Guayabal (Azua)

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Coordinates: 18 ° 45 ′  N , 70 ° 50 ′  W

Guayabal is a small town of about 3,000 inhabitants (2009) in the Azua Province in the Dominican Republic . One speaks a South Dominican (Sureño) Spanish with an “o” tending towards “u”, ie Riu or Tiu (uncle) instead of Rio or Tio.

location

Guayabal lies 725 meters above sea level, at the confluence of the Arroyo Guayabal in the Rio Cueva . The piste leads through this Arroyo Guayabal to Constanza, which is three to four mule hours away. With off-road vehicles and appropriately knowledgeable drivers, Constanza can be reached in less than two hours. Guayabal is about 20 km or 50 minutes (gravel road) by public minibus ("Guagua") northeast of Padre las Casas , which in turn can be reached in two hours via a paved road with the Guagua from the provincial capital Azua de Compostela .

society

Guayabal manages some villages along the Rio Cueva, some of which are far away and which can only be reached with off-road vehicles and with difficulty. For example Periquito (20 minutes walk west), Arroyo Corozo (15 minutes east), La Guama (30 minutes south-east) and El Recodo (two hours south-east). Guayabal is heavily dependent on Padre las Casas, so there is no bank and a lot of goods and services have to be brought in.

The residents form large families. Because of the rampant poverty there is a strong emigration, impressively demonstrated by the return of those who emigrated at Christmas or during the “Semana Santa” (Easter).

economy

The economy is strongly influenced by the cultivation of Indian beans ("Habichuelas"), guandule ( pigeon pea ), yuca (casava or casabe or manioc ) and auyama (yellow-fleshed pumpkin with a diameter of up to 40 cm). The cultivation areas, so-called "Loma" or "Cerca" extend to the peaks of the highest mountains, i. H. up to an altitude of over 1000 meters. The yield of a “tarea” (around 625 m²) reaches up to 4000 pesos or around 100 US dollars. The meat industry remains rather modest, the dairy industry has been pushed aside. Transports are carried out with horses, mules and donkeys.

tourism

There is hardly any tourism. There are two small hotels, one of them with a comparatively high standard (bathroom, TV, fan), but these are mainly used for business and administrative traffic. There are no restaurants, but guests are quickly asked to table. Individual tourists stay overnight in Guayabal or Padre las Casas on the way to Constanza.

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