Santo Domingo attraction tells of city's pirate past
IAN STALKER
Even Santo Domingo buccaneers are caught up in the festive season it seems.
The Colonial Gate, found in the city’s Colonial Zone, reminds people that pirates once roamed the waters found off the Dominican Republic capital and on at least one occasion made a bloody foray into what is now a walled area marked by carefully restored Spanish colonial architecture that dates back hundreds of years.
The attraction, found in a centuries-old building, includes a 4-D movie recounting how Sir Francis Drake — looked upon favorably by his fellow Britons but regarded as a pirate by the Spanish whose ships he preyed on — used guile to enable his men to storm Santo Domingo, overwhelming its defenders.
Theater seats actually rock at times as images of fighting appear on the theater screen during the 8-minute video.
“It is the fastest history lesson in Santo Domingo,” says Prudencio “Pruddy” Ferdinand, who is both a local tour guide and Ministry of Tourism employee.
The swashbuckling Drake actually lived in a Santo Domingo tavern for a time, with Ferdinand reporting that tourists are generally unaware of his ties to the city.
The pirate theme is found throughout The Colonial Gate, and is clearly taking on Christmas overtones as Dec. 25 nears. One life-size pirate mannequin is now seasonably decked out in a Santa Claus suit and visitors will see a Christmas tree decorated with the likes of plastic human skulls.
The Colonial Gate visitors are provided with glasses that enable them to fully appreciate the advanced video technology used in recreating the battle between Drake’s men and Santo Domingo’s Spanish defenders, with Ferdinand jokingly telling tourists he leads to the attraction to “hold onto your seats” before the video starts, realizing they may be caught off guard by the upcoming seat movement.
But that those preparing to watch the video shouldn’t be alarmed that their seats will rock and roll to a degree, he adds.
“It’s like a massage,” he reassures.
Dominican airline Arajet is now linking both Montréal and Toronto with Santo Domingo.
