07.51 It's morning at Hotel Cortecito Inn in Bávaro and the Dominican Republic. Today, we may need a snack.

08.40 We are thinking about tomorrow. When will we travel on from here, at 07.00, 09.00 or 11.00? How do we do with breakfast before departure? Now that's enough thoughts about the future, it's time for the present, time for our breakfast.

09.31 We're not that much wiser when it comes to today or tomorrow. But I guess that it is what holiday is, living in the present. I'll try to stop writing about what we had for breakfast. There are probably other things that are more interesting to write about.

10.34 We have made some walking in our local area. We bought t-shirts and a souvenir glass in a small shop. Moreover, we have seen the beach here in El Cortecito. It was very narrow, filled with people and nearby there were plenty of different individuals who wanted to greet us and become our friends. We met one who introduced himself as "Mr. Cheap". The friendship lasted until we informed him and the others that we did not want to go into their store, get a massage or get information about a new resort. Now we take a break at the nagging free balcony outside our room.

11.24 This thing with sitting quietly and do some reading is not wrong. Now we need some lunch before we´ll watch the World Cup football.

The beach in El Cortecito.

We didn´t remain long at the beach.

11.34 Today we will have empanadas for lunch. An "empanada" seems to be some kind of bread with a filling. A woman with a wide brim, apricot coloured hat just walked past us. We are at a small lunch restaurant, Magdalena. It is located next to our hotel. The supply is limited here, but food is food.

12.04 Today´s lunch was simply put a fried pirogue filled with cheese and ham. Now we're back on the balcony. Inside the room there is ongoing cleaning. It smells of detergent, bleach.

12.13 Our TV has over 100 channels. Only one of the channels, with a grainy image, shows the game between France and Germany, the first quarterfinal of the World Cup. Now Germany just scored 1-0 with a header.

12.50 It's half time and the result stands. The commentary of the game is interspersed with advertising parts. A gentleman speaks warmly about Coca Cola, batteries, banks and the American Budweiser beer. Christer has fixed the TV picture and also reminded the cleaning lady that we want new towels in the room. It would take "un momento". It's about 30 minutes ago now.

13.54 France has finished playing in the World Cup for this time. Germany has two more games to play and we still have no towels. It remains two hours to the next game.

14.19 We have been away and bought some bread as football snacks. Right now we got our new towels.

14.52 We have made a decision to enjoy some time by our pool. We must take advantage of the luxury with a pool.

We stayed inside the hotel area, escaping the annoying vendors.

A simple lunch before today´s first quarterfinal.

Peter is swimming in our hotel pool.

15.35 A man with a hand net walks along the edge of the pool here in the hotel area. He uses the hand net to pick up leaves and other things that do not belong in the water. It is time to return to the room to see the next quarter-finals. It is time for the match between two teams from South America.

16.10 No sooner has the match between Brazil and Colombia started when Brazil scored a goal on a corner. Thiago Silva is the scorer.

16.50 It is halftime. Some of our neighbours below us seem to cheer for Colombia. Cheers are followed by loud sighs when Colombia attacks without success.

17.24 Brazil and David Luiz scores on a free-kick and the result is 2-0. Now it will be tough for Colombia.

17.39 Colombia gets a penalty and James Rodriguez reduces to 2-1. It was followed by a big cheer inside the neighbours room.

17.55 All hard work in vain for our neighbours and Colombia. The match is over. At the end of the match Neymar got a knee in the back and he has been carried off on a stretcher.

19.48 We had plans to try a different restaurant for tonight's dinner but it looked empty and dead out where we had planned to go. We have again sat down at NelBo's, our hotel's restaurant.

21.07 We got filling food without any major culinary touch. Now we are surfing with our mobile phones in the lobby. The Wimbledon tennis final will be between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. We also know that Neymar has damaged his back and unfortunately he has finished playing in the World Cup.

22.41 The Fourth of July is coming to an end. We have been drinking beer and talked about memories from previous trips. Imagine that we have forgotten some bus stations, bus trips and bus trip that were made in 2008.

Saturday 5th of July

07.39 The hour of departure is almost here. We are heading towards the republic's capital. We hope to avoid trouble and are looking forward to what awaits there.

09.17 During breakfast we speculated about how international the word taxi is. Now we will pack our belongings, clean our bodies and leave room and key before I recover my passport which hopefully still remains in the reception.

09.49 So, we have checked out from Cortecito Inn and ordered a taxi. All that remains is to wait for it. This will be followed by more waiting. However, it feels good to have the passport back.

10.03 Now things happen fast! We were moved into a bus just as we arrived at the bus station. When we stepped out of the taxi, we were pointed to a bus that reportedly will take us to Santo Domingo. We had prepared to wait until 11.00 when Expreso Bávaro has their departure time.

10.12 It's nice to be on board. Right now we are going around in the Punta Cana area and pick up more passengers.

We are on our way with a bus, the question is where?

10.23 Something is really strange, downright wrong. When we asked about the tickets on Thursday, we were told that they cost 400 peso. We paid 400 pesos to our bus host and got 270 pesos back. Now the question is whether the price or the destination of this bus is different from what we think.

10.37 Christer has consulted the guidebook and maybe we are on a bus that only takes us halfway. The ticket price seems consistent with the theory. We will most likely need to change buses later. It seems unnecessary when we previously had selected a smooth comfortable direct bus for today's trip.

11.04 The trip ended in Higüey, the capital of the province La Altagracia. Here 289 000 inhabitants live before we arrived. Our bus stopped at a sidewalk and someone pointed out another bus on the other side of the street. There we went and the new bus is from the company APTRA. The backpacks were given green tiles firmly clasped and we got a similar one to keep track of, all to be able to sign out of our belongings from the trunk. On the way between the buses Christer was asked "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" (Do you speak German?). The response of the stressed Christer became, "Nein", German for no. Some vendors just got on board.

11.32 So, we are on our way in our new bus. It took time to get past a traffic jam. The cause was a casualty man. He lay perfectly still in the street inside a crowd in the region between our and oncoming lanes. Some blood had come from his head, really awful! Now we are continuing going through a dry landscape.

11.44 A new bus ticket is paid. This time it was 275 pesos. We are now driving on a motorway.

13.27 The price for petrol is 219,40 pesos (US$5). It is too much for a liter. It is rather a gallon. The price is if it is British gallon, US$ 1,10 and if it´s an American gallon, US$ 1,32. This is what the price is here in Santo Domingo. We are waiting to come to our bus stop. From here we will continue to our next accommodation, home.

Christer has one of the two small rooms we pay for here.

Peter inside Hotel Monumental.

We are looking down on Calle El Conde.

13.35 The bus stopped somewhere in the middle of nothing, but probably central here in Santo Domingo. Quickly and merrily we got out after we´ve been asked if we were going to the Zona Colonial, the oldest part and the main tourist destination. In the same pace, we took a worn taxi. It now takes us to the next couple of beds. We pass beautiful churches and facades.

13.56 Here at Hotel Monumental something new has happened. We have a room each. I have 313 and Christer 314. Sure, we have had our own bedroom before but very own hotel room is something new on our travels. At check-in it was the final minute of the quarter-finals Argentina - Belgium. It seemed to be 1-0.

14.09 It is nice to have a hotel room again, it's nice to have a shower, but it's a little weird to have ended up in different rooms. The reason for this was that we requested two beds when making the reservation. When there are no rooms with two beds there will be two different rooms instead apparently.

14.48 We have left our small, cramped, windowless rooms. We left the hotel and crossed over the pedestrian street Calle El Conde and sat down at the restaurant Mi Casita de Campo (my little house in the countryside).

15.59 Christer paid for the lunches. We then went to a shop and bought something to drink and eat to the football. The collection of money from ATM´s failed miserably. Back home, they wanted us to pay more for the rooms. It was alleged that they had miscalculated. In total, we paid 6048 pesos (US$138) for two rooms for two nights. Now we are waiting for the next quarter-finals of the World Cup, a match between the Netherlands and Costa Rica.

Peter is having lunch at Mi Casita de Campo.

Calle El Conde, shopping street in Santo Domingo´s Zona Colonial.

16.47 It's half time and none of the teams have scored

17.22 Today it´s been +29° C here in the city. The game remains the same result, 0-0.

17.52 The orange dressed Dutch team tries but fail to score. Now they get 2x15 minutes more to do so. The extra time has started.

18.35 There was no goal. At the last minute the Dutch changed their goalkeeper. Tim Krul has jumped into the game.

18.47 The new goalkeeper saved two of the five penalties, a stroke of genius to put him between the posts. Those who once were 32 are now only four, four teams that have been here before and played for World Championship medals.

19.33 Once again we unsuccessfully tried to get money from the ATM´s at Calle El Conde, we are now at Café Roma for pizza. It's time for today's dinner.

20.36 There was plenty of food. We live and move in an area that is a UNESCO world heritage. Tomorrow we intend to see more of it.

21.52 Now we have roughly planned for tomorrow. We may freely and separately dispose period up to 8:30 in the respective rooms. Then again, we gather and eat breakfast. After that follows a cultural walk before getting lunch. The afternoon may be on the promenade of El Malecon. If all this is carried out and in this same order remains to be seen. It seldom goes exactly as you planned.

Pizza dinner at Café Roma.

Sunday 6th of July

07.40 It's quiet and peaceful this morning. It's the first morning in yet another capital, the 70th capital city we sleep in on our travels. We'll see what the capital has to offer.

09.04 Breakfast is finished. At the breakfast table sat a man who took coffee in his milk. It was probably verging on more milk than coffee in the cup. It is time to get out to find wet wipes, cash and a train.

09.25 We have left the security of the hotel behind us and walked out into a quiet Santo Domingo Sunday.

09.41 We're having a bench break in the park at the Cathedral, Parque (Plaza) de Colón. Here is just as the name suggests a statue of Christopher Columbus. The cathedral here (Cathedral Primada de America) is also known as Santa Maria la Menor. It is the first cathedral in America. Its construction began in 1512. The sky is now dark and disturbing and a flock of doves launches in the square. We have met the grand old master of whiskey voices, he had a voice rougher than barbed wire.

09.51 It's time for a new session on a bench. Now we know that the train we're going with will depart at 10.45. Now we will do something until then. It remains cloudy but we get to sit here in peace and quiet without various offers.

10.15 We have moved away from the dripping rain. We are at the café Noah de Bari. Here we ordered pastries and coffee. Previously, a gentleman at Parque Duarte tried to offer us a guided tour of the city. We have also seen an old man who was carrying/pulled around a white plastic chair, unclear why.

Christer is heading out to another exciting day.

Santo Domingo (Zona Colonial).

Christoffer Columbus looks out on his square.

Christer is taking a photo outside America´s oldest cathedral.

Pigeons on Plaza de Colón.

A man with his chair.

Juan Pablo Duarte, one of the founders of the Dominican Republic, has his own park and statue.

10.49 We have bought tickets for the sightseeing train Chu Chu Colonial (http://www.chuchucolonial.com). It goes around the streets here in the colonial neighbourhood and tells us about the city and its history. When we waited in their office Christer told that we were from Sweden. The girl at the counter smiled and started playing Sanna Nielsen and her song Undo via YouTube (http://youtu.be/N_hmzLU1_cc). She liked it and played it a second time when we left the premises to catch the train. Now the train departs. We are the only passengers.

11.29 The tour offered let us hear and see some very interesting things, for example the old man with the white chair, this time sitting, a street where a scene in The Godfather II was filmed, old churches, forts and more. Chu Chu Colonial is a nice way to see the city centre while learning many new things. Now we left the train and walked into a museum where the oldest of the old fortifications, Fortaleza Ozama is.

11.42 Admission fee was modest. The sun is not as shy. It fries on the open bronzed grass surface here. We retreat to a bench, a comfortable one in the shade of some trees.

12.05 We have left the comfortable shade and moved to the main building/tower here. We have looked at the view of the Ozama river and port area here in Santo Domingo.

12.23 Now we are at the top of the fortification. A warm breeze blows and the country's flag stretches and patters. The sun is shining and we are doing only well. We will probably not feel as well if we continue to be in the sun during the sun's strongest hours.

12.32 Someone calls for Daniella. We rest on a bench. Soon we´ll turn back home to cool down some. It would be good if we got some pesos from a kind ATM. We have some U.S dollars but we want to keep them until later during the trip.

Waiting for departure on the Chu Chu Colonial.

Calle Hostos, a famous street from Godfather II.

Buildings and people pass by.

The train turns.

Christer on the historic street Calle Las Damas.

13.08 We went to the big chequered Plaza de España before we went and sat down on Segazona´s outdoor seating under some trees and a beach umbrella. Here we get to eat and we can pay for what we eat and drink with American dollars. Any change is given in Dominican pesos. This suited us fine. The street between the Fortaleza Ozama and Plaza de España is the oldest paved street in the New World (America). It was paved in 1502 and called Calle Las Damas, the women's street. The ladies in question were Columbus daughter-in-law and her friends. Time to go back to the present. A young lady in a wedding dress just passed behind me.

14.23 I paid lunch with US dollars and got pesos in return. The ATM gave us money, but only 2 000 pesos each. But some money is better than no money at all. We bought some more to drink and brought them and ourselves home.

14.55 I've looked a bit online. WiFi is good! It was a Serbian victory at Wimbledon this year. Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 3-2 in sets. Now we will relax for a while. It will be followed by more walking tours later.

A nice break in the shadow.

Fortaleza Ozama.

Christer inside the old Ozama fort.

Peter is on his way to climb the tower.

Dominican Republic´s flag on top of the Fortaleza Ozama.

Peter writes down the last events.

17.25 After some good rest in our room, we were off to the streets again. We looked online and found the address of a new and hopefully better ATM. Joy, it is located! It was unfortunately closed! Now we are in a café which also sells paintings. We have done this before. We can’t, unfortunately, find any name for our café but the owner is very friendly and speaks perfect English. We are along Calle El Conde.

19.58 We will now, after some private time in the two rooms, go out to have dinner for the last time in this capital city.

21.01 Now we are home again at the Hotel Monumental. We were out of ideas regarding the choice of place for dinner and returned to the nearby Mi Casita de Campo, a restaurant with pleasant waitresses, nice location but quite expensive and boring food. It will, before going to bed, be a small juice evening.

22.27 We have been filled with liquid in the form of juice and music in the format VH1 offers on the room's TV. Various music videos meant that we needed to do further research on the internet to find out what we had seen. Now I will sleep.

Peter is having a ravioli lunch at Segazona.

Afternoon walk in Santo Domingo.