to spend more time in the city can opt to stay in one of the several resorts that cater to tourists who visit the island nation. To view my gallery of images in 2K HD on my Flickr site, click here.

John Steiner

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Regular readers know that I can’t resist photographing a lighthouse, existing lighting notwithstanding. Sometimes the timing works perfectly and the subject gets a boost from the prevailing light. Such was the case on this morning’s arrival in port on our first-ever visit to the Dominican Republic. In its time, the cast iron lighthouse functioned through a system of revolving light and shadows given off by a kerosene lamp and was first lit in 1879. Built by R. Deeley & Co., a New York firm, the Puerto Plata Lighthouse once served as a beacon for ships traversing the Atlantic.

A silent warrior where land meets the sea, the lighthouse still stands against the ever-present threat of nature. Hurricanes and cyclones have etched their mark upon the structure, and the salty air creates a continuous pattern of surface erosion. Though the Cultural Heritage Office’s 1979 restoration provided some relief, the original spiral staircase, a casualty of neglect, eventually succumbed to the ravages of time.

About the photo: The timing of our arrival in Puerto Plata couldn’t have been better. The rising sun created a golden glow in the sky and tinged the water with lavender colors. No sky replacement was needed and I couldn’t have asked for better. I used my Samsung S23 to interpret the image and Adobe Lightroom to crop out a parking lot just visible at the lower left of the original image. Removing that distraction also put the lighthouse in the left vertical line of the Rule of Thirds grid. I shipped it off to Luminar Neo for only a small tweak of Enhance AI. That tool brought up the exposure in the foreground to bring the trees in the foreground out of the shadows and added some contrast to the sky. I thought about using dehaze to remove the mists in the background but decided that leaving the background in the haze helped to draw attention to the lighthouse. Click on the image to view it in 2K HD on my Flickr site.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s acceptable as well. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, and, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

As usual, I am writing my posts in advance, so I can never be truly sure when I write things like, “Today we are boarding the Norwegian Breakaway at New Orleans.” Being the positive person I am, that is my story for now, anyway. For the rest of this post, I will write in the present tense as if it were February 4, 2024, even though the present hasn’t yet happened. >grin<

Today is boarding day in New Orleans. It is a new port for us as our travels have brought us from January in North Carolina and in mid-February, we will be in Scottsdale Arizona for the rest of the winter. We decided that sailing out of Florida would add extra driving time, besides, it’s been a long time since I was in New Orleans to explore the city.

On this day one year ago, we left the Norwegian Escape as we finished our Caribbean cruise. Today we begin our Western Caribbean cruise with stops in Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. We are departing on our tenth cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). We like the vibes on NCL, especially their freestyle dining program which is similar to restaurants on land. The only other ocean-going cruise line we’ve experienced is Carnival. They have also adopted a Dine Anytime program, but they also keep their scheduled dining program in effect so on our few cruises with Carnival, the wait times for their Dine Anytime program seem excessive. We keep thinking that we should try Royal Caribbean or Princess, but in the end, we usually find a cruise on NCL we like. This fall we will try Holland America as it turned out they were the only line that could meet our schedule and destination goal. If you’ve had experience with Holland America, I’d be interested to read your comments.

About the photo: On our excursion in Puerto Plata, we caught a glimpse of the Norwegian Escape docked and awaiting our return. It was only the second day of our cruise and our first visit to the Dominican Republic. Among our goals for the excursion was a short trip to visit the Fortaleza de San Felipe which is located very near the old lighthouse I featured a couple of Cellpic Sundays ago. From the grounds on the fort, our cruise ship was framed by the plants growing near the shore. The natural frame focused on the Escape and another ship, from Virgin Cruises, that happened to be in port on the same day.

I captured this image with my Samsung S20U, imported it into Adobe Lightroom Classic, tweaked the crop, and sent it off to Luminar Neo for Enhanced AI and then I raised the exposure and smart contrast ever so slightly. Click on the image above to view it in 2K HD via my Flickr site.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s acceptable as well. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, and, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner