Welcome September! This is the month when it starts to feel a little cooler, but it’s also the month where Casa de Campo’s jetset crowd start to drift back! And what does that mean? Fun. That’s what it means! In Casa de Campo it’s certainly is a case of the more the merrier! The more people in Casa – the more there is going on.
Below we bring you a complete overview of all you can expect in this month… the weather, seasonal fruits and flowers, holidays, social events, and also our top 10 memories of September 2013.
Weather
Rainfall: 27.7 mm
No. of rainy days: 11 approximately days per month
Temperature range:
Max. 32ºC
Min. 23ºC
Humidity:
Day: fluctuates between 73% and 85%
Night: fluctuates between 84% and 94%
Sunrise: Approximately at 6:25am
Sunset: Varies between 6:50pm and 6:55pm
Conclusion:
With the arrival of September we’re now three months into the into the Hurricane Season 2014 with 3 more months to go… which is great, but remember that August and September are considered the “peak” months, so we still need to be prepared!
Dominican National Holidays & International Celebrations
Wednesday, September 24 – Día de las Mercedes This celebration is also a devotion to the Virgin Mary, however the name “Mercedes” was given with the founding of the new religious order of mercenaries on August 10, 1218 in Spain. Saint Pedro Nolasco and his brothers, being very devoted to the Virgin Mary, took her as their ‘patrona‘ and guide and it was when she was honored as Mother of Mercy or the Virgin Redeemer.
The Virgen de las Mercedes was declared “Patroness of the Dominican Republic” in 1844, the year of Dominican Independence. Her sanctuary is located in the ‘Santo Cerro’ (Holy Hill), a small hill on which stood the ancient city of La Concepción de La Vega. As spiritual guide for many cities in the country, Mercedes day, a national holiday is celebrated with great devotion on the 24th of September mostly in the towns of Cabrera, Constanza, Hato Mayor, Imbert, Pimentel and Sabana Grande de Palenque.
September 5th – International Day of Charity. In recognition of the role of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering within and among nations, as well as of the efforts of charitable organizations and individuals, including the work of Mother Teresa, the General Assembly of the United Nations designated the 5th of September, the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, as the International Day of Charity.
September 8th – International Literacy Day Literacy is one of the key elements needed to promote sustainable development, as it empowers people so that they can make the right decisions in the areas of economic growth, social development and environmental integration. Literacy is a basis for lifelong learning and plays a crucial foundational role in the creation of sustainable, prosperous and peaceful societies.
September 15th – International Day of Democracy The United Nations General Assembly, encouraged Governments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, and also decided that 15 September of each year should be observed as the International Day of Democracy.
September 21st – International Day of Peace The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982.
September 27th – International Day of Tourism Tourism today is a trillion dollar sector involving the movement of over one billion tourists a year around the world and another five to six billion domestically.
Happening now!
Villas Owners Golf Special When: Sunday June 01 – Tuesday, September 30th Where: Dye Fore and The Links, Casa de Campo
The following fruits are currently in season, meaning that not only is NOW the best time to enjoy them, but also that you’re likely to spot them growing all over the Casa de Campo resort.
Cherry
Wonderfully delicious, cherry fruit is packed full healthy nutrients and antioxidants. Cherries are native to Eastern Europe and Asia. Botanically, the fruit is a “drupe” (stone fruit), belonging to the broad Rosaceae family of small tree fruits in the genus, Prunus. Several species of cherries exist, two popular cultivars are wild or sweet-cherry, and sour or tart-cherry. While sweet cherries belong to the species of Prunus avium, tart variety belongs to that of Prunus cerasus. In Dominican Republic the only species is the tart-cherry.
Mangos
Mango is a popular tropical fruit, with a slightly acidic and fleshy pulp. The fruit is usually green at first, and yellow or orange when ripe. Mangos originate from Asia, mainly India, and there are numerous varieties – many of them created by grafting (a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together.)
Mangos are in season from April to September.
Avocados
Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. Commercially, they ripen after harvesting. Trees are partially self-pollinating and are often propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.
Here in Casa de Campo, avocado trees are hard to spot because the fruit is green and doesn’t stand out against the green of the leaves. However, we have spotted avocado trees on hole #2 and hole #13 of the Teeth of the Dog, although of course there must be many more!
Avocados are in season from June to November.
Limoncillo (Quenepa)
Limoncillo is a fruit-bearing tree in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, native or naturalised over a wide area of the tropics including South and Central America, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti and other parts of the Caribbean, and parts of Africa and the Pacific.
Now that they are in season we can expect to see them for sale on the side of the road throughout the Dominican Republic.
Limoncillos are in season from June to September.
Loquat (níspero)
Loquat, known in the Dominican Republic as nispero, is small – about the size of an apple – and is soft and very sweet with a distinctive flavor. The skin of the nispero is brown, while its flesh has a unique texture and is white/brown/orange in color. It is not very popular for juicing – but can be peeled and eaten. This tropical fruit contains 14 percent sugar.
Flowers of the season
Thanks to countless numbers of flowering trees and plants, Casa de Campo is always a colorful paradise, but as the seasons change so do the flowers we see brightening the roads, golf courses and villas.
Hibiscus
The hibiscus originates from America and Africa, has more than 220 species that derive from the Malvaceae family and are generally found in warm environments. The species most typically found in the Dominican Republic is known as “Sangre de Cristo”, Christ’s Blood (hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and is a national symbol, often used as hair decorations on national holidays.
However, here in Casa, magnificent Hibiscus flowers can be spotted in neon pink and orange, these were found on hole #5 of the Links golf course, while we’ve spotted the “Sangre de Cristo” around the Teeth of the Dog.
Animals highlights
Butterflies
During this beautiful time of year, not only do we enjoy the resort blooming with hundreds of different types of flowers in a rainbow of magnificent colors, but serving as the perfect addition are the butterflies, floating from flower to flower, and darting in the grass, everywhere you look. With the butterfly season (from April to November), here in Casa de Campo you can spot dozens of different species.
March to November in the Dominican Republic is turtle nesting season – which means right now on the Dominican Republic’s many beaches; Hawksbill turtles, Green turtles and Leatherback turtles are laying their eggs – some even right here on Minitas Beach and on nearby Saona Island!
Spanish
Hibiscus
