The tenth month has arrived and brought with it the fall, a season in which we enjoy cooler weather, and when you can watch the most amazing sunsets, as well as for hosting outdoor events. With the arrival of October we approach the Casa de Campo “high season” – a time when the joy, companionship and good times fill every corner of our little piece of paradise! Welcome October!
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: 29.8 mm
No. of rainy days: 12 approximately days per month
Dominican National Holidays & International Celebrations
Sunday, October 12 – Dominican Identity/Race Day There is nothing like our own identity, it doesn’t matter if we are Spanish, French, Germans, Mexican, English, Puerto Rican or Dominican, our identity defines us as groups of people with different beliefs and culture. In our case (Dominicans) it all started with Christopher Columbus’ arrival on the 12th of October in 1492, when he named our land ‘Quisqueya’. Dominican Identity or Race Day is celebrated on this day because this was when native Tainos (the original people living in the Dominican Republic) first met people of other countries and cultures; from Africa, Spain and France, an event which has made Dominicans a marvelous mixture of 4 races.
October 1st – International Day of Older Persons On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons. This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing – which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing – and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly.
October 2nd – International Day of Non-Violence The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.
October 5th – World Teachers’ Day Since teachers are the most powerful force for equity, access and quality education, a call for teachers means calling for quality education for all. Quality education offers hope and the promise of a better standard of living. There is no stronger foundation for lasting peace and sustainable development than a quality education provided by well trained, valued, supported and motivated teachers.
October 6th – World Habitat Day In Resolution 40/202 of 17 December 1985, the UN General Assembly designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day.
October 9th – World Post Day World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969.
October 16th – World Food Day World Food Day was first held on 16 Oct 1981. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations marks World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.
Happening now!
Traces from the Caribbean and Europe When: Thursday, September 11 – Monday, October 13 Where: The Gallery, Altos de Chavón
Upcoming events
“Spiritual Retreat” with the Fundación MIR When: Friday, October 03 – Sunday, October 05 Where: Cacique Conference Center, Casa de Campo
Dominican Baseball Season 2014-2015 When: Wednesday, October 15 Where: Francisco A. Micheli stadium, La Romana
Art exhibit by German García When: Friday, October 17 – Monday, November 10 Where: The Gallery Altos de Chavón
South Florida PGA Tournament When: Sunday, October 19 – Thursday, October 23 Where: Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore, Casa de Campo
Caddy Tournament When: Monday, October 20 Where: Casa de Campo
DR Open amateur Championship When: Tuesday, October 28 – Sunday, November 02 Where: Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and The Links , Casa de Campo
Remember! Check out www.TODO.fm for the complete calendar of events and activities.
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.
A woody tree of medium size, its natural habitat is the beaches of the Americans and the Caribbean intertropical zone, including Florida, and of course right here in the Dominican Republic. This plant has large rounded leaves which can be up to 25cm in diameter, with pink ribs. Here in Casa de Campo this tree is found all around the Teeth of the Dog golf course, as well as at Minitas Beach, and in fact in many other areas.
The fruit starts to grow in August, but it isn’t until mid-September that it starts to ripen and become edible.
Cashews
The cashew tree is a tropical evergreen that produces the cashew nut and the cashew apple. Officially classed as Anacardium occidentale, it can grow as high as 14 metres (46 ft), but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 metres (20 ft), has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields.
In Casa de Campo we can see the cashew, Cajuiles in Spanish, growing on the Teeth of the Dog
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.
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
